Customs clearance at the Port of Vigo

Galicia to the Canary Islands: the Atlantic route

Many people assume that to send something to the Canary Islands you have to go down to the Mediterranean or to Cádiz. Not always from Galicia: Vigo is a port of call for Atlantic services and, when the week allows, cargo leaves here without prior land routing. When there is no available departure on the client's dates, we consolidate and ship via Cádiz or Valencia, and we tell them before confirming the date, not after.

We also work the return route: we have the Santa Cruz de Tenerife-Vigo departure quoted and operated in a 20-foot container, dock to door, so return shipments are not new territory for us. The total timeframe, depending on where it ships, ranges from 7 to 11 days.

What gets cleared through a fishing port's customs

Vigo has a cargo profile that doesn't resemble any other Spanish port, and that changes the clearance process:

• Fishing and frozen products: constant international traffic, with health certificates, veterinary control at the border, and catch documentation in addition to the DUA. It's not just another clearance: it has its own inspections and timeframes that are not negotiable.
• Automotive: components and vehicles from the region's industry, with detailed tariff classification and values that must be properly documented.
• Granite and natural stone, where weight takes precedence over volume and stowage determines the loading plan.
• Preserves and foodstuffs, with their labeling and regulations.
• Removals and personal effects to the islands, with duty-free allowance for accredited change of residence.

Why the Canary Islands require DUA even though it's Spain

The Canary Islands are within the customs territory of the Union but outside the common VAT territory. A shipment from Galicia to the Canary Islands doesn't pay tariffs, but crosses a fiscal border: Export DUA at the port of shipment and Import DUA upon arrival, with settlement of IGIC and, if the tariff item is subject, AIEM.

In return the operation is VAT-exempt at origin, with the DUA lifted as proof to the AEAT. And order matters: without the first DUA the shipping line won't load, and without the second the Canary terminal won't release. The details are in our guide on customs between the Canary Islands and the Peninsula.

Where we collect from

Collection around Vigo covers Pontevedra and the Vigo area —Redondela, Porriño, Tui, Cangas—, as well as Ourense, Santiago and northern Pontevedra, and by road northern Portugal. The land transport to the loading port is included in the quote from the outset.

For medium volumes, consolidated groupage is what makes an origin like this viable: you pay for the actual volume you occupy and share the container, rather than setting up an exclusive one for half a house and bearing all the freight costs alone.

Timeframes from Galicia to each island

The range depends on whether the week has a departure from Vigo or whether consolidation and shipment via Cádiz or Valencia is necessary. This includes land transport:

We give a range on purpose: the actual timeframe is set by the port of shipment that applies that week. We confirm it before confirming dates and, if it doesn't fit, we offer bridge storage instead of making up an arrival date.