Answering your International Shipping queries

We have put together this blog answering your international shipping queries to put your mind at ease and to clarify how the process works. If you are relocating as a private or corporate client then this helpful compilation of answers has been written by one of our shipping partners, Burke Bros to help you decipher the benefits of shipping your furniture. They’ve included a few handy tips too!

Should I rent furniture or ship on my own?

One of the most popular questions that we answer when it comes to answering international shipping queries is whether renting new furniture or shipping current furniture is the best option. There is a familiar, historical and a sentimental attachment to your own furniture that is hard to replace and that will be welcome amongst the turbulence and upheaval of starting a new life in a new country. If you’re moving to the UK as a family, children can be especially comforted by the presence of the familiar and having your own furniture relieves the anxieties you may have over spills or damages that the rental furniture may incur.

How should I go about preparing to pack?

We’re often asked this about all kinds of moves but when it comes to moving overseas the best advice really is to leave it to the professionals. Quite simply, they are quicker and have the right packing materials to hand. Many people underestimate the work involved in packing. Moreover, if the remover packs, their work is protected by insurance.

We advise that you keep personal valuables with you and if you do pack any items yourself, ensure that you give a list to the moving company. Most countries will have restrictions on what you can import. Your moving company will advise on this and will signpost you to up to date rules on importing.

Be sure to isolate your travel documents and passport don’t let these be packed and keep them with you when you travel.

international shipping, relocation, relocate, move to the uk

Can I take my vehicle with me?

There are strict regulations about the movement of vehicles into other countries and some places are more restrictive than others. It will vary depending on where you’re moving to and how long you have owned the car etc. Your chosen remover is there to guide you through the regulations and requirements. If for whatever reason you decide not to take a car then Citrus have a car finding specialist who is experienced at browsing the UK market for the best deals. They’ll look after everything including the delivery of the vehicle to your driveway if you so wish.

Am I allowed to take food in my shipment?

It’s advisable not to take food items with you. In some countries, certain foods are strictly prohibited and the presence of food items may increase the likelihood of Customs stopping your consignment and potentially delaying clearance.

Your moving company should provide you with a guide to Customs detailing potential restrictions and prohibited items for the destination country you are relocating to and will be on hand to answer any concerns that you have about what you can and can’t take.

How important is it to take out insurance?

Whilst your remover should take every possible care with your goods, moving abroad will realistically involve many people handling your shipment and your effects travelling a considerable distance. Taking out insurance gives you peace of mind and saves the heartache, should the unforeseen occur. Speak to Citrus if you need some advise how you can obtain travel insurance.

How do I know that my effects will be safe whilst in shipment?

Choosing a shipping company who has membership with British Association of Removers and FIDI should mean that your moving company will have solid working relationships with other members all round the world. This family of companies know and work closely with each other to make sure that shipments are handled professionally.

How does Customs Clearance work?

Once your shipment arrives in the destination country, the local moving company (working in partnership with your International UK mover) will arrange the Customs Clearance for you. Some countries do require a short interview with customs, and some countries will permit you to nominate a representative to clear customs on your behalf but your moving company will be able to advise you on this depending on where you’re moving to.

Once you effects have been cleared, they can be delivered either to your new home or, if you arrange this with your moving company prior they can be delivered to a storage facility.

What happens when my effects arrive?

It’s advisable to unpack everything straight away rather than delaying. This means that if there has been any damaged occurred in transit you can report it swiftly to the local moving company that carried out the move in the destination country. The procedure for claims and time limits in which to claim will be set out in your policy.

Get in touch

This blog was written by Burke Bros who are an experienced British International Mover and Storage company. If you are looking for a reliable shipper or storage facility in the UK then we would highly suggest contacting us at Citrus so that we can match your requirements with the best facilitators in the UK.

Email: info@citrusrelocation.com

Call: +44 (0)203 303 320

Or complete the contact form below:

Join our Citrus Relocation Newsletter

We like to stay connected to our clients and also offer potential new clients updates about relocations to the UK as well as offer incentives when purchasing Relocation packages with Citrus. If you’d like us to send you updates please join our mailing list.

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Contact Us

There’s no task too big or small for our dedicated team so if you are planning to relocate, are moving for work or need help finding the right home for you, please get in touch.

Speak to one of our Relocation Agents today either by filling out the contact form, using our live chat or one of the below methods.

