Rolling green hills of the Tuscan countryside with a winding cypress-lined road at sunset

Removals to Italy

Moving from the UK to Italy is one of the most considered moves a person can make. Whether you are relocating to a townhouse in Florence, a country estate in Tuscany, an apartment overlooking Lake Como, or a home in Rome, the move itself deserves the same care and precision as the life you are building there.

Williams & Yates has managed international removals to Italy for decades, working with high-net-worth individuals, families, and the private office professionals who support them.

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From Pimlico to Portofino

A Bespoke Removals Service to Italy

No two moves to Italy are the same, and our service is built around that reality. Some clients are relocating a full family home, including fine art, antiques, and specialist collections accumulated over a lifetime. Others are establishing a second residence on the Amalfi Coast or the Italian lakes and require a precisely coordinated, discreet service that fits around an existing schedule. We work across all Italian destinations, from the northern cities of Milan and Turin to the sun-bleached hillside villages of Umbria and Sicily.

From the moment you make contact, your dedicated move coordinator takes responsibility for the entire process. This is the person who assesses your property, manages your documentation, liaises with our teams and partner agents in Italy, and remains your single point of contact from the planning stage through to delivery and placement. For private PAs and household managers arranging a move on behalf of a principal, the coordinator model means reliable updates, clear accountability, and no need to manage multiple contractors.

We handle primary residential relocations and second-home moves, and we regularly manage consignments that include contents of considerable sensitivity: fine art, antiques, wine collections, and high-value personal effects that require specialist handling at every stage.

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How Your Italy Move Is Coordinated
Your coordinator begins with an in-home survey. This is a thorough assessment of your property, its contents, and any specific requirements, whether that is climate-controlled transit for a collection, custom crating for oversized or fragile items, or careful dismantling of bespoke furniture. The survey informs the full logistics plan, and no move date is confirmed until that plan is agreed.

Packing is carried out by our specialist team using professional materials suited to each item. High-value and fragile pieces receive individual attention, and our in-house crating workshop builds bespoke cases to the exact specification of items that cannot travel safely in standard packaging. This is not an outsourced service. The workshop sits within Williams & Yates, meaning quality and accountability remain with us throughout.

Transit to Italy is typically by road on a dedicated or shared vehicle, depending on the nature and volume of your consignment. Your goods are fully tracked, and your coordinator will advise on the most appropriate option for your move. If your Italian property is not ready to receive your belongings on arrival, we can arrange storage in the UK, in transit, or at our partner facilities in Italy. Delivery and placement is carried out to your precise instruction, with the team returning your home to order as quickly and carefully as it was packed.
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By far the best removals service I have received, ever. Thank you so much with our recent move, especially when we moved the goal posts last minute. Ian Thatcher

Moving to Italy from the UK

Since Brexit, British citizens relocating to Italy are moving to a country outside the UK customs territory, which changes how your household goods are treated at the border. The process is well-established, but it does require careful preparation and accurate documentation. Your coordinator manages this on your behalf.

The primary mechanism for importing your household goods duty-free is Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief, a customs concession that allows used personal effects to enter without import duties, provided certain conditions are met. To qualify, you must have lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months, have owned and used the goods being imported for at least six months before your move, and complete the importation within 12 months of registering your residence in Italy. Registration with your local Italian municipality (the anagrafe) must take place before the shipment arrives.

Supporting documentation typically includes your passport, proof of prior UK residency, your codice fiscale (Italian tax identification number), and a fully itemised inventory of all goods in your consignment. Italian customs authorities have also introduced an EORI number requirement for household goods shipments; your coordinator will advise on current requirements. Your coordinator works with our Italian customs agents to ensure every element of your documentation is in order well in advance of your move date.

New furniture, consumables such as alcohol and food, and goods that have not been personally owned and used are not covered by ToR relief and may attract duties. Your coordinator will advise on how to categorise your consignment accurately.

Fine Art, Antiques, and Valued Collections
Italy has some of the world’s most significant cultural heritage, and its customs authorities apply careful scrutiny to the movement of cultural property. For clients relocating personal collections to Italy, understanding these requirements in advance is essential.

Our in-house crating workshop produces bespoke cases for items that require them, built to the dimensions and material specifications of each piece rather than adapted from standard packaging. Paintings, sculptures, antique furniture, and instruments are assessed individually, and the packing method is determined by the item, not by convention.

For items containing materials from protected species, such as ivory, certain hardwoods, coral, or exotic hides, a CITES permit may be required for export from the UK. Your coordinator advises on which items within your collection may be subject to these requirements and manages the permit process on your behalf.

Italy also applies export licensing rules to cultural property. Items over 70 years old may be subject to review by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage before they can be moved internationally, and the competent Export Office must issue an export licence where required.

From June 2025, the EU’s Import of Cultural Goods System (ICG) has introduced additional documentation requirements for certain cultural goods created before 1825 and valued above €18,000 being imported into EU member states. We have direct experience of navigating these requirements, and your coordinator will advise on the documentation your collection needs well ahead of the move date.

Accreditations and Assurance

The accreditations held by a removal company tell you a great deal about how it operates. Williams & Yates is FIDI/FAIM accredited, which represents the international removals industry’s most stringent quality standard. FAIM-certified companies are audited every three years by an independent third-party auditor, and must complete annual self-assessments and financial reviews between audits. Certification covers operational procedures, staff training, data protection, supply chain management, risk management, and financial stability.

We are also a member of the British Association of Removers (BAR), the UK’s recognised trade association for the sector. BAR members are subject to an annual external audit and adhere to a Code of Practice monitored by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. Membership of the International Association of Movers (IAM) reflects our commitment to professional standards across international moves. And as a Which? Trusted Trader, we carry a mark of independent consumer assurance that many of our clients recognise and value.

For all consignments, comprehensive marine transit insurance is available. Your coordinator will advise on the appropriate level of cover for your belongings, including specialist valuations for high-value items and collections.

Plan Your Italy Move with Williams & Yates

Whether you are in the early stages of planning or ready to confirm a move date, the right moment to speak with us is now. Your coordinator will arrange an in-home survey at a time that suits you, talk through the requirements of your specific move, and ensure every detail is in hand before anything is packed.

To begin, contact our team.

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