European removals from Eastbourne — Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Italy and beyond. Full pad-wrap, road-freight with our own crews, fixed-price quotes and BAR Overseas Group member.
Mark Ratcliffe Moving is a specialist European mover from our Eastbourne and Lower Dicker base. We arrange relocations between the UK and the European mainland week in, week out — and post-Brexit, doing this properly matters more than ever, because the paperwork mistakes that used to cost a delay now cost duty and VAT. We are a BAR Overseas Group member with vetted destination agents across Europe and we handle the customs documentation end-to-end.
Moving to Europe from outside Sussex? Our European removals from anywhere in the UK page covers the nationwide collection runs, part-loads and door-to-door delivery for customers across Britain.
Before 2021, moving from the UK to Spain or France was largely just a long drive with the right paperwork in the cab. Today it involves a customs declaration on each side, T1 or T2 transit documents in some cases, and — for permanent relocations — a Transfer of Residence relief claim to avoid being charged import VAT and duty on your own possessions. Getting it wrong costs money and time. We handle all of this for you as standard.
Free in-home or video survey to measure volume in cubic metres and itemise the contents. We then quote sole-load (you pay for a full vehicle) or part-load (you share space with other shipments going your way) — typically the latter saves significant money for smaller moves.
European shipments use our pad-wrap protection on furniture and export-grade packing for fragile items. The journey may be only a few days, but the loading, unloading and customs handling steps mean the goods are moved more times than a domestic move, so packing has to be more rigorous.
For a full 3-bedroom or larger house, a sole-load typically works out better — your possessions go direct from Eastbourne to your new address with no transhipment, usually in 4–8 days for nearby countries. For a smaller move (one or two rooms, a flat, or just specific items), a part-load is far cheaper and only takes a few days longer.
We prepare the inventory packing list, valued inventory, ToR1 relief application (UK side), and the destination customs paperwork via our agent. You sign and we file. We chase the destination clearance so you do not have to.
Our destination agent delivers, unpacks furniture into agreed rooms and removes the wrapping. Optional add-on services like reassembly of large furniture and box-by-box unpacking are available.
Common destinations: Dordogne, Charente, Brittany, Normandy, Provence, the Cote d'Azur. Channel Tunnel or Dover-Calais ferry route. Typical 7–10 day delivery from Eastbourne.
Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, inland Andalucía, Catalonia, Balearics. Road transport via France for the mainland; ferry from the mainland for the Balearics. Typical 10–14 days.
Northern Italy (Lombardy, Veneto), Tuscany, Lazio, Puglia. Typical 8–12 days from Eastbourne.
Algarve, Lisbon area, Porto. Typical 10–14 days. Popular for UK retirees post-Brexit using the D7 visa.
Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, the Hague. Typical 5–8 days. Common destinations for work relocations.
Specialist routes — Switzerland in particular has strict customs rules around used personal effects. Allow 10–14 days and budget more for paperwork.
ToR1 is the EU customs scheme that allows people moving permanently to an EU country to bring their personal effects without paying duty or import VAT — provided certain conditions are met:
The cost of getting ToR1 wrong is typically 20–25% of the value of your possessions in import VAT and duty — a multi-thousand-pound penalty for missing paperwork. We file the ToR1 for every eligible customer as part of our service.
Since the UK left the EU customs union in 2021 the practical work of moving to mainland Europe has changed considerably. We have built up specific expertise on the destinations Eastbourne customers most often choose, including the post-Brexit visa, residency and customs nuances of each.
Brexit changed European removals significantly and the paperwork still trips up first-time movers. The two key forms are ToR1 (Transfer of Residence relief), which exempts your household goods from import duty into the EU, and the destination country’s equivalent customs entry document. We complete the ToR1 with you at the survey stage — it’s straightforward but needs to be lodged at least 14 days before shipment to ensure clearance. For larger consignments we also prepare the C88/EX1 export declaration that the UK side requires.
If you’re moving less than half a 40-foot container’s worth, a part-load shares the lorry with one or two other UK–EU shipments. You pay only for the cubic feet you use, but the timeline extends because the lorry waits for compatible loads in both directions. A sole-load means the lorry runs your move directly — faster, more expensive, recommended for over half a container or for moves with tight deadlines. The price difference is usually 30–50% in favour of the part-load.
The Sevington inland border facility (just south of Ashford, Kent) handles all our European-bound exports for customs clearance. Typical wait is 30–90 minutes; busy weeks (early January, late August) can push to half a day. We build the timing into our schedule so the lorry never misses a sailing or ferry slot. Once across, EU-to-EU travel is at normal road speed; destination delivery typically happens 2–4 days after crossing depending on the country.
The map below shows Europe, one of the international destinations we ship UK households to from our Lower Dicker depot in East Sussex.
Some routes we run often enough to warrant their own page, covering the customs position, the transit window and the practical delivery problems that destination actually has:
Our busiest European route, with a fixed weekly departure to the capital.
Short crossings and quick transits — and canal-house hoists in Amsterdam.
Outside the EU customs union, so the paperwork sets the pace.
