Pennsylvania International Moving Services

International Sea & Air Shipping delivers comprehensive international moving services for Pennsylvania residents and families relocating abroad. With over 78 years in business and a 600-agent global network across six continents, we handle door-to-door relocations from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and every city in between.

Get Full Door-to-Door International Moving Services in Pennsylvania

Many relocation issues stem from juggling too many vendors. We offer one team with a single point of contact from your initial quote through final delivery at your overseas address.

The full scope of our door-to-door service includes:

• Inventory, professional packing and protective materials selected for ocean and air transit.
• On-request custom crating for select high-value belongings like artwork, antiques and pianos.
• Loading, ground transport and port drayage to your departure terminal.
• Ocean or air freight services, schedule confirmation and shipping documentation.
• Customs filings and clearance representation at both origin and destination.
• Unloading, unpacking and basic furniture placement at your overseas address.

Ship From the Port of Philadelphia and Save on Drayage

Pennsylvania has direct access to one of the East Coast’s busiest container ports. The Port of Philadelphia accommodates many international shipments leaving the state, which means shorter drayage, faster booking windows and fewer handoffs between origin and vessel. For destinations along Europe-bound trade lanes, especially, Philadelphia is often the most efficient routing in the region.

When the destination or schedule calls for it, we also use the Port of Baltimore and the Port of New York and New Jersey as alternative gateways. We’ll match the port and the carrier to your specific corridor, rather than defaulting to whichever terminal is most convenient for us.

Find the Right International Shipping Method for Your Move

Sea freight, air freight and shared container services each suit different moves. We’ll walk you through the trade-offs, recommend an option based on volume and destination and let you make the final call. Most full households use ocean freight, which keeps the per-cubic-foot cost low. For urgent moves, valuable electronics or items that can’t wait, air freight shipping gets your goods to the destination in days rather than weeks.

Depending on what you’re shipping and where it’s going, we may recommend:

• Less-than-container load (LCL): Choose this if you’d like to share container space and pay for the volume you use. It’s a practical option for partial households and apartment-sized moves.
• Full-container load (FCL): Get exclusive use of a 20-foot or 40-foot container service, with faster transit times, more scheduling control and room for vehicles or oversized items alongside household goods.
• Groupage (shared container): Our groupage services are built for shipments that are too large for LCL shipping but don’t require a full 20-foot container, with port and destination terminal handling fees included in the quoted price.

Smaller volumes traveling to common European, Asian or Australian destinations often work well in shared container groupage, which keeps costs manageable without sacrificing the same destination handling.

International Customs Clearance

A missing form or an undeclared item can hold a shipment at the destination port for longer than planned. Our customs clearance team acts as your dedicated broker on both ends, so the paperwork stays with the people who know your file.

Here’s what that coverage looks like in practice:

• Documentation prepared for you: Includes bill of lading, packing list, valued inventory, country-of-origin paperwork, passport copies, employer transfer letters and diplomatic certificates if your situation requires them.
• Restricted-item flagging: Cultural artifacts, fresh produce, wedding trousseaux and other regulated items get identified before pickup, so the right permits are arranged in advance.
• Duty and VAT explained: Most countries calculate duties on the value of goods, shipping and insurance, often with VAT layered on top. We walk you through what to expect at the destination to streamline your experience.
• Active port coordination: Our team works with customs authorities while your shipment moves through clearance and keeps you in the loop at each stage.
• Certain categories sit outside the standard process. Vehicles, in particular, must meet U.S. Customs, DOT and EPA export standards, and we prepare the required filings on your behalf.

Specialty International Moving Services

Some belongings need more than careful packing. Our piano service handles uprights, digitals, baby grands and concert grands, with grand pianos professionally disassembled, transported on air-ride suspension and held in a climate-controlled environment where available. Cars, motorcycles, RVs, classic vehicles and convertibles move through car shipping services by shared container, exclusive container or air freight, with the necessary export documents prepared in-house.

Original artwork, sculpture and inherited antiques travel under museum-quality handling through art antiques moving, often packed inside heat-treated timber crates built specifically for the piece by our custom crating team. When restricted materials such as ivory, tortoiseshell or Brazilian rosewood are involved, we arrange the necessary permits in advance.

Climate-Controlled Storage and Marine Insurance

International moves may take longer than national ones. Closings stretch, visa appointments push, and new homes aren’t always ready when your container arrives. Our warehouse storage provides a secure place to hold your shipment before departure, between residences or after arrival overseas. 

Our Pennsylvania-based facility is climate-controlled, providing a steady environment for belongings sensitive to temperature or humidity. While your goods are in transit, a reference number lets you check on the shipment at each stage and stay informed as it moves through every leg of the journey.

We also offer marine insurance options to help protect your belongings during transit, with coverage that can extend from professional packing through delivery at the destination. Higher-value items such as artwork, antiques and vehicles can be listed individually on your inventory so they’re considered for additional protection. When you request a quote, our team will walk you through the available coverage choices so you can pick what fits your move.

Why Work With Us?

Here’s how we streamline your move from beginning to end:

• Decades of experience: We have over 78 years of experience moving clients abroad, with the institutional memory that comes with it.
• 600-agent worldwide network: Work with reliable destination partners across six continents, vetted over decades of coordinating moves to nearly every country in the world.
• Licensed NVOCC status: Get access to a direct booking authority with major ocean carriers, with scheduling arranged by our team.
• In-house customs brokerage: We offer simplified paperwork managed by our own licensed brokers, start to finish.
• Custom crating on request: Our crating services build protective enclosures for select high-value items like fine art, antiques and pianos.
• Climate-controlled warehousing in Pennsylvania: Use a secure interim home for shipments that need one between residences.

Get Your Free International Moving Quote

Every successful international move starts with the right conversation. Tell us about your destination country and provide a rough outline of what you plan to bring, and our team will translate those details into a seamless, customized plan with transparent pricing.

With more than seven decades of international moving experience and a worldwide network of trusted partners, you’ll have a knowledgeable team coordinating every stage of your move from origin to overseas deliver