Moving from Toronto to London (2026): Costs, Customs & Complete Guide
A move from Toronto to London is a transatlantic relocation with a lot of moving parts: your belongings usually travel by road to a seaport and then across the Atlantic, your entry to the UK depends on your nationality and visa, and your household goods can arrive free of import VAT and duty if you claim Transfer of Residence relief. This guide covers leaving Toronto, how your shipment reaches London, UK customs, settling in, and the tax, healthcare, licensing and pet steps that follow.
Key takeaways
- Household goods from Toronto typically move by road to a Canadian seaport (commonly Montreal or Halifax) and then by sea to a UK port; the Atlantic crossing is shorter than a Pacific route but still takes several weeks door to door.
- Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief lets you import your used household goods free of UK import VAT and duty. You apply on form ToR1 and receive a Unique Reference Number (URN) before your goods arrive.
- To qualify for ToR you must have lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months and have owned and used the items for at least six months.
- Returning British and Irish nationals, and others with UK immigration status, can enter freely. Everyone else needs an appropriate UK visa before moving.
- Canada is a GB-listed country for pets, so no rabies blood test is required — only a microchip, rabies vaccination, a Great Britain pet health certificate, and tapeworm treatment for dogs.
1. Leaving Toronto
Because the whole move takes weeks, most people begin winding down their Toronto life around three months before departure.
On housing, review your lease early — Ontario residential tenancies generally require written notice, and ending a fixed term before its date can be complicated, so check your obligations. If you own, plan the sale timeline around your departure. Arrange the closing dates for hydro, gas, water, internet and phone for the day after your move-out, and set up mail forwarding through Canada Post.
For money, keep at least one Canadian bank account open until all pre-authorised payments, your last pay and any deposit refunds have cleared. Speak to a currency provider about transferring funds to the UK. Notify the Canada Revenue Agency of your change in residency status and settle outstanding tax matters; leaving Canada can trigger a ”departure tax” on certain assets, so take advice before you go.
If you hold Canadian permanent residency you wish to keep, check the residency-obligation rules before leaving. Cancel or transfer local insurance, memberships and vehicle registration, and collect digital copies of every important document — passports, birth and marriage certificates, driving abstract/licence history, school and medical records, and proof of address — because UK landlords, banks and the DVLA will ask for them.
For the practical side of the move – crews, customs paperwork and a fixed price – start here: international movers in the UK.
2. How your goods ship to London
Most Toronto-to-London household moves combine an inland road leg with an ocean crossing. Your goods are packed in Toronto, trucked to a Canadian container port — most often Montreal, and sometimes Halifax — and then shipped by sea to a UK port such as Felixstowe, Southampton or Tilbury. Direct North Atlantic sailings are the norm; routings via other hubs are possible but slower.
You can take an exclusive 20ft or 40ft container for a full household, or share space (groupage) for a smaller load. Groupage costs less but adds time because the container is consolidated with other shipments. The Atlantic crossing itself is shorter than a Pacific route, but once you add professional packing and collection in Toronto, the inland haul to port, port handling, UK customs clearance and final London delivery, a realistic door-to-door window is often several weeks to a couple of months. Ship non-essentials early and travel with the clothes, documents and electronics you need in the interim.
Air freight is much faster but much more expensive per kilo, so reserve it for a small box of essentials rather than a whole home. Keep a detailed, valued inventory of everything you ship: it is required for customs and insurance and makes the ToR process straightforward.
3. UK customs and Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief
When you move your primary home to the UK, your used personal belongings can be imported free of import VAT and customs duty under Transfer of Residence relief — the most valuable customs step for anyone shipping a household from Toronto.
To qualify, you must be transferring your normal place of residence to the UK, you must have been resident outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months, and the goods must have been owned and used by you for at least six months before import. The relief covers ordinary household effects and personal items; it does not cover goods for resale, and some categories (such as alcohol, tobacco and certain vehicles) have their own rules.
You apply online using form ToR1 on GOV.UK before your goods arrive. HMRC reviews the application and, if approved, issues a Unique Reference Number (URN). You give this URN to your shipping company so it can be quoted on the import declaration and the relief applied. The URN is valid from six months before your move to up to twelve months after your arrival, and you must import the goods claimed within twelve months of arriving. Processing usually takes a few weeks but can be slower over the summer, so apply early — ideally while your container is still at sea.
4. Arriving and living in London
London is a collection of very different neighbourhoods, and where you land shapes your cost of living and commute far more than the city as a whole. A few areas Toronto movers often consider:
- Canary Wharf — modern high-rise flats beside the financial district, popular with banking and professional-services workers wanting a short commute.
- Kensington & Chelsea — prestigious, leafy and among the most expensive parts of the city, with period homes and garden squares.
- Islington — characterful north London with Georgian terraces, good restaurants and quick access to the City and King’s Cross.
- Clapham & Battersea — green, sociable south-west London favoured by younger professionals and families, with the redeveloped Battersea Power Station nearby.
- Shoreditch & Hackney — creative, fast-changing east London with a strong food, tech and nightlife scene.
- Richmond & Wimbledon — greener, quieter and family-oriented, with excellent schools, parks and a suburban feel while still on the rail and Underground network.
