Thanks for the useful information. We will no doubt go the hybrid approach. Our dining room and living room have custom made, solid cherry or walnut (even for the secondary wood) Arts & Crafts style furnishings which were more expensive back in 2000 (when we bought them) than the current shipping costs, and so we'll ship those sort of things (plus some art work and equestrian tack and equipment), and replace the other things once there. Giving the long time for shipping we'll start out renting a furnished home and after our stuff arrives find something unfurnished (to rent or purchase, depending upon the time frame).
I am thinking I will go the same route as you since I want my stuff.l It is also my understanding that you are able to break your lease in Portugal after 1/3 is paid plus 2 months notice. I still need to know if we have to give shipper final delivery address there since it may take some time to get there with the current delays. Where are looking to live in Portugal? Thanks Lori
Thank you Joric, I have been researching for a year atleast making my move from Goodyear AZ to Portugal and this is the absolute best information that I have seen. I would love to be able to contact you since I believe you are a great source. Please let me know how I can do that. I am looking forward to watching all your video's, this was my first. Lori
You can reach me at mcleanjoric@gmail.com I lived in Glendale, Avondale and Scottsdale for 25 years before Portugal. Actually, we will be back in Phoenix the last week of Feb. Please email me and I would be happy to help however I can.
Good video. Our plans are if it can't fit inside our 45L backpacks, we don't need it. One thing I'd love to see a video on is coming over with your pet. We're going to be bringing our 60 pound dog with us and it seems like it's going to be a bit of a pain....
Hi, Joric - I've been watching your old & new videos as we're planning to move to Portugal early next year. We will be using the SF consulate as well. I have a few questions about. (1) when you say manifest, are you referring to a word document you create yourself OR one that is created by the shipping company? (2) do you have to make an appt with the consulate and what do you tell them as to what you want done with the document and (3) how can you ensure you do not get charged import tax when you're in Portugal...do you tell the company that you have the 'notarized' document from the consulate so they won't charge you? Thanks for the video and all other helpful videos!
Hi there, I'm referring to the document created by the shipping company. At your VFS appointment, you can give them that paperwork. Or, if you ship things after your appointment, you have to let them know during your appointment you will need them to notarize your manifest when you ship, which they will state you need to set another appointment. They can help you set that second appt. Once the items were here, the shipping company notified us. We emailed them a copy of our manifest, and when our stuff was delivered, there were no extra duties or fees added. I cannot guarantee you Portugal will not try to charge import taxes, even with the documentation. Others have had to resubmit their manifest documents multiple times to ensure they would not end up paying taxes on their own goods. I wish I could give a more succinct answer, but it's Portugal, and very few things go according to plan.
Joric, I laughed out loud when you said "Sleep Number bed". That is the one thing I really wanted to bring! However, I believe I can pack the parts and pieces to the mattress section (I have the old style with the separate air pump) in suitcases on my next trip to the States and replace the platform here in Portugal.
Great stuff as always! Actually I thought about shipping some items. After hearing your information, I think it would be a great opportunity to have a fresh start 😆. With a couple of thousands dollars shipping fees, I think a simple home can be arranged, right
If you get the Portugal embassy in Canada to sign off on your stuff, you only pay for the goods to be shipped, with no extra duties. We started fresh, other than a bed, and it has worked out.
@@BowenLeigh We have found that living with less has been helpful, especially in setting us up for retirement. I was say it is not easy, but we had way too much stuff in the US.
This is one of the most needed videos. Thank you so much for doing this! I’m hoping to take as little as possible (clothes, a guitar, 3 of La Creuset pots along with another very few kitchen items, including memorable ceramics). Only furniture piece will be my favorite comfy chair. For all I’d say about 4CM. Could I ask which moving company you used? Thanks so much, again for the very useful video!
Two things can happen, first you have the inventory document at your VFS appointment because you have everything boxed and ready to go. OR, at your appointment, you will need to notify them you will be shipping items and will need their notarization on that inventory manifest list. In that case, they can schedule an appointment once you have that. Some people I have met here mailed the list to SF, got it notarized and sent back to them, but we did ours in person. We had everything loaded up and ready to go before our appointment, so we were able to get ours notarized at our initial appointment in SF.
Thank you for the excellent answer. We have our VFS appointment in DC on Feb 27. I will also call ahead to see what they say since I know each office is different. Thank you@@traveltidbitsrus
@@imirim Great. Let them know you will need this service and they will accommodate you. Some people do not know about this and get a duty fee bill when their goods arrive, but it everyone who does know about this, the VFS and/or the embassy, based on where you are in the US, are really good about making sure they sign off of that inventory list.
Interesting. We are planning to ship 1 or small pallet/containers with upackweship. No one has mentioned this tax fee. When we have our appointment in SF on 2/6. But did not plan on boxing everything up until we sold our home and were under contract. We are planning on listing our home in March. Now I am confused on when to ship our things. Any suggestions?
