Moving from Chile to the United Kingdom (2026): Relocation Guide

Moving from Chile to the United Kingdom (2026): Relocation Guide

Key takeaways

• Chileans are non-visa nationals for short UK visits but need the correct visa (Skilled Worker, family, student and similar) to live and work in the UK — arrange this before you ship or fly, unless you hold British or Irish citizenship.
• Used household goods can enter Great Britain free of customs duty and import VAT under Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief; you apply to HMRC with a ToR1 and quote the Unique Reference Number (URN) on import.
• Leaving Chile means clearing a Documento Único de Salida (DUS) with the Servicio Nacional de Aduanas — no Chilean export duty on personal effects — plus a SAG export certificate for pets.
• Pets are straightforward: Chile is a listed third country for Great Britain, so a dog or cat needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a Great Britain pet health certificate — no rabies blood test and no waiting period. Dogs also need a tapeworm treatment 24–120 hours before arrival.
• Sea freight from Valparaíso or San Antonio to Felixstowe is a long Pacific-and-Atlantic routing; plan several weeks door-to-door, with air freight for urgent essentials.
• On arrival, register with a GP, apply for a National Insurance number and set up council tax and utilities.

1. Leaving Chile: what to close out

Tidy up your Chilean affairs before departure. Give notice on your lease or arrange the sale of your property, settle final contribuciones and utility bills, and make sure your position with the Servicio de Impuestos Internos (SII) is clear — request any tax certificates you might need in the UK while you are still resident. If you keep Chilean bank accounts, update your address and phone number so cards and one-time codes still reach you abroad.

Collect the civil documents you will rely on in the UK: passports, birth and marriage certificates, and academic or professional qualifications. Chile is party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so where a UK body needs a legalised document you can obtain an apostille in Chile; carry certified English translations of anything important. Sorting this in Spanish before you leave saves weeks later.

Exporting your household effects. Used personal and household goods (menaje de casa) leave Chile under a customs export declaration processed through a Documento Único de Salida (DUS) with the Servicio Nacional de Aduanas. You provide an itemised inventory with a US-dollar value for each item; Chile charges no export duties or taxes on personal effects, though the shipment may be checked by other agencies for controlled goods. In practice your international mover and its Chilean customs agent prepare the DUS and packing list — give them a full, honest inventory.

Your pet’s exit permit. To take a dog or cat out of Chile you need a zoosanitary export certificate (Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación) from the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG). Apply online through the SAG platform, ideally about ten days before travel, supported by a recent veterinary health certificate and vaccination record. This SAG certificate is in addition to the Great Britain pet paperwork in section 5.

2. How your household goods ship to the United Kingdom

Most household moves from Chile to the UK travel by sea in a container. Your goods are packed at home, trucked to Valparaíso or San Antonio — the main container ports of central Chile — loaded into a container, and shipped to a UK port, most often Felixstowe, the country’s largest container port, for customs clearance and onward delivery.

There is no fast sea route. Vessels leaving the Chilean Pacific coast sail a long way — around South America or via a transhipment hub — before crossing the Atlantic to the UK, so ocean transit runs to weeks rather than days. A realistic door-to-door timeline, once packing, sailing, clearance and final delivery are added up, is roughly one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half months. Treat any single quoted figure as indicative because schedules move with sailings and transhipment.

You will typically choose between a full-container load (FCL) — your own 20ft or 40ft container for a whole household — and shared/groupage (LCL), where you pay for the volume you use but may wait longer while the container is consolidated. Because the sea leg is long, send a separate air-freight or accompanied-baggage set of essentials (clothes, chargers, documents, children’s and pets’ needs) so you are not stranded waiting for the container. Air freight for the full household is much dearer but works well for a small, urgent shipment.

3. UK customs & transfer-of-residence relief

When you transfer your normal home to the UK from outside the EU, your used belongings can be imported free of customs duty and import VAT under Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief. You must get HMRC’s approval before you claim it.

You apply by submitting a ToR1 to HMRC with a list of the goods you are bringing and evidence supporting your move. HMRC issues a Unique Reference Number (URN), which your shipping agent quotes on the import declaration so your belongings are released without charges. Eligibility broadly requires that you have lived outside the UK (and the EU) for at least 12 months and are moving your normal place of residence to the UK; the goods must have been owned and used before the move. Relief covers ordinary household and personal effects, but not items intended for a second home, anything brand new, or goods for business use. Goods on which relief is granted cannot be lent, hired out, used as security or transferred to someone else within 12 months of import. Apply for the ToR ahead of shipping so the URN is ready when the container arrives.

4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare

Residence and visa. As a Chilean citizen you are a non-EU national. Chileans do not need a visa for short UK visits, but to live, work or study you need the relevant UK visa — for example a Skilled Worker visa (which requires an eligible job and a sponsoring employer), a family visa, or a student visa. Most work and study visas also require paying the Immigration Health Surcharge, which gives access to the NHS. Apply on GOV.UK before you move. If you hold British or Irish citizenship (for example through ancestry), you do not need a visa at all.