London rents are high and central areas command a steep premium over outer boroughs. When you rent, expect a referencing check: letting agents typically verify your identity, immigration status (the Right to Rent check), income (often requiring earnings of around 2.5 to 3 times the annual rent), and previous landlord and credit history. New arrivals without a UK credit footprint are frequently asked for a UK-based guarantor or several months’ rent upfront. Under the Tenant Fees Act, most letting fees are banned and the security deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent for most tenancies.
5. Status, tax, healthcare, driving and pets
Immigration status. If you are a British or Irish citizen, or already hold indefinite leave to remain, you can enter and live in the UK freely. Canadian citizens without UK status need a suitable visa arranged before the move — common routes include the Skilled Worker visa, family visas, or the Youth Mobility Scheme for eligible younger applicants. Arrange this well ahead of shipping, as your right to sign a tenancy and start work depends on it.
Tax. Your UK tax position is set by the Statutory Residence Test (SRT), which weighs days spent in the UK (including the 183-day rule) against a set of ”ties”. From 6 April 2025 the UK abolished the old non-domicile remittance basis and replaced it with a residence-based four-year Foreign Income and Gains (FIG) regime: broadly, individuals who have been non-UK resident for the previous ten years can, for their first four years of UK residence, avoid UK tax on qualifying foreign income and gains. Because these rules are new and interact with Canadian tax and the departure-tax rules, take professional advice before you arrive to plan the timing of asset sales and income.
Healthcare (NHS). Ordinarily resident UK nationals and those with settled status can use the NHS. Most visa applicants pay the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of their application, which gives access to the NHS on the same basis as residents. Register with a local GP practice soon after arriving.
Driving (DVLA). You can drive in Great Britain on a valid Canadian licence for up to 12 months after becoming resident. Canada is a designated country, so within five years you can generally exchange your Canadian licence for a UK one without retaking the test — apply to the DVLA before the 12-month window closes.
Pets. Canada is a GB-listed country, which makes bringing a dog or cat much simpler: no rabies blood test is required. Your pet needs an ISO-standard microchip, a valid rabies vaccination (given after the microchip, with at least 21 days before travel), and a Great Britain pet health certificate issued by an official vet. Dogs also need tapeworm treatment administered between 24 and 120 hours before entering Great Britain. Pets from Canada travel to the UK as manifest cargo rather than in the cabin, so book with a specialist pet-travel provider early.
6. Timeline
- 3+ months before: confirm your UK visa/status, book a surveyor and shipper, give lease notice, and start decluttering.
- 8–10 weeks before: begin your pet’s microchip, vaccination and certificate schedule; gather documents; open UK banking where possible.
- 4–6 weeks before: submit your ToR1 application, confirm packing dates, and arrange currency transfers.
- Moving week: professional pack and load in Toronto for the road leg to Montreal (or Halifax) and onward sea freight; travel with essentials and documents.
- On/after arrival: secure housing and pass referencing, register with a GP, exchange your driving licence, and receive your shipment once UK customs clears it under your URN.
How Flyto handles your move
Flyto Relocation coordinates transatlantic household moves through our own hubs across Europe combined with trusted worldwide shipping partners, so your Toronto-to-London relocation is managed end to end: professional packing at origin, the road-to-port leg, ocean freight, ToR and customs paperwork, and final delivery into your London home. We keep the moving parts in sequence — shipping, customs relief, timing and pet logistics — so everything lands in the right order. Plan your move with a Flyto advisor.
Frequently asked questions
How do my belongings get from Toronto to London? They are packed in Toronto, trucked to a Canadian seaport such as Montreal or Halifax, and shipped by sea to a UK port before final road delivery into London.
Do I pay import tax on my belongings? Not if you qualify for Transfer of Residence relief and hold a valid URN. Used household goods you have owned for at least six months can then enter free of import VAT and duty.
When should I apply for ToR1? Apply before your goods arrive, ideally while your container is in transit, as HMRC can take several weeks to issue your URN.
Do I need a visa to move from Toronto to London? British and Irish citizens and those with UK status do not. Other Canadian citizens need an appropriate UK visa arranged before the move.
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test? No. Canada is a GB-listed country, so a microchip, rabies vaccination, Great Britain pet health certificate, and for dogs tapeworm treatment are enough.
Can I use my Canadian driving licence in the UK? Yes, for up to 12 months, and because Canada is a designated country you can then exchange it for a UK licence without a test.
Related moves
- Moving from Sydney to London
- Moving from Singapore to London
- Moving from New York to London
- Moving from Hong Kong to London
Sources
- GOV.UK — Transfer of residence to Great Britain: gov.uk/guidance/transfer-of-residence-to-great-britain
- GOV.UK — Application for transfer of residence relief (ToR1): gov.uk/guidance/application-for-transfer-of-residence-relief-tor1
- GOV.UK — Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain
- GOV.UK — Statutory Residence Test / tax on foreign income: gov.uk/tax-foreign-income/residence
- NHS — How to register with a GP surgery: nhs.uk
- Canada Revenue Agency — leaving Canada (emigrants): canada.ca/revenue-agency