Moving to the UK

Wherever you go in the UK, most likely you are near one or two historical objects that you have read about or seen in the movies. The United Kingdom is made up of 4 co-equal sovereign nations: England, Whales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each state is striking in its uniqueness of nature and people, making the United Kingdom one of the most desired destinations to move to.
Moving to the UK can be somewhat difficult without thorough preparation. Do your research before and read our article All You Need to Know Before Moving to the UK to learn more about work in the UK, the healthcare system and private insurance, the cost of living in London, visa applications and what to expect from life in the UK.
In this article, we will cover everything that you need to know when moving to United Kingdom. Read till the end to avoid getting in trouble and pack your bag with only necessary and permitted items.
Moving to the UK by Sea Freight
If you have decided to move to the UK by sea freight, depending on the quantity that you are shipping you can choose between two shipment types.
Moving to the UK by Air Freight
The fastest way to move to the UK with household goods is via Air Freight. In a matter of days, your shipment will be waiting for you in the UK without having to wait for weeks to furnish your new home.
Those who are planning to move all of their household goods to the UK, send their items using the FCL (Full Container Load) shipping method. Full Container Load allows you to have an individual container filled exclusively with your valuables whether it’s full or not.
There are 3 different container sizes to choose from when moving to the UK:
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 the UK if you need your items quickly and with minimum wait time. Your cargo will arrive in the UK in a matter of days. Choose one of the following shipment sizes when moving to the UK:

Door to Port vs. Door to Door Moving
There are 2 ways to move to the UK with the Hercules Moving Company:
When choosing a door-to-port service to move to the UK, Hercules Moving Company will pack and deliver your items to be shipped to the UK’s port where your belongings will await to be collected. The door-to-port method is often chosen by those who inquire for more control over their shipments.
Many choose door-to-door shipping service, the moving company will be responsible not only for assembling, packing and shipping your household goods to the UK but also for arranging the delivery, unpacking and disassembling of your valuables upon arrival.
Moving household goods to the UK
Customs Regulations
Items that are imported into the UK as household goods can be duty-free through Transfer of Residence relief when matching the following conditions:
- Be owned and used by the shipper for at least 6 months before shipped
- The customer/shipper is moving to the UK with an intention of becoming a resident
- The customer/shipper has lived for no less than a year outside of the UK and EU before importing the household goods
- Do not exceed the personal allowance for imported goods
[Any CITES goods with permits (if required). Note that if you own any CITES goods, ensure that the port you are shipping to will allow importing through them. Since January 1, 2021, only particular UK ports can do so, for the full list of authorized ports visit GOV.UK