CUSTOMS & DOCUMENTS

How customs clearance works with MuveOne.

Clearance is included in every cross-border quote. We tell you exactly which documents your route needs, then handle customs at both ends. Here is the whole process, before you book.

Your plan in three steps

Who does what, and when. Two of the steps are ours; only one is yours.

1 GET YOUR QUOTE

Your deadlines and compliance roadmap come with the price. We then go through the nature of your move with you and instruct your exact document list.

2 SEND US YOUR DOCUMENTS

Your instructed documents are due 7 days before your collection window; your finalised inventory is due 3 calendar days before it opens.

3 WE DEAL WITH CUSTOMS

We lodge the export declaration at one end and the import clearance at the other. You don't deal with customs yourself.

YOUR DOCUMENT LIST

No generic checklists, and no list framed as final

You supply the documents; we tell you exactly which ones. Not a generic checklist you have to decode: once we've gone through the nature of your move with you, we instruct the precise pack for your route and your situation.

Customs authorities always have the final say, and occasionally they request an additional document. When that happens we spot it early, tell you immediately, and manage the request with you. We'd rather tell you that now than pretend any list is ever final.

1
STAGE 1

Once we've gone through the nature of your move with you, we instruct your exact starting pack, not a generic checklist.

2
STAGE 2

Customs authorities always have the final say, and occasionally request an additional document. When that happens we spot it early, tell you immediately, and manage the request with you.

3
STAGE 3

With your pack complete, we lodge the export declaration at the origin and the import clearance at the destination, acting as your authorised representative where the route calls for one.

IMPORT VAT & DUTY RELIEF

Relief, named correctly for your direction

On a genuine relocation, your own used belongings usually cross without import VAT or duty. The route depends on your direction, and your quote names the one that applies to you.

MOVING INTO THE UK

Transfer-of-Residence (ToR) relief usually means no import VAT or duty on your own used belongings. Bringing an inheritance into the UK is its own route, with its own document set.

TOR RELIEF INHERITANCE ROUTE
Inheritance to the UK →
MOVING INTO THE EU

Each country has its own equivalent relief route: France's Cerfa 10073-03 declaration, Italy's Libera Importazione. Your quote names the one that applies to you, and we prepare the declaration for it.

CERFA 10073-03 LIBERA IMPORTAZIONE
Customs by country →

We prepare your declaration for the relief and tell you exactly what evidence it needs. The final decision on relief always sits with the customs authority, and we tell you that up front too.

On some routes you'll sign an authorisation for the clearance agent to act as your representative. If your route needs one it appears on your document list, and we explain what it is before you're asked to sign anything.

YOUR PART

The one thing only you can do

Give us an accurate inventory. Your inventory is what customs checks the van against, and if what's on the van doesn't match what was declared, your move can be delayed at the border. Send your list early and ask us about anything you're unsure of, before the deadline, not after.

Everything you send us (passport, proof of residence, tenancy or employment documents) is used only for your customs clearance and protected under UK/EU GDPR.

AFTER YOUR DOCUMENTS GO IN

The quiet part, and how we handle it

The quietest part of any cross-border move is customs clearance. Your documents are in, and nothing seems to be happening. We know that's the moment you want to hear from us.

When you send a document, a named person confirms it landed. One thread, real people: Iris and the team answer document questions directly, in writing, on the same channel from first quote to delivery day.

Your move, step by step: booked, documents confirmed, collected, in transit, customs, delivered. You'll know which step you're on.

EXTRACT FROM A REAL INSTRUCTION · UK → FRANCE
For your move, we'll need:
Cerfa 10073-03 Declaration of transfer of residence
Proof of address At your destination
Your signed inventory Due 3 calendar days before the window

A fragment of one customer's instruction, never a complete or generic list. Your pack depends on your route and your situation.

ASKED BEFORE BOOKING

Answered in writing

"What documentation is needed?"

It depends on your route and your situation, which is why we never hand you a generic checklist. After your quote we go through your situation and instruct your exact list, document by document. Any documents named on this page are part of a typical pack, not your full list.

"Will I pay customs duty or VAT?"

Household goods moved as part of relocating are typically declared under relief from duty; your pack's declaration claims it. The final call is the authority's, and we manage it with you.

"What happens if customs question my documents?"

It occasionally happens, and it's the honest part: the authority has the final say, and we cannot overrule a customs officer. What we control is speed and clarity. We spot the request early, tell you what is needed and why in plain words, and manage it with you until it clears.

YOUR NEXT QUESTION
What does it cost, and what's inside the price?
Pricing & what's included →