Moving to the UK
from Australia
Moving to the UK with OSS World Wide Movers brings over 50 years of international moving experience between Australia and the UK. This experience ensures a safe and efficient moving process for your personal effects, which are shipped to the UK in professionally packed and secured shipping containers.
The UK is a beautiful country, both in nature and personality. How well you understand it will depend on how many of its pieces you slot together: the longer you stay, the clearer the bigger picture will become.
Moving and Living in The UK
The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Scattered across the UK are many features. From the shimmering White Cliffs of Dover to the wild splendour of the Scottish Highlands. From the jagged shards of Snowdonia National Park and the stone forest that is the Giant’s Causeway.
The UK is a beautiful country, both in nature and personality. How well you understand it will depend on how many of its features you take in. The longer you stay, the more respect you have have for its natural beauty.
The UK’s major cities are bursting with life and activity; from the vibrant riverside paths of the London South Bank to the relaxed atmosphere of Cardiff Bay. The jolly crowds at the Edinburgh Festival to the rambunctious, Guinness swilling in the pubs of Belfast. But, there’s far more to discover outside the big cities.
Explore the glorious UK countryside and its landmarks with a brisk walk in the Brecon Beacon. Take a jaunt along the Fife Coastal Path, a journey to the Giant’s Causeway or a trip to Stone Henge. Delve into history in Derry, admire the gardens at Powis Castle, follow the Speyside Malt Whisky Trail or take a Roman bath in Bath.
Bask in the splendour of Brighton’s Royal Pavilion or hit the waves on Cornwall’s beaches. Relax in the afternoon sun in Tenby or hit the shops in the centre of Glasgow. If you feel peckish after all that exploring, there’s plenty to choose from. From Michelin stars to fish and chips, cream teas to Welsh rarebit. Irish stew to haggis, neeps and tatties. Dig into a hearty plate of bangers and mash, help yourself to a Glamorgan sausage or take a bite of some Scottish shortbread. Or finally, sit down for a traditional Sunday roast, with all the trimmings.
Moving to the UK from Australia with OSS
At OSS World Wide Movers our network of FIDI / FAIM accredited partners cover all of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
Our partners in the UK are versed in all aspects of the requirements for importation of personal and household goods.
This guarantees you a seamless, tailor made move to the UK. Through to your new home not only your personal effects and vehicles, but also for your much loved pets.
UK capital cities are bursting with life and activity, from the vibrant riverside paths of the London South Bank to the relaxed atmosphere of Cardiff Bay, and from the jolly crowds at the Edinburgh Festival to the rambunctious, Guinness swilling in the pubs of Belfast. But, there’s far more to discover outside the big cities.
MOVING YOUR HOUSEHOLD GOODS TO THE UK
When moving to The UK, can I pack my own goods?
If you are sending items to The UK which have been packed by yourself “owner packed” they will attract more stringent inspection by UK Customs on arrival.
Providing a detailed carton inventory will assist UK Customs in inspecting your effects and may avoid unnecessary delays. It is advisable to have your goods packed by OSS. If you are looking at sending larger consignments, this ensures the clearance process can be conducted with minimum fuss.
Moving to the UK with pets?
How do I move my car to the UK?
Moving motor vehicles and motor bikes to the UK is possible provided Customs criteria are met. This service is usually depot to depot meaning the motor vehicle will be collected from our partners depot in the UK following customs clearance.
Customs may require evidence that the owner of the vehicle/boat has lived abroad for 12 months or longer, e.g., copy of passport with date stamp showing arrival in overseas country, or copy of lease/rental agreement on overseas residence.
How long will my move to the UK take?
When moving your household goods to the UK by sea freight, this will typically take 10-12 weeks for an FCL service. For services such as LCL and shared container services (i.e. groupage), these will take longer to reach your destination as your goods will need to be consolidated with other consignments heading to the same destination. Please discuss these options & shipping times with your removal consultant, as shipping times will vary greatly for each destination when using this type of service over an FCL service.
Can I move my boat to the UK?
Moving a boat to The UK has similar requirements to moving a car when it comes to registration requirements and process.
Customs and Quarantine in The UK will have a special interest in the boat due to its exposure to marine life, however as Australia has a fairly clean marine environment, your boat should pass customs and quarantine without any problem.
What insurance should I have when moving to the UK?
