TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Hi, we did our TOR1 application on the 17th April, but @ today are still waiting a response. Is it usual for them to take over the 15 working days they mention when you do the application? Anyone waiting much longer to still receive theirs?

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

fwiw - we submitted our TOR on the 9th of May - and have yet to receive a response - will let you know when we do.

Slightly concerned with how long yours is taking - our move out date is on the 27th - I guess we're going to need temporary storage as we're told that our goods can't be loaded for shipment until our shipper has our URN.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Hi, we are still waiting - I was told by our shippers that ideally they want the URN before our container loads, but worse case scenario as long as they receive it before it reaches the UK then that should be okay - otherwise it will be a case of us having to pay whatever tax/duty customs want and then claiming it back afterwards - which is something we are hoping won't be necessary!

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Hi, just to let you know my husband ended up ringing HMRC earlier this evening our time - and he was told they couldnt trace the reference number we'd been emailed. The lady he spoke to said that some applications had gone missing. How that would happen I have no idea! Anyway, we have had to re-do the online application today - and email the lady our new reference number for her to look at hopefully today. I would therefore suggest that you perhaps ring them too - the telephone number we used is UK 0300 322 7064. or you can Email them at [email protected]

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Oh no! - that's terrible!! - thank you so much for the heads up - really appreciated - we'll contact HMRC asap :/

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Less than 4 hours after re-doing our application ours has been approved. So definitely get onto them. Good luck!

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Well that's good! - I'm happy that you got that turned around so quickly ... one less thing to stress about I'm sure :)

We contacted them this morning - they were unable to confirm that they had received our application - and were adamant that our email receipt was all the confirmation we require!

It seems like there's currently a bit of a backlog processing applications - and they're currently up to applications from the 5th May - they estimate they should be processing applications submitted on the 8th May (the day we submitted ours) by the end of this week.

All the best with your move!

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

It sounds like the person you got at the other end of the phone wasn't as helpful as the lady my husband spoke to. I do hope that they get back to you at the end of this week too... Thanks for the good luck wishes - this is our 4th international move - and hopefully our last! Good luck with yours too.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Just as an update - we received approval for our transfer of residence approval yesterday - which I think is 14 working days after submission.... phew!

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

that's great - what a relief! good luck with your move.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

I have started my TOR application process. I am still packing my MoveCube and writing down everything as I add items.
Here is snippet of my TOR list that I plan to submit. Can someone tell me if this is good and will be accepted, as-is? Anything I should do better or differently?

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...c730001540.png

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Hi, that is exactly how we listed all our goods and ours was not queried at all.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

It may be different between countries you are leaving to come back to UK.I came from an EU country & after submitting the list had to provide other info.in writing about cancellation of my residency.That though was a year ago.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

My shipping list from the mover notes things mostly by box load (and size of box). So x number boxes of books, for example, or Y boxes of kitchenware. Am I going to need to estimate something more specific than this, or can I just upload the pdf of the shipping list?

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

we did our own list but also sent the shippers quoted inventory. the reason we did our own list was because the shippers only put basic details, ie bedroom 6 boxes etc.... when we spoke to HMRC the lady said they wanted more specific numbers & what would be in the boxes - ie, DVD's 100 etc..... the numbers only have to be approx.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

The list I am putting together for SevenSeas and the MoveCube is at the box level. I enter an ID for each box and then I describe the contents of it.
The TOR list is basically summarizing the items, from multiple boxes. Based on the HMRC TOR Guidance they only care about the "category" level of items you are bringing over. This is how I understand the process. I will learn more once I submit my form.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

That is how we are breaking down our boxes, although not distinguishing between male/female clothing as we are mixing them up to evenly distribute weight.