Yeah, no one does mention it, and we found out about it not from SF officials, but from an expat group we joined before moving. At your appointment, let them know you will need to get your inventory/manifest of shipping items certified by them so you do not incur taxes when you move. You ahould be able to FedEx the list to them, and they can in turn Fed Ex it back.
They said it was based on how many cases and the delays in Miami, they ended up using the NY embassy. We are close to another couple from Pittsburgh and they used San Fran.
hi! very useful video! im portuguese living in London for 9 years so obviously me and my partner have accumulated a lot of stuff. in 2025 i will move back home (azores)as we are building a house there.. I wonder if you could make more videos about this? do you have any suggestions about UK shipping container companies? Can we ship plants? Do we pack or does the company pack? how to write/ask for quotes? Im planning on taking personal items, few pieces of furniture (because i know variety in Portugal sucks and its very overpriced), a bathtub (they so cheap in UK) , computer, mattress.. etc... Regular eletronics (microwave, tv, stove, fridge) all this I'm planning to buy in Portugal please make a more in-depth video thank you!!
You have a great idea. Let me do some research on shipping from UK to Portugal and I will make a video? Give me a week or so to research and create. Thank you for the suggestion!
Wow-more horror stories from folks that move from afar. Appreciate the great tips (had no idea) about PT import duty (really!?) and sharing a few war stories. We’ll probably opt for hybrid as well. BTW-also heard many difficulties dealing with the SF Consulate. Since we live in the SF Bay Area-I’m holding my breath. 😫 Would you say your experience at the SF Consulate was smooth 👍🏻, somewhat bumpy 🤜🏻, or extremely annoying👎🏻? Thanks as always for your valuable advise. 🇵🇹
Our experience with the SF consulate was in the summer of 2019 and it was smooth sailing with no issues. BUT, that was almost 2.5 years ago and things might have changed. I have also heard of challenges at both the SF and NYC embassy locations.
Outstanding information. But why would the Florida couple need to visit NYC to get the consulate to notarize their belongings list? We live in northern Virginia and I’ve assumed I can do this at the embassy in DC (or, I’m making false assumptions).
I would try to take the computer with you on the flight over (laptop). If it is a desktop, you may want to ship it. For instruments, if it is one, like a guitar, you should be able to bring that with you as I see plenty of people flying with guitar cases. If you have several instruments, or let's say drum set, or a keyboard, you may need to ship as well. If they are things you use daily, shipping all at once through a shipping service might be the most pain free way to do it. If the instruments are not something you use often, maybe sell them, and buy other ones once you arrive.
@@foto21 Yes, shipping to Portugal using regular mail can add hundreds of dollars in customs. We brought our laptops with us and put them in our carryon luggage. We had no instruments, but you may want to inquire about DHL or UPS overseas shipping. Yes, it will be more than shipping through regular mail, but, you avoid customs charges.
@@foto21 Yes, we have used both. You pay a lot more, but you don't have to tack on customs fees, and, it gets here or there sooner. I don't know of any secure storage spaces in Lisbon. There may be, but it seems like people sell off before coming, therefore, anything they bring or ship will fit into their apartment or home.
Hello , how about the cost of shipping a Car from Canada or USA ? Do you have any information about that ? And the Portugal custom do they charge custom fees on the cars ? Thanks
I did a video on buying a car and added in some information about why buying one here is more affordable (in most cases), than shipping one. Here is the link - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K6TR5bVnO5c.html
Do items ever get stuck in customs? any experience experience with medical equipment? I have a oxygen concentrator that I would like to ship there, I am in USA.
I would avoid mailing through regular postal services, as the item will come to Portugal, enter their postal service, and often get stuck in customs. The way around that is to mail or ship via DHL, UPS, or Fed Ex. You pay more for that service, BUT, the item arrives in a few days versus 6-8 weeks, and no customs.
What about personal medication supplies? If you have a couple of months of medicine, would there be an issue at the airport if it’s in the checkin luggage?
I am wondering if you need to give the container shipper final delivery address there since it may take some time to get there with the current delays? Thanks Lori
You do when they pick things up. We bought our apartment in March 2019 and the movers came in August 2019 and boxed it all up. They did need the final address.
Ola Joric. Happy New Year. Hope you are doing well. I wanted to ask you if I was to bring items to Portugal during my flight, do I still need documents so not to pay any additional fees. Obrigado.
No documents needed for any luggage. You just pay whatever fees the airline may charge for having extra baggage. No duties or customs on what you comes on the plane.
We always use carryons, but for the move be used carryons plus 3 big luggage suitcases, the ones that might hold 2-3weeks of clothes plus shoes. 4-5 foot tall, 3-4 foot wide, but 2-3 feet deep.
@@prettycool4775 We used American Airlines. That was Oct 2019, and several airlines have changed their flights to and from Portugal. We had enough points/miles with American, and our large luggage bags were free.
