What really matters in your inventory — and why the requirements depend on where you are moving from and to A detailed and properly structured moving goods list (Spanish: inventario) is the centerpiece of any customs clearance for international moves. It serves as proof to the authorities that these are personal relocation goods. What it cannot do: prevent an inspection. Whether a container is inspected is decided by the authorities using a risk filter — this can happen even with 100% correct paperwork. What your list determines is how that inspection turns out: whether the contents can be verified in a short time and the container continues on its way, or whether it has to be unpacked, which takes time and becomes expensive. And: what the list needs to look like in detail depends on where you are moving from and to. Customs and Import Duties Here it pays to keep two things separate that are often lumped together. Customs: For every shipment, we prepare the necessary customs document. This means your moving goods are free of customs duties — you don’t have to worry about that, it’s our job. Import Taxes: This is a second, separate question. Whether your household goods can be imported tax-free as relocation goods depends on your personal situation — and it is different for every client. Exactly for this reason, we go through this individually with each customer before anything is loaded. In principle, these criteria apply to tax exemption: Six-Month Rule: All listed items must have been in your personal possession and used by you for at least six months prior to the move. Maintenance of Use: As a general rule, the imported goods may not be sold, lent, or rented for 12 months after import. Change of Residence: You must be able to prove the change of your main residence. The Structure of the Perfect Inventory The list should be set up as a clear table and always be bilingual — in the language of the country of origin and the official language of the destination country (e.g., English/Spanish). Document Header Data: Each sheet of the inventory list must contain your master data: name (as in passport), passport number / N.I.E., as well as the old and the new address. One Declaration Instead of a Hundred Repetitions: You do not need to write “used” behind every single item. Instead, place this sentence once above the table: “All listed items have been in my personal possession and use for at least 6 months. · Todos los bienes relacionados se encuentran desde hace al menos 6 meses en mi posesión y uso personal.” In our template, it is already in the right place. Numbering of Packages: Number all packages consecutively — 1, 2, 3… up to the last piece. Boxes and furniture are not counted separately, but run in a single number sequence. Apply the number clearly visible on at least two sides of every box; furniture and loose parts receive a label with the same number. Concrete Declaration: Right and Wrong Vague collective terms do not trigger an inspection; a container is selected via a risk filter, which is a matter of chance and not fault. But if it hits your container, the description decides everything: the officials must be able to trace the content at a glance. If it says “Miscellaneous” or “Stuff”, it gets unpacked. Incorrect Entry Correct Entry “Stuff” / “Miscellaneous” Clothing, shoes, books “Kitchenware” Crockery, cutlery, pots “Electronics” TV, laptop, printer Sample Table Structure No. Description (English) Descripción (español) 1 Men’s clothing Ropa de hombre 2 Small kitchen appliances Electrodomésticos pequeños de cocina 3 TV set Televisor 4 Wardrobe (disassembled) Armario (desmontado) Special Provisions by Item Type Electronics: Name each device individually — television, laptop, monitor, printer, camera — instead of grouping them under “Electronics”. Manufacturer, model, and serial number do not need to be specified for your move between England and the Canary Islands. Should something additional be necessary in your case, we will let you know in good time. Furniture: Please mark disassembled furniture as “disassembled”. Remember that this results in more packages: instead of one wardrobe, you then have five pieces of a disassembled wardrobe — and each part gets its own number and its own line. Vehicles & Motorcycles: Vehicles (cars, motorcycles, trailers) do not belong on the normal household goods packing list. Separate import and customs procedures with their own vehicle documents, certificate of conformity (COC), and deregistration certificate apply to them. Important: Your vehicle does not travel under the tax exemption for your moving goods — not even when traveling in the same container. Vehicles have their own requirements and duties. What to expect in your case is clarified individually with you. Please talk to us about this early on. What NEVER Belongs on the Moving Goods List — and Not in the Shipment Some goods not only do not belong on the list, they must not enter the container at all. If found without authorization, confiscation and high fines threaten: Food & Drinks: Canned goods, unopened packages, spices, or alcohol are subject to special excise duty regulations and veterinary controls. Plants, Seeds & Soil: To protect the native flora, strict phytosanitary import bans apply in many countries (especially on islands like the Canary Islands). Dangerous Goods: Gas cylinders, lighters, paints, varnishes, cleaning chemicals, or high-power lithium-ion batteries (e.g., from e-scooters) often cannot be carried for safety reasons. Tobacco & Medications: They are subject to tobacco tax and drug laws respectively and cannot be declared lump-sum as moving goods. Checklist Before Final Shipment Mark Packages: Apply the consecutive numbers clearly visible on all boxes and furniture parts. Do Not Enter Values: Your list belongs only number and description — no prices. We clarify and declare the total value of your moving goods separately with you. And transport insurance is yet another matter, with its own sum. We discuss both with you before loading. Autograph Signature: Sign the list at the end with
