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Last updated: June 2025 · Document requirements verified against HMRC, Spanish AEAT, and IATA regulations
Documentation guide · all international shipments
Documents required to ship your luggage abroad
Everything you need to prepare before your shipment is collected.
Getting your paperwork right avoids customs delays, charges, and returns.
Excess Luggage Co. prepares all export and import documentation on your behalf —
but you must provide accurate information and the documents listed below.
Passport copy
All destinations
Required
Packing list
All destinations
Required
Delivery address
All destinations
Required
EU tax ID
EU relocators
Conditional
Additional docs
Specific goods
Destination-specific
Core documents · all destinations
Documents required for every shipment
These documents are required for all international luggage shipments from the UK, regardless of destination. Have these ready before you book — they are needed to complete your customs declaration.
Required — all shipments
Passport or photo ID
Identifies you as the legal shipper and customs declarant
A copy of your passport photo page — or other government-issued photo ID — is required for all international shipments. This identifies you as the shipper and legal declarant for customs purposes on both the UK export and destination import declaration.
What to provide: A clear scan or photograph of your passport photo page. Must show your full name, date of birth, nationality, and passport number.
Acceptable alternatives: UK driving licence (photo card), national identity card (EU/EEA nationals), UK Biometric Residence Permit.
Not acceptable: Expired documents. Documents where the photo page is unclear, obscured, or cut off.
How to submit: Upload via your booking portal at checkout, or email to docs@excessluggage.co.uk quoting your booking reference.
You do not need to send the original document — a scan or clear photo is sufficient for all customs purposes.
Required — all shipments
Detailed packing list
Legal customs declaration of all items in your shipment
A packing list is a written description of every item in your shipment. It is a legal customs document used by HMRC on export and Spanish AEAT (or destination customs) on import. An inaccurate or vague packing list is the most common cause of customs delays, charges, and held shipments.
Must include: Description of each item, quantity, and estimated fair market value in GBP for each category.
Not acceptable: "Clothes and personal items" or "miscellaneous." Every item category must be listed separately.
Valuation: Used personal items are valued at second-hand market value — not original purchase price. New items must be declared at current retail value.
Template: Excess Luggage Co. provides a packing list template at booking — see the example below.
Legal notice: Deliberately undervaluing goods or misdescribing contents is customs fraud under UK and EU law. Excess Luggage Co. will not process declarations we believe to be inaccurate and will cooperate with HMRC and destination customs in any investigation.
Required — all shipments
Full destination address
Hotel, apartment, villa or address — not the airport
You must provide a complete delivery address before your shipment can be processed. Excess Luggage Co. delivers to hotels, apartments, villas, and addresses — not to airports. Your delivery address is required for both the air waybill and the customs import declaration.
Must include: Recipient name, full street address, city, postcode/zip code, and country.
Hotel deliveries: Provide hotel name, full address, and your check-in dates. We notify the hotel on your behalf.
Airbnb / private rental: Confirm the host or property manager can receive a signed delivery before booking.
Not valid: Airport names, terminal numbers, or PO box addresses. Shipments cannot be delivered airside.
ℹ If your accommodation address changes after booking, contact us immediately — address changes mid-transit may not be possible and could incur re-routing charges.
Required — all shipments
Contents value declaration
Total declared value used for customs assessment and insurance
You must declare the total estimated value of all items in your shipment. This figure is used by customs authorities to determine whether duty or VAT applies, and by our insurance team to calculate your cover level. The declared value must be honest and accurate.
Used personal effects: Declare at current second-hand market value (e.g. eBay equivalent), not original purchase price.
New goods: Declare at current retail value including VAT. Receipts or invoices may be requested by customs.
High-value items: Jewellery, watches, cameras, laptops over £500 — contact our customs team before booking for advice on declaration and insurance options.
Insurance: Standard cover is £500. Upgrade to up to £2,500 at checkout. Declared value must match or exceed insured value.
Excess Luggage Co. includes £500 standard cover on all shipments. For higher-value shipments, upgrade your cover at booking — do not undervalue goods to reduce insurance costs.
