West Coast to Lisbon Movers | Moving from The US to Lisbon

Planning a move from the West Coast to Lisbon? Chipman Relocation & Logistics is the full-service moving company for the job. Since 1939, we've helped thousands of families and executives relocate across the country and across the Atlantic, and Portugal has become one of our most-requested European destinations. Whether you're headed to a Príncipe Real townhouse, a Chiado apartment, a Cascais beach house, or a Sintra quinta, Chipman puts nearly nine decades of experience to work so your Lisbon move is coordinated and calm from pack-out through delivery in Portugal.

Whether you're leaving California, Oregon, or Washington, our crews handle every step at origin and our FIDI-accredited destination partner handles clearance, delivery, and unpacking in Lisbon. Request a quote to get started today.

Why Choose Chipman for Your Move to Lisbon?

History of Success: dependable moving services since 1939.
Licensed Mover in CA, OR, & WA: moving families since 1927, with the resources and coverage of the most trusted networks in North American relocation.
FIDI-Accredited International Partner Network: your shipment moves through a vetted, FAIM-audited destination partner in Portugal, not a random subcontractor.
Award-Winning Customer Service Coordination: a personal move concierge from origin pack-out through Portuguese customs release and destination delivery.
Qualified and Safe Crews: every crew member is background checked, drug screened, and health checked prior to every move.

Your Trusted Movers for Lisbon Relocations

Moving to Lisbon is not the same as moving across the country. Household goods travel by ocean container, transit runs in weeks rather than days, and your shipment has to clear Portuguese customs before it can be delivered. Chipman coordinates all of it. As an award winning mover, and as a FIDI-accredited international member, we tap a network that reaches Lisbon, Porto, Cascais, and the Portuguese islands, so origin and destination are managed as one project rather than a hand-off between disconnected carriers.

Our local service centers handle origin work directly, so the crew who packs your home anywhere on the west coast is our trusted teammember, not a subcontractor. From there we book the ocean leg, prepare customs paperwork with our Lisbon-based FIDI partner, and coordinate delivery once your container clears. Chipman has moved retirees on D7 visas, remote workers on digital nomad permits, and families relocating for tech jobs. Ocean transit from the Ports of Oakland or Long Beach to the Port of Lisbon typically runs 4 to 8 weeks for LCL and 3 to 4 weeks for FCL, depending on carrier and whether your container transships through Algeciras or Rotterdam.

Where Our Customers Are Moving in Lisbon

Chipman's Lisbon-bound customers land across a handful of neighborhoods, each with its own character and delivery quirks.

Príncipe Real and Chiado are the classic central-Lisbon picks for Americans who want to walk to cafés, bookshops, and the miradouros. Both are dense, cobbled, and full of 19th-century buildings with narrow staircases and no elevators. Our destination partner scouts access on delivery day and, where needed, arranges an outside elevator (elevador exterior) to lift furniture through a balcony window. It's often the only way to get a sofa above the ground floor.

Lapa and Estrela sit just west of the historic center. Streets are quieter, buildings grand, and the American, British, and French embassies are all nearby. Diplomatic and executive relocations frequently land here. Parking around the Basílica da Estrela requires a permitted truck window our Portugal partner arranges with the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa.

Alcântara and Belém run along the Tagus riverfront west of the center. Belém is the museum quarter (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, MAAT) and popular with families who want river views. Alcântara sits next to the Alcântara Container Terminal, so shipments clear customs a few kilometers from your new address.

Cascais and Estoril, roughly 30 kilometers west along the coast, remain the top suburban picks. The train to central Lisbon runs about 40 minutes, international schools (TASIS, St. Julian's, CAISL) are within reach, and the coastline reminds our customers of the drive between Monterey and Big Sur. Delivery is straightforward in newer developments and trickier in Cascais old town, where narrow streets require a shuttle truck.

Sintra, in the hills to the northwest, appeals to families who want land, privacy, and cooler summers. Quintas (small country estates) often need multi-day deliveries because driveways can't take a full sea container.

Parque das Nações, the redeveloped Expo '98 waterfront on the eastern side, is the modern-Lisbon counterpoint to the cobbled center: towers, wide sidewalks, working elevators, dedicated loading zones. Often the easiest neighborhood in Lisbon to deliver into.

What to Know Before Moving to Lisbon

Ocean freight and transit time. Most household shipments from the West Coast go by ocean. FCL runs 3 to 4 weeks port-to-port; LCL (shared container) runs 4 to 8 weeks because of consolidation and deconsolidation on each end. Add 1 to 2 weeks for customs clearance and delivery scheduling in Lisbon. Air freight is available for a small "unaccompanied baggage" shipment (the first-90-days essentials) at roughly 5 to 10 times the per-pound cost of ocean.

