While it’s an exciting and worthwhile experience, moving to Spain is a journey that comes with many challenges and hurdles. If you’re like most globetrotters, one of the largest of these challenges is moving your belongings overseas along with you — a process that requires careful planning and foresight, not to mention high costs.

Below, we go over some of the third parties involved in shipping furniture from Ireland to Spain:

• International mover: This is the company you’ll be dealing with. They’ll take care of most of the process for you, from packing, shipping, customs, and delivery in Spain. In most cases, they’ll also be the only company you pay to get the job done, and they’ll also be your main point of contact along the way.
• Origin agent: Usually employed or subcontracted by the international mover, the origin agent will be responsible for coming to your home before your move to help build a more accurate quote and oversee the packing of your belongings on moving day.
• Freight forwarder: Acting as a middleman between the moving company and transportation services, freight forwarders don’t move your belongings but are responsible for managing their import and export and the associated regulations.
• Consolidated warehouse: If your combined belongings aren’t enough to fill an entire cargo container, they may be stored in a warehouse to await other goods before being combined into a container with them and shipped off.
• Origin Port of Departure (OPD): This is the port authority where your belongings are loaded onto a ship. The port authorities often charge a fee, which is sometimes not included in your quote with the international mover. Be sure to check your quote to see whether or not this cost appears.
• Ship line: The company owning the ship that carries your belongings from the origin to the destination.
• Destination port: The customs authorities at the port in the destination country. Another party is sometimes involved here if your belongings are stored temporarily in a warehouse before clearing customs.
• Destination agent: This is the company subcontracted by the international mover to move your belongings from the port to your new home in Spain. It’s a good idea to contact them in advance to determine whether they plan to unload the boxes inside your home or unpack them and clear the debris for you.

At UCS Express Deliveries we DON’T HIRE OUT work to third parties but ensure all your goods are transported from Ireland/Northern Ireland to Spain (or vice versa) by our own drivers/team & vehicles.