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Ireland is the only EU country we cover where a Czech move needs a sea crossing. There are two ways across: a direct sailing to France or Belgium, or the landbridge through Britain. They differ in time, in price, and since Britain left the EU, in paperwork.
Every other intra-EU journey in this section is road from door to door with nothing to declare. This one is not, and the difference is worth understanding before you accept the first quote you are given.
None of it makes an Irish move difficult. Removal companies run both crossings constantly and the documentation is routine for them, so this is a question to ask rather than a problem to solve. But which route your load takes is a fair question to ask, and the answer explains most of the difference between two quotes.
A sailing from an Irish port to France or Belgium, then road across Europe.
The advantage: your belongings stay inside EU customs territory the whole way. Nothing leaves and nothing re-enters, so there is nothing beyond an ordinary intra-EU move.
The trade: a longer crossing, and fewer sailings, so potentially a longer wait for a suitable departure.
Short ferry to Britain, drive across, ferry again to France, then onward by road.
The advantage: quicker, with more frequent sailings at both ends.
The trade: your goods leave and re-enter EU customs territory, which brings transit procedures into play. Your mover handles the documentation, but it exists and it is why this route is not automatically simpler.
Once your belongings are on the continent, they are inside EU customs territory and the journey behaves like any other. No import declaration into the Czech Republic, no duty relief claim, no EORI number. Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 governs goods arriving into the EU from outside it and an Irish move is not that.
The usual short list still applies: a vehicle needs registering at the destination, pets need documents, and residence follows your nationality rather than your last address. See removals to the Czech Republic from Europe.
A move from Northern Ireland is a UK move, not an Irish one, and the arrangements differ. See UK to Czech Republic removals and customs and duty relief, and tell your mover clearly which side of the border you are collecting from.
A sailing costs what it costs whether your consignment is five cubic metres or fifty. On a road only journey, a small load is cheap because you are simply paying for less space. Here there is a floor underneath that.
So the economics of a very small Irish move are worse than the equivalent from Germany or Slovakia. Check the minimum charge before you spend a weekend deciding which furniture to sell, because below a certain point the saving disappears.
See small moves and boxes for where the line between a courier and a mover usually falls.
A part load spreads the crossing and the long drive across several shipments, which is exactly what makes this pair affordable. The trade is the usual one: a window rather than a date, and possibly a wait for a suitable sailing as well as a full vehicle.
Ask how often the international moving company actually runs Ireland to central Europe, and what the removal service covers at each end. Fewer firms do it regularly than run the road only pairs, and one that does will give you a realistic window without being pressed.
Because it needs a sea crossing. Every other journey between the Czech Republic and an EU country is road from door to door. From Ireland your belongings have to cross water, and how they do that changes both the timetable and, in one case, the paperwork.
The short route: ferry to Britain, drive across it, ferry again to France, then onward by road. It is quicker than sailing direct to the continent. Since Britain left the EU, however, goods taking that route leave and re-enter EU customs territory, which brings transit procedures into play.
No. Transiting a third country is not the same as importing into one. Goods move under transit arrangements designed for exactly this, and your mover handles the documentation. What it means practically is more paperwork behind the scenes, and a route worth asking about rather than assuming.
Yes. Direct sailings run from Irish ports to France and Belgium, and taking one keeps your belongings inside EU customs territory the whole way. It is usually a longer crossing and can mean a longer wait for a suitable sailing, so ask the mover to price both routes.
Longer than a comparable road distance, because a sailing has to be caught rather than driven. Add the crossing itself, the wait for a suitable departure and the drive across Europe. Ask for a delivery window with both ends stated rather than a single date.
It can be awkward. The sea crossing carries a fixed cost regardless of how little you send, so the economics of a very small consignment are worse here than on a road only pair. Check the minimum charge before you cut your load down.
No. We are not a removal company and we do not own lorries or ferries. We are a free enquiry service. Your details go to one vetted mover that covers the journey, and that firm contacts you directly. We do not run a price comparison and we do not pass your details to a list of companies.
Collection address, delivery address, move date and a rough inventory. Ask which crossing the quote assumes. One vetted moving company will come back to you.
Get your free quoteSee France to Czech Republic removals for the continental leg, removals to the Czech Republic from Europe for the general intra-EU position, and UK to Czech Republic removals if you are collecting from Northern Ireland. Common destinations are Prague and Brno.
Moving companies running central Europe handle these on the same roads: Switzerland, Germany, Austria. For the general position see Europe to the Czech Republic.
| Direct sailing | Stays inside EU customs territory |
|---|---|
| Landbridge via Britain | Quicker. Transit procedures apply |
| Sailings | Fewer direct than landbridge |
| Crossing cost | Fixed, whatever the load size |
| Duty | None either way. Transit is not import |
A trading name of DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07425576, data protection registration ZB022743. Trading since 1 November 2010.
We are a free enquiry service, not a removal company. Your details go to one vetted mover from the AGM Group network. Accreditations held across the network include FIDI FAIM Certified, BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC. Not every firm holds all five.
Country covered on this page: Czech Republic (CZ).