Removals to the UAE
Planning removals to the UAE? Whether you’re relocating to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah for work, the Emirates is one of the world’s most popular expat destinations — and one of the more tightly regulated to import into. From export packing in Surrey to clearing customs at the far end, we handle the documentation, the physical inspections and the restricted-item rules so your household arrives intact and on schedule.
What's Included in Our UAE Removals Service
The UAE operates some of the more particular customs procedures you’ll encounter in international shipping. Almost every consignment undergoes physical inspection, there’s a longer list of prohibited items than most countries, and you’ll need your Emirates ID and residence visa in hand before your goods can clear. We manage all of this so you can focus on settling in.
How Your Move to the UAE Works
A tried-and-tested process, run by our own team in Surrey and our Britannia agents in the Emirates.
Survey & Restrictions Briefing
We survey your Surrey home, in person or by video, and brief you on the UAE’s import rules — flagging anything fine in the UK but restricted there: certain medicines, religious or printed material, some artwork.
Packing for Inspection
Our own crew export-wraps everything and groups books, media, documents and photographs into clearly labelled cartons — so when UAE customs runs its physical inspection, officers can check quickly without unpacking the lot.
Shipping & Documentation
We load and dispatch your container and prepare all UK export paperwork, while our Emirates agents handle import clearance using your Emirates ID and residence visa. Realistic timings are confirmed at your survey.
UAE Delivery
Our Britannia partner in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or across the Emirates delivers to your door — apartment or villa — positions everything as directed, unpacks if booked, and clears away the packing waste.
Why Britannia Sandersteads for the UAE
Britannia Sandersteads is a family-run Surrey firm, established 1972 and part of the Britannia Cooperative, the UK’s largest network of independent movers. We’re BAR members, we won National Quality Awards in 2023 and 2024, and every UAE move is packed and loaded by our own full-time crew. It’s one strand of our wider international removals from Surrey.
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Why does the UAE physically inspect shipments?
It’s standard practice for almost all incoming consignments. The UAE has strict import controls on certain categories of goods – media, printed materials, and personal items are routinely checked. Our inspection-ready packing approach keeps this process as quick as possible.
Can I ship prescription medicine to the UAE?
Many medications that are legal in the UK are banned in the UAE, even with a valid prescription. Do not include medicines in your shipping consignment. Carry essential medications in your hand luggage with a doctor’s letter, and check with the UAE Embassy before travelling.
I've bought new furniture for my UAE home - can I ship it?
Yes, but new items require an original purchase receipt or sales invoice and will attract 5% import duty plus 5% VAT based on the invoice value. Documentation must be submitted before your shipment is dispatched.
Can you store our belongings before the container ships to the UAE?
Yes. UAE moves often hinge on visa timing and a new tenancy, and the dates rarely line up. If your Surrey home completes first, your packed and inventoried goods can wait in our containerised storage at Godstone — flexible terms, weeks or months, no long-term lock-in — and load onto the container once your dates firm up.
How do you pack for the UAE's heat and humidity?
We export-wrap for both the journey and the climate: furniture is padded and shrink-protected, electronics and anything moisture-sensitive are sealed, and fragile or high-value pieces get the same specialist wrapping we use for artwork and antiques. It protects your things through a long sea voyage and the Gulf heat at the other end.
What affects the cost of removals to the UAE?
It comes down to how much you’re shipping, whether you want a sole-use container or a cheaper shared (groupage) one, your packing level, any brand-new items that attract UAE duty and VAT, and whether you need storage before the container sails. Every UAE quote is built from a survey of your actual home, so you’re not paying off a generic estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions - UAE
We know moving raises questions. Here are the answers most people need.
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