Art transport - Considerations and Costs

Art transportation includes the transportation of paintings, sculptures and art installations. These are often valuable items, not only financial value but also emotional value. So damage or loss should never occur. Below we discuss what you should pay attention to when having art objects transported. Furthermore, we discuss the costs of art transportation.

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Transporting art - What do you pay attention to?

When transporting valuable art objects across the border, there are a number of things to be aware of.

Permits for art transport. The professional transport of a car on a car transporter or trailer within Europe requires a permit from the NIWO. Within the Netherlands a Euro permit is required, but internationally an addition to the Euro permit will be necessary. In most cases, a so-called CEMT permit will suffice. Furthermore, transport from or to the EU in some cases requires additional permits.
Insurance. Art of high value should be properly insured.
Packaging and protection. Depending on the item, there are various standards and forms of shipping.
Agreements on paper. Make sure the agreements with the transporter are well written down. The auto transporter will usually have a contract and conditions that you will need to sign. We advise you to work with a car transporter that uses the AVC/CMR conditions.

Permits for art transport

Commercial transport (for payment) of an object in a vehicle with a payload of more than 500 kilograms means that the transporter is subject to a permit requirement. More specifically, in that case the transport company needs a Euro permit from the NIWO. For international transport, additional certificates again apply.

So a simple move of a light piece of art by road, in some cases, does not require a licensed transporter. In practice, however, you can see that the companies with some reputation for art transportation actually always have a transportation permit. A present permit not only means that the driver is allowed to transport your art object. It also provides a guarantee that the transport company has its affairs in order financially. If something does go wrong, you have a much better chance of getting things handled cleanly.

International Art Transport

Very different rules may apply internationally when transporting art or antique goods. Here are the main points of interest when transporting art and valuable goods across borders.

Even more than in the Netherlands, you need a transport company with the right permits. Transportation of objects within the EUR in many cases requires at least a Euro permit with a CEMT certificate.
When a valuable cargo is involved, you would prefer a party that will hold the cargo from start to finish. Internationally, there is a chance that the valuable item will pass through several hands. This brings additional risk of damage. Try to avoid this as much as possible.
Get insurance that provides ample coverage.
Be sure to pack extremely well. A specialized shipping company will know what to do. Always double check and take photos of the condition of the shipment at the time of shipment.
Put the arrangements with the carrier on paper properly. Leave no ambiguity as to who is responsible for what.

Art transport outside the EU (import or export)

There are strict rules regarding the import into or export from the European Union of cultural goods such as certain art and antiques. If you do not have the proper license when exporting and Customs checks your shipment, Customs will stop and investigate the export. This can take a long time and cost money.

When importing cultural goods from outside the EU, Customs checks that they have not been illegally exported from another country.

Whether your valuable object requires a permit depends on the type of object. For example, you only need a permit for a drawing if it has a value of more than 15,000 euros and is over 50 years old. You can find the complete list on the website of the Government Information and Heritage Inspectorate.

Insure art transport

If the object you are transporting represents a lot of emotional or financial value, we strongly recommend that you take out goods transport insurance. This is because under the standard transport conditions (AVC/CMR) that usually apply, you are only covered for a very limited amount. You need goods transport insurance. You can arrange this yourself with various insurers or the transport company can help you with this. There are a number of specialized insurers in this field. In most cases, the goods transport insurance policies of the major insurers are also sufficient.

Art transportation agreement

In most cases, the art transporter will provide a solid agreement. Make sure the arrangements with the transporter are well written down. This should also make clear who is responsible for preparation, packing, loading and unloading. We advise you to work with an art transporter who applies the AVC/CMR conditions.

Package and protect art for transport

There are also several companies that specialize in boxes and crates specifically for transporting art pieces. If you want to send a smaller art object with a parcel service, it is important to have a perfectly fitting box around it. Furthermore, we recommend putting certain markings on the box (if they are not already there). The "This Side Up" sticker is a good idea. While, of course, with a painting it doesn't matter that much which side is facing up, it does cause parcel services to be potentially more careful with it. Furthermore, the "Fragile" marking is absolutely essential. Unfortunately, in practice in many distribution centers and by couriers, items are not always handled neatly, regardless of markings. So it is really important to make the shipment properly shock and water resistant.

Larger and costly paintings usually go in special crates that can take a beating. For expensive paintings with a size of, these are custom made by a crate maker. A good art transport company can also advise on this.

Recent art and valuables shipments

Painting

Art transport customization

This includes anything that requires customization. Think of transporting really large pieces of art or an entire exhibition that needs to be packed, transported and unpacked again. A good art transportation company can handle these kinds of challenges. Watertight insurance, professionalism and clarity about timelines and budgets are crucial here. Good contact between transporter and client is a requirement. We will gladly put you in touch with the right companies.

Art transportation costs

Art transport is often customized. This requires a custom quote. Total costs include:

Transportation costs: total distance between loading and unloading destination and any call-out charges. This includes the fuel surcharge which depends on fuel prices at the time.
The number of objects: is there one or are multiple vehicles needed?
The cost of additional cargo transport insurance.
In case of international transport: tolls, import or export costs. If the transporter or freight forwarder has to arrange additional things here, this may incur additional costs.
The timeline: whether the auto transport is urgent or schedulable.
Packing and unpacking costs. In some cases, customization is required here, such as special boxes.
Storage costs: when valuable objects are transported internationally, they may be held at customs for inspection. In some cases, this takes some time. The client may incur these costs.

It is advisable to agree on a fixed order price with the carrier. In any case, we recommend that you request several quotes from specialized carriers.

Below are some examples of past quotes for art transportation:

Transport	Kosten (incl. btw)
Vervoer van mozaïek naar Ravenna (It.)	1900
Vervoer antieke spiegel 140 × 80cm van Lyon (Fr.) naar Amsterdam	950
Doos met schilderij van Vreeland (UTR) naar Sneek (FR)	340
Beeld verplaatsen van Londen naar Amsterdam	4500
transport schilderij van Rossum (Gelderland) naar Turijn, Italië	1266
Schilderij 100×100 cm van Roosendaal naar expositie in Zwolle	1082

Art and valuables transport companies

The Netherlands has a relatively large number of art transporters and has above-average experience in this field. There are specialists who deal exclusively with art objects, as well as transportation companies who see it as part of their broader service portfolio. When choosing, make sure that the transportation company has its licenses and insurance in order. This avoids a lot of hassle afterwards.