Moving Your Household Goods to Portugal
How to ship your belongings to Portugal without paying duty or VAT, get a baggage certificate from the consulate, and choose a mover.
Last verified: September 2026.
Who this is for
- You are moving to Portugal from outside the EU, such as the UK, US, or Brazil, and shipping your belongings.
- You are moving from another EU country and want to know whether customs applies.
- You are a Portuguese citizen coming home after living outside the EU.
Not for you if: you are bringing a car or motorcycle, which has its own tax and paperwork. Read "Importing a Car to Portugal". For a dog or cat, read "Bringing a Pet to Portugal".
Updated September 2026. Customs offices were reassigned by area in February 2026. Since 1 July 2026, a €3 duty applies to cheap online orders from outside the EU, but not to your own belongings shipped under the relief below.
If you move from another EU country, your belongings cross the border freely, with no customs at all. If you move from outside the EU, you can still bring them in free of duty and VAT, but only if you qualify and prove it. The key document is a baggage certificate (certificado de bagagem) from the Portuguese consulate where you live now. Ask for it before you ship. Without it, you could pay 23 percent VAT on the value of everything. A sea shipment takes two to eight weeks door to door.
If you are moving from another EU country
Who this applies to: anyone whose goods start inside the EU, whatever your nationality.
There is no customs declaration, no duty, and no import VAT. Tax was settled when you bought the goods. Your only jobs are:
- Choosing a removal company.
- Insuring the load.
- Keeping an inventory in case something is damaged.
If you are an EU citizen staying more than three months, you also need to register as a resident. See "Registering as an EU Citizen Resident in Portugal (CRUE)".
Goods sent from the UK do not count as EU goods. They follow the rules below.
Who qualifies if you move from outside the EU
Who this applies to: anyone moving their normal home to Portugal from a non-EU country. Nationality does not matter.
You can bring your personal belongings free of customs duty and VAT if all of these are true:
- You lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months before the move. This is about where you lived, not your passport.
- You owned and used the goods for at least six months before you left. This applies to anything that is not used up, such as furniture or electronics.
- You will use them for the same purpose in your new home in Portugal.
- You bring them in within 12 months of settling in Portugal. You can ship in one load or several.
- You keep them for 12 months after import. Selling, lending, hiring out, or giving them away earlier makes the duty and VAT payable.
Portuguese citizens returning from outside the EU qualify on the same terms as anyone else.
What counts as your belongings
The relief covers goods for your own use or your household's use, including:
- Furniture, appliances, kitchenware, and the rest of the contents of your home.
- Clothes, books, and personal items.
- Computers, televisions, and other electronics.
- Bicycles, sports equipment, tools, and garden equipment.
- Musical instruments and art.
- Portable instruments you need for your profession.
- Pets, which also need their own health paperwork.
- Private cars, motorcycles, caravans, and leisure boats. A car also needs the separate ISV process described in "Importing a Car to Portugal".
What the relief does not cover:
- Alcohol and tobacco. These are excluded from the relief entirely.
- New goods or goods owned for less than six months. Keep receipts for anything recent.
- Commercial vehicles and business equipment, apart from portable tools of your trade.
- Anything in commercial quantities, such as ten identical laptops.
Some items need a permit or are banned whatever relief you claim. These include firearms, some plants and foods, and medicines with controlled substances. See "Owning a Firearm in Portugal" before shipping any weapon.
Getting the baggage certificate
The baggage certificate is issued by the Portuguese consulate or embassy for the place you are leaving. It confirms that the listed goods are your used belongings, moving with you. Any nationality can get one.
- Contact your consulate early. Busy consulates can take weeks. Many accept requests by post, and you can also apply through the Consulado Virtual online service.
- Prepare the documents. Consulates vary, but most ask for: - A form requesting the certificate. - A detailed, itemised list of the goods, often in triplicate. - Proof of when your residence there started and ended, such as tenancy records, utility bills, doctor's registration, or payslips. - Proof that you cancelled your residence there, such as closing utility accounts. - A signed statement giving the dates you lived there and the date you are moving to Portugal. - A signed statement that the goods were bought more than six months before you left and were used in your home. - Your passport, and your Portuguese residence permit or visa if you are not an EU citizen.
- Pay the fee. It is set in the consular fee table and varies by country and currency.
- Get the certificate before the goods leave. Customs in Portugal will ask for it when the shipment lands.
Make the inventory accurate. Number every box and match each number to the list. Entries like "100 boxes, household" cause delays. A bilingual list, in English and Portuguese, speeds things up.
Documents customs will ask for
- The baggage certificate, with the inventory attached.
- Your NIF (tax number). See "Getting a NIF (Tax Number) in Portugal".
- Proof of your new home in Portugal, such as your residence permit, a rental contract, or a proof of residence from your parish council. See "Getting a Proof of Residence (Atestado de Residência) in Portugal".
- Your passport.
- The transport document: the bill of lading for sea freight, or the air waybill for air freight.
How clearance works when the shipment arrives
Most sea shipments land at Lisbon, Leixões near Porto, or Sines. Air freight lands at Lisbon or Porto airport. The goods must be declared to the customs office for that port or airport.
