Moving Post-Brexit: Can EU Citizens Adapt to the New UK Rules?

Moving from EU to UK is some of the most challenging things you can plan these days. Since the beginning of 2023, the UK has implemented many new immigration rules and laws, making the whole process very hard even for the EU citizens who need to move their personal belongings too.

Additionally, people who move to the UK, no matter if they come from the EU or other countries, face updated visa and immigration requirements, edgy job market competition, the uncertainty of the whole process, and completely new regulations when it comes to moving belongings to the UK from an EU country. Also, the immigration process is now more expensive, including healthcare and education, which were previously regulated with other policies.

What we found more interesting is that EU people are more likely to hire a private long-distance chauffeur service to help them when moving to UK from EU together with their belongings, instead of standard moving companies.

But let's take a brief history lesson on why Brexit happened before talking more about your options when moving to the UK.

What's Brexit and How it Happened?

Brexit is a popular term that refers to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. Many political, economic, and social factors influenced this decision. The UK wanted to have more control over sovereignty and internal affairs since many believed the EU had too much control over the members. Additionally, EU immigration laws applied to the UK too, which was a major factor that led to Brexit. British authorities believed that EU regulations were holding back the local economy, so they decided to take the trade issues into their hands.

Overall, it was a complex decision that led to a historical moment of Britain leaving the EU, being aware that it would have some implications in the future.

Are People in the UK Happy With Brexit?

We can't make a bold statement because the opinions are still divided on this topic. Many people are happy to finally leave the EU, but others face several challenges trying to handle businesses and opportunities outside the UK.

Challenges People Face When Moving from the EU to the UK

The UK spent December 31st, 2020, as the last day being a member of the EU, and started 2021 as an independent sovereign country. This way, UK authorities gained control over the borders. And then, the so-called Brexit horror stories started, as non-UK citizens reported they needed to fill up a lot of paperwork to move their belongings in and out of the United Kingdom. There was even a story about confiscating lunches people have with them, just because the trading deals related to dairy products and meat.

No one can ever tell if those stories were true or not, but we can see how the UK government issued completely new rules related to moving personal belongings from EU to UK after Brexit. So, let's take a look at the most common situations:

Arriving in the UK with Personal Goods

The EU citizens moving to UK after Brexit must be aware that they can bring some goods according to the personal allowance limits. When bringing them for personal use or as a gift, they don't have to pay UK taxes. Everything that goes above the personal allowances is a taxable matter, even when you shop duty-free.

What makes things even more complex is that different amounts of goods are allowed depending on where you're coming from and if you go to Great Britain or Northern Ireland. Let's say that you already have your permit to stay, visa, or even citizenship, and now you have to move most of your belongings to the UK. Moving companies work under strict import rules, and their expenses are growing significantly, especially after January 1st 2023.

When travelling to the UK, you should declare all the goods that go over the allowances and those banned or restricted according to UK laws. So, when moving from EU to UK, you have about five days to declare your goods online upon your arrival.

As moving companies charge a lot, you can find more convenient solutions using long-distance travel services to help you move your belongings. Just keep in mind that if you plan on breaking the rules, all included parties can be fined or prosecuted. So, using chauffeur services for moving long-distance is a great solution when all the belongings meet the laws and policies.

Bringing Food With You When Traveling to the UK

Food and animal products fall under a specific pack of rules that apply to England, Scotland, and Wales. So, every EU citizen or any other person travelling to the UK can't bring meat, dairy products, and unprocessed ingredients. So, it seems like the lunch stories we mentioned were probably true because according to the immigration rules, you can bring your sandwich as a snack but never fill it with meat or dairy products.

On the other hand, you are allowed to bring pre-packaged plant products, supplements with tiny amounts of animal products, bread, cakes without fresh cream, pasta, noodles, and packaged soups. It seems like you'll have to get used to the authentic British taste of food since you surely can't bring your homemade ham or sausages when moving.

The Brexit Impact On Moving Companies

All moving vehicles crossing the customs must provide a lot of paperwork and even experience extended vehicle checks and inspections. And we don't blame the drivers for being stressed about this. Even those who are moving personal belongings from UK to EU after Brexit may face some issues, high costs, and unreasonable waiting times to have their goods at home. Every party involved has a hard time explaining why they need to charge or pay more for a particular service, even when it comes to EU and UK citizens.

