Moving to Spain

Today it is not only retirees looking for sunshine who move to Spain, but also families working remotely and professionals employed in Barcelona or Madrid. Moves to Spain are among the longest overland routes we cover in Europe – Malaga is almost three thousand kilometres from Wrocław. 4RELO plans such a journey taking into account French traffic bans, the heat and access to houses in the narrow streets of Andalusian towns.

The route through Germany and France

We drive via Dresden, Nuremberg and Stuttgart, then down the Rhône valley to the south of France and over the Pyrenees at La Jonquera into Catalonia. A motorway along the Mediterranean leads to Spain's east coast, while for Madrid we turn inland.

On such a long route a weekend on the road is unavoidable, and the French ban on lorries from Saturday evening to Sunday evening adds a day's stop. That is why we give the delivery date before loading, counting from a specific departure day.

NIE, padron and residence registration

These formalities do not apply to the goods themselves: we move furniture and personal belongings from Poland to mainland Spain and the Balearics free of duty and with no customs clearance. A car, however, has to be re-registered on Spanish plates once you are resident, which involves a roadworthiness test and registration tax.

The Canary Islands and the Balearics

For Mallorca, Ibiza or Menorca the load goes by ferry from Barcelona or Valencia and stays within the EU. The Canary Islands are different. Although they are part of Spain, they lie outside the EU VAT area, so the shipment needs a customs declaration and settlement of the local tax, while household effects may qualify for relief if the conditions are met. The sailing from ports in the south of the peninsula takes around two days. We handle the paperwork together with a customs agency – details on our customs clearance page.

Heat, siesta and narrow streets

• In summer we start unloading in the south early in the morning, before the heat makes carrying difficult.
• We pack electronics, candles, vinyl records and medicines so that they do not overheat on the way.
• In old town centres and the white villages of Andalusia a large vehicle often cannot get in – then we transfer your belongings to a smaller van.
• Gated communities on the coast have their own access rules and working hours, which we check with the management.
• Many Spanish rentals come furnished, so it is worth agreeing what you are actually taking.

If some of your belongings are to follow later, they can wait in storage. You can work out the volume of your load in the calculator.

Questions about moving to Spain