Shipping a household is usually treated as a logistics problem. It is primarily a customs problem, and the difference shows up when a container arrives and cannot be released.
Most systems offer relief from duty on personal effects for people relocating. It is conditional, and the conditions are easier to satisfy before shipping than after.
| Usually available | duty relief on used personal effects |
|---|---|
| Usual conditions | owned and used beforehand, not sold afterwards |
| Usual deadline | a window around the date of arrival |
| Usual exclusion | vehicles, new goods, commercial quantities |
Household effects relief
Typical conditions, though the detail varies:
- You are transferring residence, not visiting
- The goods were owned and used by you for a minimum period beforehand — often six or twelve months
- The goods are for your own continued use, not for sale
- They arrive within a defined window around your own arrival
- You will not dispose of them for a period afterwards
Two of these cause most of the failures.
The prior-use requirement excludes things bought for the move. New appliances or furniture purchased shortly before shipping are frequently assessed as ordinary imports and charged accordingly, which is exactly the outcome the buyer was trying to avoid.
The time window is real. Goods that arrive too long before or after you may fall outside the relief entirely. Where the timing cannot be helped, ask in advance whether an extension can be granted — some systems allow it on request, and almost none allow it retrospectively.
The inventory
The single document that determines how smoothly this goes.
- Itemised, not "one box kitchen" — vague inventories invite full inspection
- Values stated as realistic second-hand values, not replacement cost
- Serial numbers for electronics and appliances
- Anything restricted flagged separately rather than buried in a list
- Consistent with the shipping documents
The last point is where things go wrong quietly. A discrepancy between the inventory and what is in the container triggers a full examination, and that means delay, handling charges and storage — usually costing more than the duty that was at issue.
Vehicles
Almost always treated separately from household effects and almost always the more difficult item.
What has to be established before shipping, not after:
- Whether the vehicle can be imported at all — age limits, emissions standards and steering-side rules exclude many vehicles outright
- Whether relief applies, and what prior-ownership period it requires
- What modification is required for local approval
- What registration and inspection follows arrival
- Whether duty is charged on value, engine size or emissions
The first point is the one to settle first. Shipping a vehicle that cannot lawfully be registered leaves you paying storage on something you can neither use nor easily send back, and this is a common and expensive discovery.
For most people the arithmetic favours selling before moving and buying after. A vehicle already suited to local rules avoids duty, modification, approval and the risk of the whole exercise failing.
Items needing separate handling
- Firearms — permits required in advance, and never to be shipped without them
- Alcohol collections — duty usually applies regardless of relief
- Plants and seeds — as covered in the material on restricted goods
- Pets — a separate procedure with vaccination timelines that can run to months
- Artworks and antiques — may need export permission from the origin country
- Medicines — personal quantities only, with documentation
The pet timeline is the one that most often forces a change of plan. Rabies vaccination, titre testing and waiting periods can require six months of lead time, so it is the first thing to check when a move is being considered, not the last.
Sequence
- Confirm your residence status permits the relief
- Check the prior-ownership period before buying anything for the move
- Start the pet procedure early if applicable
- Decide the vehicle question on eligibility, not sentiment
- Prepare a full itemised inventory
- Confirm the arrival window and ask about extension if needed
- Keep proof of prior residence and ownership accessible
- Do not dispose of relieved goods during the restricted period
Step eight is quietly binding. Selling relieved goods inside the restricted period can make the duty payable retrospectively, and the obligation survives long after the container is unpacked and forgotten.
Frequently asked questions
Why are new items bought for the move often charged duty?
Because relief usually requires prior ownership and use for a set period. Appliances bought shortly before shipping are assessed as ordinary imports.
What makes an inventory matter so much?
A discrepancy between the inventory and the container triggers full examination — delay, handling and storage charges that usually exceed the duty at issue.
Should a vehicle be shipped or sold?
Usually sold. Age, emissions and steering-side rules exclude many vehicles, and shipping one that cannot be registered leaves you paying storage on something unusable.
What has the longest lead time?
Pets — vaccination, titre testing and waiting periods can take six months, so it should be checked when the move is first considered.
