Man+Van
Man and van · London → Portugal

Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve. London to Portugal by man and van.

Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve from any London postcode, by road through France and Spain. One crew door to door, with the export declaration and the Portuguese customs inventory done by us.

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A plain white long-wheelbase van at the kerb while a mover carries a stack of cardboard boxes towards it
Loaded at a London kerb, carried up a Lisbon stairwell by the same two people
Lisbon and Porto

What the van meets at the other end.

Most of our Portugal moves end in one of two cities, and both are hard on vans. The drive from London is long but simple. The last few hundred metres are where a Portugal move is won or lost, so this is what we plan for in each city.

Man and van from London to Lisbon

Lisbon splits in two for a removal. The newer districts, Parque das Nações, Campo de Ourique and most of the line out to Cascais, have flats with lifts and streets a van can stop in. The old quarters, Alfama, Mouraria, Graça and the Bairro Alto, are built on hills the van was never meant to climb.

Steep calçada
Polished limestone cobbles on steep gradients are slippery in the wet. We use trolleys with brakes and do not rush the carry.
Trams and parking
Tram lines run through the narrowest streets, and stopping on them is not allowed. We apply to the câmara municipal for a loading space and stage from there.
Buildings without lifts
Many older buildings have narrow wooden stairs and no lift at all. We measure your bulky pieces against the stairwell at survey and take apart whatever needs it.
Condomínio rules
Newer blocks often set moving hours and ask for the lift to be protected. We agree both with the administrator before the van arrives.

Man and van from London to Porto

Porto is granite, not limestone, and it is steeper still near the river. The Ribeira and Miragaia are a maze of stairways and lanes, while Boavista and Foz are flats with lifts and room to park. Vila Nova de Gaia across the river has its own hills and its own town hall for permits.

Granite stairs
Tall, narrow townhouses with steep granite or timber stairs are normal. Two crew carry, and a third is planned in when a piece is heavy.
The riverside
Near the Douro, many lanes are pedestrian or too tight for a van. We finish with a smaller vehicle or by hand from the nearest legal stop.
Two councils
Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia issue their own parking permissions. We apply to whichever one covers your street.
The route

How does a van get from London to Portugal?

Portugal only borders Spain, so every road route goes through it. Most runs leave our yard at Purfleet, by the Dartford Crossing, cross the Channel and drive the length of France and then Spain. The other way is the ferry from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander or Bilbao, followed by the drive across Spain. Customs are done where the goods enter the EU, so there is no stop at the Spanish and Portuguese border.

Beyond the two cities

  • The Algarve

    Lagos, Tavira, Albufeira and the villages inland. Gated developments and condomínio rules on moving times are normal, so we send the vehicle details ahead.

  • The Silver Coast

    Caldas da Rainha, Óbidos and Nazaré. Salt air gets into leather, paper and electronics here, so those are packed sealed.

  • The Alentejo

    Évora and the countryside around it. Farm tracks run a long way from the main road, and we check them from your photos before the van sets off.

LONDON PORTUGAL

Does salt air or inland heat change the packing?

Yes, and we pack for wherever you are going. On the coast, from Cascais to the Silver Coast and the Algarve, Atlantic salt air gets into canvas, leather, paper and electronics, so those go in sealed wrapping. Inland, in the Alentejo, the problem is heat rather than damp, so candles, records, wine and veneered furniture are packed and placed in the van with that in mind. We note which applies at survey.

NIF first

Paperwork for a move to Portugal.

Get your NIF early. Portuguese customs ask for it when you claim the isenção por transferência de residência, the relief that lets household goods you have owned and used before the move into Portugal free of duty and VAT. Anything bought too recently to qualify is flagged when we survey. We lodge the UK export declaration and prepare the customs file with the inventory. Visas, the residence permit and tax are yours to arrange.

Paperwork for a household move from London to Portugal
Document What it is Who sorts it
UK export declaration The customs declaration that records your belongings leaving the UK. Us. We lodge it with HMRC as your remover.
Inventory An itemised list of the load in English and Portuguese. Us, from the survey. You sign it.
Isenção por transferência de residência Portugal’s relief from duty and VAT on household goods when you move your residence, claimed with the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira under Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009. You claim it. We prepare the file and present it with the load.
NIF Your Portuguese tax number, needed for the customs relief, a lease, utilities and a bank account. You, at a Finanças office or through a representative before you travel.
Proof of residence Evidence of your Portuguese address, such as a lease, a deed or an atestado de residência from the junta de freguesia. You. We tell you what customs will accept.
Residence visa The visa you apply for from the UK before moving, such as the D7 for passive income or retirement. You, through the Portuguese consulate.
Residence permit The permit issued in Portugal by AIMA after you arrive on a residence visa. You, with AIMA.
Tax status (NHR and IFICI) The NHR regime closed to new applicants in 2024. Its replacement, IFICI, applies only to specific roles. You, with a Portuguese tax adviser.

What is included on every Portugal move?

  • One crew, start to finish

    Two of us load in London, drive down through France and Spain, and unload in Portugal.

  • Export declaration and inventory

    We lodge the UK export declaration and write an inventory in English and Portuguese for your isenção claim.

  • Cover and packing

    Goods-in-transit cover comes on every move, and all-risks cover is available. Coastal addresses get sealed packing for leather, paper and electronics.

The Portugal price

Your price is fixed and built from your inventory, the route and the access at the far end. Lisbon’s old quarters and Porto’s steep streets often need a smaller vehicle for the last stretch, and that is in the price from the start rather than added on the day. A part load shares the run, and a full van goes direct.

A part load or a single item shares the run with other customers. The services page explains the options, and the quote form gets you a fixed price.

Questions

Portugal, asked and answered.

  • In Portugal, the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira decides the relief, and it is called isenção por transferência de residência. It exempts the used belongings of someone setting up home in Portugal from duty and VAT, under Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009, as long as they have been yours for the qualifying period (we confirm that at survey). We handle the UK side by lodging the export declaration as your remover, and we draw up the inventory in English and Portuguese for the claim. Portuguese customs will want your NIF and proof of your new address. The goods are cleared where they enter the EU, either on the French side of the Channel or at a northern Spanish port if we take the ferry, or they travel under transit to a Portuguese customs office. There is no customs stop between Spain and Portugal.

Our purchase in Cascais kept slipping, so they kept everything at their yard in Essex until the deed was signed, and then the van went. The Portuguese paperwork was the bit I had lost sleep over. In the end it was a signature on an inventory they had already written. Lovely lads, and proper tea drinkers.

James Whitcombe Walthamstow (E17) → Cascais Illustrative customer profile

Still deciding? The FAQ page covers how we work on every route, and removals from London lists them all. For a move across London first, see man and van London, or call 0800 652 7561.

London to Portugal · Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve

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