Route · Romford to Portugal
Removals from Romford to Portugal
Reached through Spain, which makes it the longest single drive of the four and the route where sharing a vehicle is most common. It is also the one where the far end runs latest, so the holding arrangement matters more here than anywhere.
The Algarve takes most of the volume from this borough, and most of those are retirements.
Who takes this route from Romford
- Retirements and semi-retirements to the Algarve — usually a whole household, and very often with a long holding period in the middle.
- Remote workers and younger families to Lisbon, Cascais and the Silver Coast, moving less furniture and more equipment.
- Second-home owners around Porto and the north, shipping part-loads both ways.
Getting out of the borough
M25 and the Dartford Crossing, round to the M20 and the Eurotunnel shuttle from Folkestone. A long drive follows, and the shuttle justifies itself chiefly by leaving the driver with a full set of hours to spend on it.
Down through France on the A26, A10 and A63 to the border at Irún, then across northern Spain. For Porto and the north, the A-52 and A-55 through Vigo. For Lisbon and the Algarve the route runs south through Salamanca and crosses at Vilar Formoso, or further south via Badajoz towards the A6 and Lisbon, then the A2 down to the Algarve.
Where we deliver
Customs, and who it attaches to
Portugal wants a Portuguese tax number and a certificate of baggage alongside the usual inventory. The certificate is the document that most often stops a load, and like the Spanish relief it attaches to a person making a change of residence rather than to goods in the abstract.
Who obtains what
| Document | Obtained by | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Detailed inventory (valued, in Portuguese) | Us | Prepared at survey and translated, with each electrical item listed separately. |
| NIF (número de identificação fiscal) | You | The Portuguese tax number — required for the declaration and for daily life there. |
| Certificado de bagagem | You | The baggage certificate, through the consulate or the appropriate authority for your circumstances. |
| Proof of the Portuguese address | You | Deeds, a registered lease, or your residence registration. |
| Proof the UK residence has ended | You | Completion paperwork or a final council tax bill from the Romford address. |
| Export declaration and Portuguese import entry | Us | Both raised against the same inventory through our Portuguese agent. |
Rows marked You stall a load when they are left late, so begin those first. Rows marked Us are prepared here and lodged against the inventory made at the property.
The wait, and what to do during it
Algarve purchases run late with real regularity, and the interval between leaving a Havering house and collecting keys in Portugal is usually a genuine one rather than a theoretical risk. Selling a house here and buying there rarely synchronises.
Holding the goods is the answer, and it is the same arrangement this firm uses for a downsize or an estate: collect on the date that is certain, keep everything listed, and ship when the far end is confirmed. It also means you are not paying for a vehicle to wait.
On contents, older Algarve and Alentejo houses have thick walls, small windows and doors that predate modern furniture. Take a tape to the doorways while you are viewing — it is the cheapest survey you will ever do.
Romford to Portugal
Questions on this route
- Do you go through Spain?
- Yes — there is no other overland way, which is why this is the longest drive of the four and why part-loads are so common on it.
- What is the certificate of baggage?
- A Portuguese document confirming the goods are your used personal effects accompanying a change of residence. You apply for it; we make sure the inventory describes the same consignment.
- Can you hold our things while the purchase completes?
- Yes, and on this route it is close to standard. Collected in Romford, listed and held, with the export file built from that same inventory.
- Will our furniture fit an Algarve villa?
- Measure the entrance, the turn and any stairs and send us three numbers. Thick walls and small openings are the norm in older properties there.
- Do you cover Madeira or the Azores?
- Those are sea-freight questions rather than road ones. Ask, and we will say plainly whether we can help.
- Are electricals worth taking?
- Portugal runs the continental voltage and plug standard, so UK appliances need adaptors and some do not enjoy the change. Big white goods rarely justify the freight.
Moving from Romford to Portugal?
Both addresses, what is going, in what capacity, and whether the far end has a date. We will come back with the route, the documents and a written quote.