GMS - Gerson Moving Services

GMS - Gerson Moving Services Gerson Moving Services (GMS) successfully move 1000’s of families and expats each year who have de

Since opening our doors for business in 2018, the GMS team have successfully moved 1000’s of families each year who have decided to move to a new country to start a new job, life or simply a new adventure. Not only will you receive expert guidance and advice but you will receive excellent customer services that will manage your move anywhere in the world. GMS work with carefully selected partners

around the world, applying our ‘core values’ to govern, communicate and deliver a complete moving service to each and every customer. As part of the wider AGM group, we are registered and accredited by the industry (IAM, BAR) giving you peace of mind.

There are some things you can't replace if a removal goes wrong.Not the sofa. Not the television. Not most of the furnit...
04/06/2026

There are some things you can't replace if a removal goes wrong.

Not the sofa. Not the television. Not most of the furniture, if you're honest.
But your grandmother's jewellery. The painting your father made. The box of photographs from before the digital age.

Before those things go into a container, it's worth thinking through three questions:
1. Should this go in the container at all, or travel with you?
2. If it ships, is it packed by someone who understands what "irreplaceable" means?
3. Does your move protection cover the actual value of the item, or just a rate per kilogram?

We wrote a full guide on this: what specialist packing involves, how MoveProtect declared value cover works, and the simple rule about what to carry with you rather than ship.

Read the full guide at gersonmovingservices.com/removal-services/move-protection/

If you're moving to Luxembourg from the UK, you have 8 days.Not to settle in. Not to find a doctor. 8 days to register y...
02/06/2026

If you're moving to Luxembourg from the UK, you have 8 days.

Not to settle in. Not to find a doctor. 8 days to register your presence at your local commune - the town hall responsible for where you live.

Miss it, and you cannot open a bank account. You cannot access the national health service. You cannot begin the residency process.

That's 8 calendar days from the day you arrive.

There's a second step too. Within 3 months, you need to apply for your Carte de Séjour - Luxembourg's residence certificate. These are two separate deadlines, and both matter.

Neither is complicated. Both are very easy to miss if no one has mentioned them before you get on the plane.

Our updated Luxembourg guide covers both registration deadlines, road freight costs from the UK, what to expect at EU customs clearance, and why housing in Luxembourg City is worth factoring into your budget early.

https://www.gersonmovingservices.com/country-guide/moving-to-luxembourg/

Most UK professionals moving to Singapore wait until their Employment Pass is confirmed before booking the removal.Which...
28/05/2026

Most UK professionals moving to Singapore wait until their Employment Pass is confirmed before booking the removal.

Which means their belongings arrive 6–9 weeks after they do.

Setting up a home, starting a new job, managing the kids' school transition - all without your furniture, your kitchen, your things.

There's a better way to time it. Sea freight from the UK to Singapore takes 6–9 weeks for a full container. Employment Pass approval typically takes 3–8 weeks from application. If you book the removal when the EP application goes in - not when it comes back - your belongings usually arrive around the same time you're settling in.

One change to the timing. Weeks of difference.

There's also a customs reason to get the timing right: if your EP isn't in place when your shipment arrives, GST is charged on the full declared value of your goods.

Our updated Singapore guide covers EP timing, customs, visa routes, and condo delivery logistics.

https://www.gersonmovingservices.com/country-guide/moving-to-singapore/

Moving your belongings to South Africa from the UK - two things most guides don't tell you clearly enough.First: you nee...
26/05/2026

Moving your belongings to South Africa from the UK - two things most guides don't tell you clearly enough.

First: you need to be in South Africa at least 10 days before your shipment arrives at port for customs clearance to go ahead. Not 10 days after. Before. If your flight and your shipment arrive at the same time, clearance is delayed.

Second: every outdoor item - garden furniture, BBQs, tools, sports equipment, anything that's been in contact with soil - must be clean before it leaves your UK address. South Africa's biosecurity regulations prohibit soil and organic material from entering the country. Items that arrive unclean are fumigated at the owner's cost, which adds 2–3 weeks to your delivery timeline.

Both are entirely manageable once you know about them in advance.

Our updated 2026 South Africa guide covers SARS customs, the cleaning requirements, port logistics, and costs.

https://www.gersonmovingservices.com/country-guide/moving-to-south-africa/

Most UK families moving to Switzerland assume it works like any other European move.It doesn't.Switzerland is surrounded...
21/05/2026

Most UK families moving to Switzerland assume it works like any other European move.

It doesn't.

Switzerland is surrounded by France, Germany, Austria, and Italy. But it is not in the EU. Which means your household goods go through full customs clearance when they cross the Swiss border - not just once, but twice. Once leaving the UK, and once entering Switzerland.

The good news: Transfer of Residence relief means your belongings are duty-free if you've owned them for at least 6 months. The process is well-established and runs smoothly on a properly documented move.

