Hayes → Italy
Removals from Hayes to Italy, north and south.
Milan and the lakes, Tuscany, Rome, Puglia and Sicily, collected from your door in West London. The route runs through France and under the Alps; the paperwork runs through the comune.
Last reviewed against the official sources listed on this page.
Mont Blanc, Fréjus or the coast road?
Removals from Hayes to Italy are the corridor with the most variation. Every load leaves West London for the Channel and crosses France; the choice is where it meets the Alps. The Mont Blanc tunnel drops into the Aosta Valley for Milan and the lakes, the Fréjus tunnel comes out near Turin, and the coast road past Nice enters Liguria at Ventimiglia. South of Rome the work changes again: Puglia is a long run down the Adriatic side, and Sicily means a ferry across the Strait of Messina or a longer crossing from Naples or Genoa, with no second customs check because it is still Italy.
The paperwork has its own order. A codice fiscale first, because almost nothing in Italy happens without one. Then a national visa before you travel and, after arrival, a permesso di soggiorno and registration of your residence with the comune. Customs runs alongside all of it: your belongings are cleared into the EU once, and the transfer-of-residence relief is claimed with Italian customs.
In what order does the Italian paperwork happen?
Italian paperwork comes in five pieces, and the order matters. First, a codice fiscale, the tax code issued free by the Agenzia delle Entrate; you can request it through the consulate before you leave, and almost everything else asks for it. Second, a national visa from the Italian consulate if you are going to live there; the category depends on whether you are retiring, working or joining family, and the consulate in London lists the documents. Third, after arrival, a permesso di soggiorno, applied for shortly after you land; the Polizia di Stato sets the process and the deadline. Fourth, registering your residence at the anagrafe of your comune. Fifth, the customs relief for your belongings, which is the piece we handle. We time delivery so the furniture arrives when you can actually receive it, not while you are still queueing at the Questura.
- 1.
Codice fiscale · Italian tax code
Issued free by the Agenzia delle Entrate, and available through an Italian consulate before you leave. Needed for a lease, a bank account, utilities and your residence paperwork.
- 2.
National visa · Visto nazionale
For most UK nationals planning to live in Italy, a national visa from the Italian consulate comes before departure: elective residence for retirees, for example, or a work visa. The consulate sets the documents.
- 3.
Permesso di soggiorno · Residence permit
Requested shortly after arrival. The application usually goes in through a post office kit, followed by a Questura appointment; the Polizia di Stato publishes the current rules and deadline.
- 4.
Residenza · Registration with the comune
Registering at the anagrafe of your new comune. Italian customs generally expects evidence that you have taken up residence when the relief is claimed.
- 5.
Transfer-of-residence relief · Franchigia per trasferimento di residenza
Relief from import duty and VAT for household goods you have owned and used for a qualifying period. This is the one we handle: we prepare the declaration and inventory.
Where is customs cleared on the way to Italy?
Customs on an Italian move happens in two places, and neither is the Alps. The first is the UK: an export declaration lodged before the lorry leaves Hayes, with the EORI question settled at survey. The load then enters the EU at the French Channel port and crosses France under a transit document; there are no checks at the Mont Blanc, Fréjus or Ventimiglia crossings, because those borders are internal to the EU. The second is Italy, where the goods are cleared by the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli and the franchigia per trasferimento di residenza is claimed: relief from import duty and VAT for household goods you have owned and used for a qualifying period. The dogana works from the bilingual inventory we prepare and may ask to see evidence of your new residence, which is why registering with the comune sits so close to delivery.
What goes into an Italian move?
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A survey that asks about the Italian end
A surveyor visits in Hayes, Yiewsley, Hounslow, Southall or Northolt, and asks for photos or a street link for the Italian address, because access there is so often the unknown.
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Paperwork for leaving the UK
The export declaration is lodged before the load sets off. Our FAQ explains when an EORI number of your own comes into it.
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The franchigia claim with the dogana
We prepare the franchigia per trasferimento di residenza paperwork and an English and Italian inventory, and the claim is made with the Agenzia delle Dogane.
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Cover for antiques and fine art
Goods-in-transit cover from collection in Hayes to delivery in Italy, with the level for antiques and art agreed at survey.
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A smaller vehicle for ZTLs and strade bianche
Unmade roads in Tuscany and Umbria, medieval lanes and restricted traffic zones in town centres often mean switching to a smaller vehicle for the final leg.
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Storage on either side of the Alps
Storage at the Hayes end, and destination-side storage arranged through our Italian partners when the keys arrive late.
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Someone to talk to the condominio
Our Italian partner team speaks to the amministratore di condominio, books lifts and sorts town-centre access permits with the comune.
Lakes, hill towns or the far south: where do we deliver?
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Tuscany
Florence, Siena, Lucca, the Val d'Orcia. Stone houses on weight-restricted roads; a smaller vehicle often does the final mile.
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Lake Como & Milan
Lakeside villas on narrow roads and central Milan apartments with courtyard access. Usually reached through the Mont Blanc tunnel and the Aosta Valley.
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Rome & Lazio
The centro storico has ZTL limited-traffic zones and pedestrian streets. Access permits come from the comune and are requested ahead of delivery.
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Puglia
Trulli, masserie and Lecce townhouses. A long run down the Adriatic side; rural drop-points are checked from photos before we quote.
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Sicily & Sardinia
Sicily by ferry across the Strait of Messina or a longer crossing from Naples or Genoa; Sardinia by ferry from a mainland port. Customs is already done, so there is no second clearance.
Why do we survey before quoting an Italian move?
Because access is so often the unknown. A surveyor visits your Hayes-area property, and we ask for photos or a street link for the Italian address. Distance down the peninsula is the biggest variable, followed by last-mile access and any island crossing. The written quote is a single fixed figure.
Italy questions we hear at survey
Do I need a codice fiscale before my furniture arrives?
It helps a great deal. You need one for a lease, utility contracts and a bank account, and landlords and agents often ask for it before they will confirm anything. The Agenzia delle Entrate issues it free, and you can request one through the Italian consulate in London before you leave.
Can a removal lorry get into an Italian town centre?
Often not at full size. Many historic centres are ZTL limited-traffic zones with narrow streets and access permits issued by the comune. We usually transfer to a smaller vehicle at the edge of town for the final leg, and our Italian partners request the permit in advance. Upper floors without a lift may need a hoist; we flag both at survey.
Is customs cleared again when goods reach Sicily or Sardinia?
No. Your belongings are cleared into the EU once, and Sicily and Sardinia are part of Italy, so the crossing is a domestic leg. What changes is scheduling: ferry bookings and an island delivery vehicle add a step, which the written quote accounts for.
Should I register with the comune before or after delivery?
Usually after you have an address and before the customs claim is finalised. Registering your residence at the anagrafe is part of settling in, and Italian customs generally expects evidence that you have taken up residence when the relief is claimed. We plan delivery and the customs paperwork around your registration rather than the other way round.
Taking the coast road through southern France? Much of that route is shared with our removals from Hayes to France, and the cross-route answers on customs and cover are on the FAQ page.
Hayes → Italy · door to door
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