Shipping items To Spain: What Fees, Paperwork ?

I'm attempting to ship via freight company (LTL, less than a containerload) two boxes from USA  to the port in Valencia , Spain. I'm still struggling to get a clear picture of what the taxes and fees and paperwork will be on that end. Can't seem, so far, to find someplace (including shipping company: UBox) all the facts in one place. Shipping personal items: clothing, photos, papers, etc . They belonged to my brother who is a Spanish citizen, living with his wife for a number of years in Madrid. They just bought another place in Valencia. Our mother recently passed away, so I'm sending him the stuff he had at her house.

Two boxes : each 18" deep, 24" wide" 12' high + 6cubic ft., 150 lbs each.. Total: 12 cubic ft. 300 lbs.

Got a good price of $305.00 : Usa to Valencia Spain. But that price doesn't include anything on the Spanish end of the trip..

Any insights, links, thoughts ?

Thanks for any help,

Marty

Hi Marty

I assume the boxes are going with your brother's address on them.

Won't he be notfied of the boxes' arrival at Valencia, so that he can then pick them up?  I assume in terms of taxes he shouldn't have to pay anything as these aren't products that have been bought.

Have the US company given you any idea of what will happen once the boxes arrive in Valencia?

I'm trying to think what would be the norm here.

Justin

I'm thinking more like the taxes, fees, custom charges, port charges.

I can`t think of any reason why there should be any taxes at the Spanish end.

When I`m shipping customers goods from UK to Spain there are no taxes involved.Only a declaration on a Movement of Goods Certificate that the boxes contain no drugs,alcohol,tobaccos,firearms or any illegal substance.

The only thing I can think of would be a delivery cost by a local courier if it has to be delivered direct to an address in Valencia.

Jimbo

Wonder why some sites mention all these charges : port, handling, customs. My shipment : 12 cubic feet, 300lbs would be coming by freight ship. Unloaded at the Valencia port and picked up by me. Some one told me the Valencia end could total more than $500 ?

There won't be taxes from UK to Spain as it is an inter EU move.  From USA, the original post, there will be charges which may incluce 16% IVA (VAT).  The port and handling charges will apply as customs officers have to check the goods and assess the duty (if any) which needs to be paid.  Goods from non-EU countries have to go into bonding first where they are checked and assessed, hence the handling charges.

You may not have to pay any IVA on the goods if they are genuine (used) household items but they still have to be checked.

Do you have a shiiping company called "Brytor International moving" in USA?  There is one in Canada  & they would ship the goods to UK & then their agent will ship them to Spain. They handle them this way & no tax is involved as there won't be any tax for shipping personal used goods from Canada to UK  & then from UK to Spain.

We just shipped a container from Dubai to Spain (Algeciras) and the container was picked up here (after scanning by the authorities and all paperwork which we had supplied showing that we resided here and that all goods were personal household goods and we had lived outside the country for more than one year before moving here), delivered to our storage place and offloaded with no charge at this end whatsoever to anybody here in Spain.

I can't say how it would be from the USA, and bearing in mind we weren't living here beforehand, but I would think that as they are personal items and, presumably, over one year old, there may not be any import taxes to pay.  Maybe try to get a "door to door" quote from a company (we used Crown Relocations) and see what they say.

Taxes and duties are not the problem, it's the handling fees, custom charges (not taxes or duty: just a charge they have for doing the customs), port fee, a whole number of little fees that happen at the port of destination. I've heard qoutes that it could be up to 4 or 5 hundred US dollars, but nothing definite. Two 150lb boxes each 6 cubic feet.  They say the handling fees have a lot to do with weight etc.

Marty