Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question
“I’m checking the possibility of shipping a number of boxes from Canada to Spain (Valencia) in a container (Viamar so far has the best price by far). But the sale agent that I’m in contact is not sure about the bureaucracy and taxes in Spain to receive the boxes.
Has anyone here done that and can share your experience with me?”
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These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“I received a container with Viamar. You don’t pay any tax as long as you can demonstrate you are moving (you have to show proof of residency in Spain). In my case, I didn’t have the TIE card when the ship arrived, so I paid the taxes, and they gave me 6 months to show the TIE card.
When I did it, they returned the money in about one week. Viamar assigned a moving company here, and they worked with a customs agent who took care of everything.”
“The price difference is so big that I’m considering getting a door to Port, so I’ll need to handle the bureaucracy in Spain. I expect to have the CUE (I’m EU citizen) not long after arriving in Spain.
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Explore Cities →Do you recommend their services? Also, do you remember what documents, besides the TIE, did you have to provide? Anything that you needed from Canada? Or the Spanish consulate in Canada?”
“As I was moving my home and car, I sent: From Canada, NOA, rental agreement, pay stubs, and bills… everything to show that we lived for more than one year in Canada… From Spain, padron, rental agreement and TIE.”
“You need to proof that you lived in Canada for at least 1 year then you don’t have to pay taxes. How about fees in Valencia port, not taxes? Have you done your process by yourself?”
“The moving company should deal with all that to your new home’s door! they know what taxes are needed to be paid or not and to deal with customs… Yes, they can do that. But they charge a lot of money for this. The difference between door to door and door to Port is huge.”
Conclusion
Navigating the shipping of goods from Canada to Spain involves understanding and managing the bureaucratic and tax elements involved in the process. Demonstrating residency in Spain, such as through a TIE card, can help avoid some taxes.
Essential documents include proof of residence in Canada for at least a year, and various Spanish documents upon arrival. Choosing between door-to-door service and door-to-port depends largely on one’s budget and willingness to handle logistics personally in Spain.
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