Moving from Spain to the United States means clearing two customs systems in sequence: a Spanish (and EU) export declaration before your goods leave the port, and a US import entry when they arrive. Get either wrong and your container waits — accruing storage — at Barcelona, Valencia, Algeciras, or a US pier. This guide walks the corridor end to end, from the Spanish export side (Aduanas/AEAT) through realistic Atlantic transit to the US import rules set by CBP, and notes where a move to the wider Americas differs.

Key takeaways

• Goods leaving the EU customs territory need a formal export declaration, filed electronically through Spain’s AES (Automated Export System) — the electronic platform that replaced the legacy ECS system on 9 May 2023, through which the export declaration (the old DUA/SAD data) is now transmitted (AEAT — régimen de exportación).
• Your used household goods and personal effects can enter the US free of duty if they were owned and used by you for at least one year (CBP).
• Expect roughly 10–15 sailing days port-to-port from Spain’s Mediterranean ports to the US East Coast (Algeciras is the fastest hub), plus customs and inland transit each side (fluentcargo route data).
• Importing a car means EPA Form 3520-1 and DOT Form HS-7, plus a 2.5% duty — and most non-conforming EU cars fail US emissions/safety unless they qualify for the 25-year exemption (CBP — importing a car).
• Bringing a dog requires the CDC Dog Import Form filed before arrival, in force since 1 August 2024 (CDC).
• Carrying more than US$10,000 in cash or monetary instruments must be reported on FinCEN Form 105 (CBP).
• To ship a Spanish-registered car you must first file baja definitiva por exportación with the DGT and remove it from Spain within 90 days (Sede DGT).

1. The Spanish export side: Aduanas, AES and the DUA

Every consignment leaving the EU customs territory must be covered by a prior departure declaration — in the words of the Agencia Tributaria, "las mercancías que salgan del territorio aduanero de la Unión deben estar amparadas por una declaración previa a la salida" (AEAT). For a household move that means an export declaration in your name (or that of your appointed customs representative) covering the full inventory.

Historically this was the paper DUA (Documento Único Administrativo). Since 9 May 2023 all Spanish export declarations run through the electronic AES P1 system, which replaced the legacy ECS platform and removed the paper declaration; a revised data structure took effect in the system’s later "definitive period" (AEAT — AES P1). In practice your moving company or a transitario (freight forwarder) files the AES declaration for you; you supply a signed, valued inventory in Spanish.

Because these are used personal effects rather than a commercial sale, there is normally no Spanish export duty and no Spanish VAT to reclaim on goods you already own and have used. (Separately, non-EU residents who bought new goods in Spain to take home can use the DIVA/tax-free VAT-refund scheme — a different process from a household removal.) Confirm the treatment of any high-value or newly purchased items with Aduanas/AEAT before shipping.

2. Spanish ports and realistic Atlantic transit

Spain is one of Europe’s strongest departure hubs for transatlantic moves, with three practical gateways. Treat the day figures below as transit-time estimates from carrier route data, not fixed schedules:

• Algeciras — typically the fastest to the US East Coast, with frequent direct sailings; plan on roughly 10–12 days to New York (fluentcargo).
• Valencia — Spain’s largest container port; direct services to New York run around 11 days (carrier data shows a quickest leg of about 10 days 21 hours) (fluentcargo).
• Barcelona — well-connected, but many services transship, which can add several days.

Treat "sailing days" as only part of the door-to-door clock. Add packing and inland haulage to the port, a few days for export formalities and container loading, the ocean leg, then US customs clearance and final delivery inland. For a full-container move from a Spanish city to a US East Coast metro, budget on the order of 5–8 weeks door to door as a planning estimate; West Coast destinations (via the Panama Canal or transshipment) run longer. For the wider Americas — Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile — the same Spanish export process applies, but transit times, destination duties and paperwork differ sharply by country; get a corridor-specific quote rather than assuming US timelines.

3. The US import side: duty-free household effects

The headline rule is favourable. CBP allows used household and personal effects to enter free of duty provided the articles were available for your use, and used, in a household where you were a resident for at least one year — the year need not be continuous or immediately before importation (CBP). Household effects covered include furniture, appliances, carpets, art and similar property found around a home, and they can be imported without a bond.

Practically, you (or your mover as your agent) present:

• CBP Form 3299 — Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles.
• CBP Form 6059B — the customs declaration.
• A detailed, valued packing inventory, which CBP treats as the packing list and may request on demand (CBP).
• A copy of your passport and, where relevant, your US visa.

Everything remains subject to inspection by a CBP officer. New items owned under a year, or goods intended for sale, are dutiable — declare them honestly and separately. This part of the process is essentially the same regardless of origin country, so keep it lean and lean on the official links; the value you add for a Spain move is on the export and transit side above.