As as a side, I see that you are using a Move Cube. We will be as well (large, from Vancouver). We were advised by Seven Seas that they just require the TOR1 number prior to anding and as we have a 62-76 day estimate I'm confident that we will get it prior to that. We won't be basically submitting until the cube is loaded and we know exactly what it contains bot for the TOR1 and insurance.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Yes, I was given the same instructions by SevenSeas too. I am also shipping a large cube from Phoenix. They also told me I just need to get the TOR number, before the ship reaches the UK.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Do people list out the things you dont put in the MoveCube?
As you can imagine, there will be some items, which we will not pack up. We will bring those items when we fly to the UK with our luggage. Examples: my laptop and tablets. Do I remove these from the TOR1 form or keep them on there, does anyone have clarity on this?

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Don't know for sure but I would imagine that when you arrive in the UK you will be going through customs and will have opportunity to declare any items at that time. I'm not putting things like cell phones, tablets etc in the TOR1.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

My movers say that box level should be fine, given that they say boxes of what. Their customers have regularly used their packing lists (at the box level) successfully before, so fingers crossed here.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

For Seven Seas, do you have to list clothing individually or can I say 3 coats, 10 dresses? Their instructions say to itemize but that seems ridiculous.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Yes just say 3 coats and 10 shirts, 10 trousers.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

I used Seven Seas last summer. Only listed "Male Clothing" and "Female Clothing" on the Seven Seas / TOR1 forms. No issues at all. (See post #11 above)
One aspect to keep in mind is regarding insurance. If you possess some very valuable items of clothing, they may need to be itemised for insurance puposes.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

I got TOR approval last week, took 2 days!! All I put was “Clothing-approx 400 items”

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

For those who have shipped via Seven Seas and said you were told you could supply the TOR reference before the shipment arrives (and not needed before it ships), how did you provide them with the TOR into, was it just a phone call or did you update the docs online? We're getting ready to ship and are still waiting for our TOR approval (we're at day 8 right now), we're completing the online box details and were wondering if in one of the later steps completing the docs does it ask you for the TOR reference there? If you don't yet have it did you just leave it blank until later?

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

I think I did it with just a phone call to customer service and I sent it via email too.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Awesome, thanks!

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

I shipped most of my stuff with Chess, but used Seven Seas to air freight 2 cases of clothes so I had stuff to wear while waiting for my shipping. I got the TOR and passed the details onto Chess by email.
Seven Seas however told me that I didn't need a TOR for them as it was air freight. After 3 weeks (not the 3 days they had promised) the cases arrived in the UK (this was from Australia) and I received a very rude email from Fedex saying they were going to return the goods on the next plane because there was no TOR with it. Seven Seas said I would need to pay for the goods to be returned. After a rather heated discussion ( :eek: ) with three staff at Seven Seas they finally allowed me to speak to a manager who agreed that I could use the existing TOR and admitted that they should have asked me for it in the first place. They did get Fedex to waive the resultant storage charge but I didn't get any kind of apology for what was clearly their stuff-up.

Wouldn't use Seven Seas again, they were appalling from start to finish.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

If anyone is interested in current TOR approval times (July/Aug 2023), we submitted our request on July 18th and got the approval letter in email today, Aug 3rd (approx 12 working days).

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

Thanks for sharing this. Our experience in the past of shipping anything into the UK via a regular package shipper (UPS, FedEx, DHL) has resulted in customs and excise issues, and refusal to deliver packages unless we paid excise duty before delivery. The last time DHL tried to collect excise duty on a gift in a box that was significantly under the value where any duty would have been payable. We gave up shipping packages for Christmas and birthdays to our family because of these issues.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

interesting! I had no prior dealings with Fedex though had heard dodgy reviews. Seven Seas even told me they didn't contrsct out, whuch was clearly a blatant lie - I had asked specifically who would deal in the UK due to previous issues when I originally emigrated.
I think the issues here were faults with both Fedex & Seven Seas, very unimpressed with them both.

Re: TOR1 APPLICATION
 

We had similar issues with FedEx last year. Our daughter sent over some expensive musical instruments ahead of her move back to England and provided her ToR number. I had to go through quite a long and tortuous procedure when I started receiving letters from them asking for hundreds in import duties once the 2 boxes arrived. The ToR number was clearly printed on the delivery note but they obviously did not have a clue what it meant.