Questions about moving —
from the UK to Italy

Yes. Every move we plan starts in the UK and ends at an Italian address, from the Aosta Valley to the far south of Sicily. Concentrating on Italy means our coordinators already know the customs claim, the Alpine routes, ZTL permits and condominio etiquette, so you are not paying for someone to learn them on your move.

We collect from addresses across England, Scotland and Wales. Whole-home moves get a survey at your address, either in person or by video. Smaller consignments from remote areas may be collected on a planned run passing nearby, and we will explain that at quote stage. Our route pages for London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol and Liverpool give local detail.

Yes, the mainland and the islands. Northern cities such as Milan, Turin and Venice are reached through the Alpine crossings; Rome, Florence and Naples continue down the peninsula; Sicily and Sardinia add a ferry leg from a mainland port. Our regional pages explain the access quirks of each area, from Venetian water deliveries to Puglian trulli.

Late spring and early autumn are usually the easiest seasons. High summer brings heat, holiday traffic and the Ferragosto period, when many Italian offices, notaries and comune desks slow down or close. Winter is perfectly workable, but snow can affect the Alpine approaches and Italy requires winter equipment on many mountain roads. Our seasonal guide goes into more detail.

As soon as you have a rough idea of dates and an Italian address, even a provisional one. Early contact gives time for a survey, for ZTL and street permits to be requested from the comune, and for a booking in your preferred window. Short-notice moves are sometimes possible, particularly as part loads, but choice of dates narrows.

By one of four main routes, chosen for your destination. The Mont Blanc tunnel leads into the Aosta Valley for Milan and the north-west; the Fréjus tunnel runs into the Susa Valley for Turin and Piedmont; the Brenner route serves Verona, Venice and the north-east; and the Riviera coast road enters Liguria for Genoa and the Tuscan coast. Your quote names the route and the reason.

We reroute through another crossing. The Mont Blanc and Fréjus tunnels both have planned maintenance closures and occasional weather or incident closures, and the Brenner approaches can be affected by snow. Because there are several ways into Italy, a closure changes the route rather than cancelling the move, and the coordinator will tell you if the plan changes.

They can slow things down, but they rarely stop a move. Italian law requires winter tyres or snow chains on board on many mountain roads during the cold season, and our vehicles are equipped accordingly. In heavy snow we may favour a tunnel route or the coast road over a high pass. Allow some flexibility in a winter delivery window.

The vehicle drives to a mainland port and crosses by ferry. For Sicily that usually means a long-distance ferry or the short crossing over the Strait of Messina; for Sardinia, a ferry from a port such as Genoa, Livorno or Civitavecchia. Customs is normally completed on the mainland, and local vans handle tight island streets.

Usually not, if you are moving your residence there. Transfer-of-residence relief lets personal belongings you have owned and used for a qualifying period enter Italy without import duty or VAT. Italian customs, the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli, sets the conditions, including how long you must have lived outside the EU and what evidence of your new residence is needed. We prepare the claim with you.

We prepare the UK export declaration and the Italian transfer-of-residence claim, built from a detailed inventory written in English and Italian. You provide the personal documents only you can supply, typically your passport, evidence of your Italian address and proof of registration, or intended registration, with the Anagrafe. We tell you exactly which documents your case needs at survey.

Usually not for personal household goods. GOV.UK explains that private individuals moving goods for their own use do not normally need an EORI number, and the declarations for your move are lodged by our customs agents. If your circumstances are unusual, for example business equipment travelling with the household, we will tell you at survey whether one is needed.

Anagrafe registration, iscrizione anagrafica, is how you become officially resident in your Italian comune. The comune usually confirms you live at the address, often with a visit from the polizia locale. Residence underpins much else, including transfer-of-residence relief on your goods, re-registering a car and registering with the Italian health service.

No, the permesso di soggiorno is a personal application that you make yourself. The Polizia di Stato sets the rules: non-EU nationals staying long term generally apply shortly after arriving, usually through a post office kit or the Questura, and many British movers need a national visa from the Italian consulate first. We time the delivery around your arrival so the paperwork and the furniture do not compete.

Apply through the Italian consulate that covers your part of the UK, or at an Agenzia delle Entrate office once you are in Italy. The codice fiscale is the Italian tax code, and you will need it for leases, utility contracts, bank accounts and buying property. It is free to obtain. Our step-by-step guide covers the application.

A ZTL, zona a traffico limitato, is a restricted traffic zone covering many Italian historic centres, enforced by cameras. A removal vehicle needs a temporary permit from the comune or the polizia locale to enter, and usually a separate permit to park while unloading. We request both where movers can apply, or prepare the forms for you where only residents can.

A montamobili is an external furniture lift, a ladder-mounted platform that raises furniture to a balcony or window. It is common in Italian cities, where stairwells are narrow and lifts small. If survey photos show the stairs or lift will not take your larger pieces, we book one, along with the street permit it needs.

Yes, and it smooths the day considerably. Most Italian apartment buildings are run by an amministratore under a regolamento condominiale, which may set permitted moving hours, require lift protection or restrict use of the courtyard. Tell the amministratore and any portiere early. Our Italian-speaking coordinator can make that contact for you.

Yes, by transferring the load to a goods boat. Removal lorries stop at the edge of the lagoon city, and a licensed water-transport operator carries everything along the canals to the nearest landing. From there, porters move items by hand trolley over bridges and through narrow calli. It is slower and more labour-intensive than a road delivery, which the quote reflects.

Start by sending a brief through our quote form with your UK and Italian addresses. We follow up by email to arrange a survey, in person for larger homes or by video for smaller moves, and then send a written, itemised quote. Our cost guide explains what shapes the figure if you want to understand it before you ask.

Only if the job changes. Your written quote is based on the surveyed inventory, the agreed route and the access at both addresses. If you add significant furniture, change the Italian address or ask for extra services, we re-quote the difference in writing before the work goes ahead, so nothing new appears on the final invoice unannounced.

A deposit is taken when you confirm the booking, and the balance is due before collection. The amounts, payment dates and what happens to the deposit if you cancel are all set out in the booking contract and on our terms page, which you can read in full before committing to anything.

Goods-in-transit cover applies from the moment the first item leaves your UK home until the last one is placed in Italy. The certificate comes with your written quote, so you can check the sum insured, the excess and the claims procedure before booking. High-value items such as art and antiques should be declared at survey so they are listed individually.

Note it on the delivery inventory, photograph it and tell us in writing. The claims window and procedure are set out in your booking contract, and the insurer assesses the claim against the condition recorded at packing. Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 apply to the booking in full.

Yes, though wine needs careful handling and paperwork. It travels best in temperature-stable conditions, and alcohol is excise goods, so customs treatment differs from ordinary furniture even within a household move. Declare the collection at survey with an approximate quantity, and we will explain what Italian customs is likely to ask for and how it affects your claim.

Yes, as long as they are clean and free of fuel. Lawnmowers, strimmers and outdoor heaters must be drained of petrol or gas before collection, and soil should be washed off tools and pots because plant-health rules apply at entry. Large stone planters and statues are crated like any other heavy, fragile piece.

Yes, with access planned in advance. Trulli often sit down narrow country lanes lined with dry-stone walls, and their doorways and interiors are compact, so furniture may need dismantling. Masserie can be reached along long farm tracks. We look at photos and a map pin at survey and arrange a smaller vehicle for the final approach if needed.

Yes, but expect a staged delivery. Coastal roads there are too narrow and winding for large lorries, and many homes are reached by steps rather than roads. Goods are transferred to small vans, and sometimes carried the final stretch by porters. Survey photos let us plan the transfer point and quote the handling realistically.