Your bespoke packing service

That difference demands a different standard of packing, different materials, a different inventory process, and a different level of coordination with the removals team before a single box is sealed.

RMV's European packing service is built specifically for cross-border transit. Our packers are trained to the export packing standard used across the international removals industry: heavier-gauge double-walled boxes throughout, foam wrap layers around fragile items, export wraps and specialised transit blankets for large furniture that cannot be disassembled, stretch film on appliances and cabinetry, and a detailed room-by-room catalogue inventory that satisfies UK customs requirements and the import regulations of the destination country.

As a member of the Association of Independent Movers (AIM), our packing team has been independently assessed against professional standards, not self-certified. Every European job is covered by comprehensive goods in transit and public liability insurance, and all quotations are confirmed in writing with no hidden charges. Learn more about our team on our About Us page.

What Export-Standard Packing Means in Practice

The term export packing has a specific meaning in the international removals industry. It refers to wrapping each item, not just fragile ones, to a standard that can withstand the stresses of multi-modal transportation: the combination of road, ferry crossing, potential container transfer, and final-mile delivery that makes up a typical UK-to-Europe move. In practice this means:

• Double-walled boxes throughout. Standard single-wall boxes are appropriate for local moves. For European transit, double-walled boxes are the minimum, the additional wall layer absorbs lateral impacts during road movement and prevents crushing under stacked loads in a shared vehicle.
• Export wraps and specialised transit blankets for furniture. Large furniture items that cannot be broken down, wardrobes, dining tables, sofas, headboards, display cabinets, are wrapped in thick specialised blankets secured with stretch film. This is the industry-standard method for protecting furniture surface finishes over long-haul transit, where multiple load and unload cycles put sustained pressure on padding.
• Foam wrap for fragile and high-value items. Packing foam is used as an inner layer around glassware, ceramics, electronics, and delicate objects before a bubble wrap outer layer is applied. The foam conforms to irregular shapes and absorbs vibration across extended transit periods in a way that bubble wrap alone does not.
• Plastic furniture covers rated for extended transit. Mattress covers, sofa covers, and seat covers used for European moves are rated for multi-day transit and multiple handling cycles, a different specification to the thinner covers used for domestic removals.
• Room-by-room catalogue inventory. Every item is recorded by description, quantity, and room of origin at the point of packing. This document becomes the basis of your UK customs declaration and the import documentation at your European destination. It is not an afterthought; it is built into the packing process from the first box.

Post-Brexit Customs and Documentation

Since Brexit, moving personal belongings between the UK and any EU country requires a customs declaration. This applies to household goods, personal effects, and commercial goods without exception.

Understanding the requirements before packing begins, not after the van has loaded, saves time and avoids the risk of delays at the border. The principal documentation requirements for a UK-to-Europe move are:

• Customs Declaration Form. Required for all goods crossing the UK-EU border. The specific form varies by destination country. Our team confirms the requirements for your route during the pre-move survey.
• Detailed catalogue inventory. A complete, itemised list of every item being transported, by description, quantity, and approximate value. Produced by our packing team as part of the packing process, this forms the foundation of your customs submission.
• Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief. If you are permanently relocating your primary residence to an EU country, you may qualify for duty-free importation of personal effects and household items under Transfer of Residence relief, administered through HMRC. Proof of residency and a detailed inventory are required to claim this exemption. We advise on the application process during the quotation stage.
• EORI number for business relocations. Companies moving office contents or commercial goods to an EU country require an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number and may also need commercial invoices and a packing list certified for customs purposes.
• Restricted and prohibited items. Customs rules vary significantly by country. Certain items, including specific foods, plants, medications, high-value art and antiques, and professional equipment, may require permits, additional declarations, or separate shipping arrangements. We flag these during the pre-move survey.

Book at least 6-8 weeks before your European move date. This is the recommended lead time across the industry, particularly for summer moves (June to August) when border processing times lengthen, vehicle availability tightens, and popular routes to France, Germany, Spain, and Italy fill quickly.

Who Uses Our European Packing Service

• Families relocating permanently to Europe. Full household moves to France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, and beyond, covering every room to export standard and producing the full customs documentation required for a permanent Transfer of Residence.
• Professionals moving for work. Individuals and families relocating for employment, including embassy and diplomatic staff, corporate assignees, financial services professionals, and technology executives, who need a discreet, thoroughly documented move managed to a high standard with minimal time burden on the client.
• Businesses restructuring across Europe. Companies relocating offices or operational functions from the UK to EU countries, particularly France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland, following post-Brexit operational changes. Full commercial packing with certified inventory, EORI-referenced documentation, and out-of-hours working available.
• Students and younger movers. Partial packing services for those relocating to study or take up positions in European cities, covering the high-value items and fragile pieces, with the customer managing general clothing and soft goods themselves.
• Those needing interim UK storage. Customers whose destination in Europe is not yet ready to receive their possessions. Our European storage service at our Rainham warehouse holds goods securely between packing in the UK and delivery to the European address.

European Packing Service Options

We offer three packing configurations for European moves:

• Full European packing service. Every room, every item, packed to export standard by our team, including furniture wrapping, appliance preparation, and full catalogue inventory production. Packing takes place one to two days before the loading date to allow for a clean, unhurried handover on departure day. For a standard three-bedroom property this typically takes one full day with two packers; larger properties require additional crew or an additional day.
• Fragile and specialist items packing only. For customers who prefer to pack their own general household goods and want professional export-standard handling for the pieces most at risk over long transit, antiques, fine art, glassware, mirrors, electronics, musical instruments, and high-value furniture. This is the most common partial-service configuration for European moves.
• Full crating service. For particularly high-value, oversized, or irregularly shaped items, sculpture, large original artwork, antique mirrors, bespoke furniture, we build custom timber or export-grade cardboard crates sized and braced to the specific item.

