International Removals UK to Canada

International removals costs to Canada on shared container services are based on the size of your shipment, and are calculated at a price per cubic metre, or sometimes per cubic feet, not the weight of your personal effects or furniture. The more belongings you have, the larger your shipment, and the higher the cost.

1 cubic metre is the equivalent of 35 cubic feet.

If you are moving your personal effects and household goods on a dedicated, or full, container service, your shipping costs are based on the sole use of the shipping container rather than how much space you utilise in it.

When moving your household goods and belongings using 1st Move’s palletised International Removals service, your volume is easily and accurately calculated as the final packed pallet can be measured exactly before it is loaded into the shipping container. No guesswork or estimation here!

Palletising also enables us to use space inside, underneath, or around items, thus reducing the cost and lowering the final volume.

Here are the main factors which will affect the cost of moving to Canada from the UK:

• Size of move: Shared container shipping costs are charged on the final packed volume of your move and the space you take up in the shared container. The bigger volume you ship will increase your moving costs. Shipping a 40ft container will be more expensive than a 20ft container.
• Destination and distance travelled: The further your destination is from the main arrival port will mean additional transport costs. The main arrival ports in Canada are Vancouver on the West Coast, Montreal and Halifax on the East coast. We also have strategically position inland depots which will reduce overall transportations costs in Canada. These are in:
  • Montreal
  • Toronto
  • Vancouver
  • Quebec
  • Ottawa
  • Calgary, AB
  • Charlottetown
  • Edmonton
  • Halifax
  • Regina
  • Saint John
  • Saskatoon
• Moving day: Moving on weekends or bank holidays can mean additional costs for your mover which they will have to pass on to you. (Fridays can also be more expensive as this is the most popular moving day)
• Insurance: The higher value of goods moved will increase your moving insurance costs. Budget around 4% (or £40.00 for every £1000.00 shipped) of the total value of your personal effects and household goods.
• Shipping method: Airfreight is more expensive than sea freight so you should only airfreight essentials.
• Packing: Packing costs are charged on time and materials so the more the mover must pack the more expensive your move. You can reduce these costs by packing nonfragile items yourself.
• Furniture shipping: Furniture and white goods can be expensive to ship as they may require disassembly and additional packing. Consider a declutter and buying new in your home country.
• Storage costs: You may need to pay for storage if your accommodation is not ready for delivery. You can store goods in the UK and ship once you have your accommodation arranged. Alternatively, you can ship your goods immediately and arrange storage in Canada, then have goods transported to your door once you have somewhere to live.

We offer weekly scheduled shipping to Canada from the UK port of Liverpool. The average shipping time from the UK to Canada is between 10 and 30 days depending on the arrival port in Canada. Here are the current port to port transit times from the UK to Canada;

Please visit our Canadian shipping schedules page for up-to-date information of our next international removals shipping services; Container Shipping Schedules and transit times UK to Canada.

Why Wait? Using 1st Move’s consolidation services means we can get you on a ship faster than a mover who has to wait to fill a container with other international removals customers' goods. You can also check the official schedules for all major UK to Canada shipping Lines here: Linescape - Ocean Container Shipping Schedules

If you are planning to move to Canada then getting a quotation to move your personal effects and household goods couldn’t be simpler. 1st Move International has a simple-to-use quotation form on every page of our website which you can use to give details of your shipment to our dedicated and knowledgeable sales team.

You can also complete the contact form, call on +44 117 982 8123 / 0800 389 0784 or e-mail on sales@shipit.co.uk

They will give you a full breakdown of the costs as well as details of the expected shipping times as well as the packing and shipping process.

Comparing international removals quotes to Canada can be difficult, as they may be structured differently, include/exclude different costs or even use different units of volume (cubic metres or cubic feet).