4. Restricted and prohibited items

Some categories need pre-clearance or are barred. Wooden furniture and packing material can attract USDA plant-health scrutiny; foodstuffs, plants, seeds and certain leather/animal products are restricted or prohibited. Alcohol and firearms have their own rules. When in doubt, check CBP’s prohibited and restricted items and USDA APHIS before packing — a single undeclared prohibited item can trigger examination of the whole container.

5. Bringing a car from Spain

This is where many Spain→US moves come unstuck. On the Spanish side, you must first file a baja definitiva por exportación with the DGT to deregister the vehicle; if the car is over four years old and bound outside the EU it needs a valid ITV, and once deregistered you have 90 days to remove it from Spain (Sede DGT). The car then leaves under the same AES export declaration as your goods.

On the US side, every imported vehicle needs EPA Form 3520-1 (emissions) and DOT Form HS-7 (safety), declaring the provisions under which it enters (CBP — importing a car; EPA imports). Passenger cars carry a 2.5% duty. The catch: a typical Spanish-market car does not meet US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or EPA emissions certification, so it generally cannot be permanently imported unless it is 25 years old or older (the classic-vehicle exemption on the HS-7) or you undertake costly conformity modifications. The US has also layered additional country-of-origin tariffs on vehicles in recent years — verify the current rate with CBP before shipping. For most movers, selling the car in Spain is cheaper than importing it.

6. Pets, money and other essentials

Dogs: since 1 August 2024 every dog entering the US needs a CDC Dog Import Form filed before arrival; the dog must be at least 6 months old, microchipped and appear healthy. Spain is currently treated as low-risk for dog rabies, which simplifies the paperwork, but always confirm your dog’s category and any rabies requirements on the CDC dog importation page. Pair this with an EU pet passport and health certificate from your Spanish vet.

Money: you may carry any amount, but more than US$10,000 in cash or monetary instruments (including traveller’s cheques and certain negotiable papers) must be reported to CBP on FinCEN Form 105 — failure risks seizure and penalties (CBP).

Taxes and admissibility: your ability to import household effects duty-free is tied to establishing US residence; keep your visa and, once settled, be aware of US tax-residency and foreign-account reporting obligations — confirm specifics with the IRS. Rules across all these agencies change; verify before you ship.

How Flyto handles your Spain to USA move

Flyto runs Spain→USA (and wider Americas) as a single door-to-door PLATINUM service — the only tier we offer on intercontinental corridors, because overseas moves leave no room for gaps. That means one team managing export packing at your Spanish address, the AES export declaration through Aduanas, ocean freight from Algeciras, Valencia or Barcelona, US customs clearance with your CBP Form 3299 and inventory, and final inland delivery and unpacking at your US home. We coordinate vehicle and pet paperwork where they apply, and we quote realistic door-to-door timelines rather than bare sailing days. See our USA moving hub and the pillar guide for the full picture.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be present in the US when my goods clear customs?
No. Your household effects usually arrive as unaccompanied goods and clear on CBP Form 3299 filed by your appointed agent — but you must have established, or be establishing, US residence (CBP).

Will I pay US duty on my furniture?
Not if it was owned and used by you for at least a year before the move; such household effects enter free of duty. New or under-a-year items are dutiable (CBP).

How long does a container take from Spain to the US?
Direct sailings run about 10–15 days port-to-port to the East Coast; door-to-door with packing, both customs clearances and inland delivery, budget 5–8 weeks as an estimate (fluentcargo).

Can I bring my Spanish car?
Legally yes, but practically only if it is 25+ years old or you fund US conformity work; you must also file a DGT baja por exportación first and complete EPA 3520-1 and DOT HS-7 on arrival (CBP; DGT).

What paperwork does the Spanish side need?
An electronic AES export declaration covering your valued inventory, filed via Aduanas/AEAT — normally handled by your mover or transitario (AEAT).

Do these rules cover moves to the rest of the Americas?
The Spanish AES export process is the same, but destination duties, timelines and documents for Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and others differ — get a corridor-specific quote.

How much cash can I bring?
Any amount, but over US$10,000 must be declared on FinCEN Form 105 (CBP).

Sources

• AEAT — El régimen de exportación
• AEAT — Sistema electrónico de exportación AES P1
• AEAT — Exportación (gestiones)
• Sede DGT — Baja por exportación
• CBP — Moving used household goods and personal effects into the US
• CBP — Returning with a vehicle and household goods
• CBP — Importing a Motor Vehicle
• CBP — Personal vehicle importations
• EPA — Publications and forms for importing vehicles and engines
• CDC — Bringing a Dog into the U.S.
• CBP — Money and Monetary Instruments (FinCEN 105)
• FinCEN — Form 105 (CMIR)
• CBP — Prohibited and restricted items