Portuguese customs and the transferência de residência regime. Portugal's tax and customs authority is the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT). Used household goods brought in by a person establishing Portuguese residency qualify for duty-free and VAT-free relief under the transferência de residência (transfer of residence) regime, provided you can document prior residence outside the EU, that you owned and used the goods for at least six months before the move, and that you import them within 12 months of establishing residency. Our Lisbon partner prepares the AT paperwork (baggage certificate, inventory in Portuguese, passport copy, proof of address, NIF) and files it before your container arrives so your shipment isn't sitting in bond racking up storage.

NIF and residency paperwork. You'll need a Número de Identificação Fiscal (NIF) for practically everything in Portugal: customs filing, bank account, lease. Most of our customers arrive on a D7 passive-income visa, D8 digital nomad visa, or work visa, then convert to a residence permit through AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo). Sort the NIF and rental contract before your container lands. Chipman paces the shipment to your paperwork timeline.

Pets. Portugal follows EU pet import rules. Dogs, cats, and ferrets need an ISO 11784/11785 microchip installed before the rabies vaccination, a valid rabies shot no fewer than 21 days before travel, and an EU Health Certificate endorsed by USDA APHIS within 10 days of departure. Owners must also give the Portuguese border veterinary post at least 48 hours' notice of arrival. USDA's Pet Travel from the United States to Portugal page walks through the current requirements.

Power and appliances. Lisbon runs on 230V/50Hz power with Type F (Schuko) plugs. US 120V appliances need transformers or, more often, replacement on the Portugal side. Skip the fridge, washer, dryer, and most kitchen small appliances. TVs and computers with universal power supplies travel fine with a plug adapter.

International Moving Services

From wherever you start on the west coast to your Lisbon destination, Chipman provides complete international relocation services:

Origin survey and quote: in-home or virtual survey, followed by a written quote covering origin, ocean, customs, and destination.
Export packing: international-grade cartons, crating for fragile items, and inventoried packing lists in the format Portuguese customs expects.
Ocean freight coordination: FCL and LCL bookings out of the Ports of Oakland and Long Beach to Lisbon.
Customs clearance in Portugal: our FIDI-accredited partner files the transferência de residência package with AT and manages release from the Alcântara Container Terminal.
Destination delivery and unpacking: shuttle service where old-town streets require it, plus unpacking and packing-material removal at your new home.
Full-Value Protection Plan: coverage in place from origin through destination delivery.

Full-Service International Moves

A short list of what our team can handle on a West Coast to Lisbon move:

Appliance Disconnect at Origin: prep of washers, dryers, and refrigerators. Most customers replace major appliances in Portugal rather than convert 120V units, so we disconnect at origin and coordinate donation, sale, or disposal.
Specialty Crating: custom crates for artwork, marble, glass tops, chandeliers, and wine collections that shouldn't ride loose in a sea container for a month.
TV and Home Electronics: wall-mount removal at origin and reinstallation at destination through our Portugal partner's technicians.
Piano and Fine Art Handling: dedicated crews for uprights, grands, and gallery-scale artwork.
Auto Transport (Optional): shipping a US-spec vehicle to Portugal is possible but rarely worth it. Portuguese ISV (import tax on vehicles) is steep, and US-spec cars often need modifications to pass Portuguese inspection. We'll walk through the trade-offs.
Destination Unpacking: our FIDI partner in Lisbon handles unpacking, furniture placement, and packing-material removal.

International Moves Since 1939

Since 1939, Chipman Relocation & Logistics has been the trusted moving partner for US families relocating across the country and across the Atlantic. Our Portugal moves have delivered families to Príncipe Real townhouses, Chiado apartments, Lapa embassies, Belém riverfront flats, Cascais beach houses, and Sintra quintas. Every one of those moves is different, and we plan every one from the ground up around your origin city, destination neighborhood, visa timeline, and the paperwork Portuguese customs will want to see.

Ready to Plan Your Move to Lisbon?

The right partner turns a US-to-Lisbon move from a paperwork puzzle into an organized handoff between coasts and continents. Chipman Relocation & Logistics has been helping West Coast families relocate since 1939, with the coordination, protection, and FIDI destination expertise your Lisbon move deserves. When you're ready, request a residential quote and we'll build your move plan around your origin city, your Lisbon neighborhood, and your timeline.