Premier International Movers ships household goods out of Portugal to destinations across Europe and overseas, with its own offices and crews handling the origin work. Premier is the European hub of the One Moving Group, which also operates One Moving & Logistics in Brazil and Decapack in Chile, and is a member of FIDI and IAM. On outbound routes that structure matters at destination: where the group has its own operation the whole move stays in-house, and everywhere else it is executed by vetted agents from a network of 1,200, selected and audited under the same FIDI-FAIM standard rather than appointed on price at the last minute.
Shipments leave through Lisbon, Leixões or Setúbal by sea, or Lisbon and Porto by air, with collection anywhere in mainland Portugal, Madeira or the Azores. Within Europe, road groupage is usually the better mode: 10 to 20 days, no port handling and no customs formality at all between EU member states. Overseas, sea freight runs 25 to 40 days to North America, 40 to 60 days to Brazil, 45 to 65 days to Chile and 50 to 70 days to Asia or Oceania.
On an outbound move the rule that decides your cost is not a Portuguese one: it is the customs regime of the country you are moving to. Every destination grants some form of relief on used household goods for people transferring residence, but each attaches its own conditions — a minimum period abroad, a maximum window between your arrival and the arrival of your goods, a value ceiling, a visa requirement. Premier identifies the applicable regime for your destination before anything is packed, prepares the inventory and shipping documents in the format that destination customs will accept, and coordinates clearance through the group or its agent network.
We collect anywhere in mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores. Contact us for an exact transit time to your destination city.
| Origin | Destination | By sea | By air | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | Spain / France / Germany / Netherlands | 15 to 25 days | 15 to 30 days | Road groupage is the standard mode: 10 to 20 days door to door. No customs clearance and no duty between EU member states. |
| Portugal | United Kingdom / Switzerland | 15 to 25 days | 15 to 30 days | Outside the EU customs union, so a full customs procedure applies. Road transport remains viable: 12 to 22 days. |
| Portugal | United States / Canada | 25 to 40 days | 15 to 30 days | East Coast arrivals are at the short end of the range. US customs requires a completed CBP form 3299 and a supplemental declaration. |
| Portugal | Brazil | 40 to 60 days | 15 to 30 days | Handled in-house end to end: Premier at origin, One Moving & Logistics on arrival. e-DBV must be filed before the shipment reaches the Brazilian port. |
| Portugal | Chile | 45 to 65 days | 15 to 30 days | Handled in-house end to end: Premier at origin, Decapack on arrival. Relief requires a residence visa of one year or more. |
| Portugal | United Arab Emirates / Asia / Oceania | 50 to 70 days | 15 to 30 days | Range includes transhipment. Sailing windows are less frequent on these routes, so early booking is worthwhile. |
On an outbound move, Portuguese customs is rarely the constraint: the export side is straightforward, and within the EU there is no formality at all. What determines whether you pay tax is the import regime at destination, and those regimes differ sharply. A move to Brazil turns on the e-DBV and a six-month window; a move to Chile turns on holding a residence visa of one year or more and a US$5,000 FOB ceiling; a move back into the EU turns on twelve months of prior residence outside it. We establish the applicable regime before packing begins.
Almost every relief regime requires the goods to arrive within a set period around your own entry into the country. Sea freight from Portugal takes 25 to 40 days to North America and 40 to 70 days to South America, Asia and Oceania, so the window closes faster than people expect. Shipments that sit in storage at origin while the new home is arranged are the classic way to lose the relief. We schedule the sailing against your travel date, not the other way round.
Cars, motorcycles and boats fall outside household goods relief in essentially every destination we serve, and each country applies its own vehicle import regime — often with heavy taxation, sometimes with outright restrictions. Brazil restricts private vehicle imports severely; Chile grants relief only to returning nationals who spent 18 months or more abroad, and even then all taxes are due. This must be resolved before loading, never after.
Worth knowing before you leave. The EU transfer of residence relief requires a continuous period of at least twelve months of residence outside the European Union. Someone who leaves Portugal and returns within a year will not qualify for relief on the way back, and will face duty and VAT at 23% on their household goods. For anyone making what may be a temporary move, this changes the arithmetic, and we set it out at quotation stage.
