Customs clearance at the Port of Málaga

Why cargo from Málaga ships via Cádiz

It's not a detour, it's the shortest route. Regular feeder services to the Canary Islands have their hub in Cádiz Bay because it's the nearest point on the Peninsula to the archipelago. Málaga, on the other hand, is focused on cruises, ferries to North Africa and Mediterranean traffic: there are no usable frequencies to the islands.

So cargo is collected in Málaga, consolidated and shipped from Cádiz. The result for the customer is the best transit available from the Peninsula—5 days to Gran Canaria and Tenerife—in exchange for two and a half hours of road transport that are included in the cost. Promising a direct departure from Málaga would be easier to sell and far harder to deliver.

The procedure: why the Canary Islands require DUA even though it's Spain

The Canary Islands are part of the Union's customs territory but are excluded from the common VAT territory. There are no tariffs between Málaga and Santa Cruz, but there is a fiscal border: you need an export DUA at origin and an import DUA on arrival, with IGIC settlement and AIEM if the tariff line is subject.

In exchange, the shipment leaves VAT-exempt and the cleared DUA is the proof to AEAT. Without that document the shipping line won't load and the Canary Islands terminal won't release: they're two gates with two storage clocks. Details of customs regimes, exemptions and documents are in our guide to customs between the Canary Islands and the Peninsula.

Foreign residents: the case that gets most complicated here

On the Costa del Sol, a significant portion of relocations are carried out by British, German, Scandinavian or Dutch residents who are moving to the Canary Islands or returning to their country via the islands. Here the clearance has a nuance that's often overlooked: the exemption for relocation of residence must be supported by documentation of the new address, and if the customer is not registered or is in the middle of processing their residence, the exemption doesn't apply and IGIC is paid on their own belongings.

We resolve it before loading, not at the dock: we review what documents the customer has, what regime applies to them and whether it's worth waiting to complete a residence procedure before sending the cargo. It's the kind of advance notice that saves far more than the customs clearance fee.

What we clear and where we collect it from

Collection covers Málaga city and the entire Costa del Sol—Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Estepona—as well as the Axarquía and, by road, Granada, Almería, Córdoba and Jaén. Types of cargo:

• Removals and personal effects, with exemption for relocation of residence when proven: statutory declaration, inventory valued at customs value and proof of address.
• Vehicles, in a container alongside the removal or separately, with their DUA and island registration procedures.
• Commercial goods for Canary Islands retail and hospitality, with the tariff line identified and AIEM estimated upfront.
• Return cargo Canary Islands-Peninsula, with exit DUA there and VAT on entry here unless exempted.

Transit times from Málaga (shipping via Cádiz) to each island

Port-to-port transit times with confirmed departure, to which you must add collection on the Costa del Sol, the leg to Cádiz and delivery to destination:

La Gomera and El Hierro transship in Santa Cruz de Tenerife: the final timeline depends on the island connection, not on the Peninsula vessel. We confirm it before giving a date.