Email: globalmobility@citrusrelocation.com

Call: +44(0) 203 303 3208

Trusted Reviews

Citrus Relocation Services Limited

4.9

Based on 95 reviews

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Robert Pickering

13:46 29 Aug 24

Worked with the team at Citrus Relocations, specifically Jean, who helped on my relocation to London.Nothing was ever too much, their advice was professional, high quality and timely and I ended up with a great outcome because of their assistanceI can highly recommend the team at Citrus for anyone looking to undertake the daunting process of relocations - because they make what can be an incredibly stressful situation much, much easier.Thank you again!

Nathaniel Clements

15:59 28 Aug 24

Citrus helped us tremendously with our move to the UK. Maxine, Noreen, Jean , and all the rest were invaluable and helped us navigate the whole process. They made things so much smoother and easier to do and took a lot of the stress out of the move. I highly recommend them and thier team.

Amin Khatib

15:40 28 Aug 24

Moving to the UK can be a bit daunting as the country has its own quirks and can be challenging to navigate. Citrus made a true difference in our experience as a family. They helped with location research, pet relocation, car purchase, utilities, contract negotiations and the list goes on. Two things stood out the most; super friendly, responsive and helpful staff plus amazing value for money. Don't move to the UK without them.

Tanya Solomon

09:28 13 Jun 24

Citrus Relocations has been absolutely beneficial in our move to the UK! Maxine was always there to answer questions along the way. They were able to connect us with the right folks to get a bank account set up before moving (which would have been almost impossible on our own). And they helped us find an amazing rental, which would also have been impossible to do from across the pond. Jean and Kasia were also super helpful, always checking in to make sure we had what we needed. They were very responsive and we’d highly recommend them!

Arun Kumar

16:00 02 Jun 24

It was a very good experience with Citrus Relocation Services in my relocation process. Kasia, Maxine and their team were helpful in every aspect of home search to check-in. Their team followed up with the agencies regularly and made sure I found a very suitable accommodation. Thank you Team Citrus....all the best.

Saad B.

18:19 16 May 24

10/10. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Citrus on my recent relocation to London. I'd like to thank especially Maxine and Kasia who made everything very easy and smooth from day 1. They were reassuring, answered all my questions (even the stupid ones ^^) and were always available to help. All the advice they provided helped a lot relieve a lot of the stress you'd naturally experience during a relocation. Not only that, you can really tell they personally care about their clients and work hard to provide the smoothest experience possible. Can't recommend them enough if you're ever coming to UK.

Aaron Milburn

23:03 02 Apr 24

A wonderful business with excellent people that go above and beyond to assist and I cant recommend them enough.

Maurits Laanbroek

09:33 11 Mar 24

The team was a great support in my move from Canada to London.They took away allot of the common stress, and worries and guide you trough the whole process from arriving to settling in. They even helped with some unforeseen circumstances.

Kunii Daisuke

13:31 21 Feb 24

Citrus Relocation has been very helpful in helping us with the various difficulties involved in cross-country transfers, and has helped us to resolve the problems. They were particularly helpful in providing us with efficient and varied information in our search for housing and schooling for our children. We are very grateful.

Jollyn Samuel

13:43 19 Jan 24

Citrus is composed of a dedicated team, committed to what they do. And, it is absolutely not about the money! It's just ethics, and passion to facilitate their customers' mission. Briefly, I work abroad full time, and when I decided to secure a property in England, a number of estate agents struggled to support me in securing a property: until I found Citrus, and everything became possible. The team assisted in finding a flat to rent, a mortgage broker with the necessary expertise to suit my peculiarities. This was done with ease, at a negligible cost. Citrus went over and above their call of duty: steadfast, patient responsible, warm/friendly, always providing feedback and supportive. Trust Citrus to find a solution for you, especially for challenging cases pertaining property matters. With many thanks to the team 👍

Vincent Valenzuela

17:26 12 Jan 24

My wife and I moved to the UK from Boston in late September 2023. Jean and Noreen from Citrus were an absolute joy to work with and were very empathetic to our needs. They really understood what we needed in a property, connected us to a car broker, helped us set up a bank account, and got us connected to our council tax and utilities. They've also helped us find our GP and veterinarian. It has been incredibly easy transitioning to British life because of them.

Klaudia

09:57 12 Jan 24

I worked with brian to find a client their dream home and he was very helpful and responsive throughout the whole process

Ute Ball

16:27 12 Nov 23

Citrus did a great job helping us relocate to London. They were friendly, responsive and efficient. They helped us to find rented accommodation as per our very tight remit in budget and on time. In addition they put us in contact with other settling in service providers which were also great.

