Shipping Your Belongings to the UK: Complete Guide for Immigrants
Moving your household belongings to the UK involves shipping logistics, customs procedures, and knowing the rules about what you can and cannot bring. This guide covers everything from choosing a shipping company to claiming duty relief.
- Section
- Practical Life in the UK
- Reading time
- 10 min
- Last checked
- 13 March 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Transfer of Residence relief allows duty-free import of personal belongings.
- Items must have been owned and used for at least 6 months.
- Goods must arrive within 12 months of you coming to live in the UK.
- Apply for Transfer of Residence relief before you ship your goods.
- Some items are prohibited or require special permits.
When moving to the UK, you can ship your personal belongings duty-free if you qualify for Transfer of Residence relief. The process involves choosing between sea and air freight, handling customs paperwork, and understanding what items are restricted or prohibited.
Planning Your Shipment
Work backwards from your move date. Key decisions include:
- What to bring: Consider whether it is cost-effective to ship items versus buying new in the UK. Check our cost of living guide for UK prices. Heavy or bulky items may cost more to ship than they are worth.
- Shipping method: Sea freight is cheaper but slower. Air freight is faster but much more expensive. Most people use sea freight for household contents and air freight only for essentials.
- Shipping company: Get quotes from at least three international removals companies. Check they are members of BAR (British Association of Removers) or FIDI (International Federation of Movers).
Transfer of Residence (ToR) Relief
If you are moving to the UK to live permanently, you may qualify for Transfer of Residence relief from HMRC. This allows you to import your personal belongings without paying customs duty or VAT.
To qualify:
- You must have been resident outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months before the move. Have your eVisa or visa in place before moving.
- The goods must be for your personal use, and you must intend to use them in the UK for the same purpose as before.
- You must have owned and used the items for at least 6 months before moving.
- The goods must arrive within 12 months of you coming to live in the UK. Apply for approval before you ship them.
Apply online with form ToR1 through the HMRC service. Your shipping company can usually help with the paperwork.
The relief does not cover alcoholic drinks, tobacco products, commercial means of transport, or goods from a second or holiday home. Goods brought in under the relief cannot be lent, used as security, hired out or transferred to anyone else within 12 months of the date you moved.
What You Can and Cannot Bring
Generally Allowed
- Furniture and household goods
- Clothing and personal items
- Books and educational materials
- Electronics (TVs, computers, etc.)
- Kitchen equipment and appliances (check voltage compatibility)
Restricted or Prohibited
- Controlled drugs and certain medications
- Weapons of any kind (including decorative swords)
- Meat, dairy, and some food products (strict rules apply)
- Plants and seeds (may require phytosanitary certificates)
- Counterfeit goods
- Goods containing endangered species products (ivory, certain animal skins)
Check GOV.UK's list of banned and restricted goods before packing.
Electrical Appliances
Once you arrive, our utilities setup guide will help you get connected. The UK uses 230V electricity with Type G (three-pin) plugs. If your appliances use a different voltage (e.g., 110V in the US), you will need either:
- Voltage converters (for temporary use)
- Dual-voltage appliances (many modern electronics are dual-voltage)
- To buy new UK-compatible appliances (often simpler and safer for large appliances)
Check each appliance before shipping. It may not be worth shipping items that need voltage conversion.
Pets
Bringing pets to the UK requires compliance with the UK's animal health regulations. Dogs, cats and ferrets must be microchipped before their rabies vaccination, wait at least 21 full days after that vaccination, and carry a travel document — which one depends on the country you are coming from. Dogs also need tapeworm treatment between 24 hours and 5 days before arrival, unless coming directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway. Pets from countries that are not in the EU and not on the listed-country table also need a rabies blood test, taken at least 30 days after vaccination, followed by a 3-month wait — so the process can run to several months. A banned breed of dog cannot be brought in unless it already has a valid Certificate of Exemption. See our bringing pets to the UK guide.
Insurance
See our Home Office contact guide if customs issues arise.
International shipping carries risk of damage or loss. Options include:
- Shipping company insurance: Most offer transit insurance as an add-on.
- Third-party insurance: Specialist international removals insurance from an independent provider.
- Inventory: Create a detailed inventory with photographs of all items before packing. This is essential for any insurance claim.
Costs
Shipping is priced by private companies, not by any published rate, and varies with volume, origin and method. There is no official figure to plan from, so get written quotes for the volume you are actually moving and compare what each includes: packing, insurance, customs paperwork, port charges at both ends, and delivery to the door. Then factor that into your immigration budget.
Next Steps
Start by deciding what to bring and getting shipping quotes. Apply for Transfer of Residence relief. Create an inventory and arrange insurance.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Do I have to pay customs duty on personal belongings?
If you are moving to the UK permanently and qualify for Transfer of Residence relief, you can import your personal belongings without customs duty or import VAT. You must have been resident outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months and have owned and used the items for at least 6 months before moving. Apply for approval before you ship, and the goods must arrive within 12 months of you coming to live in the UK.
How long does shipping take?
Transit times are set by the shipping company and the route, not by any published rule, so ask the companies you get quotes from. Sea freight is slower and cheaper than air freight. Allow additional time for customs clearance at the UK end.
What items cannot be shipped to the UK?
Prohibited items include controlled drugs, offensive weapons, certain animal products, some plants and seeds, and counterfeit goods. Restricted items (requiring licences or permits) include firearms, certain medications, and some food products.
Should I use a professional shipping company?
For household contents, an international removals company handles packing, customs documentation and delivery, and can usually complete the Transfer of Residence paperwork. Getting several quotes and checking membership of a trade body such as the British Association of Removers or FIDI lets you compare on more than price.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.