Removals to Iceland
Shipping to Iceland
Fast Secure Road & Sea
Full and part load
How do removals to Iceland from the UK work?
Iceland is an island with no road link, so every removal travels by sea, typically taking 3 to 5 weeks from collection to delivery, with air freight available for anything urgent. We pack and collect at your UK address, book the space as a full container or a shared one, handle the customs paperwork at both ends, and deliver to your Icelandic address.
That makes Iceland the one European destination we serve where the lorry is not the answer. The journey is a sailing rather than a drive, and the schedule is set by the shipping line rather than by us.
How long does a removal to Iceland take?
Sea freight to Iceland typically takes 3 to 5 weeks from collection to delivery. Most of that window is the consolidation and the sailing slot rather than the crossing itself, which is short, so a shared container sits at the longer end because it waits to be filled before it sails.
Air freight is considerably faster and is priced on weight rather than volume, so it suits documents, essentials and a few urgent boxes rather than a household. If you have a fixed date to work to, say so at survey and we will quote around the sailing that fits it.
What is included in a removal to Iceland?
Packing in export-grade materials, a labelled inventory of everything in the shipment, collection from your UK address, the sea or air freight itself as a full or shared container, the customs paperwork at both ends, and delivery to your Icelandic address. Unpacking is available on request.
Should I book a full container or share one to Iceland?
A full container is yours alone and sails on the schedule you book. A shared container, which shipping lines call LCL or a part load, puts your belongings in alongside other consignments so you pay only for the space they occupy, and it waits to be filled before it sails.
For anything under roughly three bedrooms the shared option is usually the cheaper route. Above that a full container often costs little more once the volume is there, and it removes the wait.
Do I pay duty on my belongings going into Iceland?
Usually not, but Iceland sits outside the EU customs union, so the European transfer of residence relief does not apply and Icelandic rules govern instead. Iceland Revenue and Customs clears household effects duty free where you are moving to Iceland for residence and the conditions are met.
Those conditions are its own. You need to have held permanent residence in another country for at least twelve months before the move, to register your legal residence in Iceland, and to have owned and used the goods for at least one year rather than the six months the EU asks for. The goods must arrive with you or within six months of your move.
Anything owned for less than a year falls under a value allowance instead, and duty is payable on business equipment, fixtures attached to the home, and food and drink including alcohol and tobacco. These figures and conditions come from Iceland Revenue and Customs and are worth confirming with them before you ship, because thresholds change.
What is form TS-108?
TS-108 is the Icelandic import declaration for household effects, the form that claims your duty-free entry. It is completed against your inventory and asks, among other things, whether your household has already imported duty-free household effects in the previous twelve months.
Our agent in Iceland lodges it for you. What you supply is the inventory and the proof of your move, which may include your residence permit or your employment contract if Iceland Revenue and Customs asks for evidence that you meet the conditions.
Can I ship a car to Iceland?
You can ship one, but be clear on the cost before you decide: registrable vehicles are specifically excluded from Iceland’s duty-free household allowance, so a car does not come in free with your furniture the way it can elsewhere in Europe.
That makes Iceland different from our EU destinations, where duty relief on a vehicle is often available if you have owned and used it long enough. Here, expect the import charges to apply. Our vehicle shipping page covers how the shipping works, and your coordinator will tell you plainly whether it is worth it.
What documents do I need for removals to Iceland?
A valid passport copy for everyone moving, your Icelandic address, a detailed inventory listing everything in the shipment with values, the TS-108 declaration, and evidence that you meet the residence conditions, which may be a residence permit or an employment contract.
Which parts of Iceland do you deliver to?
We deliver nationwide. Most moves go to Reykjavik and the capital area, including Kopavogur, Hafnarfjordur, Gardabaer and Mosfellsbaer, and we also deliver to Akureyri, Reykjanesbaer, Akranes, Selfoss, Vestmannaeyjar and Isafjordur.
Reykjavik is where the container lands and where most deliveries finish. If you are heading for the north, the east or the Westfjords, say so at survey, because the inland leg is a real part of the journey on an island this size and the weather has a say in it.
What can I ship to Iceland?
Household goods, furniture, boxes and personal effects, along with fragile and high-value items, which are reinforced-packed or crated for the sailing. Aerosols, paints, solvents, gas bottles and fuel cannot be carried, and food, drink, alcohol and tobacco attract duty rather than travelling free with the household.
Why choose Removals.co.uk for removals to Iceland?
We have completed over 10,000 moves, we are rated 4.6 out of 5 from 110 reviews on Trustpilot, and we are members of Approved Movers in the UK, working only with overseas agents who are members of BAR or FIDI. Every move gets one named coordinator.
Our own yard and storage at Riverside Industrial Estate in Fazeley, Tamworth matters more on a sailing than on a drive: if your dates do not line up with the next available vessel, your belongings wait with us rather than on a quay.
Why people trust us with a move
These are not our words. They are our customers, on a review site we do not control.
- 4.6 out of 5 from 110 reviews on Trustpilot, rated Excellent
- Over 10,000 moves completed
- Typically replies within 24 hours, as shown on the Trustpilot profile
- Our own yard and storage at Riverside Industrial Estate, Fazeley, Tamworth
- Members of Approved Movers in the UK, and we only work with overseas agents who are members of BAR or FIDI
- Reviewing since October 2020, and still collecting them every month
From contact to collection everything has been really smooth. All emails were answered promptly. The three guys that came and collected our things were super friendly, helpful and extremely careful with our belongings.
Vanessa, May 2026 – verified Trustpilot review
Removals to Iceland: frequently asked questions
Is there a ferry I could use instead?
Not for a household move. Household goods and personal effects travel as freight on a cargo sailing rather than as accompanied luggage on a passenger route, which is why the journey runs to 3 to 5 weeks overall rather than the length of the crossing itself.
Why does the one-year ownership rule matter so much?
Because Iceland asks for twelve months of ownership and use, where the EU asks for six. Anything you bought shortly before the move may fall outside the duty-free allowance and sit under a value limit instead, so it is worth telling your coordinator about recent large purchases before the inventory is finalised.
Can you move just a few boxes to Iceland?
Yes. A dozen boxes travel in a shared container and you pay only for the space they occupy, or by air freight if you need them quickly. Both are listed on the inventory and declared the same way as a full household.
Can you pack for me?
Yes. Our packers wrap and box everything in export-grade materials and can unpack at the Icelandic end. Packing matters more on a sea route than a road one, because your belongings spend longer in transit and a container moves around at sea.
Do you offer storage while I wait for a sailing?
Yes, at our own yard at Riverside Industrial Estate in Fazeley, Tamworth. On an island route that is genuinely useful: storing with us in the UK until the right vessel is available is simpler and usually cheaper than paying for storage in Reykjavik.
Do you deliver outside the Reykjavik area?
Yes, to Akureyri, the east, the south coast and the Westfjords among others. The container lands in the capital area, so those addresses involve an inland leg which we quote as part of the door-to-door price rather than adding afterwards.
Is my shipment insured?
Our crews are fully insured, and transit insurance covering loss or damage on the journey is available as an option. On a sea route it is worth asking for the figure with your quote rather than afterwards.
Moving somewhere else? See all removals to Europe, or browse every destination we cover.