Terry Jones

15:07 06 Oct 23

Our daughter Julia is a, week old, proud owner of her new-build house in Biddenham, in the outer suburbs of BedfordBrian & Sue of Citrus Relocation Services helped to steer her over the inevitable rocky paths between the inner and outer suburbs of Bedford to finding the right one. They were patient with us as we clearly needed to explore the options of where and how to live before making the final decision.In Julia's case a new build became a real option. Despite our intuitive prejudice against a new build, Brian and Sue were a big help in bringing into focus the positive options for this, for which we are very appreciative.Terry & Pat

Marco Cordeiro

14:46 05 Oct 23

Citrus gave me excellent support in my move to the UK. They expertly supported me in finding a home suited to our needs and ensured a smooth transition with their guidance services. Their general advice was invaluable and they continue to offer support even after I've settled in. Citrus is efficient, well priced and their personalized approach is incredible. I highly recommend their services to anyone moving to the UK. They turned what could have been a scary and time-consuming experience into an enjoyable journey!

sylvie cavalli

09:51 04 Oct 23

Thanks to the whole Citrus team!

Babs-Ashy Dynasty

15:33 06 Sep 23

Exceptional relocation experience. Citrus relocation team are professionals and their services is second to none. With their support, we moved into UK and got settled into our apartment within 3 days. They assisted in getting us an apartment before our arrival, checked through the rental agreements on our behalf, doctors registration, even got our son a football academy to register, all before our arrival.Their comprehensive school search and support enable our son to resume school on the day school reopens. That is just to mention a few.Kudos to Maxine Warren has been wonderful with all the support and follow up emails to check up on us.

Ailiyah Alim

20:59 05 Sep 23

The team was very personable and kind. It was clear they knew what they were doing and got us relocated with minimal hardship.We were so grateful to get to work with them in our move across the ocean.

Nikolai Grigoriev

10:24 04 Sep 23

Our family is extremely grateful to Sue, Noreen and Kasia from Citrus for their indispensable support and advice in moving to the UK. Of particular value were their introductions to reliable and proven contractors (immigration solicitors, furniture rentals, domestic help, local representatives, etc.) and their handling of estate agents when we were looking for a house with very specific criteria. If you need a reliable partner in your move to the UK, you should call Citrus.

Famille Biramah

10:21 29 Aug 23

Citrus Relocation not only met our expectations but exceeded them. They turned what could have been an overwhelming experience into a journey where we felt supported and cared for every step of the way.What truly stood out for us was that they were not only professional but also very warm. From the moment we reached out to them, we felt in safe hands. It was clear that they genuinely cared about making this transition as smooth and stress-free as possible for our family. Their empathy made us feel valued.We remember sending enquiry messages to a number of relocation companies on the evening of the 2nd January 2023 expecting to get a response some days after people return from their Christmas break. We were extremely shocked to receive an answer from Citrus just five minutes after the initial message. The other companies took about a week to respond. The very next morning an advisor had already contacted us to discuss how Citrus could help with our move.The initial consultation was thorough and reassuring. They took the time to understand our specific needs and provided us with a clear and transparent quote.Throughout the process, they maintained excellent communication. They would check on us, making sure we were comfortable with the pace and decisions being made.If you're looking for a relocation company that combines professionalism with a personal touch, we wholeheartedly recommend Citrus Relocation.

mirey nader

09:07 29 Aug 23

Citrus is indeed the best relocation company in the UK, they go beyonf and above for their clients.They care about providing the most professional service yet again care about their clients specific needs and request.They reply immediately and follow up on your request even during weekends and holiday.We've couldn't be more happy to had the privilege to work with such professionals.I highly recommend Citrus to anyone relocated to the UK.Big thank you to all Citrus team for their help and support.Walid & Mireille Maalouf

Ghizlane Echchiguer

18:33 23 Jul 23

Citrus made my relocation to UK very smooth and easy, the team is just amazing and they were always available to support me and answer all of my questions. As a foreigner I was very nervous about moving to a new country such as the UK but with Cirrus by my side I felt very safe and they made sure I’m getting all the help I needed to settle in without any issues.I would absolutely recommend them 😊

Malcolm Landman

08:32 12 Jun 23

Excellent service, Kasia and Jean were responsive and provided me with sound advice and information related to my move. Very responsive, I always had what I needed on time.

