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Moving abroad

What is Transfer of Residence?

Duty relief when you move your home abroad.

Transfer of Residence (sometimes called personal-effects or removal-goods relief) is the principle that when you genuinely move your home to another country, your used personal belongings can usually be imported without paying full import duty. The idea is the same worldwide, but the exact scheme, name and conditions are set by the destination country.

Because Excess Luggage ships from the UK to destinations abroad, it’s the destination country’s relief that matters for your move — for example, Australia’s unaccompanied personal effects rules, or the equivalent in the UAE, Canada or elsewhere. Typical conditions are that the goods are used, that you owned them before moving, and that you’re relocating your residence rather than shipping new or commercial items.

We’ll help you identify the relevant relief for your destination and prepare the UK export paperwork and inventory that supports it. Import clearance and any claim for relief are made in the destination country, where the rules are applied.

Get a quote Call 0800 096 38 39

More on this
Does UK Transfer of Residence apply to me? +
UK ToR is for people moving into the UK. If you’re moving abroad, it’s the destination country’s equivalent relief that applies — we’ll point you to it.
What usually qualifies? +
Used belongings you already owned, moving as part of relocating your home — not new or commercial goods. Conditions vary by country.
Related

What documents do I need?  ·  Personal effects  ·  Will I pay duty?