The Ultimate Guide to Shipping Your Belongings Overseas in 2024

2nd May 2024

Moving overseas can be very daunting, and it can be difficult to know where to start, especially when it comes to getting your belongings packed and shipped. Removal companies offer various shipping services covering a complete door-to-door removal or simply transporting your items to their destination. In this blog, we will cover the services offered by removal companies, methods of transport and FAQs of shipping your belongings abroad. 

What do removal companies do?

Before the Move

Before your removal can get going, you will need to undergo a survey. This can either be virtual or physical.

But what’s the difference?

– A virtual survey is the most common option for customers as it is essentially a video call. You will show the assigned member of your removal team the items you wish to ship, and they will be able to give you a quote for your removal based on the items, your destination and a rough timeline. 

– A physical survey is essentially the same thing but in person. This is important for those who are looking to ship things such as antique furniture, art collections or wine collections.

Advice and Guidance

Your allocated team of professionals will be there to provide you with guidance and advice regarding your move abroad and shipping your belongings. If you have selected a full packing service, they will also complete your paperwork efficiently and properly to ensure there are no hiccups at your destination. 

If you have opted for a self-packing service, your international mover will provide you with packing materials, such as boxes and padding, for you to use.

Day of the Move

On your scheduled move day, the team of professional movers will arrive at your house to begin packing your belongings. They will safely and carefully pack your items into boxes, and load them onto a shipping container or lorry.  At this point, movers will complete your inventory and documents to the highest standard possible.

During Transit

Once your belongings are on the move, a member of the team will keep you up-to-date with progress, including shipment milestones and potential delivery dates. 

At Destination

You will be notified once your belongings have safely arrived at your destination. 

Your move manager would have completed the paperwork for your destination ahead of time, allowing for a smooth transition through customs. 

One of our trusted partners will then collect your belongings from the airport, or port, handling them with care and transporting them to your new home!

Depending on your chosen service package, the removal partners will unload your belongings and set up your furniture as requested, making your move hassle-free and stress-free.

Shipping Methods

You can transport your household belongings across the globe in several ways. These include: Sea Freight, Air Freight and Road.

Sea Freight

Sea Freight is the most popular method of transporting household belongings, making up around 90% of all international moves. 

This method is usually the cheapest way to ship personal belongings overseas, but it can also be the slowest, depending on the final destination. Sea freight can take anywhere from 2 to 16 weeks. This time also varied depending on whether you have opted for a door-to-door or different service. 

Types of Sea Freight include:

Full Container Load (FCL) – this is recommended if you’re shipping the contents of a two-bedroom home, or bigger. You will pay for the whole container and fill it as much as you need.

Shared Container or Less than Container Load Shipping (LCL) – this is when you are not shipping enough belongings to fill up a whole container. It is great if you want to ship a few pieces of furniture or some boxes. This can sometimes take longer than FCL’s, as your container may not be shipped until it is full.

Sea Freight also has a very small carbon footprint, so for those that are climate/carbon conscious, this could be a great option for you.

 

Air Freight

 

Air Freight is the quickest method of transporting household belongings from the UK overseas; it is also the most expensive.

When using Air Freight, you need to be prepared to follow more strict rules and regulations, similar to those that are on commercial flights. Airline and country regulations will differ, but many include the restriction of items such as flammables, toxic or corrosive items, gases, magnetic substances, and anything with a ‘danger sign’ on its packaging. 

Shipping your whole household, such as a full house of furniture, is not recommended. Air Freight is most commonly used when the cost of transporting is no more than 15% of the value of the shipment. 

Transit times for Air Freight are usually around 5-7 days, as it takes time to organise and put together but are quick moving when they get going. 

 

Road

Transportation via road is one of the best, cheapest and quickest options if you are looking to move to mainland Europe.

A lorry will be brought to your property so your belongings, once carefully packed, can be loaded straight into the back. 

Shipments to mainland Europe from the UK can take about 2-6 days. Delays can occur with traffic or road closures, and completing paperwork before leaving can help create a snag-free removal.

Storage Solutions

 

Storage in the UK

If you have any items that you don’t want to ship just yet but have no place to store them, you can keep them at a domestic storage facility. It will be kept in a safe and secure location, and you can have your belongings removed from storage and shipped to you when you’re ready.

Storage outside of the UK

It may be necessary for you to move abroad from the UK, but if you are currently staying in temporary accommodation, you may not have access to a lot of storage space yet.

By arranging for international storage, you can ship your belongings and store non-essential items in a secure unit until you’re ready to move them into your home.

 

FAQs

 

Can I take my furniture to another country?

Yes, you can move your furniture overseas! Items such as wardrobes and cabinets can be emptied prior to transportation or sealed and packed with the contents inside. 

The best way to ship your large furniture items is Sea Freight. 

Should I send all of my belongings abroad?

Having a declutter before you move abroad is a great idea; you can get rid of items that you don’t actually want to ship. 

Items such as kitchen utensils are good to sell, give away, or leave behind before moving abroad. These take up space and are cheap to repurchase once you are settled in your new property. 

You also have the option to store things you don’t think you will need or want in your new home. Extra furniture, photos, or memorabilia take up space. If you don’t want to get rid of them completely, you can utilise domestic storage until you decide what to do with the belongings. 

 

What is the cheapest way to send my belongings overseas?

If you’re looking for the cheapest way to send your belongings abroad, you should consider Sea Freight. Though this method can take longer than others, it can cost a fraction of the price of other transportation, such as Air Freight.

Is there anything that can’t be shipped abroad?

Different methods of transport and different countries have various restrictions on what you can and cannot ship outside of the UK. Some general restrictions include:

Weapons, aerosols, dried or tinned food, alcohol, tobacco, corrosives, explosives, drugs/medicine, animal skins, poisons and radioactive substances.  

 

Can I ship my valuable possessions abroad?

Shipping valuables such as art, private wine collections, or antique furniture, you can request a physical survey, where a member of the removal team will visit your home and analyse your valuable possessions. Your valuable possessions will be handled with the utmost care, just like regular shipping, to ensure their safe arrival to their destination. 

 

I’m moving abroad but have a pet, can I move them abroad with me?

At Eurogroup, we work with industry professionals to ensure both you and your pet can have the smoothest, and most stress-free move abroad possible. Whether your companion is a horse, cat, or dog, find out more information about Moving your pet abroad.

 

Can I ship my car abroad?

Yes, you can ship your car abroad (https://www.the-eurogroup.com/how-to-move-your-car-abroad/).

There are several ways you can ship your car abroad, the most common being via sea, and these are as follows:

1.RoRo Services: this is where you physically drive your own vehicle onto the vessel and proceed through the customs and quarantine channels yourself.

2.Container Shipping: your car is loaded into a container, either on its own, with another vehicle, or with the rest of your household belongings.

3.Vehicles can also be transported by air or road, though sea freight is recommended first.

 

Depending on where you want to ship your car, many countries have various regulations for shipping your car, such as deep cleaning, or shipping cars under a certain age. For more guidance on rules to follow when shipping your car abroad, visit the UK government website (https://www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk). 

Still have some unanswered questions?

If you still have questions about shipping your belongings overseas, contact a member of our friendly team, or request a virtual survey to get an accurate quote.