MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
🗻 & ✈ Shipping to Spain • UK’s Spain specialists • Since 1998

Shipping to Spain from the UK
Luggage, personal effects & household goods — by air, road or sea

Everything you need to ship to Spain in one place. We collect from your door anywhere in the UK, handle the post-Brexit Transfer of Residence customs paperwork, and deliver to Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga and beyond. Air freight in 2–4 working days, or economical road and sea groupage in roughly 1–2 weeks. Shipping to Spain since 1998.

Get a quote 📞 0800 096 38 39

Spain has been one of our busiest routes for years — from a few boxes for a student in Barcelona to a full household relocating to the Costa del Sol. Since Brexit, shipping to Spain means a proper customs import, and the single thing that decides whether it clears cleanly and duty-free is your Transfer of Residence paperwork and a matching inventory. This guide brings together everything that actually matters, drawn from our Heathrow-side operation and the thousands of Spain shipments we’ve handled since 1998.

Every way we ship to Spain

Not sure which service you need? Start here — each links to full details, transit times and what’s included.

How shipping to Spain works, step by step

1
Quote & book

Tell us what you’re sending and where. We’ll give you a clear quote up front.

2
Door collection

We collect from your address anywhere in the UK. No depot or airport drop-off needed.

3
Pack & document

Goods are export-packed and we prepare your itemised inventory and the Transfer of Residence customs paperwork.

4
Ship by air, road or sea

Air freight from Heathrow, or consolidated road and sea groupage to your region of Spain.

5
Spanish customs clearance

Spanish customs (Aduanas) assess your Transfer of Residence claim and inventory. We prepare everything to clear cleanly.

6
Delivery

Your goods are delivered to your Spanish address, or ready to collect from the arrival depot.

Transfer of Residence — how to ship duty-free

Since Brexit, shipping to Spain is a full customs import. The good news: if you’re genuinely moving your home, your used belongings can clear free of customs duty and Spanish IVA under Transfer of Residence relief.

The relief: used personal and household effects enter free of duty and 21% IVA if you are moving your main home to Spain, have lived in the UK for at least 12 months, and have owned and used the goods for at least 6 months.
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A detailed inventory is essential. Spanish customs need a full itemised list (in Spanish) — it doubles as your packing list and is the single biggest factor in a fast, duty-free clearance.
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Proof of the move: you’ll typically need your NIE number, your passport, and evidence you’re relocating — a consular deregistration certificate (baja consular) or your padrón registration in Spain. We’ll guide you to the right documents.
Timing rules: import within 12 months of establishing residence, and don’t sell or lend the goods for 12 months after import, or the duty and IVA become payable.
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What’s still taxed: brand-new items, anything bought for the move, and goods owned under 6 months don’t qualify — they’re assessed for duty and 21% IVA.

Moving-to-Spain shipping guide ›

What you can’t ship — and what slows shipments down

Whether by air, road or sea, some items are prohibited and others invite a customs hold. Packing sensibly and declaring honestly is what keeps your clearance quick.

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Prohibited in freight: aerosols and pressurised cans (deodorants, hairspray), perfumes and aftershaves (flammable), loose batteries, and tobacco. These are the four we see most often — leave them out.
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Alcohol doesn’t travel duty-free with a household move and is best left behind.
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List what everything is. Vague box contents invite inspection; a clear, itemised inventory clears faster. Number your boxes to match the list.
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When in doubt, declare it. Everything is subject to customs inspection, and declaring is free — undeclared restricted goods can mean delays or penalties.

What we see most often — and how to avoid it

Most UK–Spain shipments clear without drama. The ones that don’t nearly always come down to the same short list:

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Leaving the Transfer of Residence paperwork too late. Get the inventory and proof of relocation ready before the goods ship — scrambling for it after arrival is what causes storage costs and delays.
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No NIE, or a mismatch. Spanish customs want your NIE and proof you’re moving your home. Sorting the NIE early makes everything smoother.
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A vague inventory. “Box of assorted” invites an inspection; “books, kitchenware, cotton bedding” does not. Detail is what keeps it moving.
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Packing the banned four. Aerosols, perfumes, loose batteries and tobacco are the items most often pulled — leave them out and the whole shipment moves faster.

What a move to Spain actually looks like

An illustrative example of a common scenario — your quote is always to your exact shipment.

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A couple relocating to Málaga with the contents of a two-bed flat would typically go by road or sea groupage, with us collecting from their UK door, export-packing, and preparing the Transfer of Residence paperwork and a Spanish-language inventory matched to their NIE and padrón. Transit is usually in the 1–2 week range, and with the paperwork clean the goods clear duty-free. Anything urgent — documents, a laptop, a few essentials — goes ahead by air.

Door-to-door across Spain

We deliver to every region. Here are our most popular destinations — each with local delivery detail and transit times:

Which is right for your move?

Air freight suits a few boxes or anything urgent — 2–4 working days, priced on weight and size. Road and sea groupage suit volume — a room or a whole home — at a fraction of the per-kilo cost, over roughly 1–2 weeks door-to-door. Many customers split the two: air for the essentials, groupage for the rest.

Shipping to Spain — your questions answered

Should I ship or pay the airline for extra bags? +
For more than a bag or two, shipping is usually cheaper than airline excess-baggage fees — and you’re not carrying the weight through the airport. We collect from your door and deliver across Spain.
How long does it take? +
Air freight is typically 2–4 working days, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers. Road or sea groupage is typically around 1–2 weeks door-to-door depending on the region, plus customs clearance.
Will I pay duty or IVA? +
Used household and personal effects can clear free of duty and 21% IVA under Transfer of Residence relief, if you’re genuinely moving your main home, lived in the UK 12+ months and owned the goods 6+ months. New items are assessed for duty and IVA.
What paperwork do I need? +
A detailed Spanish-language inventory, your passport, your NIE number, and proof you’re relocating (baja consular or padrón). We prepare the Transfer of Residence paperwork with you.
Can I send electrical items and furniture? +
Yes — furniture, appliances and electricals are all fine to ship. Spain uses the same 230V and European plugs as most of the continent, so UK items may need plug adapters.
Is my shipment insured? +
We offer transit cover — we’ll explain the options and cost when we quote, and we always recommend cover for a full relocation.
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Lak Kharod, Director
Excess Luggage Co. • overseeing UK–Spain shipping since 1998 • MetEx House, Hounslow, next to Heathrow

Excess Luggage Co. has shipped personal effects, luggage and household goods from the UK to Spain for over 28 years — through our own Heathrow-side warehouse and collection fleet. We know this route, its ports and airports, and exactly what Spanish customs looks for since Brexit. For a quote or advice on your Transfer of Residence paperwork, call us on 0800 096 38 39.

Ready to ship to Spain?

Tell us what you’re sending and where it’s going. We’ll come back with a quote and a realistic transit-time estimate — before you commit to anything.