International Removals from the UK to Europe
International removals from the UK need more than a van and a driver. We run the full job from our Long March depot in Daventry, with our own crews, export-grade packing, dashcam-tracked vehicles and customs paperwork support across the door-to-door route.
International Removals: What We Cover
International removals from the UK to anywhere in the world. We have been moving households and businesses out of the Midlands for over twenty years, and the same Alltranz team that surveys your home in Daventry, Northampton or Rugby is the team that loads, transits, and hands the job over at the new address. There is no white-label sub-contracting in the middle.
Our international removals service covers, in plain terms:
Pre-move survey, in person around Daventry and Northamptonshire or by video for further afield.
Full export packing using purpose-made materials built for long-distance transit: double-walled cartons, export crates for fragile items, foam corner protection, and recyclable wrap.
Customs documentation support. We prepare a detailed, valued inventory and packing list, and work alongside your appointed customs agent on arrival. We are not a customs broker.
Tracked transit. Our vehicles run with SATNAV and dashcams, so you can be told where your belongings are on the road.
Door-to-door delivery at the new address, including unwrap and basic placement of furniture.
Storage bridging at the Long March Industrial Estate depot if your destination home is not ready when you leave the UK.
For moves staying within Europe, we have a dedicated European Removals page that covers route timings, vehicle types and EU customs detail.
Full Load, Part Load, and Groupage Explained
Most quote conversations get easier once you know the three shipping options. The right one depends on your volume, your destination, and how flexible your delivery date is.
A full load means your belongings fill the vehicle. It is the fastest option because the lorry leaves Daventry and goes straight to your destination with no other stops. We recommend a full load for three and four-bedroom houses, business relocations, and any move where the delivery date is fixed by a tenancy or completion.
A part load is a shared vehicle. You buy the linear metres you actually need, and your goods travel with one or two other customers heading the same way. The price is lower than a full load and the trade-off is a few extra days of transit while the other drops are made.
Groupage is the most cost-effective option for smaller volumes. Your shipment is consolidated with several others at a hub, then forwarded together to the destination region for final delivery. Transit windows are longer and the dates are less precise. Groupage suits one and two-bedroom moves, single rooms of furniture, and the kind of low-volume international relocation where flexibility matters more than a tight delivery slot.
Customs Documentation for International Moves
Post-Brexit, taking your belongings out of the UK is treated as an international export. That means a packing list, a valued inventory, and the right paperwork at both the UK border and on arrival in the new country.
Most household movers can claim Transfer of Residence relief. In plain English: if you are moving your main home from the UK to another country and you have owned the items for at least six months, you can usually import them without paying duty or tax on arrival. The relief is worth claiming. The catch is that the paperwork has to be exact: a full, valued inventory, proof of residence at the new address, and matching documentation from the carrier.
What Alltranz handles for you:
A detailed, valued inventory built up at survey and confirmed on packing day.
A packing list that maps to that inventory, box by box and crate by crate.
All documentation the customs agent needs from the carrier side.
A direct line between our team and your customs agent during the clearance window.
What stays your responsibility: appointing a customs agent in the new country (most countries require it), declaring restricted items honestly, and paying any duty or tax that does fall due. We will tell you what we know about destination rules at quote stage, but the customs declaration is yours to sign.
How the International Removals Process Works
We run the same seven-step process on every international job, whether the destination is Munich or Melbourne.
Get a quote. Call us on 01327 876007 or fill in the contact form. Tell us where you are going, when, and roughly how much you are moving.
Survey. In-person around the Midlands, by video for the rest of the UK. We list rooms, measure access, and flag anything that needs special packing.
Quote confirmed. You get a written quote covering packing, transit, customs paperwork support, and any extras like piano handling or storage bridging.
Packing day or days. The Alltranz crew arrives with export-grade materials. Fragile and high-value items get crates or fitted protection.
Loading and departure. Your inventory is checked off as the lorry is loaded, you sign the manifest, and the vehicle leaves Daventry with tracking active.
Customs clearance. Documentation is presented at the UK border on the way out and again on arrival, where your customs agent runs the clearance.
Delivery. Belongings arrive at your new address, are unwrapped, and the larger items are placed in the right rooms. Storage is available at our Daventry depot if the destination home is not ready.
Ready to start? Call us on 01327 876007.
Storage Bridging for International Moves
International timelines rarely line up neatly. Your UK completion date moves, the destination tenancy slips, the container ship is delayed by a week. We hold short and medium-term storage at the Daventry depot so your belongings have somewhere to wait between leaving your old home and arriving at your new one.
Storage is containerised in 8ft, 10ft and 20ft units, kept under staffed access, and inventoried on the way in and out. You can park the load for a week or for several months. When the new address is ready, we book the onward leg from the same depot with the same paperwork.
More on the storage estate sits on our Storage Solutions page.
Why Choose Alltranz for Your International Removal
We are a Daventry family-run firm with proper haulage credentials behind the removals badge. Our reasons to pick us are practical, not slogans:
Over twenty years of household moves out of Northamptonshire and the wider Midlands.
Road Haulage Association membership, an International CPC and a Waste Carriers Licence on file.
Move Assured registered and a member of the Northants Chamber of Commerce.
Dashcam-equipped vehicles tracked by SATNAV through the whole route.
Family-run, employed crews. The same people quote, pack, load and deliver.
Long March Industrial Estate depot in Daventry, central UK with M1, A45 and A5 access for fast onward routing.
Export-grade packing materials included in the quote, not added on later.
Fully insured for transit and storage.
Services
Local, national, and international household moves run by employed Alltranz crews from our Daventry depot.
Containerised 8ft, 10ft and 20ft units, internal crates, and archive storage with staffed access at Long March Industrial Estate.
Vehicle transport and on-site storage for cars travelling with an international move or staying behind in the UK.
Dedicated EU route page with timings, customs notes, and vehicle options for moves staying within Europe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much do international removals from the UK cost?
It depends on volume, destination, packing scope, and the shipping option. The only accurate way to get a price is a survey. Call us on 01327 876007 to arrange one and we will follow up with a written quote.
Q: How long do international removals take?
European moves typically run two to seven days by road. Longer-haul destinations depend on whether you go by sea or air, and most sea-freight routes run four to ten weeks door to door. We give you a specific window at quote stage based on your destination and shipping option.
Q: Do I have to deal with customs myself?
You are responsible for your own customs clearance on arrival, but we prepare the full valued inventory and packing documentation that your customs agent needs. We will work with that agent directly during the clearance window so you are not the messenger.
Q: What items cannot be shipped internationally?
Hazardous materials including paints, fuels and gases, perishable food, plants and soil, lithium battery devices going by sea, and firearms. Destination country rules may add further restrictions, especially around alcohol, food, and certain electronics. We flag the common ones at quote stage.
Q: How far in advance should I book?
Four to eight weeks for European moves. Eight to twelve weeks for longer-haul destinations using sea freight. Peak summer dates book up first, so the earlier the survey is in the diary the more flexibility you get on packing and loading days.
Moving? Talk to Alltranz.
We like to make things as easy as possible for all our customers. Not every move is the same, and we want to make sure that we understand your needs.Call us on 01327 876007 or email us on mick@alltranzltd.co.uk for more information. Your journey starts here.