Packing list · example template
How to complete your packing list correctly
Use this format when completing your packing list. Every item category must be listed separately with a quantity and estimated value. Vague descriptions will be returned for clarification and may delay collection.
Packing list template · UK to Barcelona · personal effects
Complete one list per bag / per shipment
Shipper name: [Your full name as on passport] ·
Date: [Date of packing] ·
Destination: [Barcelona, Spain] ·
Booking ref: [ELC-XXXXXX]
Item description
Category
Qty
Condition
Est. value (£)
Notes
T-shirts, short sleeve cotton
Clothing
6
Used
£18
Personal use only
Trousers / jeans
Clothing
3
Used
£45
Personal use only
Shoes (trainers, sandals)
Footwear
2 pairs
Used
£40
Personal use only
Swimwear
Clothing
2
Used
£20
—
Shampoo, conditioner (sealed)
Toiletries
2
New
£12
Under 500ml each
Sunscreen SPF50 (sealed)
Toiletries
2
New
£14
Under 500ml each
Laptop (Apple MacBook Pro)
Electronics
1
Used
£800
Battery installed in device. Device switched off. See battery declaration.
Mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy)
Electronics
1
Used
£350
Battery installed. Switched off.
Books (paperback)
Books
4
Used
£20
Personal reading
Children's toys (plastic, non-electric)
Toys
5
Used
£30
No batteries
TOTAL DECLARED VALUE
£1,349
Must match contents value declaration at booking
Conditional documents · specific situations
Additional documents — when they apply to you
The following documents are not required for all shipments but may be needed depending on your destination, the type of goods you are shipping, or whether you are relocating permanently.
May be required
Flight or travel booking confirmation
Links your shipment to your personal travel itinerary
For personal effects shipments where you are also travelling to the destination, your flight booking confirmation can support the customs declaration — confirming that the goods are personal effects accompanying a traveller rather than commercial imports.
When requested: Spanish customs (AEAT) may request this if the shipment is flagged for inspection, particularly for higher-value personal effects.
What to provide: A copy of your flight booking confirmation showing your name, travel dates, origin and destination.
Recommendation: Have your travel booking confirmation ready before shipping. Excess Luggage Co. will request it if needed during customs processing.
Required if shipping medicines
Prescription / medical documentation
Required for prescription and controlled medicines
Prescription medicines may be shipped as personal effects for up to a 90-day personal supply. Controlled substances require prior authorisation from the Spanish medicines authority (AEMPS). Over-the-counter medicines in personal quantities are generally permitted.
Required: A copy of your prescription from a registered UK GP or specialist, showing your name, the medication name, dosage, and quantity.
Controlled drugs: Contact Excess Luggage Co. before booking. Controlled substances may require an import licence from AEMPS — this can take several weeks to obtain.
Medical devices: CPAP machines, insulin pumps, and other battery-powered medical devices require IATA battery documentation in addition to medical documentation. Contact us before booking.
Do not ship: Medicines not in their original packaging, unlabelled medications, or substances not prescribed to you. These will be seized at customs.
Required for permanent relocation
Proof of residence / relocation documents
Required to claim Transfer of Normal Residence (TNR) relief
If you are permanently relocating to Spain from the UK, you may qualify for Transfer of Normal Residence (TNR) customs relief — allowing you to import household goods and personal effects free of duty and VAT. This requires specific documentation and must be arranged before shipping.
Proof of previous UK residence: UK utility bills, bank statements, or council tax bills showing your name and UK address for the past 12 months.
Proof of new Spanish residence: Spanish rental agreement, property purchase documents, or Spanish empadronamiento (municipal registration) certificate.
Spanish NIE number: Your NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) is required for the TNR application. Apply at a Spanish consulate in the UK or via a gestor in Spain before shipping.
Important: TNR relief must be applied for in advance — contact our relocation customs team before booking if you are permanently moving to Spain. This is a different process to holiday luggage shipping.
ℹ TNR customs relief can result in significant savings on duty and VAT for larger household shipments. Contact us to discuss whether this applies to your move.
