Single items and specialist pieces to Italy
A piano, a painting, an antique dresser or a motorbike, moved from the UK to an Italian address with its own crate, its own customs declaration and cover matched to its value.
Who is single-item shipping to Italy for?
It is for anyone moving one important object rather than a household: a piano, a painting, an antique dresser, a motorbike or an heirloom. Each item gets its own crate or wrapping, its own customs declaration and cover set to its value, and delivery to an Italian address that may have narrow stairs or a ZTL.
Typical requests include a grandmother's sideboard going back to family in Lecce, an upright piano for a new flat in Trieste, a canvas sold to a buyer in Milan, or a classic scooter heading home. Collectors and galleries use the service for sold or loaned works; musicians use it for pianos, harps and double basses; and people who have already moved to Italy use it to fetch the piece they left behind. Collection can be from a home, gallery, auction house or storage unit anywhere in Great Britain.
Which customs route does a single item take into Italy?
It depends on why the item is moving. A piece you own and use can travel under transfer-of-residence relief if you are relocating to Italy. A sale or a gift is declared at its value, and the recipient may owe import VAT. An item going to an exhibition and returning can travel under an ATA carnet.
Italian customs, the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli, assesses import VAT, and occasionally duty, on the declared value of sales and gifts. Every shipment needs at minimum a description, a value and the reason for the move. For owners moving residence, that sits inside the transfer-of-residence claim alongside proof of the new address. For artworks, a clear provenance record and photographs taken at crating make the declaration smoother and support any insurance claim later. We work out which route applies before anything is crated.
Does an antique or artwork need a UK export licence?
Some do. Certain works of art, antiques and manuscripts need an export licence before they leave the UK, depending on their age, type and value. The decision belongs to the Arts Council England Export Licensing Unit, and GOV.UK publishes the current thresholds that decide which objects are affected.
We raise the question at enquiry, asking about age and value, so that any licence is in hand before collection rather than discovered at the border. If a licence may be needed, the application is built into the collection plan and the crate is not sealed until the position is clear. Cultural goods can also attract conditions on the Italian side, so we confirm the customs position with you before crating, and keep the licence in the shipping file so it travels with the declaration.
How is a single item crated for the journey to Italy?
Around the object itself. Paintings travel in lined, padded crates with corner protection, mirrors and glass are braced upright, and furniture is blanket-wrapped and strapped, or crated if it has fragile veneers or carved detail. Pianos move on a piano board with a crew trained to handle the weight.
Condition photographs are taken at crating and again on delivery, so any change can be identified and the record supports an insurance claim if one is ever needed. Marble tops travel upright, because laid flat they can crack under their own weight on a long, hilly road. Where an Italian stairwell is too tight for a piano or a large cabinet, we book a montamobili external lift and the street permit that goes with it. Cover is set to the declared value of the item rather than a general household limit.
Can a single item share a vehicle to Italy?
Often, yes, and sharing brings the cost down. A well-crated item can ride on a planned run heading towards its Italian region, secured in its own section of the vehicle. Very high-value art, or pieces that need climate control, may justify a dedicated vehicle instead, and we explain both options before you choose.
A shared run means the delivery is agreed as a window rather than a fixed day, because the vehicle is making other drops along the way. A dedicated vehicle travels to your timetable and carries nothing else, which some lenders and galleries require for insurance. Vehicles are a special case: a classic scooter or car shipped on its own still has to be registered with the Motorizzazione Civile if it will be used on Italian roads, which our vehicle relocation page explains step by step.
What is covered by single-item shipping?
- Collection from a home, gallery, auction house or storage unit anywhere in Great Britain
- Bespoke crates for paintings, sculpture, mirrors and glass
- Piano moves on a piano board with an experienced crew
- Customs route chosen correctly: residence relief, sale, gift or temporary import
- Arts Council export licence question checked before collection
- Condition photographs at crating and again on delivery
- Cover set to the declared value of the item
- Delivery inside ZTLs and up narrow stairs, with an external lift if needed
Who usually books single-item shipping?
- Collectors and galleries sending a sold or loaned work to an Italian buyer or venue.
- Musicians moving a piano, harp or double bass to an Italian home.
- Families returning an heirloom to relatives in Italy.
- Owners of classic Italian scooters and cars bringing them back to where they were built.
- Anyone who has already moved to Italy and left an important piece behind.
What affects the quote for single-item shipping?
We do not publish a price list, because no two Italian deliveries share the same access, route and paperwork. These are the things that shape the figure on your written quote. For a fuller explanation, read what shapes the cost of moving from the UK to Italy.
- Size, weight and fragility
- These decide whether the item needs a bespoke crate, a team lift or a specialist crew.
- Declared value
- A higher value means higher cover, and for sales or gifts it also drives the import VAT the recipient pays.
- Customs route
- Residence relief, a sale, a gift and a temporary import each carry a different amount of paperwork.
- Access at collection and delivery
- A ground-floor gallery and an upper-floor flat in a Roman palazzo are very different jobs.
- Whether it can share a vehicle
- An item that can ride on a planned run costs less than a dedicated vehicle sent for one piece.
More questions about single-item shipping
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Yes. Uprights and grands move on a piano board with a crew used to the weight and balance, wrapped against knocks and temperature change. The difficult part in Italy is usually the building: narrow stairwells and small lifts are common, so we check access at quote stage and book an external lift when needed. Tuning is best left until it has settled.
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It depends on why it is going. If you are moving to Italy and the painting is your own, it can usually travel under transfer-of-residence relief without duty or VAT. If it is a sale or a gift, the recipient generally pays Italian import VAT on the declared value. Rules for cultural goods can add conditions, so we confirm the position with you before crating.
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Yes. Gifts and sales to a recipient in Italy are common, from family heirlooms to pieces sold online or at auction. Because no change of residence is involved, the item is declared at its value and the recipient generally pays Italian import VAT before delivery. We agree with you and the recipient who handles that payment, and confirm the access at their address.
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Yes. We collect from auction houses, galleries, dealers and storage units across Great Britain, as long as the item has been paid for and released. Send us the lot details and the saleroom's collection rules, which often set collection windows and loading-bay access. Condition photographs are taken at collection, so any existing marks are recorded before the item is crated for Italy.
Where to check the official rules
Tell us the Italian address —
and we will plan back from it.
A short brief is enough to start. We come back with questions about access, then a written, itemised quote.
Start your brief