Moving from Mexico to the United Kingdom (2026): Relocation Guide
Key takeaways
- Leaving Mexico means closing out your INM residency, settling your SAT tax position and using a licensed customs broker (agente aduanal) to export your household goods (menaje de casa).
- The UK grants duty- and VAT-free import of used belongings through Transfer of Residence (ToR1) relief — you apply to HMRC before your goods arrive and receive a Unique Reference Number (URN) for your shipping agent.
- Great Britain lists Mexico as a Part 2 (low-risk) country for pets, so a dog or cat needs a microchip, valid rabies vaccination and a GB pet health certificate — no rabies blood test and no waiting period (dogs also need tapeworm treatment).
- Container transit runs roughly 3–4 weeks Veracruz to Felixstowe; door to door plan for 6–10 weeks. Air freight is the fast option for a small shipment.
- In the UK you register with a GP, get a National Insurance number, and can drive on your Mexican licence for 12 months before needing a UK test.
1. Leaving Mexico: what to close out
A move to the UK is a permanent departure, so wind down your Mexican affairs deliberately. If you held Mexican residency issued by the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) — Residente Temporal or Residente Permanente — decide whether to surrender the card or let it lapse; if you are truly emigrating, do not leave the status hanging. Mexican citizens keep their nationality but should still put their affairs in order.
On tax, the Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT) taxes on residence. If you have been filing in Mexico, submit a final return for your last resident year and notify SAT of your move abroad via the RFC portal. Cancel or transfer utility contracts — CFE electricity, water, internet, phone — and any domiciliación direct debits. Keep one Mexican bank account and card open for a few months to catch refunds, deposit returns and stray final bills after you have left.
For the shipment itself, the menaje de casa (used household effects) must be exported through a licensed Mexican customs broker (agente aduanal); you cannot self-clear a container out of Mexico. The broker files the export pedimento and works from your inventory. Build a detailed, valued, bilingual inventory (Spanish and English) with serial numbers on electronics — you will reuse this exact list for the UK ToR1 claim, so make it thorough the first time. Time your booking to your UK visa or settled-status position, because the ToR1 application asks for evidence you are transferring your home to the UK.
Keep prohibited and restricted goods out of the container: no firearms, no bulk cash, no protected wildlife products, no fresh food, and flag alcohol, artwork or anything that looks new to your broker in advance.
2. How your household goods ship to the United Kingdom
Most Mexico-to-UK household moves go by sea, shared (LCL) or full (FCL) container. The Gulf/Atlantic ports — Veracruz and Altamira — are the natural gateways for Europe; Manzanillo on the Pacific means transshipment and a longer voyage. From Veracruz to Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, allow roughly 3 to 4 weeks port to port; some services route via a European hub such as Rotterdam or Antwerp with onward feeder to Felixstowe, Southampton or London Gateway.
Add the unglamorous stages to that headline number: collection and export packing in Mexico, export clearance, waiting for a sailing, then on the UK side discharge, HMRC clearance against your ToR URN, and inland delivery. Door to door, plan for around 6 to 10 weeks. For a few urgent boxes — clothes, a laptop, documents — air freight from Mexico City (MEX) to London Heathrow (LHR) takes days, so many people fly a small essential shipment and let the bulk follow by sea.
Insure on an all-risk, replacement-value basis with honest valuations, and photograph high-value items before they are wrapped. Underinsuring to shave the premium is a poor trade if a container is damaged.
3. UK customs & transfer-of-residence relief
The UK lets people moving their home to Great Britain import their used personal belongings free of import duty and VAT through Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief. The mechanism is the ToR1 application, which you submit to HMRC before your goods arrive. To qualify you must have lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months, have owned and used the goods for at least six months, be bringing them for your own continued use, and be importing them within 12 months of moving to the UK. You must not sell, lend or dispose of the goods for 12 months after import.
When HMRC approves your ToR1, it sends you a letter containing a Unique Reference Number (URN). You hand this URN to your shipping agent, who quotes it on the import declaration to release your belongings without duty or VAT. Apply early: approval typically takes around two to six weeks, and you want the URN in hand before the container docks so it is not sitting in a bonded warehouse racking up storage while you wait. The application asks for your passport, evidence of your move (visa or settled status, a UK tenancy or purchase), evidence of the 12 months abroad, and a packing list.
Anything that does not qualify — new items bought for the move, goods owned under six months, commercial quantities — is charged the normal import VAT (20%) and any duty. Alcohol and tobacco are excluded from the relief. Note the geography: ToR covers moves to England, Scotland and Wales (and from a non-EU country such as Mexico into Northern Ireland). As always, an accurate, honest inventory is what keeps clearance quick.
4. Arriving: registration, residence, driving, healthcare
The UK has no single town-hall registration, so the “arriving” tasks are a checklist of separate sign-ups.
Residence and visa. Unless you are a British or Irish citizen (or already hold status such as settled/pre-settled status), a Mexican national needs the correct UK visa arranged before travel — a Skilled Worker visa tied to a sponsoring employer, a Global Talent, Student, or family visa. Most routes now issue a digital immigration status (eVisa) rather than a physical card; set up your UKVI account so you can prove your status online to employers and landlords. Paying the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of the visa gives you access to the NHS.
National Insurance number. You need a National Insurance (NI) number to work and pay tax correctly. Many visa holders receive one automatically; if not, you apply online after arrival. Your employer can start you before it arrives using an emergency tax code, later corrected.
Healthcare. Register with a local GP (general practitioner) surgery as soon as you have an address — this is your gateway to NHS care. You do not need to be a citizen; you register on the basis of living in the area. Keep proof of address and ID handy.