OSS offers a full range of moving insurance options depending on your needs.
Although your shipment to the UK will be packed to export standards (designed to withstand the longest journey), the small cost of insurance gives you complete peace of mind with regard to the exposure and rigours that are always inherent when moving from one side of the world to the other.
Ask us about MoveCover, our Marine Transit Insurance product.
Tax implications when moving to UK
If you are considering a move to the UK then it’s very important that you understand the tax differences between the two nations.
Some of the key points of taxation in the UK are taxes its residents on your earned income but not on all income e.g. the first GBP1000 on income from self-employment. When it comes to the tax rates used in the UK they currently have 4 brackets for the level of tax payable. Which are significantly different to those payable in Australia. Refer here to visit the GOV.UK website to understand more about Taxation in the UK.
It is vital that you understand and obtain specific accounting and taxation advice suitable to your individual circumstances prior to your arrival.
Restricted and Prohibited items when moving to UK
When thinking about moving to the UK it’s important that these type of items don’t make their way into your effects. Items such as unlicensed drugs, weapons & firearms, indecent and obscene material featuring children and/or pornographic material, certain foodstuffs, rough diamonds and animals/birds/fish alive or dead of protected species.
For the complete list you can see via this PDF on the: Moving to the UK – FIDI Guide
Electrical Goods and Compliance when moving to the UK
UK appliances are manufactured to operate on 220-240 Volt AC supply which is the same as Australia. You should not expect any compatibility issues with appliances purchased and used in Australia.
Visa and Immigration Information
The following information and links will inform you about UK Government services in Australia.
British High Commission, Canberra, Australia
Contact the British High Commission by visiting Commonwealth Avenue, Yarramumla, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia. Phone +612 6270 6666 Fax +612 6273 3236 Email australia.enquiries@fco.gov.uk
There are consulates-general in Sydney and Melbourne and consulates in Brisbane and Perth. With over one million Britons living in Australia and over 590,000 visiting every year, the consulates support British nationals if they need assistance: https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-high-commission-canberra
UK Visa Information
General visa information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration
UK Passport Information
General passport information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports
UK Immigration Information
General immigration information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration
UK Citizenship Information
A guide to citizenship: https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship/citizenship
Social Media Links
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ukinaustralia
Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/ukinaustralia
UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy.
We also help overseas companies bring their high-quality investment to the UK’s dynamic economy: https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/uk-trade-investment-australia
British Council, Australia
Connects people with learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK. Whether you want to learn or teach English, take an exam, study in the UK or find out about our forthcoming events, this is the place to start: https://www.britishcouncil.org.au/
Visit Britain, Australia
Places to visit, things to do, travel advice and accommodation throughout Britain: http://www.visitbritain.com/en/AU/
Blogs Related to Moving to The UK
Moving to London
Looking to move to The UK, more specifically London? Our blog on Moving to London showcases the offerings of the capital city as a cultural and financial hub, as well as its proximity to popular travel destinations. To read more about Moving to London, click here.
Benefits of Moving Overseas
Moving overseas to The UK offers plenty of exciting new opportunities, including enriching experiences, opportunities to immerse yourself in the UK’s culture and to meet new people and discover new landscapes. To read about the benefits of moving overseas to The UK, click here.
Moving Reviews about Moving to The UK
Shipping from London to Melbourne
Everything went really well. Shipped boxes from London, UK to Melbourne, friendly and helpful communication the whole way, and everything arrived well packed and undamaged.
This post about moving from London, UK to Melbourne, Australia was made by Dan on October 25 2022
This was a perfect process and highly recommend it!!
My family and I relocated from Melbourne, Australia to London, UK and the process led by OSS was exceptional !! The team that arrived on the day could not have been better – great guys and couldn’t do enough to help us. They were so respectful of our house and belongings and were just lovely guys to deal with. Adam the Sales Manager of OSS was exceptional and OSS should be thankful he is leading the operation. He even called to check in and see how our move was going and followed up a few times since. Impressive!!
This post about moving from Melbourne to London was made by David on August 25 2022
As OSS World Wide Movers is an independent company, able to choose the best and most suitable company to handle the clearance and delivery of your effects for your situation. This guarantees you a seamless, tailor made move to the UK, right through to your new home not only your personal effects and vehicles, but also for your much loved pets as well.