# International shipping problems



## Fee39 (Jun 7, 2016)

Hi, I'm new to this forum and new to Spain having moved here a month ago. I wondered if anyone could help me with the following - I shipped a 17kg box from Thailand (where I used to live) to my property rental Agents office in Mojacar. I was told it would take 2 months. So I have tracked my box from Thailand using the tracking number the post office there gave me and I now know that the box arrived at Madrid Aiport on 13 May. I have done my research and apparently I should have received an Arrival letter (sent to my Agents address) telling me that the box had arrived and giving me an International Number to quote online. Unfortunately the Agents have not received any letter and if I put in the tracking number from Thailand online it does not recognise it, so I can't go any further down the process. I have tried to phone both the Customs at the Airport and the Post Office in Mojacar but no one speaks English or I am given options on the phone and their again in Spanish. I have contacted my Property Agent and they don't seem to be able to help, they just suggest contacting the Thai Post Office but I know they will only tell me that the box is in Spain and to contact the Spanish Authorities! As a last resort I phoned the British Embassy but they can't help me either. Please can someone point me in the right direction or give me some advice as to how I can get this package, other than going all the way to Madrid Airport? Many thanks.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Fee39 said:


> Hi, I'm new to this forum and new to Spain having moved here a month ago. I wondered if anyone could help me with the following - I shipped a 17kg box from Thailand (where I used to live) to my property rental Agents office in Mojacar. I was told it would take 2 months. So I have tracked my box from Thailand using the tracking number the post office there gave me and I now know that the box arrived at Madrid Aiport on 13 May. I have done my research and apparently I should have received an Arrival letter (sent to my Agents address) telling me that the box had arrived and giving me an International Number to quote online. Unfortunately the Agents have not received any letter and if I put in the tracking number from Thailand online it does not recognise it, so I can't go any further down the process. I have tried to phone both the Customs at the Airport and the Post Office in Mojacar but no one speaks English or I am given options on the phone and their again in Spanish. I have contacted my Property Agent and they don't seem to be able to help, they just suggest contacting the Thai Post Office but I know they will only tell me that the box is in Spain and to contact the Spanish Authorities! As a last resort I phoned the British Embassy but they can't help me either. Please can someone point me in the right direction or give me some advice as to how I can get this package, other than going all the way to Madrid Airport? Many thanks.


The simplest solution of all is to use an interpreter to call them on your behalf.


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## Fee39 (Jun 7, 2016)

I don't know anyone who speaks Spanish unfortunately


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Fee39 said:


> I don't know anyone who speaks Spanish unfortunately


Does the Agent not speak Spanish? 


If not, ask around locally or look in the local press, health centres etc., - there is bound to be someone who interprets who would phone for you.


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## Fee39 (Jun 7, 2016)

They do but they are not very interested in helping unfortunately!


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

I am in the process of moving from Thailand to Spain also and have just received instructions on the shipment of my household goods.

The initial requirements are that the Spanish port must have the following documents BEFORE the goods arrive:

Copy of your passport
Copy of your EU resident certificate or NIE registration with AEAT
The signed shipment forms
Inventory list with values
Airway bill or bill of lading
Certificate of residence by local authority (empadronamiento)

If the Customs at the port do not have these documents and cannot start the clearing process within one month of the arrival in port, the goods will be declared abandoned and can be auctioned to cover storage costs. 

If your goods are valuable to you, I suggest that you employ a professional agent to help you as you are severely running out of time.


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## Fee39 (Jun 7, 2016)

Overandout said:


> I am in the process of moving from Thailand to Spain also and have just received instructions on the shipment of my household goods.
> 
> The initial requirements are that the Spanish port must have the following documents BEFORE the goods arrive:
> 
> ...


Many thanks Overandout, we will definitely go with your advice. Just one question - how are you meant to give the Spanish Authorities all that info before you arrive in Spain? Did your carrier send them for you? Good luck in your move.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Fee39 said:


> Many thanks Overandout, we will definitely go with your advice. Just one question - how are you meant to give the Spanish Authorities all that info before you arrive in Spain? Did your carrier send them for you? Good luck in your move.


You need to arrive and get your paperwork in order before the goods arrive


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> You need to arrive and get your paperwork in order before the goods arrive


Not in my case.

The agent in Thailand has already collected the documents which can be provided in advance.

