Removals UK to Spain

The NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) is Spain's tax and identity number for foreign nationals. You need it for every formal step in Spain:

• opening a bank account
• signing a lease or a property purchase contract
• registering with the Spanish health service (Sistema Nacional de Salud)
• paying taxes
• and, most importantly, filing a Transfer of Residence customs declaration with the Aduanas

You can get your NIE from the Spanish Consulate in London. In Spain, you can get it from a Comisaría de Policía (National Police station) or an Oficina de Extranjeros (Foreigners' Office).

If you have not yet travelled to Spain, a Spanish fiscal representative can apply for you. RMV's move managers check your NIE at the pre-move survey. The Aduanas Transfer of Residence declaration needs the NIE number, and a missing NIE is one of the most common reasons shipments are held at customs on this route.

Since Brexit, British nationals moving to Spain long term need the TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero). This is Spain's biometric residency card for non-EU nationals. It replaces the green EU residency certificate (Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión) that British nationals used before January 2021.

You get the TIE after you arrive, from the Comisaría de Policía or Oficina de Extranjeros for your Spanish address. You need an appointment (cita previa). For people arriving from January 2021 onwards, the TIE is the main proof of residency for the Aduanas.

Some British nationals registered as EU residents before Brexit and already hold the green certificate. The Aduanas says these certificates are still valid. But getting the newer TIE card is strongly recommended, to avoid any doubt.

Spanish IVA at 21% applies to imported household goods if Transfer of Residence duty-free relief is not granted. On a household declared at £60,000, a failed claim means an IVA bill of £12,600.

Like every EU country, Spain asks for proof that you lived outside the EU for the 12 months before your move, and that you have owned your goods for at least six months. The Aduanas checks the 12-month proof closely. So before we prepare the Aduanas paperwork, our document check makes sure you have proof of 12 months living in the UK.

Spanish Customs Documents

You need the documents below for Aduanas customs clearance and Transfer of Residence duty-free relief. On every UK-to-Spain booking, RMV provides all forms, help filling them in and a check of your documents before departure.

• Passport copy, to show your identity and nationality to the Aduanas
• NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero), Spain's required identity number for foreign nationals, needed on the Transfer of Residence declaration
• TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) or pre-Brexit EU residency certificate, to prove your Spanish residency status as a non-EU national
• Empadronamiento (Padrón Municipal) certificate, proof that you have registered with the local council (Ayuntamiento) at your Spanish address
• An itemised inventory (lista de enseres), listing each item, how many and its estimated second-hand value, ideally in Spanish or with a Spanish translation
• Proof of 12 months' residence in the UK or elsewhere outside Spain: UK council tax bills, bank statements, employment letters or similar, covering the 12 months in a row just before you become resident in Spain
• Proof of your Spanish address: a rental contract, property deed (escritura) or utility bill
• A signed statement that you have owned and used the goods for six months or more, and will not sell or transfer them within 12 months
• Your signed permission for RMV to deal directly with the Aduanas for your shipment
• CMR road document, prepared by our driver at UK collection

Packing materials for your move to Spain are sold in our Packing Shop. AIM accreditation details are on our About Us page.

Where British Nationals Move in Spain: The Costas, Cities, Islands and Emerging Destinations

Over 360,000 British people are registered as residents in Spain. They live all over the country: from the Costa del Sol in the south to the Costa Brava in the north, and from Madrid in the centre to the Balearic and Canary Islands. Each region brings a different kind of removal, with its own loads, access limits, transport needs and customs paperwork.

Costa del Sol and Málaga, The Highest-Volume British Expat Region

The Costa del Sol stretches east and west of Málaga. It has more British expats than anywhere else in Spain and more removals than any other Spanish destination. Most British people live in Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos, Nerja, Estepona and along the roads running inland.

Most moves here are retirements and second-home purchases. There is also a smaller group of young professionals and digital nomads. They are drawn by Marbella's growing luxury economy and by Málaga's tech sector, which grew fast after Google and Accenture opened large offices in the city between 2022 and 2025. Full-load villa retirement moves are the most common removal on this route. Part-load moves for holiday flats are a steady second.

Many Costa del Sol homes are on urbanizaciones. These are private gated estates on hillside plots, and their access roads get much narrower as you approach. Where the main removal van cannot reach the plot, we plan to move the goods into a smaller van.

Our removals service covers every Costa del Sol address, with a full access check. Our storage service covers the gap between your UK sale and your Spanish purchase.

Costa Blanca and Alicante, The Largest Settled British Community

The Costa Blanca, centred on Alicante province, has more registered British residents than any other Spanish region. The main British centres are Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Benidorm, Jávea (Xàbia), Dénia and Calpe. People who move here include retirees, holiday home buyers and younger British professionals. Homes and living costs are fairly low compared with the Costa del Sol.

Orihuela Costa, south of Torrevieja, has a very high number of British residents and a lot of British services. There are British-run businesses, English-speaking GP surgeries, British groceries and British social clubs. Torrevieja has one of the highest shares of British-born residents of any Spanish town.