Food of animal origin, seeds, plants and untreated wood are restricted or prohibited in virtually every destination. The rule catches items typical of a Portuguese household: cured ham, cheese, sausages, preserves, wine in quantity, raw wood crafts. A single controlled item can hold an entire container for inspection. We filter the inventory against destination rules before shipping.
Dogs and cats cannot travel with household goods. Requirements vary by destination but always include an official health certificate, an ISO compliant microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an IATA approved crate; several countries add a rabies antibody titration test with a waiting period. The One Moving Group runs a dedicated pet transport service, with more than a thousand animals moved, and coordinates both processes in parallel.
By sea, 15 to 25 days within Europe, 25 to 40 days to North America, 40 to 60 days to Brazil, 45 to 65 days to Chile and 50 to 70 days to Asia or Oceania. By air, 15 to 30 days to most destinations. Within Europe, road groupage is usually faster than sea: 10 to 20 days. All these are door-to-door times, including packing at your home in Portugal, transport, customs at both ends and delivery with furniture reassembly.
Not on the Portuguese side. Exporting personal effects from Portugal attracts no duty, and a move to another EU member state involves no customs procedure at all. Tax, if any, arises at destination on import. Every country we serve grants some form of relief on used household goods for people transferring residence, but each attaches its own conditions, and it is those conditions that decide whether you pay.
The destination country rules are what matter in practice. The Portuguese export side is straightforward and, within the EU, non-existent. What determines your cost is the import regime where you are going: the e-DBV and a six-month window in Brazil, a residence visa of one year or more and a US$5,000 FOB ceiling in Chile, twelve months of prior residence outside the EU for a move back into Europe. We establish the applicable regime and its conditions before anything is packed.
Not under household goods relief, in essentially any destination. Vehicles follow separate import regimes, frequently with heavy taxation and sometimes with outright restrictions: Brazil restricts private vehicle imports severely, and Chile grants relief only to returning nationals who spent 18 months or more abroad, with all taxes still payable. Because the cost can rival the value of the car, this needs to be settled before loading. We assess it at quotation stage.
At origin: a valued inventory of your household goods, your identification, an export declaration where the destination is outside the EU, and a bill of lading issued in your name. At destination: evidence that you are transferring residence — visa, work permit or residence permit as applicable — the inventory showing the goods are used, and the local relief application. Clearance is completed by a licensed customs representative, coordinated by Premier.
Where the One Moving Group has its own operation, the group does: One Moving & Logistics in Brazil and Decapack in Chile. Everywhere else the work is executed by vetted agents from a network of 1,200, selected and audited under the same FIDI-FAIM standard that governs the group operation, and working to group procedures and service levels. Coordination stays with Premier throughout, so you deal with one point of contact.
Usually, yes. Road groupage from Portugal to Spain, France, Germany or the Netherlands takes 10 to 20 days door to door, avoids port handling entirely and involves no customs formality between EU member states. Sea freight on the same routes takes 15 to 25 days and adds two port operations. We compare both in the quotation using the volume actually measured at your home.
It depends on volume and urgency. A dedicated 20ft or 40ft container makes sense from roughly 25 cubic metres, gives the shortest and most predictable transit and avoids handling of your goods during consolidation. Shared groupage cuts cost on smaller volumes but adds the wait for the container to fill and deconsolidation at destination, which on long routes can mean several extra weeks — and that delay can push you outside the destination arrival window.
Insurance is arranged against the values declared in the inventory, which is why valuation matters: an understated inventory limits what can be recovered. Cover extends to the risks of international transport, including handling at the ports. Across more than fifteen thousand moves the One Moving Group records a claims rate of 2.8%, with 98% of deliveries made within the agreed window.
Because the origin work is done by Premier directly, with its own offices and crews, and because destination execution is either in-house — Brazil and Chile, through the One Moving Group — or handled by vetted agents under the same audited standard. Premier holds independently audited FIDI-FAIM certification, ISO 9001 certification and an EcoVadis rating, and is a member of FIDI and IAM.
To request a quote for your move from Portugal, email [email protected] or use the quotation form at premier-portugal.com. The survey and the quotation are free of charge. A consultant will assess the volume, compare road, sea and air options and confirm the customs regime and time window applying at your destination before anything is packed.