Typical door-to-door times from our Lower Dicker depot. Sole-use loads travel direct and sit at the shorter end; shared part-loads wait for a scheduled departure, which is the trade-off that keeps the price down.
| Destination | Regions we deliver to | Typical door-to-door |
|---|---|---|
| France | Dordogne, Charente, Brittany, Normandy, Provence, Côte d’Azur | 7–10 days |
| Germany & the Netherlands | Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, The Hague | 5–8 days |
| Italy | Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany, Lazio, Puglia | 8–12 days |
| Spain | Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Andalucía, Catalonia, Balearics | 10–14 days |
| Portugal | Algarve, Lisbon, Porto | 10–14 days |
| Switzerland, Austria & Scandinavia | Specialist routes — heavier customs paperwork | 10–14 days |
Add customs clearance at the Sevington inland border facility near Ashford, which handles all our European-bound exports. The typical wait there is 30–90 minutes, longer at peak. Switzerland sits outside the EU customs union, so its paperwork — not its distance — is what puts it at the top of the range.
Most removal firms will not publish a European price. We will. Everything below is collected from Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Greater London, and delivered door to door.
| Destination | Shared load | Minimum | Dedicated vehicle | Typical transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Zug, Lausanne, Bern | from £145 per m³ | 4 m³ | from £4,250 | 10–14 days |
| France — north & Paris Calais, Normandy, Brittany, Île-de-France | from £95 per m³ | 3 m³ | from £2,650 | 7–10 days |
| France — south & south-west Dordogne, Charente, Provence, Côte d’Azur | from £115 per m³ | 3 m³ | from £3,450 | 8–12 days |
| Belgium Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges | from £92 per m³ | 3 m³ | from £2,450 | 5–8 days |
| Netherlands Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Eindhoven | from £95 per m³ | 3 m³ | from £2,550 | 5–8 days |
| Luxembourg Luxembourg City, Esch-sur-Alzette | from £105 per m³ | 3 m³ | from £2,850 | 6–9 days |
| Spain Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Andalucía, Catalonia | from £120 per m³ | 4 m³ | from £4,250 | 10–14 days |
| Italy Milan, Turin, Veneto, Tuscany, Rome, Puglia | from £125 per m³ | 4 m³ | from £4,150 | 8–12 days |
These are the prices you pay. International removals are zero-rated for UK VAT, so unlike a domestic house move there is nothing to add on top. Import duty or VAT levied by the destination country, where your goods do not qualify for transfer-of-residence relief, is separate and is payable there rather than to us.
| Your home | Typical volume | Cubic feet | To France (north), from | To Switzerland, from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio or single room | 10 m³ | 350 cu ft | £950 | £1,450 |
| One-bedroom flat | 18 m³ | 635 cu ft | £1,710 | £2,610 |
| Two-bedroom house | 30 m³ | 1,060 cu ft | £2,850 | £4,350 |
| Three-bedroom house | 45 m³ | 1,590 cu ft | £4,275 | £6,525 |
| Four-bedroom house | 62 m³ | 2,190 cu ft | £5,890 | £8,990 |
| Five-bedroom house or larger | 85 m³ | 3,000 cu ft | £8,075 | £12,325 |
Above roughly 55 m³ a dedicated vehicle usually beats the shared-load rate. We will tell you when that crossover applies to your move rather than let you overpay for groupage.
| Service | Price from | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Full export packing | £38 per m³ | All materials included. Typically £1,100–£1,400 for a three-bed house. |
| Fragile-only packing | £22 per m³ | China, glass, pictures and electronics. You do the rest. |
| Unpacking at destination | £18 per m³ | Boxes emptied, contents placed, cartons removed. |
| Transit insurance | 2.5% of value | £75 minimum. All-risks cover on a valued inventory. |
| Storage in transit | £4.50 per m³ per week | £25 weekly minimum. Individual steel rooms, 24-hour CCTV. |
| Upright piano | £395 | Skid trolley, crating and specialist straps. |
| Grand piano | £695 | Legs removed, side-crated and blanket-boxed. |
| Custom timber crating | £185 per crate | Art, marble, mirrors and antiques. ISPM-15 compliant timber. |
| Shuttle vehicle | £280 | Where the lorry cannot reach the door — common in Italian ZTL zones and Swiss old towns. |
| Long carry over 20 m | £95 | Per property, per move. |
| Second delivery address | £180 | Within 25 km of the primary address. |
| Vehicle shipping | On application | Cars, motorcycles and trailers via our specialist partner. |
Included as standard
Priced separately
Where a European move has to wait on a destination completion, we hold the load in storage ahead of the shipping date rather than running a part-empty vehicle to a deadline.
From Eastbourne, France and the Netherlands typically deliver within 7–10 days; Spain and Portugal within 10–14; Italy and Germany 7–12; Scandinavia 10–14. Part-loads take longer than sole-loads.
Yes. Even though the UK is no longer in the EU customs union, your possessions need an inventory packing list, valued inventory, and where applicable, Transfer of Residence relief paperwork to avoid being charged duty and VAT at the destination.
ToR1 is the customs scheme that allows UK residents moving permanently to an EU country to import their personal effects without paying duty or VAT, provided they have owned the items for at least 6 months and will live in the destination for at least 12 months. We handle the paperwork.
Often yes — depending on container space and destination rules. We typically use a specialist car-shipping partner for vehicles and coordinate timing with the household goods shipment.
Yes — significantly. A part-load (sharing container space) can be a third to a half the cost of a sole-use container for the same volume. The trade-off is timing flexibility — you fit around the consolidator's schedule.
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Read article →Call us today for a free, no-obligation quote — or use our online form. Whether it's a one-room move or a full international relocation, we've handled it before.