Required if shipping electronics
Battery / electronics declaration
IATA DGR compliance declaration for devices containing lithium batteries
Any shipment containing electronic devices with lithium batteries requires a battery compliance declaration confirming the devices are packed correctly and comply with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. This is completed as part of your booking form.
Required for: Laptops, mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, smart watches, wireless headphones — any device with a built-in lithium battery.
You must confirm: Battery is installed in the device (not loose), device is switched off, device is protected from crushing or accidental activation.
Prohibited regardless: Loose/spare batteries, power banks, e-cigarettes, vapes, e-scooters. These cannot be shipped by air under any circumstances.
How to complete: The battery declaration is included in your booking checklist. Each device must be listed separately with its battery type and watt-hour rating where known.
Aviation safety notice: Misdeclaration of battery items is a breach of aviation safety law enforced by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Shipments found to contain undeclared prohibited battery items will be offloaded and the shipper reported to the CAA.
EU & international tax identification numbers
Country-specific tax IDs — when you need one
For holiday luggage shipped as personal effects, an individual tax ID is not normally required — Excess Luggage Co. uses its own EORI number on your behalf. However, for permanent relocations, high-value shipments, or repeated shipments to EU destinations, a local tax identification number may be required by destination customs. Here are the key IDs by country.
Spain
NIE · NIF · CIF
Personal (foreign)NIE number
FormatX-1234567-R
Personal (Spanish)NIF / DNI
BusinessCIF number
Holiday shippingNot required
Permanent relocationNIE required
Where to get NIESpanish Consulate UK or gestor in Spain
France
Numéro Fiscal · SIRET
Personal tax IDNuméro Fiscal
Format13-digit number
BusinessSIRET number
Holiday shippingNot required
Permanent relocationMay be requested
VAT rate20% standard
Duty-free threshold€150 (imports)
Germany
Steueridentifikationsnummer
Personal tax IDSteuer-ID
Format11-digit number
BusinessSteuernummer
Holiday shippingNot required
Permanent relocationMay be requested
VAT rate19% standard
Customs authorityZollamt (German Customs)
Italy
Codice Fiscale · Partita IVA
Personal tax IDCodice Fiscale
Format16 alphanumeric
Business VATPartita IVA
Holiday shippingNot required
Permanent relocationCodice Fiscale needed
VAT rate22% standard
Customs authorityAgenzia delle Dogane
Portugal
NIF · NIPC
Personal tax IDNIF number
Format9-digit number
BusinessNIPC number
Holiday shippingNot required
Permanent relocationNIF required
VAT rate23% standard
Where to get NIFPortuguese Consulate UK or Finanças
UAE
TRN · Emirates ID
Personal IDEmirates ID
Business VATTRN (Tax Reg. No.)
UAE VAT rate5% standard
Holiday shippingNot required
Permanent relocationEmirates ID needed
Customs authorityFederal Customs Authority
NoteStrict prohibited goods list
Australia
TFN · ABN
Personal tax IDTFN (Tax File No.)
BusinessABN number
GST rate10%
Holiday shippingNot required
Duty-free thresholdAUD $1,000
Customs authorityAustralian Border Force
BiosecurityStrict — declare all food/wood
United States
SSN · ITIN · EIN
Personal (US citizen)SSN
Personal (non-US)ITIN
BusinessEIN
Holiday shippingNot required
Duty-free thresholdUSD $800
Customs authorityUS Customs & Border Protection
ISF filingRequired for sea
South Africa
SARS Tax Ref · ID No.
Personal IDSA ID number
Tax referenceSARS tax ref no.
VAT rate15%
Holiday shippingNot required
Permanent relocationSARS ref needed
Customs authoritySARS Customs
Rebate provisionsAvailable for removals
Not listed above? Excess Luggage Co. ships to 185 countries and territories worldwide. For destination-specific tax ID requirements not listed here, contact our customs team at customs@excessluggage.co.uk or call 0800 096 38 39 before booking. We will advise on the exact documentation required for your destination.