Council and utilities. Tell the local council you have moved in so you are set up for Council Tax (with any single-person or student discounts), and register with an energy supplier and water company. Getting on the electoral roll (if eligible) and a UK mobile contract also helps build the credit footprint that landlords and banks look for.
Driving. You can drive in Great Britain on your valid Mexican licence for up to 12 months from becoming resident. Because Mexico is not on the list of countries whose licences can be exchanged without a test, to keep driving beyond 12 months you must pass the UK theory and practical driving tests; apply for a provisional licence in good time so you can book them.
5. Pets
Bringing a dog or cat from Mexico to Great Britain is straightforward because GB lists Mexico as a Part 2 (low-risk) listed country. That means your pet needs a microchip (ISO standard, implanted before the rabies vaccination), a valid rabies vaccination (given after the microchip, animal at least 12 weeks old, with at least 21 days elapsed before travel), and a Great Britain pet health certificate completed by an official vet. There is no rabies antibody (titre) blood test and no three-month waiting period — those apply only to unlisted, high-risk countries, which Mexico is not. Dogs additionally need tapeworm (praziquantel) treatment administered by a vet 24 to 120 hours before arrival, recorded on the certificate.
On the Mexican side you still need a SENASICA export health certificate (Certificado Zoosanitario para Exportación) to take the animal out of Mexico: the pet is examined by an official vet and SENASICA issues the certificate close to departure. Coordinate the SENASICA export step and the GB health certificate with your vet so the dates line up, since the GB certificate has a short validity window. Your pet must enter GB via an approved route and carrier, and dogs, cats and ferrets travelling from listed countries must arrive within a set window after the certificate is issued. Book with an airline or pet-transport operator experienced on the Mexico–UK route and use an IATA-approved crate.
6. Money, banking & tax basics
Opening a UK bank account is easier once you have a UK address and proof of status, but it can be a chicken-and-egg problem in the first weeks. App-based banks (Monzo, Starling, Revolut) often onboard newcomers faster than high-street branches and are a good bridge; you can move to a traditional current account once your address and credit history settle. Keep a Mexican account open in parallel to clear any remaining peso bills and receive deposit returns.
To move your savings across, use a regulated currency specialist rather than a bank wire — the margin on a deposit-sized transfer is meaningful. Keep records of large transfers; UK banks and HMRC may ask about their source.
On tax, you become UK tax-resident under the Statutory Residence Test, broadly based on days spent and ties to the UK; once resident you are generally taxed on worldwide income, subject to the Mexico–UK double taxation treaty that prevents double taxation. The UK tax year runs 6 April to 5 April, and employees are taxed at source through PAYE. If you have Mexican rental income, investments or a business, take advice early — the rules on foreign income and the remittance position changed in recent years, so do not rely on old guidance.
How Flyto handles your Mexico to United Kingdom move
Flyto Relocation runs door-to-door moves from Mexico into the UK, joining up the two customs systems so your belongings are not held at the border. On the Mexican end we work with licensed agente aduanal partners for the export pedimento and the menaje de casa inventory; on the UK end we prepare your ToR1 application, secure the HMRC URN before your container arrives, and clear it through Felixstowe or your entry port. We handle export packing in Mexico, sea or air freight, insurance, pet logistics under GB’s listed-country rules, and inland delivery and unpacking at your new UK address. With our own hubs across Northern, Central and Southern Europe, your shipment stays inside one accountable network the whole way. Send us your dates and inventory and we will build a fixed plan — get a quote and we will map your full timeline.
Frequently asked questions
What is a ToR1 and when do I apply?
It is HMRC’s Transfer of Residence application for duty- and VAT-free import of your used belongings; apply before your goods arrive and give the resulting Unique Reference Number (URN) to your shipping agent. See GOV.UK — Transfer of Residence to the UK.
Does my dog need a rabies blood test to enter Great Britain from Mexico?
No. Mexico is a Part 2 listed country for GB, so a dog or cat needs a microchip, valid rabies vaccination and a GB pet health certificate — no titre test and no waiting period (dogs also need tapeworm treatment). See GOV.UK — Bring your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain.
How long does shipping take from Mexico to the UK?
Roughly 3–4 weeks port to port Veracruz to Felixstowe, but door to door plan for about 6–10 weeks once collection, clearance and delivery are added. See GOV.UK — Transfer of Residence to the UK.
Can I drive on my Mexican licence in the UK?
Yes, for up to 12 months from becoming resident; after that, because Mexican licences cannot be exchanged, you must pass the UK theory and practical tests. See GOV.UK — Driving on a non-GB licence.
How do I access the NHS?
Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge with your visa, then register with a local GP surgery once you have an address; registration is based on living in the area, not citizenship. See GOV.UK — NHS number and registering with a GP.
What do I need to export my household goods out of Mexico?
A licensed Mexican customs broker (agente aduanal) to file the export pedimento, plus a detailed valued inventory covering your menaje de casa. See Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México (ANAM).
Related moves
Sources
- GOV.UK — Transfer of Residence (ToR1) to the UK
- GOV.UK — Bring your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain
- GOV.UK — Driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence
- GOV.UK — Apply for a National Insurance number
- GOV.UK — Visas and immigration
- SENASICA (Mexico) — Animal export certification
- Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México (ANAM) — Customs
- Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) — Residency
- Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT) — Tax
Hiring an international mover? See our full International removals to Mexico service — Flyto’s own European hubs, vetted local partners and one English-speaking coordinator, door to door.