- The declaration is what applies the relief. You present the certificate, inventory, NIF, and proof of residence.
- Most people use a licensed customs broker (despachante oficial). Many international movers include one in a door to door service.
- Customs can inspect boxes. Clear labels help.
- Every day a container waits at the port can add storage charges. Have your paperwork ready before the ship arrives.
If you ship before you are resident
You can bring your goods in before you have settled, if you promise to settle in Portugal within six months. Customs will then ask for a financial guarantee until you prove you have moved. Ask your broker how much it will be and how to get it back.
Ship or sell: deciding what to bring
For many people, selling most things and buying in Portugal is cheaper than shipping. Ship when you have:
- Antiques, art, or family pieces you cannot replace.
- Good quality furniture you want to keep.
- Musical instruments or specialist equipment.
Leave it behind when:
- The furniture is cheap flat-pack.
- You will start in a furnished rental.
- You are downsizing.
Portugal has large furniture and DIY chains, and a busy second-hand market online.
Check your appliances too. Portugal uses 230 volts at 50 Hz, with round two-pin plugs. North American 120 volt appliances will not work without a transformer, and motors may still fail.
Shipping options and what they cost
Prices depend on the origin, the volume, and the level of service. The ranges below are indicative. Always get itemised door to door quotes.
| Option | Best for | Typical transit | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road freight | Moves from Europe, including the UK | 2 to 14 days | €2,000 to €5,000 for a full van or truck |
| Shared container (groupage) | 2 to 5 cubic metres | 4 to 12 weeks | €1,500 to €4,000 |
| 20 foot container | A one or two bedroom home | 2 to 6 weeks from North America | €6,000 to €12,000 from the US or Canada |
| 40 foot container | A three or four bedroom home | 2 to 6 weeks from North America | €10,000 to €20,000 from the US or Canada |
| Air freight | Essentials you need straight away | 3 to 7 days | €3 to €8 per kg, with minimum charges |
| Courier boxes | A few boxes or suitcases | 3 to 14 days | €30 to €150 per box |
A shared container is cheaper but slower, because it waits to fill. A full container is yours alone, so there is less handling. Air freight suits documents, medicines, and a few boxes of clothes while the sea shipment crosses.
If you send boxes of your belongings by courier from outside the EU, declare them as personal effects under the relief. The new €3 duty is for online purchases, not for your own used goods.
Choosing a removal company and insurance
Look for a mover that belongs to a recognised international association, such as FIDI or its FAIM quality standard. Ask each mover:
- Do you handle customs clearance? If not, budget for a broker.
- Door to door or port to port? Port to port is cheaper, but you arrange everything at both ends.
- What is the transit time? Get it in writing.
- What insurance is included? Basic cover is often paid by weight, not value.
- Can you store goods if my new home is not ready?
Warning signs:
- No survey of your home, in person or by video.
- A quote far below the others.
- A demand for full payment upfront.
- No mention of insurance.
Get at least three quotes.
For insurance, all-risk cover pays for damage to single items. Total-loss cover pays only if the whole shipment is lost. Photograph valuable items and keep your own inventory. It serves as both your insurance evidence and your customs list.
The order of operations
- Three to six months before: decide what to ship, get quotes, and start clearing out.
- Get your NIF.
- Secure your Portuguese address and the proof of it.
- Request the baggage certificate at the consulate, with your full inventory.
- Book the mover and confirm who clears customs.
- Ship within 12 months of settling in Portugal.
- Clear customs on arrival with the certificate, NIF, and proof of residence.
- Keep the goods for 12 months and keep all the paperwork.
Sources
- Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas, Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, baggage certificate: https://portaldascomunidades.mne.gov.pt/pt/atendimento/no-estrangeiro/servicos-consulares/certificados/certificado-de-bagagem (any nationality, 12 months outside the EU, six months' possession and use, 12-month import window, six-month undertaking with guarantee, what counts as personal goods, documents, Consulado Virtual)
- Consulado Geral de Portugal em Londres, baggage certificate form: https://londres.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/images/certificado_bagagem_pt.pdf (document list, sworn statements, legal basis in Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009, articles 3 to 11, Decreto-Lei n.º 176/85, articles 37 to 46, and Decreto-Lei n.º 31/89, articles 2 to 10)
- Consulado Geral de Portugal em Boston, baggage certificate by post: https://boston.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/pt/assuntos-consulares/consulado-em-casa/certificado-de-bagagem (postal application, inventory in triplicate, fee set by the consular fee table)
- Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009, articles 3 to 11, on EUR-Lex: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32009R1186 (exclusion of alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles, and professional equipment; 12-month non-disposal rule)
- Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, customs offices by area under Despacho n.º 1782/2026: https://info-aduaneiro.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/pt/informacao_aduaneira/Veiculos/isencao_res/Pages/isv-res-06.aspx (port and airport customs offices)
- European Commission, €3 customs duty on low-value parcels from 1 July 2026: https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/ensuring-fairness-and-safety-eur3-customs-duty-low-value-parcels-2026-06-29_en (scope, per item, until 1 July 2028)
Last verified September 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.