Setting up on arrival. Unlike some EU countries, the UK has no single “town hall” registration, but there are several first steps: register with a local GP (family doctor) to access NHS healthcare; apply for a National Insurance (NI) number, which you need to work and pay tax and social contributions; set up council tax and utilities for your home; and open a UK bank account. Many visa-holders receive digital status (an eVisa) rather than a physical card — keep your UKVI account details safe, as landlords and employers use them for right-to-rent and right-to-work checks.

Healthcare. Access to the NHS generally comes through your visa and the Immigration Health Surcharge; register with a GP surgery near your home as soon as you arrive so you are in the system before you need it.

Driving licence. You can usually drive in Great Britain on your Chilean licence for up to 12 months after becoming resident. Chile is not among the countries whose licences can simply be exchanged, so to keep driving beyond that period you will normally need to pass the UK theory and practical tests and obtain a GB licence. Check the current position on GOV.UK and apply for a provisional licence in good time.

5. Pets

Bringing a dog or cat from Chile to Great Britain is straightforward, because Chile is a listed third country for GB pet travel. That listing means your pet does not need a rabies antibody (blood) test and there is no three-month waiting period.

The steps, in order, are: (1) an ISO-standard microchip; (2) a valid rabies vaccination — given after the chip and at least 21 days before travel; and (3) a Great Britain pet health certificate issued by an official vet in Chile (a GB health certificate is valid for entry to Great Britain within 10 days of issue). In addition, dogs must be treated for tapeworm by a vet between 24 and 120 hours (1–5 days) before arrival in Great Britain, with the treatment recorded on the certificate. On top of the GB paperwork you still need the SAG export certificate to leave Chile (section 1), and your pet must enter Great Britain by an approved route with an authorised carrier. Because the vaccination-to-travel gap is only three weeks, you can comfortably start about a month ahead — but always confirm the current requirements on GOV.UK, as details can change.

6. Money, banking & tax basics

Opening a UK bank account is easier once you have a UK address and proof of it; some digital banks can be opened sooner and bridge the gap while you settle in. Budget for setup costs — a tenancy deposit (commonly around five weeks’ rent), the first month up front, and everyday essentials — plus the Immigration Health Surcharge if your visa requires it.

On tax, you become subject to UK tax rules once you are UK-resident (residence is determined by the Statutory Residence Test). The UK and Chile have a double-taxation agreement, so the same income is not taxed twice, but take advice if you keep Chilean income, property or investments. Tell the Chilean SII about your change of residence and keep proof of the date you left — it matters for both tax systems and supports your ToR claim. If you are employed, income tax and National Insurance are deducted at source through PAYE, so your take-home pay will differ from a Chilean gross-to-net calculation.

How Flyto handles your Chile to the UK move

Flyto Relocation runs your Chile-to-UK move as a single managed project rather than a stack of separate bookings. We coordinate professional packing in Chile, the DUS export formalities with a local customs agent, sea or air freight from Valparaíso or San Antonio, and UK clearance under Transfer of Residence relief with the ToR1 and URN handled correctly. Because we operate our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, UK delivery, unpacking and the last-mile details are handled by people who do this every week. We also help sequence your pet’s SAG and GB certificates and point you to the right registration and visa steps on arrival. Get a quote and we will map your timeline, costs and paperwork end to end.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to move to the UK as a Chilean?
Short visits are visa-free, but to live, work or study you need the relevant UK visa (for example Skilled Worker, family or student); apply on GOV.UK before you move.

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to enter Great Britain?
No. Chile is a listed third country for GB, so there is no rabies antibody blood test and no waiting period — you need a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a Great Britain pet health certificate, per GOV.UK.

Does my dog need a tapeworm treatment?
Yes. Dogs must be treated for tapeworm by a vet between 24 and 120 hours before arriving in Great Britain, recorded on the certificate, as set out by GOV.UK.

Can I import my used furniture duty-free?
Yes, under Transfer of Residence relief: apply to HMRC with a ToR1 and quote the URN on import — see GOV.UK Transfer of Residence.

How long does shipping from Chile to the UK take?
The Pacific-and-Atlantic sea routing is long; plan for roughly one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half months door to door, and send a small air-freight set of essentials separately.

Can I drive on my Chilean licence?
Usually for up to 12 months after becoming resident; after that you will normally need to pass UK tests and obtain a GB licence — check GOV.UK.

Sources

• GOV.UK — Transfer of residence to Great Britain
• GOV.UK — Application for transfer of residence relief (ToR1)
• GOV.UK — Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain
• GOV.UK — Tapeworm treatment for dogs
• GOV.UK — Visas and immigration
• Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG) — Export zoosanitary certificate for cats and dogs
• Servicio Nacional de Aduanas (Chile) — Departure of goods (DUS)
• GOV.UK — Driving on a non-GB licence