Gillingham → Portugal
Removals from Gillingham to Portugal
The furthest we drive. A move from Medway to the Algarve crosses the whole of France and the top of Spain before it gets anywhere near the border — which is why the planning starts earlier than it does for anywhere else we go.
There is a version of this page that would tell you Portugal is easy. It is not. It is a long road move with real distance in it, a set of consular documents that take time to obtain, and delivery addresses that are frequently at the end of something a large vehicle cannot use. Done with enough notice it goes smoothly. Done in a hurry it does not, and we would rather say that at the start.
What makes it worth doing by road is the handling. A sea shipment is loaded, containered, craned, shipped, unloaded and trucked — a lot of hands. A road move is packed at your Gillingham address and unpacked at your Portuguese one, and nothing happens to it in between beyond the driving.
The route
M2 at junction 3 or 4, M20 to the Channel, tunnel or ferry. Then France end to end — the A26 and A10 down the Atlantic side, through Bordeaux, over the border at Irun. Across northern Spain on the AP-1 and A-62 through Burgos and Valladolid, then in at Vilar Formoso for the north and centre, or south through Salamanca and Badajoz for Lisbon and the Algarve. From Lisbon the A2 runs down to the south coast.
It is several days of driving with mandatory rest built in. We plan it that way from the start rather than hoping the schedule absorbs it.
Where in Portugal
The Algarve — still the majority of our Portuguese work. Lagos, Portimão, Albufeira, Tavira and the villages inland from all of them. Villas, apartments and a good number of properties up a track behind a gate. Access photographs matter more here than anywhere else we deliver.
Lisbon and the Setúbal peninsula — work moves and city apartments. Narrow streets in the older bairros, hills that genuinely affect what a vehicle can do, and lifts that need booking with the building.
The Silver Coast — Caldas da Rainha, Óbidos, Nazaré, Peniche. A growing destination for people who looked at the Algarve and decided it was busy. Mostly houses, mostly straightforward access.
Porto and the north — fewer loads, longer drive, and the most apartment-heavy deliveries on the Portuguese book.
What Portuguese customs will want
Five things. Start the first three as early as you can — they are consular and municipal processes, and they move at their own speed.
- NIF
- The Portuguese tax number. Everything is filed against it, including the customs entry. Obtain it before the move, not after.
- Proof of address
- A rental contract, deeds, or the atestado de residência from your junta de freguesia.
- Baggage certificate
- The certificado de bagagem, issued by the Portuguese consulate, confirming your household goods are moving with your change of residence.
- Numbered inventory
- Contents described, not just cartons counted. We write it at survey and it becomes the customs document.
- Identification
- Passport, and residence documentation if you already hold it.
Deciding what actually goes
This is the route where that question earns its keep. Every item travels the full distance, so the honest test is whether you would buy it again. Solid furniture, things with history, anything you would miss — bring it. A sofa that was tired when you bought it and a chest of drawers held together by optimism are cheaper to replace than to transport, and Portuguese furniture shops are not short of either.
Climate is worth a thought too. Heavy winter furnishings and thick carpets rarely earn their space in the Algarve, and anything with woodworm history should stay in Kent.
Timing it around the purchase
Portuguese completions do not always land when everyone expects. If your UK sale finishes first — and it often does — containerised storage here bridges the gap and the load goes out when your Portuguese date is firm. That is a better outcome than a vehicle arriving at a property nobody can open.
Looking at Spain as well? Most of this drive is the same — removals from Gillingham to Spain covers that route, and the European removals hub sets all four side by side. If you are also selling a house here, house removals in Gillingham covers the UK end.
Moving to Portugal — honest answers
How long is the drive from Gillingham to Portugal?
It is the longest route we run — the whole length of France, across northern Spain, then in at the border. It is a multi-day job with driver rest built in, which is why Portuguese loads are planned further ahead than French ones. Your written quote sets out the expected window for your specific move.
Is it road all the way, or is there a sea leg?
Road, in nearly every case. Some firms ship to Lisbon or Leixões by sea; we drive, because a road move means your goods are handled at your address and at the delivery address and nowhere in between.
What is a certificado de bagagem and do I need one?
It is a baggage certificate issued by the Portuguese consulate confirming your goods are personal effects accompanying a change of residence. It is the document duty relief depends on, and yes, you need it. Apply through the consulate before the load travels.
Do I need an NIF before the removal?
Yes. The Portuguese tax number is the reference the customs entry is filed under. It is straightforward to obtain, usually through a fiscal representative or the consulate, but it takes time — start it as soon as the move is decided.
Can you deliver into the Algarve hills?
Usually, with a shuttle. Plenty of Algarve properties sit at the end of a track with a gate the width of a car. We check the approach on satellite and send photographs back to you if we think a large vehicle will not make it, so nobody is improvising on the day.
Should I bring my furniture at all?
That depends what it is. Solid furniture, yes. Anything already tired is rarely worth the space on the longest route we run — you would be paying to transport it further than anything else in the van. We will give you a straight view at survey.
What about damp and heat in storage?
Both matter more here than on the shorter routes. If your Portuguese property is not ready and goods will sit, we would rather store in the UK and deliver later than leave a load standing in an unsuitable space at the other end.
Can you collect from elsewhere in the UK for a Portuguese load?
Yes. Portugal loads are frequently consolidated, so a collection in London, Bristol or further north can join a run that starts in Medway. Ask when you enquire — the timing depends on what is already booked.
Thinking about Portugal?
Get in touch early, even if the dates are vague. The paperwork rewards a head start more than any other route we run.