Sending your belongings to Spain by sea
Moving to Spain, going home after years in Canada, or sending boxes to family? Personal effects travel in a shared ocean container (LCL groupage) from our receiving warehouses in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to <a href="/shipping-to/barcelona-spain/">Barcelona</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/bilbao-spain/">Bilbao</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/madrid-spain/">Madrid</a>, and <a href="/shipping-to/valencia-spain/">Valencia</a>. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 5 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 27–49 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Spain are accepted subject to carrier approval: before you pay, we send your packing list and passport copy to the carrier, and only then is the booking confirmed.
Transfer of residence. People moving to Spain from outside the EU can import used household goods free of duty and VAT after at least twelve months abroad, if the goods were owned for six months. Spanish customs normally asks for the NIE, the municipal registration certificate (empadronamiento), the passport and a detailed inventory in Spanish or English.
Rates for household boxes to Spain
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | USD 5 / cu ft 35 days · min. USD 500.47 | USD 5 / cu ft 32 days · min. USD 503.03 | USD 8 / cu ft 44 days · min. USD 608.65 |
| Bilbao | USD 5 / cu ft 30 days · min. USD 509.52 | USD 5 / cu ft 27 days · min. USD 512.24 | USD 8 / cu ft 39 days · min. USD 620.01 |
| Madrid | USD 5 / cu ft 33 days · min. USD 515.18 | USD 5 / cu ft 30 days · min. USD 518.38 | USD 8 / cu ft 42 days · min. USD 623.93 |
| Valencia | USD 5 / cu ft 38 days · min. USD 515.18 | USD 5 / cu ft 35 days · min. USD 518.38 | USD 8 / cu ft 49 days · min. USD 623.93 |
Example: moving boxes from Toronto to Barcelona
A medium moving box of 18 × 18 × 16 inches holds 3.0 cubic feet; packed with clothes, books and kitchenware it weighs about 15 kg.
- 10 boxes (30 cu ft, 150 kg): USD 500.47
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 565.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 500.47
The totals include the A1 processing fee, surcharges and solar fee. The carrier charges by volume or by weight (1,000 kg per CBM), whichever is greater. From the Prairies, with trucking to the port included: Calgary USD 765.00 (via Montreal) and Winnipeg USD 765.00 (via Montreal).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Barcelona
- From Toronto: USD 565.00, about 35 days
- From Montreal: USD 565.00, about 32 days
- From Vancouver: USD 745.00, about 44 days
Toronto is the least expensive gateway to Barcelona, Montreal the fastest: 3 days quicker for USD 0.00 more. Choose the warehouse you can reach; from other Canadian cities the calculator shows the lowest of the three.
20 moving boxes to different cities in Spain
- Barcelona: USD 565.00 from Toronto, about 35 days
- Bilbao: USD 565.00 from Toronto, about 30 days
- Madrid: USD 565.00 from Toronto, about 33 days
- Valencia: USD 565.00 from Toronto, about 38 days
The difference between the least and the most expensive of these is USD 0.00.
Documents for personal effects
- Passport copy. The photo page of the shipper's passport. It must be valid (not expired) and the name must match the shipper on the booking and on the packing list. We accept a passport from any country, but no other ID.
- Packing list. Our fillable packing list (PDF) names the shipper and the receiver in Spain and lists every box: contents, quantity, dimensions, weight and value. Number the boxes and write the same numbers on the list. "Winter clothes, 2 coats, 6 sweaters" is useful; "personal items" is not. Sign it before you upload it.
- Customs value. The total declared value of the shipment may not exceed CAD 2,000.
The carrier's tariff requires a passport copy and a complete, detailed packing list for every personal-effects shipment, and household goods must be professionally packed. More help: how to fill in the packing list.
Packing advice
Your boxes are handled several times: at the warehouse, in the container and at the terminal in Barcelona. Use new, strong double-wall cartons and fill them completely so they do not collapse under the weight of others; seal every seam with packing tape. Put heavy items such as books in small boxes and light items in larger ones. Write the receiver's name and city in Spain on two sides of every box. Many boxes can be strapped onto a pallet on ISPM 15 heat-treated wood; you or your mover prepare the pallet, A1 does not palletize.
What not to pack
The carrier does not accept vehicles or parts with fuel, food, plants, animals, medication, weapons, dangerous goods (aerosols, batteries, paint, flammable liquids), cash, jewellery or other valuables. If you are not sure about an item, ask us before you pack it.
Carrier conditions for Spain
- Consignee EROI# is required
- Commercial Invoice Required
- Customs Clearance in Barcelona
- RATIO 1:333 KGS TO BILBAO AND VALENCIA
- Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
Insurance (optional)
Cargo insurance for personal effects is arranged through Marsh Canada (CargoCover): owner-packed goods, all risks, with a USD 300 deductible. To request it, sign the insurance coverage form and complete the valued inventory, then upload both on your booking page before departure. All forms: useful links and forms.
How to book
Calculate the price in the calculator above with the cargo type "Personal effects", accept the quote and upload the passport copy and the signed packing list on your booking page. After the carrier approves the shipment and confirms the destination charges, you pay and receive the labels and the warehouse delivery instructions. You deliver the boxes yourself: A1 does not offer pickup from your home.
Shipping to Spain by service
By city: Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Valencia.
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to Spain?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Toronto to Barcelona cost about USD 565.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Spain?
A copy of the photo page of the shipper's passport: valid, not expired, and in the same name as the shipper on the booking and the packing list. A passport from any country is accepted; no other ID is.
Can A1 pick up my boxes at home?
No. You or a local mover deliver the packed boxes to our receiving warehouse in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver; the warehouse measures and weighs them and the final price follows those measurements.
Rates valid October 1–31, 2026; totals include A1 fees of USD 265.00. Destination charges are confirmed by the carrier, duties and taxes are paid by the consignee, and transit days are the carrier's estimate.