Sometimes, the tiniest paperwork issues can cause a huge delay, or even sending the moving vehicle back to the EU country to wait the recommended time before trying to move the belongings again.

Moving Your Belongings, Vehicles, and Pets to the UK

Let's talk more about the challenges an EU citizen moving to UK after Brexit has. Can you imagine importing a vehicle to the UK under the new regulations? Or your beloved pet? The perks of using a private transfer service for long-distance travel include handling most of the logistic documentation, so you can take care of the personal aspects.

It's up to you to apply for a Transfer of Residence relief, usually named ToR, if you are moving to the UK to live, study, get married, or after getting married. If your plan is to make the UK your usual place of residence, the ToR application is a must. By filling up the form, you are expressing your plans for the UK to be your main home, which is another challenge when moving to the UK from the EU.

Of course, the claimed relief applies to:

• Personal items
• Household items
• Furniture
• Equipment for personal use
• Vehicles
• Equipment you use for work
• Any personal item used within the household
• Your pets

Surely, you can't bring alcoholic beverages, tobacco, or items you plan on trading. This way, you can plan the whole moving process and separate the belongings into two main groups: things you need immediately and things that may arrive later. The urgent ones can be transferred by chauffeur companies which extend their services to moving goods from EU to UK. Other groups can be handled by moving companies, even though it may take longer until you get them.

Seems like EU nationals moving to UK after Brexit have a lot to handle, especially when it comes to paperwork. Still, it's not impossible to organize the whole thing by combining chauffeur companies to help you with precious items and pets and moving companies with massive furniture.

Are You Eligible for ToR?

If you think it was enough headaches, we are here to prove you wrong. Do you know that in order to qualify for a transfer of residence relief, you must be resident outside the UK for at least 12 months? Also, you need to own the goods you want to transfer for at least six months before importing them to the UK. Surely, if you are moving for studies or for marriage, you are an exception to the 12-month rule about living outside the UK.

It's confusing, as it seems, especially when you aren't used to moving. That's why we recommend researching before making the final decision on moving from EU to UK, since it can be quite a challenge to meet all the policies and requirements in the short term.

Additionally, you must check on the visa requirements for EU citizens, together with your transfer of residence application. It's really challenging to plan life in the UK in the Brexit aftermath, but we are sure you can figure it out using the information in our blog post.

What to Do When You Don't Qualify for Relief?

When you don't qualify for any kind of relief when moving from EU to UK, you have to pay your taxes or duties you owe. Also, you will have to pay first and then collect your belongings. Customs duties are the payment rates applied to your goods. The price depends on the type of the items and their country of origin. The other way is to pay VAT at standard rates on the total value of goods, including shipping and insurance. Ensure you check on the VAT rates on different goods and services, so you can at least know what to expect when claiming your belongings.

How to Use Chauffeur Service to Support You in Moving From the EU to the UK?

Chauffeur services are here to provide exceptional direct transfers to their clients while taking care of their belongings, luggage, and even chauffeur driven pets from the EU to the UK. Chauffeur services such as SIMBER Chauffeur services based in London aren't the same as moving companies, so you can't rely on their ability to move furniture or vehicles. Still, you can combine their efficiency with your urgent items such as clothes, prescription medications, wheelchairs, and so on. Our chauffeur service also offers to move your pets, following the UK regulations for moving animals to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Still, you need to contact us and set the terms, get a quote, discuss dates and logistics and last but not least a price for the chauffeur driven service. With Simber a chauffeur service it’s all about helping the people whether it’s for a national long distance service, car service to Europe or even moving from EU to UK after Brexit, making the whole experience less stressful for everyone.

Final Thoughts on Moving to the UK From EU

People move to UK for many reasons. It's a highly developed country with so many historical and cultural values, offering a better future for everyone. No one has ever imagined how Brexit would affect moving from EU to UK, since the UK was part of the Union for so many years. And it seems obtaining a proper visa is much easier than packing your suitcases and finding a moving company to help you settle in your new forever home.

Still, you are not alone in this. You should take your time and organize the whole thing, find the right moving companies, and rely on convenient chauffeur services. We don't say it would be easy when moving to UK from EU after Brexit, but everyone needs some additional support during these challenging times. We are here to help, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

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