Door-to-door overseas moving
Moving your furniture, personal belongings, and household possessions to another country takes careful planning. From packing and container selection to customs clearance and final delivery, every part of the shipment needs to be organized properly.
International Sea & Air Shipping provides international household goods shipping for individuals and families relocating overseas. We handle the major stages of your move, including professional packing, ocean or air transportation, customs support, storage, insurance, and delivery.
Whether you're moving an entire household or shipping a smaller collection of personal possessions, we'll help you determine the transportation and services that fit your shipment.
Ready to find out what your move will cost? Request a free international moving quote and receive a response within 24 hours.
Free household shipping quote
One team, every stage
When you’re shipping household goods overseas, you’re not simply booking transportation. Your belongings may need to be packed for international handling, documented for customs, loaded into a container or prepared for air freight, transported across borders, and delivered at your destination.
International Sea & Air Shipping brings these services together under one moving plan. Your shipment can include:
Your moving specialist can assess your shipment and help determine which services and transportation method make sense for your destination, volume, timeline, and budget.
What affects the price
The cost of shipping household goods overseas varies from one move to another. Shipment volume, origin and destination, transportation method, packing requirements, moving date, storage, customs-related services, and final delivery can all affect the price.
For larger shipments, ocean freight is generally the practical choice. Your belongings may travel in a dedicated 20-foot or 40-foot dry container. If your shipment does not require a full container, shared-container or groupage shipping may provide another option.
Air freight can be considered when you have fewer belongings or a shorter timeline and want a faster alternative to ocean transportation.
Container, shared or air
A 20-foot dry container can accommodate a substantial household shipment without requiring the space of a larger container. It can be appropriate for customers moving a moderate volume of furniture, boxes, and personal possessions overseas.
Larger households with more furniture and belongings may require a 40-foot container. Your moving specialist can help assess your inventory and determine whether the additional space is appropriate for your shipment.
Not every international move requires a dedicated container. Smaller shipments can be transported using shared-container or groupage services, where your belongings share container space with other shipments.
When getting your belongings overseas quickly is a priority, air freight provides a faster alternative to ocean transportation. It can be particularly useful for smaller shipments or belongings needed sooner at your destination.
Packed for the journey
Packing household belongings for an overseas journey is different from preparing them for a local move. Furniture, glassware, electronics, artwork, clothing, and other possessions need protection suited to longer-distance transportation and handling.
Our professional packing services can prepare your household goods before shipment, including careful wrapping, boxing, and protection for fragile belongings.
For items that require additional protection, custom crating is available. This can be particularly useful for valuable artwork, antiques, sculptures, delicate furniture, and unusually shaped possessions.
Professional packing also helps create a more organized shipment and supports the inventory and documentation process required for international transportation.
Paperwork handled
When shipping personal belongings overseas, customs requirements are an important part of the process. Countries can have different rules regarding household goods, personal effects, wood products, food, animal-derived materials, and other items.
International Sea & Air Shipping helps customers prepare the documentation required for their shipment and provides customs support as part of its international moving services.
An accurate inventory is particularly important. Before your move, you’ll want to identify what you’re taking, determine which belongings require special attention, and understand whether destination-country restrictions apply.
Our team can help you prepare your shipment for international transportation and navigate the documentation involved.
Flexible timing
Your belongings don’t always need to leave your current home and arrive at your new home on the same schedule.
You may be moving out before your overseas residence is ready, arriving in your destination country before your shipment, or simply needing additional time to arrange your new home.
International Sea & Air Shipping offers short- and long-term storage options, including climate-controlled storage at many facilities. Storage can be incorporated into your moving plan so your belongings remain protected until you’re ready for delivery.
Specialty items
Household shipments often contain more than standard furniture and boxes. Some possessions need additional preparation, handling, or transportation arrangements.
Pianos are heavy, delicate instruments that require specialized preparation and handling. International piano moving services can include protective packing, crating, transportation, and other precautions appropriate to the instrument.
Paintings, sculptures, antiques, heirlooms, and other valuable pieces may require specialized packing and custom crating. Our team can develop protection around the individual item rather than treating it like ordinary household furniture.
If you’re relocating overseas with a car, international vehicle shipping can be arranged alongside your household move. The appropriate transportation method depends on the vehicle, destination, and shipping requirements.
Have a specialty item that needs to travel with your household? Tell us about it when requesting your quote so we can plan the appropriate handling.
Experience you can check
Choosing a company to handle your household possessions overseas means looking beyond the shipping price. Experience, international reach, service options, and professional credentials all matter.
International Sea & Air Shipping has more than 75 years of experience helping customers move household goods internationally. That experience spans packing, ocean and air transportation, customs, storage, and destination services.
Our network includes more than 600 agents worldwide, providing international support at origin and destination and helping coordinate the different stages of an overseas relocation.
You can arrange professional packing, ocean freight, air freight, container shipping, storage, customs support, insurance, specialty moving, and delivery through one international moving provider.
Custom crating, professional wrapping, specialty packing, insurance solutions, and careful handling can be incorporated when your shipment includes fragile or valuable possessions.
Licensed, accredited and connected
Whether you’re moving an entire home or sending a smaller shipment of personal belongings, the right transportation and services can make your relocation easier to manage.
International Sea & Air Shipping can help you assess your shipment, choose between container, shared-container, and air transportation, arrange professional packing, and coordinate the services needed to get your belongings to their destination.
Request your free moving quote today. We’ll respond within 24 hours with the next steps for your international household shipment.
Helpful answers
Household goods generally include personal property from your home, such as furniture, clothing, linens, household furnishings, decorations, artwork, and other personal belongings. The exact items permitted in a shipment can vary according to the destination country’s regulations.
The cost of shipping household goods overseas depends on the volume of your shipment, origin, destination, shipping method, packing requirements, moving date, storage, and delivery services. Ocean freight is generally more economical for larger household shipments, while air freight provides a faster option.
The right method depends on how much you’re shipping and how quickly you need it. Full-container ocean freight can work well for larger households, while shared-container shipping can accommodate smaller shipments. Air freight may be appropriate when speed is more important.
International household shipments can be transported in 20-foot or 40-foot dry containers, depending on the volume of belongings. Smaller shipments may be suitable for shared-container service. An inventory or pre-move assessment can help determine the appropriate option.
Transit time depends on the origin, destination, shipping method, routing, customs clearance, and delivery arrangements. Ocean freight generally takes longer than air freight. Your moving specialist can provide a more relevant timeline once the details of your shipment are known.
Yes. Air freight is available as a faster alternative to ocean transportation. It can be useful for smaller shipments or belongings that you need to receive sooner after arriving at your destination.
Yes. Professional packing services are available for household goods being prepared for international transportation. Additional wrapping and custom crating can be arranged for fragile, valuable, or unusually shaped belongings.
Yes. International household shipments can include specialty belongings such as pianos, vehicles, fine art, antiques, and other items requiring specialized handling. Let your moving specialist know about these items when requesting your quote so appropriate services can be considered.
Yes. Short- and long-term storage can be incorporated into your international move if your departure and delivery dates don’t align. Climate-controlled storage is also available at many facilities.
Yes. Door-to-door service can include pickup from your residence, packing, international transportation, customs support, and delivery to your destination. Inside delivery can also be arranged when you need your belongings brought into your new home.