What makes the difference is having the right documentation in place before your shipment leaves the UK - specifically, the inventory and proof of prior UK residency that the Swiss customs form requires.

Our updated 2026 Switzerland guide covers the customs process, what Form 18.44 is, registration on arrival, and road freight costs.

https://www.gersonmovingservices.com/country-guide/moving-to-switzerland/

Two things about moving your belongings to Brazil that most guides don't mention upfront.First: you need a CPF number be...
19/05/2026

Two things about moving your belongings to Brazil that most guides don't mention upfront.

First: you need a CPF number before your goods can clear customs. The CPF is Brazil's individual taxpayer ID and it is required by the Federal Revenue Service for your shipment to be released. You can apply through the Brazilian consulate in London before you leave, which avoids a hold at Santos port.

Second: you must be physically present in Brazil when your shipment clears customs. Brazilian law does not allow someone to clear your goods on your behalf. If you leave Brazil between your shipment arriving and clearing customs, it waits.

Neither of these are difficult to manage once you know about them. The problem is most people find out about them after they've already booked.

Our Brazil moving guide covers the CPF process, the 6-month rule, and how Santos port to city delivery works for São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and beyond.

https://www.gersonmovingservices.com/country-guide/moving-to-brazil/

14/05/2026

There's a detail about South Korea removals that catches almost every first-time mover off guard.

Your household shipment arrives at Busan port after 8 to 10 weeks at sea.

South Korean customs then requires your Alien Registration Card (ARC) before the shipment can be released.

The ARC is issued by Korean Immigration after you arrive in South Korea and apply in person. Processing takes 14 to 21 days.

If your shipment arrives before your ARC is confirmed, it waits.

For corporate relocations, this timing constraint is something to brief employees on before departure. The solution is simple: factor ARC processing time into the shipment departure date from the UK, so the two timelines align rather than converge unexpectedly.

Gerson Moving Services coordinates UK-to-South Korea moves with a dedicated move manager who plans the shipment timing around your arrival date and ARC confirmation window.

Read the full guide here:
https://www.gersonmovingservices.com/country-guide/moving-to-south-korea/

Moving your belongings to Italy from the UK since Brexit involves customs paperwork that simply didn't exist a few years...
12/05/2026

Moving your belongings to Italy from the UK since Brexit involves customs paperwork that simply didn't exist a few years ago.

Most people know you need some kind of documentation. Fewer people know that you have to prove the items have been in your personal use for at least 6 months, that new purchases don't qualify for duty-free import, and that every item needs to be on a fully itemised inventory.

There's also a step after you arrive in Italy that most UK movers miss completely.

You have 8 days from landing in Italy to apply for your Permesso di Soggiorno (residence permit). That's the legal deadline set by Italian immigration. It's not your removal company's responsibility it's yours. Knowing about it before you land means you can plan your first week in Italy around it rather than discovering it two weeks later.

The full guide covering Transfer of Residence customs relief, the documentation checklist, and what happens at the Italian customs end is at the link below.

https://www.gersonmovingservices.com/country-guide/moving-to-italy/

Most guides say moving to Australia takes 8 to 12 weeks. That figure is accurate for the time your belongings spend at s...
07/05/2026

Most guides say moving to Australia takes 8 to 12 weeks. That figure is accurate for the time your belongings spend at sea.

What the same guides often leave out: every shipment entering Australia must be cleared by the Department of Agriculture before delivery. That process adds 1 to 3 weeks at the Australian end - sometimes more if items need treatment.

So the realistic total is closer to 10 to 15 weeks from packing day to delivery at your new home.

This is not a reason not to ship your belongings. It is a reason to plan your move around the actual timeline, not the one on the brochure.

We have written a full guide to moving to Australia from the UK in 2026 - including what biosecurity actually involves, what triggers an inspection, and what our move manager coordinates at the Australian end.

Link in the comments.

Moving from the UK to the USA? Your credit history does not come with you.In the US, your credit score is your financial...
05/05/2026

Moving from the UK to the USA? Your credit history does not come with you.

In the US, your credit score is your financial identity. It determines whether you can rent a flat, get a phone contract, or set up utilities - in some states, even whether an employer will consider you.

When you arrive from the UK, your US credit score is zero. There is no transfer. No recognition of your UK history. You start from scratch.

Most people find this out when they try to rent their first home.

There are ways to build a score quickly - a secured credit card, a US bank account opened before you arrive, some challenger banks that help bridge the gap. But the first step is knowing it is coming.

Our guide to moving to the USA from the UK covers this, US customs documentation, how sea freight works, and what to sort before you travel.

https://www.gersonmovingservices.com/what-to-know-before-moving-to-the-usa-from-the-uk/

Address

Birmingham

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 6:30pm
Thursday 8am - 6:30pm
Friday 8am - 6:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+441213921720

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