Coming to the UK from Canada: getting your belongings home.

What do we need to know about the Canadian collection?

Give the province, town and postal code when you know them, along with stairs, lift access and the place a vehicle can load. Tell us whether you will be there or someone else will hand over the belongings after you leave, what that person's role is and any limits on their access. The quotation should also distinguish collection from your home from transport from a departure point.

Do you have the right to live in the UK?

Your nationality and the purpose of your stay decide which immigration checks apply. A British citizen returning home and a Canadian citizen moving to work, study or join family can need different preparation. Use the official visa checker for every family member. Visitor permission is not a route to making the UK your main home through repeated visits. Keep immigration decisions separate from the customs treatment of your furniture.

Official guidance: Check the UK visa you need · UK visitor rules

Can you apply for a UK school place from Canada?

For England, yes: applications can be made from overseas through the local council for the area where you will live. Ask the council what evidence it needs while your address is provisional, and ask about admissions part-way through the school year. The right to enter or reside is a separate question. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own education arrangements, so check the authority for your actual destination.

Official guidance: School applications for children moving from overseas · How to apply for a school place in England

When will your furniture arrive, compared with you?

Your flight does not set the delivery date for your furniture. Tell us when the Canadian property must be cleared and when the UK home will have keys and someone available to receive the shipment. If the address is unsettled, give the town or area and explain why. Ask how the collection, transport and delivery stages will fit together.

What is HMRC transfer-of-residence relief?

It is a relief from UK import duty and tax on household belongings when you move your main home to Great Britain, or to Northern Ireland, from outside the EU. The standard household conditions are 12 consecutive months living outside the UK, six months of possession and import within 12 months of moving, with limits on later transfer. Ordinary main-home claims need HMRC approval using form ToR1 before you claim relief. Student and marriage routes have different provisions. Check your own circumstances and agree who submits the import documents.

Official guidance: HMRC transfer-of-residence guidance

How do you prepare an inventory and packing brief?

List what you will bring from Canada, including estimated boxes and furniture that may need dismantling. Flag new purchases, fragile pieces and anything whose suitability for the UK home needs checking. You can upload a list, photographs or other supporting information instead of writing it all out again. Keep passports and travel documents out of the shipment.

• The belongings being collected, and anything still undecided.
• Packing requirements and any item that needs particular care.
• UK postcode when known, floors, lifts and unloading access.

What should you sort out on the Canadian side?

Alongside the removals plan, contact the organisations that deal with your Canadian home, accounts and departure. The Canada Revenue Agency explains how residential ties affect your tax residence when you leave. The date your boxes leave does not by itself settle that question. Read the official guidance or take advice for your circumstances, because the moving quotation does not cover tax or immigration work.

Official guidance: Canada Revenue Agency: leaving Canada

Who handles delivery in the UK?

Check whether the proposal includes delivery to your property, unloading and any unpacking or placement you request. Clarify who will receive the belongings, who is responsible for documents and which charges fall outside the quoted scope. Keep the inventory and receiving contact up to date, because a later change of address or access may mean the proposal needs reviewing.