One of the first practical questions anyone emigrating to Galicia runs into is a simple one: what do you do with everything you own? Do you hire a removal company to bring it all across Europe? Do you rent a van and drive it yourself? Or do you sell it, give it away, and start fresh?
There’s no single right answer it depends on how much you own, what it’s worth, and what kind of home you’re moving into. Here’s how the three options compare, and what we ended up doing ourselves.
Option 1: Hiring a removal company
For a full household, an international removal company is often the most convenient option, even if it isn’t the cheapest.
International vs. local movers You can hire a company that handles the whole route from your home country to Galicia, or split the job: a mover on your end, storage or a transfer point, and a Spanish or Galician company on the receiving end. Full-service international movers are simpler to organise but tend to charge more.
Costs Prices vary enormously depending on volume (usually quoted per cubic metre) and distance. A full household move from somewhere like the Netherlands to Galicia is a multi-day drive for the truck, so expect this to be one of the more expensive parts of your relocation budget if you go this route.
Customs and paperwork Since Spain and most of Northern Europe are both in the EU, there are no import duties or customs declarations to worry about for personal belongings. What people forget is that some removal companies still want an inventory list for insurance purposes, and if you’re bringing a vehicle separately, that’s a different process entirely with its own paperwork.
Delivery times Realistic expectations: one to three weeks door-to-door is common, longer if your move gets combined with other shipments to fill a truck (which is also how some companies keep costs down).
What to ask before you book
- Is the quote based on volume or weight, and is it binding or an estimate?
- What happens if the truck can’t reach your final address (common in small villages with narrow roads)?
- Is insurance included, and what does it actually cover?
- Do they subcontract the final leg to a local company, and if so, who is liable if something goes wrong?
Option 2: Driving it yourself
If you don’t have a full household to move, or you want more control over timing, driving a rented van or using a trailer is a realistic option.
When this makes sense This works best for smaller loads — a studio’s worth of belongings, or the things you can’t bear to sell but don’t need a full truck for.
The route From Northern Europe, you’re looking at a multi-day drive through France and into Spain, with tolls (especially in France) adding up. Most people split it over two or three days with overnight stops rather than trying to do it in one push.
Licence and trailer weight What you’re allowed to tow depends on your licence category and the trailer’s weight, and this varies by country of issue — worth checking before you book anything, since it affects what size trailer or van you can legally drive.
Pros and cons vs. hiring Doing it yourself is usually cheaper and gives you full control over the schedule, but it costs you several days of your own time and energy right when you’re already dealing with the rest of the move. It also means you’re the one responsible if something happens en route.
Option 3: Starting fresh
Sometimes the most sensible option is the one that feels the most drastic: sell or give away what you have and buy again once you’re here.
When this is the smarter choice If the value of your furniture and belongings doesn’t come close to covering the cost of a removal van, the maths tends to make the decision for you. This is especially true if the home you’re moving into is already furnished, which is common with rentals and some purchases in Galicia.
What’s easy to find here vs. what to bring Furniture and household basics are easy to source locally, secondhand or new. What’s harder to replace, and worth bringing if you can, tends to be specific electronics, sentimental items, and anything that would be a hassle to rebuy (adaptors aside, most electronics work fine here since Spain uses the same voltage as the rest of continental Europe).
The emotional side Letting go of furniture you’ve had for years is not purely a financial decision, even when the numbers are clear. For us, this was part of a bigger mindset shift that came with the move itself deciding what actually matters enough to hold onto.
What we actually did
We chose to sell all our furniture before leaving. Two things made the decision easy: the house we were moving into in Galicia came already furnished, and when we worked out the actual value of what we owned against the cost of a removal van for the distance involved, it simply didn’t add up. Renting a van would have cost more than our furniture was worth.
So we sold what we could, gave away what we couldn’t sell, and arrived with what fit in our own car. It meant a clean, simple start and one less thing to manage during an already busy move.
Practical checklist
- Get quotes early. Removal company prices can vary a lot between companies for the same job ask for at least two or three.
- Check your destination access. If you’re moving to a village, ask whether a full-size truck can actually reach the house, or whether goods need to be transferred to a smaller vehicle.
- Sort before you price anything. Decide what you’re actually keeping before you get quotes it changes the volume, and therefore the cost, completely.
- If driving, check your licence category and trailer weight limits before booking a rental.
- If starting fresh, sell early. Furniture sells faster with more lead time, and a rushed sale in your last week rarely gets you a fair price.
- Keep a rough inventory regardless of which option you choose useful for insurance, customs questions, and your own sanity.
