International route guide

Moving from the United Kingdom to Spain

Route, transport options, paperwork and a practical checklist for your international move.

1,642 kmby road, incl. crossing
1,263 kmstraight line
CustomsUK → EU since 2021

Colourful London terraced houses on the left, a bay with a white coastal town on the Costa Blanca on the right — Route from London to Madrid: about 1,642 km by road, including the ferry crossing.

Since Brexit, a move from the United Kingdom to Spain is no longer a move inside the EU: your household goods leave a non-EU country and enter the EU, which adds customs formalities to the usual planning. UK nationals who were not already living in Spain before 2021 also need a visa or residence permit to live there. Below: the route, your options, what drives the cost, the paperwork and a planning order.

Route and distance

Every road move from Great Britain to Spain includes a Channel or sea crossing. The route OpenStreetMap routing suggests from central London to Madrid runs via the Portsmouth–Cherbourg ferry and then south through France, crossing into Spain in the Basque Country. Other common options are the short Channel crossings (Dover–Calais by ferry, or the Channel Tunnel) followed by a longer drive through France, and direct ferry routes from southern England to ports in northern Spain.

Schematic, not to scale.

Between	Distance
London – Madrid (by road, incl. ferry)	≈ 1,642 km
London – Madrid (straight line)	≈ 1,263 km
Manchester – Málaga (straight line)	≈ 1,871 km
Bristol – Alicante (straight line)	≈ 1,467 km
Edinburgh – Barcelona (straight line)	≈ 1,665 km

Straight-line distances are great-circle distances between city centres. The road distance comes from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) between the city centres, checked on 30 September 2026.

Your transport options

Full load

Dedicated truck

A dedicated truck goes from your door in Britain to your door in Spain, including the crossing, with the customs documents for your household travelling with that one load. You set the dates, and nothing is transferred to another vehicle on the way.

Shared load

Groupage

Removers with a regular UK–Spain service combine several households on one trailer. Each household still needs its own export and import paperwork, so ask how they handle the declarations for a part load and how long your goods may wait before the trailer leaves.

Drive yourself

Hired van

Hiring a van means booking the crossing yourself, handling the export and import formalities on your own and bringing the van back to the UK afterwards. It is realistic only for a small load.

What determines the price

We do not quote fixed prices. Volume in cubic metres, the services you book (packing, dismantling, storage, insurance) and your dates matter on every move; on this route, also look at:

The crossingA short Channel crossing plus a long drive through France, or a longer ferry to northern Spain.
Customs handlingPreparing the UK export and the EU import, and whether an agent is involved on the Spanish side.
Where in SpainAndalusia and the Costa del Sol are much further from Britain than Catalonia or the Basque Country.

For an indicative figure, use the free moving calculator and compare written quotes.

Customs, visas and paperwork after Brexit

Since 1 January 2021 the UK is outside the EU customs union. A removal from Great Britain to Spain is therefore an export from the UK and an import into the EU. (Moves from Northern Ireland follow different rules under the Windsor Framework; ask your remover.) Your removal company, or the customs agent it works with, normally prepares the declarations; ask early which documents they need from you, typically an inventory of your goods, a copy of your passport and proof of your new address in Spain.

If you are transferring your normal residence to Spain, you may be able to import your personal property without paying import duty or VAT. Spanish customs (Aduanas, part of the Agencia Tributaria) decides whether relief applies, so check the current requirements with them or through your remover.

GOV.UK advises UK nationals to check which visa or residence permit they need to live in Spain. Once you arrive, you register as a resident (the TIE residence card) and on the municipal register (padrón) at your town hall. Pets need a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an animal health certificate from your vet.

Relief from import duty is set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009; the matching exemption from import VAT is in Council Directive 2009/132/EC. Both apply only if you meet the conditions, such as a minimum period of normal residence outside the EU and prior ownership and use of the goods.

Official sources

Page and sources last reviewed on 30 September 2026.

Rules change. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice; always check the official source or ask your remover before you move.

Planning your move, step by step

Start
Make an inventory of what you are taking and get an estimate in the calculator.
Step 2
Request quotes from several removers and compare what they include.
Step 3
Check your visa or residence route for Spain first; your moving date depends on it.
Step 4
Ask each remover you contact how they handle the export and import formalities.
Step 5
Collect your paperwork (passport, proof of address in Spain, a detailed inventory) before the packing day.
Step 6
Arrange pet travel documents in good time; the animal health certificate has to be issued close to the travel date.
Before moving day
Confirm the dates, the insurance cover and the delivery address in writing.

Checklist

What to have ready for a move from the United Kingdom to Spain. Tick items off as you go; your ticks are kept in this browser only.

Valid passport and the visa or residence permit that applies to you
Detailed inventory of your belongings, for the customs declarations
Proof of your address in Spain, such as a rental contract or title deed
Microchip, rabies vaccination record and animal health certificate for pets
V5C logbook and insurance details if you are taking your car
Written quote and moving contract, including insurance terms

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay import duty on my furniture when moving from the UK to Spain?

Not necessarily. EU rules allow relief from import duty (Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009) and import VAT (Directive 2009/132/EC) on personal property when you transfer your normal residence to the EU, provided you meet the conditions. Spanish customs decides whether relief applies in your case.

Do I need a visa to live in Spain as a UK national?

If you were not already living in Spain legally before 1 January 2021, you need a visa or residence permit to live there. GOV.UK lists the options and links to the Spanish consulates in the UK.

Does the move go by ferry?

Every road move from Great Britain to Spain crosses the Channel or the Bay of Biscay: by ferry, or through the Channel Tunnel followed by the drive through France. Ask your remover which route they plan.

How far is it from the United Kingdom to Spain?

In a straight line, London to Madrid is about 1,263 km. By road (OpenStreetMap routing between the city centres) it is about 1,642 km, including the ferry crossing. Your own distance depends on both addresses.

What does a move from the United Kingdom to Spain cost?

We do not publish fixed prices: volume, the exact distance, access and the services you choose make every move different. The free calculator gives an indicative estimate for your own addresses and inventory; then compare written quotes.

Sister site · SellYourOwnHouse.eu

Own a property in Spain you want to sell?

SellYourOwnHouse.eu explains how to sell a house yourself, without an estate agent.

Selling a house in Spain Guide on sellyourownhouse.eu

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