Moving to the UK from Dubai

Ocean freight runs from Jebel Ali to Felixstowe or Southampton; typical sea transit times are on our destinations overview. Add approximately 3–5 days for UAE packing and export clearance, and 2–5 days for UK customs clearance and delivery. Air freight is available for urgent shipments. We confirm a precise timeline at survey stage based on the next available vessel departures.

To qualify, you must be transferring your normal place of residence to the UK, have lived outside the UK continuously for at least 12 months, and have owned and used your goods for at least 6 months before importing them. If you meet these criteria, ToR relief eliminates UK import VAT (20%) and customs duty on your household goods and personal effects. Fusion assesses your eligibility as part of the quotation process and manages the ToR1 application on your behalf.

As a rough guide: a studio or 1-bedroom apartment typically fills 8–15 cubic metres and is best suited to LCL groupage; a 2–3 bedroom property fills a 20ft container (approximately 25–28 cubic metres); a 4+ bedroom villa or large family home typically requires a 40ft container (approximately 55–60 cubic metres). We measure your volume precisely at the pre-move survey and recommend the most cost-effective option. Many clients underestimate their volume — we always survey before quoting.

Fusion can ship a car from Dubai to the UK by RoRo where the route offers it, or in a container, and handles the UAE side — export clearance, RTA deregistration and the export certificate. UAE cars are left-hand drive, and the UK drives on the left. Whether your particular car can be imported and registered in the UK, and at what cost, depends on the vehicle and your circumstances — we check the UK’s current rules for it at survey, before you commit to shipping it. See our Automobile Relocation page.

Yes, but the UK has strict biosecurity requirements for pet imports. Requirements include: microchipping to ISO standard, rabies vaccination administered after microchipping, a blood titre test (demonstrating sufficient antibody levels) at an EU-approved laboratory, a waiting period after the titre test, tapeworm treatment within 1–5 days of travel, and a valid Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from a UAE government veterinarian. The process takes a minimum of 4–5 months if starting from scratch. See our Pet Relocation page and contact us for current APHA requirements.

This is common — property completions slip, rental start dates change. If your UK delivery address is not available when your container arrives at the UK port, we arrange storage with our UK partner network. Your goods are transferred to a secure warehouse near your delivery area and re-delivered when you are ready. Storage is charged by the week; re-delivery is coordinated by your Fusion coordinator.

Prohibited items include controlled drugs, certain firearms and weapons, CITES-regulated items (ivory, certain animal skins and feathers), counterfeit goods, and certain food products. Restricted items include plants requiring phytosanitary certificates, some electrical goods requiring UK voltage adaptation, and certain chemicals. We provide a prohibited/restricted items list at survey stage and advise on how to handle anything that cannot travel with your main shipment.

We offer full professional packing as a standard part of every move. Our trained crew pack your entire household using professional-grade double-wall cartons, tissue wrap, furniture blankets, and specialist crates for fragile items. Self-pack is available at a reduced rate, but HMRC and the shipping carrier both require a detailed inventory regardless of who packs — we produce this inventory as part of our professional pack. Most clients choose full packing for insurance and customs documentation reasons. Moving to the UK? You May Also Need