In short: returning to the UK works much the same in reverse: a vetted mover packs and ships your goods by sea container, around 6 to 10 weeks. UK Transfer of Residence relief lets you bring used belongings back free of duty and VAT if you have lived abroad at least 12 months.
Apply for a Transfer of Residence reference before your goods arrive. We match you with one FIDI-certified mover free; we are not a removal company.
Returning to England from Australia works in reverse. We connect households heading back to the United Kingdom with one vetted removalist, and explain Transfer of Residence relief.
Coming home from Australia is, at heart, a shipment of your belongings the other way across the world. The journey by sea is much the same as the outbound trip. What's different is the customs side, because once your goods reach the UK they're an import, and without the right paperwork HMRC can charge tax on your own possessions.
That paperwork is Transfer of Residence relief. Apply for it before your goods ship, and your used belongings come back free of customs duty and the 20% import VAT that would otherwise apply. Skip it, and a container of household goods can trigger a hefty bill on arrival. So this is the one step you really don't want to leave late.
The rest is a normal move. Your goods are packed in Australia, shipped by sea to a UK port, cleared, and delivered to your new address. A part load shares a container, a whole house fills its own, and the price follows your volume, just as it did on the way out.
Where do we fit? We're a free matching service, not a remover. Tell us you're moving back from Australia, and we introduce you to one FIDI-certified mover who surveys, prices and ships, and helps with the clearance. No fee, no obligation.
Free matching. One FIDI partner. No catch. No fee.
This is the step that saves you money, so it comes first. Transfer of Residence, or ToR, is HMRC's way of letting people moving their main home back to the UK bring their belongings in without customs duty or the 20% import VAT. You claim it by filling in the ToR1 form online through GOV.UK, before your goods leave Australia.
On the form you list what you're bringing, in grouped categories rather than item by item, and give proof of your overseas address and your move. If HMRC approves it, you receive a Unique Reference Number, the URN. Your shipping agent quotes that number on the import declaration, under customs procedure code 40 00 C01, and your goods clear free of charge.
Timing is everything. Approval usually takes two to six weeks, longer in summer, and if your container reaches the UK before your URN comes through, it can sit at the port building up storage costs. To qualify, you generally need 12 months living outside the UK, ownership of the goods for six months, and to import them within a year of your return.
Four things decide whether your ToR claim goes smoothly. Tick these off and the relief is yours.
You need to have lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months.
The goods should have been owned and used by you for at least six months.
Submit the ToR1 and get your URN before the container leaves Australia.
Your agent uses the URN under code 40 00 C01 to clear the goods VAT-free.
Return shipping is priced like any move, by how much you send. These are a guide only, since your volume and your Australian collection point set the real number. A survey turns it into a firm quote.
Boxes or a few items
From a few hundred pounds
Shared container space.
Shared container
About £1,800 to £3,500
Pay for the space you use.
Shared or 20ft container
About £3,500 to £6,500
Most of a family home.
Sole-use 40ft container
About £6,500 to £11,000
The whole home in one container.
When your container lands in the UK, it goes through customs like any import. The difference Transfer of Residence makes is simple but big: with an approved URN quoted on the declaration, your used belongings come in free of duty and the 20% import VAT. Without it, HMRC can bill those charges on the value of your goods. Alcohol and tobacco sit outside the relief and are taxed separately, and these rules apply to Great Britain, with Northern Ireland following different arrangements. Always check your own position against the official guidance below.
Moving back means turning Australian dollars, code AUD, into pounds, especially if you've savings or a house sale to transfer. The same rules apply in reverse: airport desks give the worst value, a specialist like Wise or XE usually beats the bank, and a UK account ready to receive funds helps. The AUD to GBP rate moves daily, so check XE.com close to your transfer. As ever, we match removals and we don't exchange currency.
This guide is maintained by Darren Benjamin, who has run International Removals Companies since it launched in 2010 and has over 20 years in the logistics industry. Since 2013 he has also been Secretary and Manager of a UK removal company, a role verifiable on Companies House. In practice that means matching people moving abroad with the right certified mover, and knowing the customs and shipping detail behind an international move to or from Australia.
Our partner movers hold the industry's recognised credentials, including FIDI FAIM Certified (audited by Ernst and Young), BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC membership. You can read more about who we are and how we vet partners on our about us page.
Not if you claim Transfer of Residence relief. Without it, HMRC can treat your shipment as a normal import and charge 20% import VAT, plus duty. With an approved ToR application, your used belongings come back free of both. The catch is you must apply before your goods ship, so it pays to start early.
It's HMRC's scheme that lets people genuinely moving their home back to the UK bring their personal belongings in without paying customs duty or the 20% import VAT. It covers household effects, and can include a vehicle and pets moving as part of the same relocation. Alcohol and tobacco are left out and taxed separately.
You complete the ToR1 form online through GOV.UK before your goods leave Australia. You list what you're bringing in grouped categories, and provide proof of your overseas address and your move. If approved, HMRC sends a Unique Reference Number that your shipping agent uses to clear your belongings.
Broadly, you must have lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months, have owned and used the goods for at least six months, and import them within 12 months of moving back. The relief is for people making the UK their main home again, not for commercial goods or things you plan to sell.
Usually two to six weeks, though it can run longer during the busy summer period. Apply well before your goods ship, because if they arrive in the UK before your approval comes through, they can be held at the port and rack up storage charges. Early and accurate is the way to do it.
The URN is the Unique Reference Number HMRC gives you when your ToR application is approved. Your shipping agent quotes it on the import declaration, under customs procedure code 40 00 C01, to release your goods free of VAT and duty. Without a valid URN, you can be billed import charges on your own belongings.
They can be part of your Transfer of Residence move, but each has its own rules on top. A vehicle needs UK registration and may need checks to meet UK standards, and a pet follows the UK's pet travel rules for microchip and vaccinations. Include them on your ToR1, and handle their specific requirements separately.
As a guide, a part load runs from a few hundred pounds, a one-bedroom home about £1,800 to £3,500, a two to three-bed roughly £3,500 to £6,500, and a full house in a sole-use container about £6,500 to £11,000. The figure depends on your volume and your Australian collection point. A survey confirms it.
We're a free matching service, not a removal firm. Tell us you're moving back to the UK from Australia, and we connect you with one vetted FIDI-certified mover who surveys and prices the shipment and helps with the clearance. There's no fee to you and no obligation to book.
Bringing a life's belongings back across the world deserves an experienced firm, so we only match you with FIDI FAIM-accredited movers. FIDI FAIM is the international moving industry's quality standard, awarded after an independent Ernst and Young audit of more than 200 criteria and renewed every three years. They've handled return moves and ToR clearances many times over.
International Removals Companies has matched movers since November 2010, free of charge. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Send your Australian collection address, your UK delivery address, your home size and your rough dates. We pair you with one FIDI-certified partner who surveys and prices the shipment, and helps you get your Transfer of Residence sorted before you ship.
Get a Return Shipping QuoteFree matching. One FIDI-certified mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, since November 2010.
We connect return removal enquiries from Australia to the UK with one vetted FIDI-certified partner mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
This is general guidance. Transfer of Residence rules are set by HMRC and confirmed by your partner mover before booking.