Moving to Spain
A favourable climate, well-maintained seashores, clean Mediterranean air, access to sunshine and healthy, tasty food almost all year round. Life in Spain is a dream for millions of people from all over the world.
We recommend learning Spanish prior to arriving in Spain, otherwise, you will be deprived of the most interesting conversations with sultry Spaniards. Great public healthcare, proximity to European countries, affordable cost of living and many more benefits await you in Spain.
Ready to move to Spain? Familiarise yourself with ways to move household goods to Spain and customs regulations before you start packing.
Moving to Spain by Sea Freight
The most affordable way to move to Spain is via Sea freight. Sea freight household goods shipping is the most common way to move overseas. When moving to Spain with HMC, depending on the volume of your cargo, you will be provided with the following shipping options:
Moving to Spain by Air Freight
Supposing that you are moving to Spain with only necessary items, or simply something that you need immediately upon arrival, the fastest way to move household goods to Spain is via Air freight. In a matter of days, your goods will be relocated from your home country to Spain.
In case you plan to move to Spain with all of your valuables, a Full Container Load is what you need. FCL refers to a personalised container filled solely with your items. Sole Use Containers are perfect for those, who are transporting luxury, costly and fragile items. Your valuables will remain undisturbed until the cargo reaches its destination.
HMC offers 3 container sizes when moving to Spain:
If you do not have enough items to fill up one full container, you can ship your items by sea freight when moving to Spain using the shared container method. The Shared Containers method refers to multiple cargoes from different senders combined to fill up one shipping container.
There are 2 options to choose from when moving to Spain using the shared containers method:
Groupage Shipping
If shipping using groupage, the international moving company will keep your items in storage until enough shipments are collected to be sent together. Groupage shipping is the cheapest way to relocate your household goods as all the shipping costs and charges will be divided between the customers/senders.
LCL shipping
Less than Container Load is used by International moving companies to ship cargo in custom wooden crates. Once packed, movers will pass your possessions to the freight forwarder to be transported to Spain.
It is known that the fastest way to move from one place to another is by plane. Therefore, shipping your household goods by air freight is a convenient way to move to Spain if you need your items quickly and with minimum wait time. Your cargo will arrive in Spain in a matter of days. Choose one of the following shipment sizes when moving to Spain:
Door to Port vs. Door to Door Moving
Moving to Spain, there are 2 services provided by international moving companies:
Customers/shippers choose door-to-port service to have more control over cargo transportation once in Spain. Choose Door-to-Port service If you are transporting restricted items and must be present for customs clearance.
If you are relocating to Spain with no restricted items and your shipping does not require any permits personally presented during the customs clearance, consider Door-to-Door service. The international moving company will deliver your goods to your new home in Spain so you would not have to make any additional transportation arrangements.
Moving household goods to Spain
Customs Regulations
When moving to Spain, imported items will qualify for duty-free entry if the shipper/owner has lived abroad for at least 12 months, owned goods for no less than 6 months and if items will be imported to Spain within 3 months after the owner’s arrival. Items can not be sold, disposed of or lent for a year after importation.
- Returning Spanish citizens with “Cancellation of Residence” can import free of duty if they have lived abroad for more than 12 months. The “Cancellation of Residence” document must be presented during the customs clearance
- If the shipper/owner does not hold a valid Residence permit, 40% - 60% of the declared cargo value will be required as a Bank guarantee (will be returned within 6 months after permit presentation). You will be required to present a valid Spanish work permit at the customs clearance
- The shipper/owner must be registered at the National Tax Office / Revenue Service. If the shipper does not hold the Residence Permit (therefore is not registered with National Tax Office), the sponsor/employer/company must represent him/her at custom clearance.
Restricted and Dutiable Items
- Guns, ammunition and weapons (permit is required)
- Antiques and works of arts ( permit is required)
- New furniture ( import license required if valued over €3,000)
- Inheritance (death certificate, the will/testament and payment/exemption confirmation must be provided in Spanish)
- Plants ( Phytosanitary certificate required)
- Tobacco products ( limited amount)
- Alcohol ( limited amount)
- Wedding Trousseaux ( marriage certificate or Spanish family book must be provided)
Prohibited Items
- Drugs and narcotics
- Medication (must be imported with a prescription from the owner)
- Disturbing and pornographic materials
- Species under the CITES category
- Explosives
- Toxic materials and chemicals
Shipping a Car to Spain
Any vehicle imported to Spain from a non-EU country is subject to custom duty and VAT unless proved to be solely for personal use. The vehicle must comply with an EU vehicle standard and pass Vehicle Inspection Test (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos – ITV). To qualify for a duty-free entry, the owner must have lived abroad for 12 months and have the vehicle in use for no less than 6 months.When moving a car to Spain, you must present the following documents:
- Vehicle registration document
- Original Title
- Owner’s passport
- Copy of the purchase invoice
- Ficha Tecnica or CoC (if required)
- Proof of address
Moving Pets to Spain
To move pets to Spain you must follow the next regulations:
- Pet must be older than 3 months
- Pet imported to Spain must be microchipped/tattooed
- Pet must be rabies vaccinated at least 21 days before the move, no older than 1 year ago
- One can import up to 5 pets ( if more, commercial requirements apply)
- Can import more than 5 pets for competitions, exhibitions or other events (evidence required)
Electronics in Spain
Before packing any electronic appliances identify whether they will be working in Spain. Spain has a C and F plug type with 230v voltage power. If you move to Spain from Canada or the US, your electronics will not be working and you will be required to purchase an adapter.
How We Work
We could have wrote 100 beautiful words here - but instead take a look on how we move below
Hercules can build custom measured crates and containers to meet your specific long distance shipping needs. If you are moving, and have a taxidermy collection, the experts at HMC can help. Our crateless system is effective for securing any type or size of trophy.
Hercules goes the extra mile to ensure that all of your most valuable art is protected. Expert wrapping and packaging methods start the highest quality moving & packing materials. Our mover training program ensures that every team has an expert who can safely pack any item so it arrives in the same condition it left.
To avoid damage to fragile items during a long-distance move to your new residence, office or storage unit Hercules will use all the right materials and implement the proper packing techniques for maximum protection.
With the right training and proper equipment, your furniture will be handled safely in any situation.
Not all furniture is the same size. Hercules uses various materials to prepare furniture for moving: moving blankets, cardboard, bubble wrap, or alligator wrap. HMC movers and packers will pack your furniture the right way.