張簡淑延

17:36 24 Apr 23

It has been a very pleasant experience to relocate to UK by having the service from Citrus Relocation. As a foreigner, it's always difficult to know the local house market, view and rent the house, not mentioning so many details I couldn't pay attention to at once. Citrus walked me through the process easily in a very effective and efficient way, and even think more/ahead than I expected. During the relocation, I had so hectic schedule in my business works, luckily with the help from their professional team and network, I quickly nailed down my house, car, moving-in, within 1 month, and still receive their following-up consideration after the works completed. I am very happy to recommend Citrus Relocation's service.

Luis Rodriguez

13:59 19 Apr 23

The team at Citrus made my relocation to London as smooth and simple as it gets. They were quick to answer all my questions and even went above and beyond with their time and support. Between all the nuances of finding an apartment, finding a logistics company and registering to local authorities the citrus team were key to do it properly. From my perspective pricing is highly competitive and fair for all the support I got. I’ll be recommending Citrus relocation to my co workers and others relocating to the UK

Catherine

17:06 03 Apr 23

I've recently moved to the UK from an unstable country and it has been an extremely challenging relocation because of the intersection of health issues, banking difficulties, and a very competitive housing market. Sue, Jean, and Kasia from Citrus Relocation were able to help me find a really wonderful place though, and also assist with getting a bank account. Citrus Relocation's services have been key to enable my relocation and I'm very happy with the outcome.

Jonathan Meagher

20:35 13 Mar 23

Citrus helped me find a good property before my move. They spent time to educate me on the pros and cons of types of properties in different areas. They were very responisve on with the property search to deal with the letting agent and secure the property I wanted. Pleasure to deal with

Lauren Friedman

10:51 21 Nov 22

I recently moved to London from NYC and Jean and Noreen at Citrus worked tirelessly to help me find the perfect flat to rent in an extremely tight housing market. Thankfully, Citrus was my one-stop-shop for all things relocation, from advising me on the right neighborhoods, to scheduling viewings, to reviewing my tenancy contract, to checking me into and taking inventory of my flat on move-in day. Working with Citrus, I felt like there was a good balance between taking my needs into consideration while also managing my expectations of the current rental market. Jean and Noreen specifically were extremely responsive and always available to answer my questions. I would certainly recommend Citrus to anyone relocating.

Caron Sarro

13:19 13 Nov 22

The services that I received with Citrus Relocation was amazing. Noreen, Jean and Yvonne provided great service. They definitelymade relocating from the US to the UK so much less stressful. They were very efficient, caring and understanding. Especially since finding somewhere to settle with a pet can be troublesome within itself. It was truly worth every penny and would absolutely use their services again without hesitation.

Janna Garcia

08:44 02 Nov 22

Sue, Jean and Yvonne were a pleasure to deal with, and took the stress out of finding my first flat in London. I opted for a one day property search to help with my move from Australia, and I am thrilled with the service provided by Citrus. The team and their connections in the property market were very knowledgeable, friendly and responsive. I felt like they understood my requirements perfectly and lined me up with a great consultant (Edie), who was awesome during our viewings. In the current market, I was expecting to have my first few offers rejected but I was accepted for my first choice within a couple of hours - which undoubtedly was due to Citrus’ great reputation. Thank you!

Jerry Stovall

15:59 30 Oct 22

Citrus Relocation took the stress out of international moving. I had met with two other relocation agencies prior to Citrus and from the moment I met Jean I knew that this was the provider I would be choosing! She took the time to listen and understand what was important to me. Even with delays at my end, the whole team was patient and ensured I was well taken care of from start to finish. Citrus provides an individualized touch and makes you feel like you are not just another customer. Jean went above and beyond, bending her schedule at times to accommodate me. When all was said and done, she even took the extra time to call and make sure I was comfortable in my new flat and even sent a welcome to your new home card! This was truly a stress-free experience, and I couldn't be happier! Not to mention, the process was fast! I was moved in within three weeks of starting the process.Thank you so much Jean, Kasia, and Sue as well as the rest of the Citrus Team!

Alyssa Higgins

12:35 06 Oct 22

Citrus was invaluable to us in moving our family from the US to the UK. From the very first meeting we felt like Jean and the team really listened to and understood our needs. No cookie cutter solutions here. The team at Citrus remained flexible as the parameters of our move changed (multiple times). Each time we called on them with a question or new development they were there with a ready, timely answer or the contact info and an introduction to the right person to call. We are so grateful we partnered with Citrus. This gigantic change would never have gone so smoothly were it not for Jean and her team.

dmdudegmail

08:47 06 Sep 22

Citrus Relocation has been simply amazing. They have helped me and my family have a totally seamless and stress-free move to the UK. We have now moved countries 5 times in the last 12 years, so we are experienced at this, and this move the UK has been the easiest and the best. The personal attention given by Jean to the needs of my family members - schooling, housing, medical, pet-related, everything else - has been exceptional.I would recommend Citrus in a heartbeat to any others who are contemplating an international move with their families.

