Removals from East Ham
to Spain.
The busiest British moving route in Europe, and the one with the most worn-in procedures at the far end. The transport is long but routine; the paperwork is where people come unstuck.
Start with the NIE
Before furniture, before dates, before quotes. Spain is stricter than France about who may import household goods under relief, and the gate is your NIE — the foreigner identification number — together with evidence of residence, typically the padrón registration or a residence card, plus the property documents.
We prepare the export side and work with a Spanish agent on the import entry. We cannot obtain your NIE. Start it before you start packing.
The route
Out of east London on the M25 and M20 to the Channel, then south through France on the western corridor — past Rouen, then the A10 through Bordeaux — to the Pyrenees. The load crosses either at La Jonquera onto the AP-7, which runs the length of the Mediterranean coast, or at Irún for the Atlantic north.
Destinations
- Costa Blanca — Alicante, Torrevieja, Jávea, Dénia, Moraira.
- Costa del Sol — Málaga, Marbella, Estepona, Fuengirola and the villages inland.
- Murcia and the Mar Menor — newer resort developments, easy access.
- Barcelona and Catalonia — city apartments, restricted streets, small lifts.
- The green north — Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria. Cheaper, wetter, growing.
- The islands — Balearics and Canaries, each with a sea leg.
Access at the Spanish end
The casco antiguo of most Andalucian towns has streets a rigid lorry cannot enter, so the last leg is a small van and more carrying. Hillside urbanizaciones present the same problem differently: a steep private drive with no turning circle.
Neither is unusual and both are routine to plan around. Photographs of the approach and the door are the most useful thing you can send us.
What people take, and what they should not
Most British furniture travels fine. Two practical notes from experience: Spanish kitchens are often fitted to different dimensions, so a British fridge-freezer may not fit the gap in a Spanish apartment — measure before deciding it is coming. And heavy winter furnishings frequently get shipped and never used.
We will move whatever you want moved. It is just worth spending an evening deciding what genuinely earns its place on the vehicle.
Quoting it
Destination town, permanent move or second property, approximate volume, access at both ends, and how firm the dates are. The hub page covers groupage against dedicated transport; Portugal shares most of this route.
East Ham to Spain — questions
What holds Spanish moves up?
Almost always the NIE. Spain will not release household goods under relief without your foreigner identification number and evidence of residence, and obtaining it is your side of the job. Loads sit waiting on paperwork far more often than they sit waiting on transport.
Which border crossing?
Destination decides it. La Jonquera on the Mediterranean side serves Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and the whole AP-7 coast. Irún on the Atlantic side serves the Basque country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia.
How do the islands work?
Both the Balearics and the Canaries need a sea leg after the mainland run, so they are scheduled rather than continuous. The Canaries sit outside the EU customs union as well, which changes the paperwork again. Tell us the island at enquiry.
Will a lorry reach the property?
Two recurring problems. Old-town streets in Andalucía are frequently too narrow for a rigid vehicle, and hillside urbanizaciones have steep private drives with nowhere to turn. Both are solved with a smaller van and a longer carry — much more cheaply arranged in advance.
Does the load change vehicles?
On groupage, yes. The UK collection leg and the international line-haul are different vehicles, with an inventory check at each handover. A dedicated service stays on one vehicle throughout.
Moving to Spain?
Two addresses, the floor at each end, and roughly what is going. That is enough for us to price it properly.