EU customs

Just asking for a friend who recently moved to Portugal.

Sent her household goods from uk to Portugal via a removals company & via the tunnel, which customs would the goods be controlled by? French or Portuguese?

Just curious what the process is as the company said the trailer was delayed by customs for around a week, but all of a sudden it’s been released and will be delivered tomorrow. Now I’m sure there’s not enough time to get down to PT move her goods to a smaller vehicle and deliver it!

Anybody able to shed some light on the possiblities.

drover:
Just asking for a friend who recently moved to Portugal.

Sent her household goods from uk to Portugal via a removals company & via the tunnel, which customs would the goods be controlled by? French or Portuguese?

Just curious what the process is as the company said the trailer was delayed by customs for around a week, but all of a sudden it’s been released and will be delivered tomorrow. Now I’m sure there’s not enough time to get down to PT move her goods to a smaller vehicle and deliver it!

Anybody able to shed some light on the possiblities.

If it entered the EU at the tunnel, Calais, it will be French customs.
Delays are not uncommon, particularly with removals, as it’s perfectly possible to put illicit items into a load of household stuff.
I’m not suggesting that your friend would, but that this is the way customs officers think.
It would take a good couple of days to drive from Calais down to Portugal. Possibly 3, depending on just where your friend has moved too.
If it’s double-driver manned, obviously quicker. But removals are usually a driver and a loader, not 2 driver/loaders.
If they left Calais on Saturday morning, they might be there tomorrow. Possibly the UK office is closed on a Sat? So nobody there to inform your friend that their stuff was on its way at thetime? I dunno, just a suggestion.

I’m not in removals, just moved a good few times and international moves 3 times (army). Also spent a good bit of time with removals teams when weekended.

French Douane might be interested, but it is the Portuguese Alfandegas who give clearance for import and delivery.
It is them who should receive the documents about the origin of the items, and them who decide whether or not it is tax free.
.
Full truck load for a single household?
Or, a large crate possibly moved on a normal artic with a couple of others?
.
Quite believably delayed at a Portuguese warehouse awaiting clearance.
.

Simon:

drover:
Just asking for a friend who recently moved to Portugal.

Sent her household goods from uk to Portugal via a removals company & via the tunnel, which customs would the goods be controlled by? French or Portuguese?

Just curious what the process is as the company said the trailer was delayed by customs for around a week, but all of a sudden it’s been released and will be delivered tomorrow. Now I’m sure there’s not enough time to get down to PT move her goods to a smaller vehicle and deliver it!

Anybody able to shed some light on the possiblities.

If it entered the EU at the tunnel, Calais, it will be French customs.
Delays are not uncommon, particularly with removals, as it’s perfectly possible to put illicit items into a load of household stuff.
I’m not suggesting that your friend would, but that this is the way customs officers think.
It would take a good couple of days to drive from Calais down to Portugal. Possibly 3, depending on just where your friend has moved too.
If it’s double-driver manned, obviously quicker. But removals are usually a driver and a loader, not 2 driver/loaders.
If they left Calais on Saturday morning, they might be there tomorrow. Possibly the UK office is closed on a Sat? So nobody there to inform your friend that their stuff was on its way at thetime? I dunno, just a suggestion.

I’m not in removals, just moved a good few times and international moves 3 times (army). Also spent a good bit of time with removals teams when weekended.

Thanks for the reply, you make a good point perhaps the stuff was moving all weekend but life you say UK office closed and only informed this morning.

Franglais:
French Douane might be interested, but it is the Portuguese Alfandegas who give clearance for import and delivery.
It is them who should receive the documents about the origin of the items, and them who decide whether or not it is tax free.
.
Full truck load for a single household?
Or, a large crate possibly moved on a normal artic with a couple of others?
.
Quite believably delayed at a Portuguese warehouse awaiting clearance.
.

That’s interesting so French customs could let it through to Portugal & leave it to the Portuguese customs to give final clearance.

It was a partial load, probably 1 third of a standard artic… Not sure if crated or not.

Cheers :sunglasses:

Ok well seems like the stuffs been sitting in a warehouse in PT awaiting clearance for the last week, apparently… :laughing: