Brexit and UK-Italy moves

Customs changes — household goods

Pre-Brexit, UK-to-EU goods movement was free of customs declarations under the EU customs union. Post-Brexit, the UK is a third country, and UK-to-Italy household moves now require customs declarations at both ends.

The key reliefs are still in place. Most household goods owned more than 6 months qualify for the EU Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief, which exempts them from import duty and VAT. The UK-side equivalent is the ToR1 declaration with HMRC. Filing both correctly keeps a household move duty-free.

What changed in practice is paperwork volume — bilingual customs inventory, EORI requirement, Italian dogane declaration at the alpine entry point, entry-point manifest. Route specialists like ourselves now have the workflow tuned; the inventory and filings flow as standard practice.

Residency changes — Withdrawal Agreement vs new arrivals

UK citizens who established residence in Italy before 31 December 2020 are protected under the Withdrawal Agreement and have a streamlined route to a Withdrawal Agreement carta di soggiorno permanente, which preserves their pre-Brexit rights.

UK citizens arriving from 1 January 2021 onwards are treated as third-country nationals and follow the standard Italian immigration system — visiteur (residenza elettiva) for retirees, lavoro subordinato for employees, lavoro autonomo for self-employed, etc. The 90-in-180 visa-waiver applies for short visits; longer stays require a long-stay visa from the Italian embassy in the UK.

Vehicle imports — what changed

Pre-Brexit, UK-registered vehicles could be driven in Italy under freedom-of-movement rules. Post-Brexit, UK vehicles brought to Italy for residence need to be registered on Italian plates (immatricolazione italiana) within a defined window after residence is established.

The process: import declaration with Italian customs (dogane), revisione (Italian MOT) alignment, pagamento bollo (vehicle tax) registration, and the immatricolazione at the Motorizzazione Civile.

Vehicles older than 30 years can register as veicolo storico with relaxed requirements. Vintage British classics (Mini, MG, vintage Land Rover) heading to Italian collector ownership are routine.

Pet travel — post-Brexit AHC regime

The pre-Brexit EU Pet Passport scheme is no longer valid for UK-issued passports. UK-resident dogs, cats, and ferrets travelling to Italy now need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) issued by an Official Veterinarian within 10 days of travel.

Italy also has post-arrival ASL (regional health authority) registration requirements — within a defined window of arrival, the pet is registered on the Italian veterinary database with the local ASL veterinary office.

Plan the AHC timeline 2-3 weeks ahead of the move date.

Practical summary — does Brexit make the move harder?

For UK households moving to Italy in 2026, Brexit adds paperwork but does not block the move. Customs filings flow through specialist removers; residency follows the standard third-country immigration pathway; vehicle and pet rules are clear once you know them.

Where Brexit does still bite: spontaneity is harder than pre-2021; some categories (low-income retirees who would previously have moved freely) face stricter income thresholds for the residenza elettiva; and the early years of post-Brexit administration had some inconsistency that has now mostly settled.

For most households, the difference between a smooth post-Brexit move and a difficult one is preparation. Six months ahead, you can comfortably handle everything; six weeks ahead, you cannot.