Hayes → Portugal
From West London to Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve, the Silver Coast and the Alentejo. The NIF comes first, the visa and the AIMA residence permit follow, and the tax picture has changed.
Last reviewed against the official sources listed on this page.
From the brief
Removals from Hayes to Portugal run the longest road of our four. From West London the load crosses the Channel, runs down the Atlantic side of France, enters Spain at Irun and crosses the Spanish plateau into Portugal. Alternatively, the ferry from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander or Bilbao takes most of France out of the journey. Either way, customs is done once, and the relief is claimed with Portuguese customs.
It is also the corridor that has changed most, mostly on paper. The SEF immigration service has been replaced by AIMA, and the old NHR tax regime has closed to newcomers. What hasn't changed is the shape of the move: a couple heading for Cascais, a retired pair for the Algarve and a family for the inland Alentejo all start in the same place, with a NIF.
Recent changes
Three things have changed, and all of them are on paper rather than on the road. First, immigration: SEF, the old Portuguese borders and immigration service, has been replaced by AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, which now handles residence permits. Your visa still comes from the Portuguese consular network before you travel; the AIMA appointment follows in Portugal. Second, tax: the Non-Habitual Resident regime has closed to new applicants. Its successor, IFICI, is narrower and aimed at particular professions, so the tax treatment many earlier movers planned around may not apply to you. Third, customs: since Brexit your household goods are an export from the UK and an import into the EU, with relief from duty and VAT claimed with Portuguese customs. The first two are for you and your advisers; GOV.UK's Living in Portugal guide is a sound starting point. The third is ours, and we prepare it from the survey.
Paperwork
Almost every Portuguese process asks for a NIF, which is why it comes first of four steps, plus one tax question for your adviser. First, the NIF itself, the Portuguese tax number issued by the Autoridade Tributária through the Portal das Finanças; if you are still living in the UK when you apply, you may need a tax representative in Portugal. Second, a residence visa from the Portuguese consular network before you travel: the D7 for pension or passive income is the most common, and the visa portal lists the other categories. Third, after arrival, a residence permit from AIMA, the agency that replaced SEF. Fourth, customs: your belongings are exported from the UK, enter the EU once, and relief from import duty and VAT is claimed with Portuguese customs as isenção por transferência de residência. That is the part we prepare, with a bilingual inventory built from the survey notes. The tax question, NHR and its successor IFICI, belongs with a Portuguese tax adviser.
Scope
A surveyor visits in Hayes, Yiewsley, Hounslow, Southall and the surrounding catchment, and asks about the Portuguese address too.
The export declaration is lodged before departure, and we check the EORI question for you at survey.
We prepare the isenção por transferência de residência paperwork and an English and Portuguese inventory for the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira.
Atlantic air is hard on leather, canvas and electronics; Alentejo summer heat is hard on stored furniture. We pack for where you are going, flagged at survey.
Goods-in-transit cover from collection in Hayes, confirmed in writing with your quote.
Storage at the Hayes end, and destination-side storage arranged through Portuguese partners, with climate control on request.
Our Portuguese partner team deals with the condomínio administrator, the porteiro and street-parking permits in Lisbon and Porto.
Where we go
Steep streets, calçada paving and tram lines in Alfama and Graça limit lorry access. A smaller vehicle does the final leg; the permit is requested in advance.
Riverside apartments and Vila Nova de Gaia townhouses with tight granite staircases. Hoists for upper floors are planned at survey.
Lagos, Tavira, Albufeira, Vilamoura. Gated developments with condomínio sign-offs and set delivery slots.
Caldas da Rainha, Óbidos, Nazaré. Mostly straightforward access; salt-air packing is worth it near the sea.
Évora, Beja and the wine country. Rural tracks and inland heat; climate-controlled storage can be arranged if the dates slip.
The road to Portugal crosses the whole of northern Spain, so if you are weighing up the Iberian options, our removals from Hayes to Spain page covers the same corridor from the other side.
On price
From a survey of your Hayes-area property, plus photos or a street link for the Portuguese address. Lisbon and the Algarve are the most common deliveries; the Silver Coast and inland Alentejo can add a smaller-vehicle transfer. Road or ferry depends on your dates and address. The written quote is one fixed figure.
Common questions
Not to new applicants. The Non-Habitual Resident regime closed to new entrants at the start of 2024, apart from limited transitional cases. Its replacement, known as IFICI, is narrower and focused on particular professions and research roles. We are removers, not tax advisers, so talk to a Portuguese tax specialist before you plan around either.
It is the first thing most people get, because a lease, a bank account, utility contracts and the visa application all ask for it. It is issued by the Autoridade Tributária, and if you apply while still living in the UK you may need a tax representative in Portugal. The Portal das Finanças has the current rules.
Usually, yes, but rarely with the main lorry. In Alfama, Graça and other old districts, steep streets, calçada paving and tram lines limit what can stop outside. We transfer to a smaller vehicle for the final leg, and our Portuguese partner team requests any parking or access permit in advance. Narrow stairs may need a hoist, which we flag at survey.
We keep your belongings in storage at the Hayes end until it comes through. The Portuguese relief is linked to transferring your residence, so delivering ahead of a visa decision risks a customs question we would rather avoid. Once you have the decision, we rebook the road or ferry leg and deliver.
At survey we note anything sensitive, such as leather, canvas, pianos and electronics, and pack it in sealed export wrap with moisture protection for coastal addresses. For inland Alentejo heat, the risk is storage rather than the sea, so we avoid leaving things in an unventilated store.
Hayes → Portugal · door to door
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