Employer Responsibilities When Relocating Staff to the UK
Relocating an employee to the UK means employers need to plan the relocation process, understand the employee’s needs and provide clear support from the start. This includes managing budgets, coordinating key services and making sure the employee has everything they need whilst moving to the UK.
The main responsibilities include:
- Confirm the move date and the employee’s UK start date
- Set the relocation policy and budget, and confirm what it covers
- Identify visa and right to work requirements early
- Choose the right partners for the move, visa support and settling-in services
- Appoint one point of contact so the employee always knows who to speak to
Our international removals checklist for HR runs through this sequence in more detail.
How Do You Move an Employee’s Belongings to the UK?
To move an employee’s belongings to the UK, they should first check whether they are eligible for Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief. Eligible individuals moving their normal place of residence to the UK can apply to import their personal belongings without paying customs duty or VAT. The application for this goes to HMRC before the goods arrive.
Once this has been arranged, the next step is to hire an experienced international moving company. They will:
- Survey the shipment and price it accurately
- Pack the belongings to export standard
- Arrange sea or air freight to suit the budget and the start date
- Prepare and manage the customs clearance documents
- Deliver everything safely to the employee’s new UK home
At Aqua Moving Services, we have over 15 years of experience in move management and international removals, helping relocate employees and private clients through a transparent framework:
-The Single Survey: An independent surveyor evaluates the shipment volume (in person or virtually) so the employee only has to go through the process once.
-Three Competitive Quotes: We use that single survey to secure three like-for-like quotes from our vetted partner network, allowing you to compare costs accurately.
-Packing & Transit: Belongings are export-packed by professionals and shipped via road, air or sea, tailored to your budget and timing.
-Border Clearance: We handle the UK customs process at the border so the shipment is released without hold-ups.
-Delivery & Unpacking: Everything is delivered safely to the new UK address, and we stay on hand to resolve any final queries.
Read our Madrid to the UK case study to see how Aqua handled a corporate move.
How Does UK Customs Clearance Work for Household Goods?
Personal belongings entering the UK are treated as an import. That means import VAT, and in some cases, customs duty can apply to the value of the goods.
To clear an employee’s household goods into the UK, you need:
- A detailed inventory of everything being shipped
- The correct customs documentation and procedure codes
- Proof of the employee’s move and UK address
- Any licences for restricted or high-value items
None of this needs to land on your HR team’s desk. Handling the import declaration and the procedure codes is core move management work, and Aqua manages the customs clearance process at the UK border on the employee’s behalf.
What Can You Not Ship to the UK?
Before shipping household goods to the UK, it’s important to understand which items are prohibited or restricted. Shipments that don’t comply with UK customs regulations may be delayed, seized or result in fines or prosecution.
Some items are restricted, meaning they may need to be declared, have quantity limits or require special licences or documentation before they can enter the UK.
Alcohol and tobacco
If you bring in more than the duty-free allowance, you are required to pay duty on the whole quantity rather than just the excess, so it’s important these items are declared properly.
Medicines
Prescription medicines must travel in their original packaging with a copy of the prescription. A personal licence is needed for controlled drugs or for more than three months’ supply.
Firearms and ammunition
A special licence is required to bring firearms into the UK and must be applied for before you travel and declare them at customs.
Cash
Amounts of 10,000 euros or more (and the equivalent in another currency) must be declared.
Items of cultural interest
Artworks, antiques and manuscripts over 50 years old and worth more than £39,219 may need a licence.
Our guide to what you need to know before shipping household goods to the UK sets out the full list.
What Needs Extra Planning When Moving an Employee to the UK?
When planning to move an employee to the UK, it’s not just them you are moving but also their belongings. Certain belongings, such as pets, vehicles, high-value possessions and split shipments, each carry their own paperwork.
Moving an employee’s pets to the UK
Cats and dogs need an animal health certificate or pet passport, and the animal can be included in the employee’s ToR claim. Our guide to relocating globally with pets covers the preparation in detail, including how to acclimatise an animal to its crate with short practice trips before the journey.
Moving an employee’s vehicles to the UK
A car brought into the UK needs a NOVA notification to HMRC, followed by DVLA registration before it can be taxed and driven. An approved ToR claim removes the duty and VAT that would otherwise fall due on a private vehicle that qualifies.
High-value and specialist items
Art, antiques, pianos and fragile pieces need bespoke crating and an accurate replacement value declared for cover.
Split consignments
When the employee needs some belongings immediately and the rest later, the household can be split across two shipments and scheduled around the start date. This is common for employees moving between multiple locations or if their families are travelling separately.
Our France to Dubai case study shows how Aqua managed a split consignment in practice.
How Are the Employee’s Belongings Protected in Transit?
Aqua protects goods in transit through our move protection cover. This cover protects household goods and personal effects across the whole journey, while they sit in storage as well as while they travel.
You can read more details on our global transit protection page.
How Long Does It Take to Relocate an Employee to the UK?
Most corporate relocations to the UK take at least four to eight weeks and European moves can take between one to three weeks. The timeline is driven by several moving parts:
- Visa processing, which depends on the route and current Home Office times
- ToR approval must be complete before the goods land.
- Shipping time, which depends on whether the belongings are sent by road, sea or air and the country of origin.
- UK customs clearance, where the shipment is checked and released before it can be delivered.
- Final delivery and unpacking, once the belongings have arrived at the employee’s new UK home.
Plenty of corporate moves use both sea and air freight, sending a small air shipment ahead so the employee can start work properly while the bulk of the household follows by sea.
Our international removals timeline breaks down the timings of every stage week by week.
What About Visas, Housing and Schools?
Visas, home search and school places can all be handled by Aqua’s sister companies that make up the Clearview Group. Each one is a specialist in its own field, and they work to the same timeline as the move.
- Clearview Immigration handles visas, work permits, sponsor licences and right-to-work checks, keeping the application aligned with the employee’s start date.
- Clearview Relocation provides home search, school search, temporary accommodation and settling-in support, including guidance on Right to Rent checks that UK landlords must complete.
For an HR team, that structure means the shipping dates, the visa timeline and the housing search are handled by companies that talk to each other, instead of three unconnected suppliers each working to their own schedule.
Our article on how our move management and relocation services work together explains how the group model closes those gaps.
Not every relocation needs every service, and each company can be engaged on its own.
Start Your UK Corporate Relocation with Aqua
Aqua Moving Services has managed international moves for over fifteen years, and 99% of our clients come back to us for their next one.
Our corporate relocation services support HR teams and employee relocations worldwide. That includes moving from major countries such as the UK, Singapore, USA and many more. But we are not limited to moves in and out of those countries. Our global partner network covers virtually every destination, so we manage relocations between any two countries rather than just UK inbound and outbound.
Get in touch with our move management team to discuss your next corporate relocation to the UK, and we will walk you through the timeline for a specific employee move.