Crates provide the highest level of protection available for multi-modal transit and are recommended for any item where the transit risk exceeds the standard packing specification. Our international removals team advises on crating requirements during the pre-move survey.

Preparing for European Packing Day

Arriving at packing day properly prepared makes a significant difference to the time our team needs on site, and therefore to the overall cost. The main requirements for the day before our packers arrive:

• Unplug and clean all electrical appliances. Washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, freezers, and dryers must be unplugged, disconnected, cleaned out, and fully drained. If you are unsure how to disconnect a dishwasher or washing machine properly, let us know at the booking stage and our team will include this in their on-site schedule.
• Set aside items not to be packed. Place anything you are keeping with you, travel documents, medication, chargers, essentials for the night before departure, in a clearly marked area that our packers will not touch. Label these items or their room if necessary.
• Clear access routes. Ensure staircases, hallways, and doorways are clear for our team to work efficiently with trolleys and materials. For European moves, we use more materials than a domestic pack, full floor protection and a full stock of wrapping materials, so workspace in each room matters.
• Have your inventory input ready. For the customs documentation, having a rough note of any high-value items, their approximate value and any original receipts or appraisals, speeds up the catalogue inventory significantly and improves the accuracy of the customs declaration.

Packing Materials for European Moves

The materials specification for a European move is heavier duty than for a domestic pack.

For a standard three-bedroom property relocating to Europe, typical requirements include: 15 small double-walled boxes, 15 medium double-walled boxes, 10 large double-walled boxes, 5 extra-large double-walled boxes, archive boxes for documents and books, 3 wardrobe boxes, packing foam sheets for fragile items, bubble wrap (minimum 100m), export wraps and transit blankets for furniture (2-3 per large item), stretch film rolls (3-4 for appliances and cabinetry), plastic mattress and sofa covers for long-haul transit, 6 rolls of packing tape (2 fragile, 4 standard), destination-language labels where required, and markers.

Browse materials and pre-order for UK delivery from our Packing Shop, or let us bring a full stock on packing day and charge only for what is consumed.

European Countries We Cover

RMV provides packing and removal services for UK moves to and from: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. For destinations not listed, contact us directly, we arrange bespoke European moves on a case-by-case basis and work with a network of approved European agents in most countries.

Commercial European Packing

Corporate and commercial moves to Europe require a higher level of documentation precision than household relocations. Our commercial European packing service covers IT equipment packed to manufacturer transit standards, secure document packing and archiving, certified packing lists for customs and EORI compliance, packing office furniture and equipment for multi-modal transit, and after-hours and weekend working to minimise business disruption.

We produce a room-by-room catalogue inventory and certified packing list that satisfies both UK export and EU import customs requirements, including EORI references and commercial invoice cross-referencing where required.

Combine our commercial packing with our European removals service for a single-contract solution from first box sealed in London to final item placed at your European address.

Frequently Asked Questions, European Packing Service

What is export packing and how is it different from standard packing?

Export packing is the standard applied to goods being transported internationally. It uses heavier-gauge double-walled boxes throughout, packing foam layers under bubble wrap for fragile items, specialised transit blankets and export wraps for large furniture, and stretch film on appliances. The key difference is that export packing must withstand multi-modal transit, road, ferry, potential container transfer, and final delivery, over two to ten days, not a single same-day journey.

Do I need a customs declaration when moving to Europe from the UK?

Yes. Since Brexit, all goods moving between the UK and EU countries require a customs declaration. For personal relocations, Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief through HMRC may exempt your household goods from import duty if you are permanently relocating. We advise on the documentation requirements for your specific destination country during the pre-move survey.

How far in advance should I book?

Six to eight weeks is the recommended minimum for a European packing and removals service. This allows time for a pre-move survey, customs documentation preparation, materials ordering, and vehicle scheduling. Summer months (June to August) are the busiest period, popular routes to France, Spain, Germany, and Italy book out earliest.

Can I pack some things myself and have you pack the rest?

Yes. A partial packing service is available. The most common configuration for European moves is for the customer to pack clothing, soft furnishings, and non-fragile items themselves, with our team handling all fragile items, high-value pieces, furniture wrapping, and appliance preparation to export standard. We advise on the most cost-effective split based on your property and timeline.

Is the service insured for the full duration of the European transit?

Yes. Goods in transit insurance and public liability insurance cover every European packing job for the complete duration of the move, including transit through EU countries, port handling, and final delivery. For high-value items such as fine art, antiques, and specialist equipment, we discuss dedicated valuables insurance during the pre-move quotation.

Plan Your European Move with RMV

RMV manages the complete European relocation, packing in the UK to export standard, customs documentation, transit, and delivery at your European address, under one contract.

Our European removals service works as a single coordinated operation alongside the packing service, not as a separate booking. For relocations beyond Europe, our international removals division applies the same export-standard packing to worldwide destinations.

European moving guides, customs checklists, and packing advice are available on our blog. To learn more about our team, our AIM accreditation, and our experience with European moves since 2009, visit our About Us page.