Heather Moniz

10:33 27 Jun 22

Sue and her team at Citrus made our relocation from Florida to London seamless. They arranged all of the home viewings, got us in touch with everyone we needed to set up all aspects of the move including helping us with a school search for our daughter. The entire team is friendly and the customer service is top notch! Even with the time change between the US and the UK, they were very easy to get in touch with. They helped ease my stress and made our move as easy as it can be to relocate to a new country.

Darren Palendat

15:05 14 Feb 22

From the first interaction to the last I had a positive experience with Citrus.The people at Citrus (Noreen, Jessica, Sue) provided everything my partner and I needed to relocate from Canada to the UK. Whether it was the initial orientation tour or the actual moving process Citrus guided us through the process of arranging shipping and insurance, finding temporary serviced accommodation, and finding our new home. All the little things like getting set up with utilities/wifi, registering with the local government authorities and everything else you can imagine, they can help.You don't need to look any further than Citrus. They will take care of you!

Lauren Allin

14:44 09 Feb 22

My husband and I moved from the US to the UK in February of 2022 with our cat. We decided to hire Citrus to assist with the housing search and it was an excellent decision. The move had to be done at short notice, and then we ran into some visa delays which complicated the moving process. Citrus handled all of these schedule changes and complications professionally and competently. We primarily worked with Jean, who was professional and extremely kind throughout the whole process. My husband and I now have a very cute, cat-friendly apartment that we would not have been able to secure without the help of Citrus!

Shahrukh Javaid

13:37 22 Nov 21

The best place to get all your relocation cared for. The staff is really polite and helpful. They are also very fast in replying and making sure that all your queries are answered. I would definitely recommend using their services.

Wejdan Alshaheen

00:22 16 Nov 21

I strongly recommend Citrus Relocation Services Limited for any client looking for such services. Personally, I sought help from Citrus for high secondary schools admission in Manchester. I was impressed with a quick and efficient response from council admission team, which I received after 24 hours from Citrus team's intervention. Many thanks for Ms Noreen who has an efficient, gracious and firm communication skills. She treat the customer's issues as if it were her own.No words could express my appreciation. Thank you

J. Surroca

14:14 10 Oct 21

Relocating to a new home is always difficult. This difficulty becomes bigger when the move involves a change of country. But, moving to a different country in a context of a pandemic and the Brexit is simply overwhelming. In such a context, my family was lucky to find Citrus Relocation. They provided us with support in all steps of our relocation, from finding a house to connecting the services. But all relocation companies do that. What make of them something different is that they provided me support almost in real time, sometimes helping me to fix issues during weekends and nights. But that’s not all: they also connected me with other companies that provided complementary services to those offered by Citrus. And, again, their services were excellent. This excellent service Citrus and their associates gave us went beyond our contractual agreement, both in terms of topics and time frame. They helped us to sort issues that we didn’t include in our agreement, and they even did it once we were settled in—without charging us new fees.I will try to avoid relocations in the next 100 years, but believe me that if we finally change our plans and relocate again, my first call will be to Citrus.

Cathie Reid

01:25 10 Sep 21

Brian and the team at Citrus Relocation Services were fantastic in helping my daughter secure an apartment in London when Covid restrictions made it impossible for us to travel from Australia to be there in person. They managed the whole process seamlessly on line and via video calls from determining her needs and preferred locations, video inspections and then liasing with the property agent to secure the preferred property. By the time she landed in London all she had to do was collect the keys. Would highly recommend them and their service.

Sascha Giles

11:30 08 Sep 21

Cannot recommend services provided by Citrus enough! Relocating from Australia to London in the middle of the pandemic was made seamless by the Citrus team, with them organising a day of extremely in-depth virtual property tours with an agent going to each property, sending videos of the property itself and surrounding areas, and answering any questions that were unclear from the footage alone. It had previously been difficult to get real estate agents/landlords to take us seriously as tenants given we are international students that were not in London and hence unable to even attend a property viewing, however, this completely changed once we enlisted the help of Citrus and we received great service. The move in period has also been seamless, with Citrus providing assistance in getting bills, etc. set up. The team are extremely friendly and professional, would definitely recommend!

Get in touch

Email: info@citrusrelocation.com

Call: +44 (0)203 303 320

Or complete the contact form below:

Join our Citrus Relocation Newsletter

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