Madrid, Finance, Tech and Corporate Relocations

Madrid is Spain's capital and the main destination for British professionals moving for work. It draws a steady flow of British professionals in:

• finance: Bolsa de Madrid and the corporate offices of BBVA, Santander and CaixaBank
• technology: Amazon Web Services Spain, Microsoft Iberia, Google Spain and Telefónica
• consulting and professional services firms

Madrid moves are usually the contents of one- to three-bedroom flats. They often have fixed delivery dates linked to a job start date and a company relocation package. Many Madrid apartment buildings have lifts. But older buildings in Malasaña, Lavapiés and Chueca have narrow staircases, like those in Lisbon. Our man and van service handles smaller Madrid company moves and studio flat moves efficiently.

Barcelona, Tech, Startups, Digital Nomads and the 22@

Barcelona is Spain's second-largest city and its main tech and startup hub. Its tech quarter is the 22@ innovation district in Poblenou. It is home to Glovo, Wallapop, Social Point, King (the maker of Candy Crush), Factorial HR and dozens of international tech companies with Spanish offices. Barcelona also hosts the annual Mobile World Congress, which supports a year-round conference and events economy.

The Gothic Quarter, Gracia and Sant Pere have narrow streets and staircases, just like Madrid's historic areas and Lisbon's Alfama. Older Eixample apartment buildings often have service stairs only 60–70 cm wide.

Where the stairs mean furniture has to be taken apart, our handyman service takes it apart and puts it back together.

Valencia and Murcia, Remote Workers, Families and the Growing Digital Nomad Scene

Valencia is Spain's third-largest city. In 2026, it is one of the fastest-growing destinations for British remote workers and younger families. Homes cost less than in Madrid or Barcelona. The climate is good and the local food is great. And Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa and Digital Nomad Visa make Valencia a very good-value choice.

Valencia's La Marina district and L'Eixample neighbourhood have settled international communities. Murcia, south of Valencia, attracts British buyers on a budget. Homes there cost even less than on the Costa Blanca, Alicante airport is close and the climate is mild.

Balearic Islands: Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera, Sea Freight Required

The Balearic Islands are Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera. They form a self-governing region of Spain in the western Mediterranean, 85–300 km off the Spanish mainland.

A road removal from the UK or mainland Spain cannot reach them. Every shipment to the Balearics needs sea freight, by roll-on/roll-off ferry or container, from a mainland Spanish port. The main ports are Barcelona and Valencia, with Palma de Mallorca's freight facilities used for transfers between islands. Typical crossings:

• Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca: about 8 hours by overnight ferry
• Valencia to Palma de Mallorca: about 8 hours
• Barcelona to Ibiza: 9 hours
• Valencia to Ibiza: 6.5 hours
• Barcelona to Menorca: 9 hours

Mallorca has the biggest and most varied British community in the Balearics. Retirees move to the south-west (Port d'Andratx, Sóller, Deà). Professional and media buyers live in Palma de Mallorca itself. And high-value buyers choose the Tramuntana mountain villages. Ibiza has a year-round British professional and creative community, as well as its seasonal economy.

RMV arranges the whole journey from the UK to the Balearics: UK collection, road transport through mainland Spain, gathering loads at the port and booking the sea freight between islands. Our storage service holds your goods in the UK while ferry times are confirmed.

How Long It Takes to Reach Spain

How long a move from London to Spain usually takes, including Aduanas customs clearance.

• Madrid, full load 3–4 days; part load 5–8 days
• Barcelona (Catalunya), full load 2–3 days; part load 4–7 days
• Valencia, full load 3–4 days; part load 5–8 days
• Murcia, full load 3–4 days; part load 5–8 days
• Alicante / Costa Blanca, full load 3–5 days; part load 5–9 days
• Málaga / Costa del Sol, full load 4–5 days; part load 6–10 days
• Marbella / Estepona, full load 4–5 days; part load 6–10 days
• Seville (Andalucía), full load 4–5 days; part load 6–10 days
• Mallorca (Balearics), road to Barcelona/Valencia + sea freight; 5–7 days in total
• Ibiza / Menorca (Balearics), road to Barcelona/Valencia + sea freight; 6–8 days in total

For guides to Spain, NIE and TIE application steps, the documents for the Aduanas 12-month rule and 2026 moving checklists, visit our blog.

Your Complete UK-to-Spain Moving Solution

RMV Storage & Removals handles your whole move from the UK to Spain. That covers the pre-move survey, a check of your 12-month residency documents, Aduanas customs clearance, help with your NIE and TIE, access planning for urbanizaciones, Balearics sea freight and door-to-door delivery to any Spanish address on the mainland or the islands.

• Our removals service handles the whole physical move.
• Our storage service covers the gap between your UK sale and Spanish purchase, and holds goods for the Balearics until a ferry slot is confirmed.
• Our man and van service handles studio and one-bedroom moves to Madrid and Barcelona.
• Our handyman service assembles and places furniture at your Spanish home.

Boxes, tape and wrap are available in our Packing Shop.