Actually I left off some documents which I also had to provide:

Tax returns showing fiscal residence in Thailand for last two years.
Letter from my employer stating that I have been employed in Thailand.
Authorization letter to enable the agent to carry out customs clearance on my behalf.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!


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## Fee39 (Jun 7, 2016)

Will do but I'm not holding out a lot of hope at the moment!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Overandout said:


> Not in my case.
> 
> The agent in Thailand has already collected the documents which can be provided in advance.
> 
> ...


You should not register as resident nor on the padrón before you actually move here.

It could - & I have known people this has happened to - cause untold problems with the tax office later on.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> You should not register as resident nor on the padrón before you actually move here.
> 
> It could - & I have known people this has happened to - cause untold problems with the tax office later on.


That is correct, but I´m not sure what relevance it has.

Who said anything about registering as a resident or padron before getting there?

I simply said that the agent had already collected the documents which I can provide now.... Perhaps I wasn't clear, but there are many items in the list of documents which can be provided in advance. 
With these types of complicated administrative procedures, the more you can do up front, the better.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Overandout said:


> That is correct, but I´m not sure what relevance it has.
> 
> *Who said anything about registering as a resident or padron before getting there?*
> 
> ...


Because you said this


Overandout said:


> I am in the process of moving from Thailand to Spain also and have just received instructions on the shipment of my household goods.
> 
> The initial requirements are that the Spanish port must have the following documents BEFORE the goods arrive:
> 
> ...


and then after I said that you need to arrive before your goods, you posted this 


Overandout said:


> *Not in my case.*
> 
> The agent in Thailand has already collected the documents which can be provided in advance.
> 
> ...



Which implies that you can get the required documents, including resident cert & padrón, before moving here.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Ok, you are free to feel that I have implied anything you want.
Meanwhile I will rest easy knowing that I have shared the professional advice that I have received with the community.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Overandout said:


> Ok, you are free to feel that I have implied anything you want.
> Meanwhile I will rest easy knowing that I have shared the professional advice that I have received with the community.


Cool - but just so that we're clear for other members - you haven't acquired, nor had to provide a resident cert nor a padrón cert - before moving here?

And you will be here before your goods arrive & therefore be able register as resident & on the padrón, & therefore provide those papers when you collect your goods from customs at the port or whereever


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## Fee39 (Jun 7, 2016)

After a lot of hassle I managed to send an email to the Post Office here in Spain and they sent me a short email back telling me they had sent me a Mailing Letter on 18 May. This should have been addressed to my rental agent and I asked again if they had received a letter but they said they had not. I then used google translator on a link sent by Correos and by luck found a box headed Locator Number and this accepted my Thai tracking number but only gave me the information I already knew from tracking the box on the Thai website. There was a customer phone no: 902 197 197 but of course when I rang this number it was all in Spanish! I phoned my Agent again asking them to phone, which they did thank goodness and they have now been able to give me an international tracking number and they also gave me a link to ADT Postales website. Also my agent sent me an email telling me what documentation I would need to upload - a letter from me describing the contents of the box, a copy of my passport and a copy of the letter the post office sent me, the one I never received, which I should be able to download when I register on the ADT website. I've tried to register, my agent said it would accept my passport number but it doesn't! Luckily I'm off to Almeria tomorrow for an appointment to get my NIE number so hopefully I will be able to log on and sort things out on Friday, here's hoping!


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> Cool - but just so that we're clear for other members - you haven't acquired, nor had to provide a resident cert nor a padrón cert - before moving here?
> 
> And you will be here before your goods arrive & therefore be able register as resident & on the padrón, & therefore provide those papers when you collect your goods from customs at the port or whereever


My case is different to the OP, in that I lived in Spain for nine years and have "permanent" status on my little green certificate of foreigners card.

When I left Spain, I went to extranjeria who advised me NOT to cancel it and to keep it becasue I would be returning to Spain.

Now, I am not saying that the information and recommendation given was correct (despite having been given by an offical of the state), nor am I saying that others should do the same because I have no idea if following this advice will cause me a problem when I return.

All I said (as you yourself have quoted) is that you should provide all the documents that you are able to in advance.

But, I will say that I have provided a copy of this registration card to the agents and they have not started ringing alarm bells and asking why I have been able to give them this document. Not yet at least.

If I do get any problems for having kept my green certificate while being out of Spain, believe me, the forum will be thre first to know about it!


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