Moving Overseas? A Checklist for Shipping Your Belongings from Australia

Moving overseas is exciting, but working out how to get your belongings there can feel overwhelming. This checklist walks you through the main steps, from deciding what to take to the day your boxes arrive.

8 to 12 weeks before you move

• Decide what’s worth shipping. Compare the cost of shipping furniture and appliances with buying new at your destination. Appliances may also run on a different voltage.
• Make a rough list of what you’ll send. Even an approximate volume helps us give you an accurate quote.
• Get a quote for sea and air freight. Many people send a few essentials by air and the rest by sea.
• Check your destination’s rules. Some countries allow duty-free entry for used personal goods if you’re moving there, but you may need to have owned the goods for a minimum period.

4 to 8 weeks before

• Book your shipment so your goods arrive close to when you do.
• Gather your documents: a copy of your passport, your visa or residence permit, and the delivery address.
• Start your inventory. List what’s in each box, with an approximate value. Destination customs often ask for this.
• Arrange insurance. Carrier liability is limited, so transit insurance is worth considering.

2 to 4 weeks before: packing

• Use strong boxes, and number and label each one.
• Clean outdoor furniture, bikes, shoes, camping gear and garden tools so they’re free of soil. Many countries inspect for it.
• Drain fuel from mowers and other equipment.
• Wrap fragile items well and mark the boxes clearly.
• Keep valuables, jewellery, cash and important documents with you.

What you can’t send

Don’t pack flammable or dangerous goods, such as aerosols, paint, fuel, gas bottles and fireworks, or loose lithium batteries. Perishable food, plants and soil are not accepted. Firearms and some Australian cultural heritage objects and native wildlife products need permits to leave Australia.

Do you need export paperwork?

Usually not. Personal effects are exempt from Australia’s export declaration requirement. Your main paperwork will be for customs clearance at the destination, which our overseas agents handle.

Pickup and arrival

• We collect your goods, or you drop them off by arrangement.
• Your shipment is booked on the next suitable sailing or flight.
• Our agent at the destination clears it through customs and arranges delivery to your new address.

Ready to get a quote?

Find out more about shipping personal goods overseas, or contact Fastrak with a list of what you’re sending and where it’s going.