Moving logistics
Shipping your things, or buying them again
A container costs more than most people's furniture is worth. Here is how to decide honestly.
The Expat Center · 6 min read
Do the arithmetic before the emotion
Price a shared container quote, then price replacing the same contents at your destination. For most moves under a full household, replacement wins — and it wins by more in countries where furniture is locally made.
The items that justify shipping are usually specific rather than general: instruments, tools, art, and anything that is either irreplaceable or absurdly expensive to buy locally.
Customs, and the residency dependency
Several countries offer a one-off duty exemption on household goods for new residents, but the exemption is tied to your residency status and to a window around your arrival date. Shipping before your residency exists can forfeit it.
This interacts with the visa timeline directly: the paperwork order matters.
Getting comparable quotes
Quotes are only comparable if they cover the same scope: door to door versus port to port, customs clearance included or not, insurance at declared value or at replacement value. Ask for all three lines separately.
Questions
- Is air freight ever worth it?
- For a small volume of essential items, sometimes — it can beat the cost of a shared container's minimum charge.
- Should I insure the shipment?
- Yes, at replacement value, and read the exclusion list for items packed by you rather than by the mover.