Removals from the UK to Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera: by road to the Spanish mainland, then across on the inter-island ferry. We book the crossing and plan the island delivery.
Removals to the Balearic Islands from the UK are two journeys joined together: a road run through France to the Spanish mainland, then a ferry crossing to Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza or Formentera. Most of the planning that makes them go well is about that join — the ferry booking, the port, the timing — and about what happens once the lorry rolls off on the island side, where old towns, mountain roads and country fincas each ask for something different. We book the crossing ourselves, so you are not left to sort out freight space on a ship.
Mallorca is the largest island and takes most of our Balearic work. Palma has everything from new apartments to tall old town houses in the historic centre; the southwest around Andratx and Port d’Andratx has villas on steep coastal slopes; and the Tramuntana mountains behind Sóller and Deià hold stone village houses reached by winding roads. Across the middle of the island, fincas — traditional stone country houses — sit among almond and olive groves, many of them lovingly converted by British owners.
Menorca is quieter and greener, with Maó at one end and Ciutadella at the other, and it tends to draw people who want calm rather than nightlife. Ibiza is busier in summer than its winter population would suggest, with country houses inland and apartments around Eivissa and Santa Eulària. Formentera, the smallest, has no airport and is reached by boat from Ibiza, so a Formentera move includes one more sea leg and we plan it individually.
The usual routing is south through France to Barcelona and across on the freight ferry to Palma, though the port and sailing depend on the island and the load. Freight space is booked in advance, and in the peak summer months ships are busy, so we fix the crossing early once your dates are clear. While the goods are at sea they stay on our consignment, packed and inventoried exactly as they left your home.
Island access is its own subject. Palma’s old centre has narrow lanes and streets closed to general traffic; mountain villages in the Tramuntana are reached by roads with tight bends that suit a small vehicle far better than a large one; and many fincas sit at the end of an unmade track where a full-size lorry would struggle, particularly after rain. In each case the goods move onto a smaller transfer vehicle for the final leg, and we plan it at survey rather than on the quayside.
Because the crossing adds time and handling, how the load is packed matters more than on a straight road move. It is also why some customers split the move: essentials first, the rest held in store until the island house is ready.
It is also worth thinking about what suits an island home before anything is loaded. Mallorcan fincas and Menorcan country houses have thick stone walls, deep window reveals and doorways that were never sized for a modern American fridge-freezer or a king-size divan in one piece. Many island properties are bought furnished, or come with outdoor furniture and terrace pieces that make some of your garden items unnecessary. And because everything that goes to an island crosses the sea, every cubic metre you do not ship is a cubic metre you do not pay to put on a ferry. At survey we walk through the house with the new property in mind, measure the pieces most likely to cause trouble, and help you decide what travels, what is sold and what stays in store in Sussex for now. Customers who have done this tell us it was the most useful hour of the whole move.
People sometimes ask whether the islands have different customs rules from mainland Spain. For household goods they do not: the Balearics are part of Spain’s normal IVA territory, so the transfer-of-residence relief works exactly as it would in Madrid or Alicante. Goods you have owned and used for at least six months, moving with you to your new normal residence, come in without IVA or duty on an approved ToR1. The customs entry is made once, when the goods enter Spain; the crossing from Barcelona to Palma is a domestic sailing, not a second border.
What is specific to the islands is proving residence. A great many Balearic properties are holiday homes, and the relief does not cover a second home. If you are moving to Mallorca or Menorca to live, your NIE, your residence documents and your registration on the padrón at the island ajuntament all help show it. Mallorca’s town halls work in Catalan as well as Spanish, so expect bilingual forms. We prepare the inventory in the languages the entry requires and file the ToR1 about two weeks before the lorry leaves.
Take the time to the mainland port and add 3–5 days for the crossing. That covers the wait for the booked sailing, the voyage itself and the island-side delivery. Mallorca from Barcelona is the most straightforward case; Menorca, Ibiza and especially Formentera can take a little more arranging, and we give you a planned date for your specific island at survey rather than a generic figure.
A sole-use load controls its own timetable end to end and is the usual choice for a full house. A smaller shared load waits for both a road departure and a sailing, so it takes longer but costs less. Summer is the busiest time on the ships and on island roads, so if you have any flexibility, spring and autumn are calmer months to move. If your island property is not yet ready, we can keep everything in secure storage before the sea crossing and release it when you are.
We are a family-run removal company in East Sussex, founded in 2017, and an island move is exactly where our habit of planning every leg in advance pays off. After a free survey you get a fixed written quote covering the road leg, the ferry, the Spanish destination agent and delivery into the house. A load that goes to sea is packed for it: our export packing and crating for island shipments uses double-wall cartons and full pad-wrap, and pictures, mirrors and stone pieces go into a bespoke timber crate. You can leave all of it to our professional packing team, or order boxes and export packing supplies and pack it yourself. A piano bound for a finca travels with our piano movers.
We are a BAR Overseas Group member company and work to BS 8564 international removals standards. Our verified customer reviews and about the Mark Ratcliffe team page tell you more about us, and the complete guide to removals to Spain covers the mainland. The island route starts from the same road as removals to Barcelona and Catalonia, and if you have been comparing islands with the mainland coast, see Costa del Sol removals. Mark is on 01323 848 008.
Prefer to stay on the mainland? Our other Spanish routes run straight to the door with no sea crossing.
Allow the mainland journey plus 3–5 days for the crossing, which is typically Barcelona to Palma. We give you a planned date for your island at survey.
We do. The crossing is booked as part of your move, fixed early in the summer months when freight space on the ships is busiest.
No. The Balearics are part of Spain’s normal IVA territory, so the customs entry is made once when your goods enter Spain and the ToR1 relief applies as it does on the mainland. The ferry crossing is a domestic sailing.
Usually, yes. Where a full-size lorry cannot get down the track, the goods move onto a smaller transfer vehicle for the final stretch. We check the access at survey, from photographs and your own description of the track.
Yes, but Formentera has no airport and is reached by boat from Ibiza, so it involves an extra sea leg. We plan and quote Formentera moves individually.
Call us for a free, no-obligation quote, or use our online form. Whether it is a shared part-load or a whole house, we have handled the route before and we will handle yours with care.