Pre-booking checklist
Have everything ready before you book
Use this checklist to confirm you have everything in place before placing your order. Missing documents after booking may delay collection or customs clearance.
Booking readiness checklist · Excess Luggage Co.
Complete before placing your order
Required for all shipments
Passport copy — clear scan of photo page, valid and not expired
Packing list — itemised with quantities and values for each category
Full delivery address — hotel name and full address, or apartment / villa address in Barcelona
Contents value declaration — honest estimated total value of all items
Collection address — full UK address where bags will be collected
Collection date — at least 5–7 days before your arrival at destination
Battery declaration — if shipping any electronic devices with lithium batteries
Required in specific situations
Flight booking confirmation — if requested by customs or for higher-value personal effects
Prescription documentation — if shipping prescription medicines (90-day personal supply max)
Spanish NIE number — if permanently relocating to Spain and claiming TNR customs relief
Proof of residence (UK) — if claiming Transfer of Normal Residence relief
Proof of new address (Spain) — rental agreement or property purchase if relocating
EORI number — only for business shippers making repeated commercial shipments
Destination-specific tax ID — see country guide above; only for relocators or high-value shipments
Unsure about any document? Contact our customs team before booking — not after collection. Call 0800 096 38 39 (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm) or email customs@excessluggage.co.uk. Getting documentation right before collection avoids delays, charges, and returns. Excess Luggage Co. has been handling international customs documentation since 1998.
When to submit each document
Documentation timeline — from booking to delivery
Document submission timeline · UK to Barcelona
1
At booking
Submit core documents
Passport copy, packing list, contents value declaration, delivery address, battery declaration (if applicable). All uploaded via the booking portal.
2
Before collection
Confirm address & any conditionals
Confirm hotel has been notified. Submit any additional docs (prescription letter, flight confirmation) if requested by our customs team.
3
During transit
Customs clearance
Excess Luggage Co. lodges UK export declaration and Spanish AEAT import entry on your behalf. You may be contacted if customs requests additional information.
4
On delivery
Signature & collection
Your bags are delivered to your Barcelona hotel or address. A signature is required. You receive SMS and email delivery confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Documentation questions — answered honestly
For all international shipments you need a copy of your passport or photo ID, a detailed packing list with item descriptions and estimated values, your full destination delivery address, and a contents value declaration. For EU destinations post-Brexit, Excess Luggage Co. uses its own EORI number for routine personal effects — individual customers do not normally need their own. Additional documents may be required for relocations, prescription medicines, or high-value goods.
Yes. A copy of your passport photo page is required for all international luggage shipments. This identifies you as the legal declarant for both UK export and Spanish import customs purposes. A clear scan or photograph is sufficient — you do not send the original. An alternative photo ID (driving licence, national ID card) is acceptable in most cases.
A packing list is a legal customs document listing every item in your shipment with a description, quantity, and estimated value. It must not say "clothes and personal items" — each category must be listed separately. For example: "6 x cotton T-shirts, used, £18" and "2 x pairs shoes, used, £40." An inaccurate or vague packing list is the most common cause of customs delays. Excess Luggage Co. provides a template at booking.
No — not for holiday luggage. A Spanish NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) is not required for personal effects shipped for a holiday or short-term stay. However, if you are permanently relocating to Spain and wish to claim Transfer of Normal Residence (TNR) customs relief — which can allow you to import household goods free of duty and VAT — a Spanish NIE is required. Contact our relocation team if this applies to you.
An EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number is required to import and export goods between the UK and EU. For personal effects shipments, Excess Luggage Co. uses its own company EORI number on your behalf — individual shippers do not need their own EORI for holiday or personal luggage. Business shippers or anyone making repeated commercial shipments may need their own EORI. If you are unsure whether this applies to your shipment, contact our customs team before booking.
If you realise you have omitted an item or underestimated a value, contact us immediately — before collection if possible. Errors discovered after the shipment has cleared customs are significantly harder to correct and may result in back-charges of duty and VAT plus penalties. Deliberately misdeclaring goods is a customs offence. If you are unsure how to value any item, call our customs team and we will guide you.