Moving belongings AFTER being in the UK for more than 12 months?

Hi everyone,

I understand that a Transfer of Residence form must be completed in order to move personal belongings to the UK.  However, per the form, in order to qualify for relief from import duties and charges, one must 'have lived outside the EU for at least the last 12 consecutive months'.

I've been in the UK since 2011, first on a Tier 4 and then FLR(M).  I'll be applying for ILR in March.  As I was on a Tier 4 for more than a year after I first arrived, I wasn't about to move all my earthly belongings at that time.

Because I've been in the UK all this time, is there no way I can qualify for relief without, say, temporarily moving back to the US for a year?!

Has anyone else been in the same situation?  Any help will be muchly appreciated!

Hello,

Did you find a resolution? I am in the same predicament.

Cheers,

Nope, not yet.  My stuff remains in the States for the time being.  I'm curiously awaiting holmsidecottage's follow-up in another thread for a similar issue: http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=93008.0

This is the email address on the TOR form.  nch.tor@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

It might be worth dropping them a line to see what they say.

I just received an email from HMRC saying that in light of my circumstances ( moving under duress of terminally ill parents, moving into a small, furnished cottage ), an exemption to the transfer of residence requirement of shipping belongings within 12 months of arrival in the UK would be waived. One would assume that I would now have another 12 window. One caveat, in what may have been a pro forma part of any correspondence on the topic of Transfer of Residence (TOR), there was: "Note: All shipments must be made within 12 months of arrival in the UK". In my case, it will be more than 12 months since our arrival but that was exactly the requirement I was asking a continuation of. I've asked for clarification and will update when I hear from them.

I just received an email from HMRC saying that in light of my circumstances ( moving under duress of terminally ill parents, moving into a small, furnished cottage ), an exemption to the transfer of residence requirement of shipping belongings within 12 months of arrival in the UK would be waived. One would assume that I would now have another 12 window. One caveat, in what may have been a pro forma part of any correspondence on the topic of Transfer of Residence (TOR), there was: "Note: All shipments must be made within 12 months of arrival in the UK". In my case, it will be more than 12 months since our arrival but that was exactly the requirement I was asking a continuation of. I've asked for clarification and will update when I hear from them.

Thanks for getting back to us. It sounds like they will make an exception given your circumstances, hopefully they will say you can simply add a copy of that email to your paperwork when completing the ToR.