International Shipping: What you need to Know

Managing the international relocation of your personal belongings can be both costly and risky without the proper professional guidance to walk you through the steps. It’s highly recommended to work with a team that has experience and is trusted amongst the expat community for your move abroad so that your shipping process can go smoothly.

International Shipping Options

Plan your international relocation carefully ahead of time to have enough time to choose a professional shipping and removal services for your move abroad, whether you’re moving a few boxes or 2 entire shipping containers overseas. By placing confidence in a trusted international mover you dodge potential issues, such as your belongings getting lost in transit, delayed in customs clearance or even damaged. 

Entrusting your shipment with a professional team allows you to better understand the entire process, organize all the customs paperwork and have a peace of mind knowing that your shipping professionals will give you the best customer service and ensure your personal belongings arrive safely.

Air, Road or Ocean Freight Shipping

Once you’re ready to speak with shipping professionals, it’s good to have an understanding of the available shipping methods, because the very first step is to choose the most fitting shipping method for your belongings. This depends mostly on your home country, destination, price range and the amount of items you wish to have shipped overseas.

Air Freight

Air freight transport services are generally a good fit for every international relocation, even for moving overseas. Air cargo offers quick shipping times, easy customs clearance and even air freight insurance. This might be the best option for you if your baggage is of high value or the items need to be relocated fast. Air freight is possibly the costliest method of shipping, but it is definitely quick and safe.

Road Freight

Do you want to move abroad on a tight budget? Road freight - also called ground freight - is especially useful for people who want a simple shipping method on a budget, as road freight services tend to be the most cost-effective there is.

This option is available to expats who move to a country with ground transport opportunities or cross-country. Furthermore, if you wish to have your large and / or heavy items - such as furniture - transported you might want to choose a flexible road transport service as well.

Ocean Freight

Air freight is not the only shipping method for people moving overseas. If you want to carry out your moving journey on a budget ocean freight might be the way to go for you. Also, ocean freight is definitely the best option for the ones who plan on executing their moving progress in an Eco-friendly way, as sea shipping comes with the least amount of pollution!

Just like road shipping, it is also optional for transporting large and heavy items, up to full containers of furniture or other belongings in the case of your whole family moving. Sea shipping is also possible when moving a smaller amount of your belongings, in which case LTL (less than container load) is used.

Relocating your Vehicle

No matter what kind of vehicle you want to have moved, it can be your bike or your car, you should get a professional auto shipping service. It is door-to-door, fast and reliable, often with online tracking.

The price of vehicle relocation varies, depending on the type of your vehicle. Before having your car moved abroad you should definitely check out the rules and regulations of each country, as well as the process of acquiring a new plate.

Relocating your Pet

You have to be very careful when selecting an international pet shipping service, because no two pets are the same and each pet relocation company offers different services. In order to have your pet shipped comfortably and safely, it is recommended to understand the entire pet moving process.

There are door-to-door ground freight options and also pet-friendly airlines, such as Air France KLM that you can choose from. Make sure that you research your preferred shipping service very thoroughly, so that you furry friend can have a pleasant and stress-free travel.

Are you ready to prepare for international shipping for your move abroad? Access our expat moving platform to speak with trusted, expat-vetted shipping providers for your personal belongings, vehicle shipping and transporting your pets with ease.