UK ⇄ IT · Established lane · 7–14 days
Shipping from the UK to Italy by sea.
Italy is one of our established sea freight lanes. Commercial goods, machinery, personal effects, we handle the whole job regardless of what you're sending: collection from anywhere in the UK, export paperwork, sailing and customs at the Italian end.
Who ships this route
What we carry to Italy
UK exporters sending goods to Italian buyers, manufacturers shipping components and machinery, and individuals relocating or sending household effects, this is the mix we move on the UK–Italy lane. Commercial pallets and trade cargo make up the bulk of the route, alongside full-container household moves for people relocating to Italy.
The Italy route suits regular exporters running monthly full-container shipments as well as one-off senders moving a 20ft or 40ft load. Short transit times from Felixstowe and Southampton to Genoa and La Spezia make it one of our quickest lanes.
Full container load · 20ft · 40ft
Container options for Italy
Your own box
A 20ft or 40ft container to yourself. Best for larger loads, machinery, or when you want the security and simplicity of sole use. You pay for the whole container regardless of how full it is, so FCL works best when you're shipping enough to fill most of it.
Your shipment, start to finish
We arrange UK collection, export paperwork, the sailing and Italian import customs through our trusted partners, one contact for the whole job, from your door to the delivery address.
Relocating to Italy with a full household? We ship household goods by full container, door to door, and advise on packing, inventories and used personal-effects declarations so you don't pay more import duty than necessary.
Felixstowe / Southampton → Genoa / La Spezia
Ports and transit
UK ports: Felixstowe and Southampton, with collection from anywhere in the UK.
Italian ports: main Italian ports such as Genoa and La Spezia, serving northern and central Italy. Destination port depends on your final delivery address, we'll confirm the best option when we quote.
TRANSIT · TYPICALLY 7–14 DAYS PORT TO PORT
Export declarations · Import clearance
Customs for Italy
Post-Brexit, UK goods entering Italy (and the wider EU) are subject to standard third-country customs procedures. That means a UK export declaration, commodity codes, a commercial invoice and a packing list on departure, and Italian import customs, duties and VAT at the destination.
We arrange and manage all of this through trusted partners at both ends. The paperwork is prepared before the cargo ships, not scrambled together at the port, so your shipment keeps moving. If you're exporting for the first time, we'll walk you through exactly what's needed, how our customs clearance works.
The same contact handles the job from collection to delivery, so nothing falls between two brokers.
Straight answers
UK–Italy shipping questions
How long does sea freight from the UK to Italy take?
Typically 7–14 days port to port from Felixstowe or Southampton to main Italian ports. Add a few days each side for collection, customs and delivery to your final destination. We'll give you exact timings with your quote.
Should I ship a 20ft or 40ft container to Italy?
A 20ft container holds about 28 CBM and suits smaller commercial loads; a 40ft holds about 58 CBM for larger volumes or a full household move. Tell us your cargo's weight and dimensions and we'll advise the right full container size and give you an all-in FCL quote.
Do you handle Italian import customs?
Yes. UK export clearance and Italian import clearance are arranged and managed through our trusted partners. We prepare the documentation, commercial invoice, packing list, export declaration and commodity codes, before the cargo ships, so it clears smoothly at the Italian end.
24h turnaround · No obligation
Shipping to Italy?
Tell us what you're sending, the origin and the Italian destination. We'll come back with a tailored quote within 24 hours on working days.
Already hold a quote from another forwarder? Send us this route and we’ll give you ours to compare.
Related: Container shipping from the UK · Customs clearance · All routes · Container sizes