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Any STW'ers any knowledge on the Shipping forms?
We moved to Portugal last October, left all our household goods in the UK in storage. Back in March I asked the company if there would be any problems or anything else I needed to do to which they replied everything was still moving (although they did say things were also changing). Prior to us buying I again told them the date we would be ready and once our house purchase went through I gave them the go ahead to ship.
Then the shipping company gave us three forms requesting they be completed, the baggage certificate form has to be sent to the Portuguese Consulate in London to be then sent back to us, then for us to send back to UK .... (as far as I can make out!)
There is also an attorney form which is not an issue in itself but where does it go?
The other form is a financial declaration (in Portuguese), again not a problem to fill out but does it go with the baggage cert form?
The contact at the storage company is out of their depth so relying on the Shipping company but they just keep saying 'fill these forms out' but with no guidance! So ultimately weeks are now added to us being able to settle in our new house, on the upside I guess we will have it decorated by then! ...... though we already have decorating tools in storage!
Brexit huh!?
Put it in big bottle with a note and drop it in the sea off Land's End?
You'll probably have better odds than trying to find the right paperwork, fill all 20 pages in 100% correctly, then banking on the fact that the officials at both ends understand it too.
Not much help, but I reckon this is what loads of importers/exporters think too.
I'm sure we'll sort it one way or another but it's a bit irritating that they drop it in on us at the end of a week! So I was just hoping to get a running start on Monday.
Must be a local expats WhatsApp group etc where someone else has done all this and you can ask?
Footflaps, yes, we have spread the net but mixed messages from those with customer experiences, I wondered if STW may have someone on the business side of things.
Hopefully are removals company are now taking on untangling the bureaucracy but beware any others that entertain the idea, hopefully things will become easier with time.
On a side note €55 euro customs charge for a 19kg parcel!! 😬 ..... oh well no more Marmite, Branston Pickle or Bisto! 😄
On the plus side, the Portuguese have been amazing, we have been offered so much help to make things work this end, it's been heart warming, from nieghbours to electric/water company and the estate agent even, almost as if they feel a responsibility until you are settled in.
We moved to Portugal last October, left all our household goods in the UK in storage. Back in March I asked the company if there would be any problems or anything else I needed to do to which they replied everything was still moving (although they did say things were also changing). Prior to us buying I again told them the date we would be ready and once our house purchase went through I gave them the go ahead to ship.
So you moved in 2020 and waited until 2021 to ship over your goods - were you not aware of Brexit?
intheborders, oh yes, all too aware (part of the reason we jumped when we did) and why we employed a specialist company, hopefully though, the company will now get things sorted. Hindsight's a wonderful thing and no doubt things might've been easier if things had been planned slightly different but equally if things had worked out even slightly different (in light of the fact nobody knew) we could've had bigger problems. It was a gamble which on the whole is paying off.
On a side note €55 euro customs charge for a 19kg parcel!! 😬 ….. oh well no more Marmite, Branston Pickle or Bisto!
Might be worth popping over into Spain, our Upper/Spar does Branston pickle and Carfour does Marmite.
Ymmv but we aren’t in an English enclave it’s very Spanish, even got a Poundland under the name dealz which is good for Teabags.
it’s been heart warming, from nieghbours to electric/water company and the estate agent even, almost as if they feel a responsibility until you are settled in.
It’s because they’re tapped into your electric/water feeds 🙂
Copied over from another thread but relevant:
Interesting episode with our baggage certificate…..
Posted forms tracked delivery from Ponte de Lima on the 10th it then went – Braga- Valencia (Spain)- Germany- Luton- Heathrow- (failed to deliver, insufficient address! (😕))- Luton- Heathrow- Delivered on 17th!
Since then, Sunday evening get e-mail from Consulate requesting payment which I did first thing Monday, then Monday afternoon an e-mail saying thank you and certificate will be sent out today via DHL ….. here’s hoping it gets back quicker than getting over there!🤞
Big up and thank you the Portuguese Consulate though! 👍 😁