To compare quotations effectively for moving personal effects to Canada, you can follow these steps;

1. Research and Shortlist Companies: You should start by looking into the companies that you are contacting, ensure that they are reputable and are affiliated to trade memberships such as the British Association of Removers (BAR) which indicates that they are professional and reliable.
2. Request Detailed Quotes: Provide comprehensive details of the items that you are moving to Canada, giving each company the same information. Include any special handling requirements and details of any access or parking restrictions.
3. Evaluate the Quotes: Compare the quotes carefully, checking that they are based on the same specifications, including size and collection and delivery addresses as well as which costs are included or excluded in the total. Remember to check on the size that the companies have calculated your shipment to be.
4. It’s Not All About Price: Check each company’s website and additional literature for their service details. Do they have any unique selling points (USPs) such as 1st Move International’s faster shipping times, safer packing techniques and transparent billing?
5. Check Timelines and Shipping Schedules: How often do the international removals companies ship to Canada? Can they give you a sailing date and an estimated arrival date? Some companies can give you a port-to-port transit time only, but this not does give an indication as to when your personal effects are likely to depart from the UK port, only how long it takes once the vessel has left. 1st Move can give you weekly scheduled sailings, take a look at our shipping schedule for international removals to Canada.
6. Understand your Insurance Options: Although not usually included as part of your international removals quote to Canada, a company should still give details of the marine insurance options that they can offer. Check that this gives suitable cover to protect your household goods when in transit to Canada.
7. Read Reviews: International Removals companies will have a selection of reviews on their website, or on the quotes themselves, but also check on external review sites such as TrustPilot or Google, who are independent. Check good and bad reviews, and how the company has responded, looking beyond the star rating and into the detail.

Yes, we offer free storage, up to your UK shipping date, before sailing for Canada. Once your belongings have been packed, we will advise you of the final costs and, at this point, are able to advise you of your expected shipping dates. Once payment has been received, along with all paperwork necessary for an international removals shipment, your personal effects will be shipped on the next available sailing.

We normally estimate around 7 to 12 days from the time of collection from your home to the scheduled shipping date, as this allows for transportation, packing services, preparation of shipping documents and Customs formalities as well as invoicing and final payment.

These faster shipping times may not suit your schedule, so in the event that you would prefer us to store your goods in the UK a little longer and catch a later vessel, then we offer competitive storage costs to suit your requirements. Storage costs will be based on the size of your move and the length of time that you require your international removals shipment to be stored in our UK warehouse. Please tell your Move Manager your plans and we can advise you of the expected storage costs.

1st Move International offer a 10% Early Booking Discount when you book within 7 days of receiving your quotation, and after a low £250 booking deposit to confirm your preferred collection date, there is nothing further to pay before your goods are collected, packed and ready to move.

We also offer a student discount of a further 10% over our usual shipping cost, we just require a copy of your NUS card at the time of your booking and we will include this in your final shipping invoice.

It is strongly recommended that you have sufficient marine insurance cover in place when moving your personal effects and household goods to Canada, even though 1st Move International’s palletised international removals service is the most safe and secure option available.

Marine insurance provides coverage against potential loss or damage of your goods during the shipping process, and without the added protection this offers you may not be covered for the cost of any items that do get damaged or are missing.

Through the specialist international removals marine insurance brokers, Basil Fry & Co, 1st Move International are able to offer 3 levels of insurance cover, this means that we have options for all requirements and budgets. For more information on the levels of cover available take a look at our insurance options.

You are able to move your furniture to Canada by seafreight or by airfreight. Seafreight via shared container is usually the most cost-effective method.

The process in moving your furniture to Canada is;

1. Get a Quote: Start by requesting a free online quote from the form found on every page of our website, or contact our team for a detailed estimate based on your own specific requirements.
2. Book Your Move: Once you have received and accepted the quote, it is time to book your move. Once booked our dedicated and knowledgeable team will be in touch to arrange a collection on your preferred collection date.
3. Packing & Palletising: Your furniture will be professionally packed, shrink-wrapped, and palletised, reducing the handling of individual items by up to 80%, providing maximum protection in transit.
4. Shipping: Once packing has been completed, your move will be scheduled onto the next available weekly vessel to Canada, thanks to 1st Move International’s unique faster shipping process.
5. Customs Clearance: Our experiences Move Managers assist with all aspects of the necessary Customs clearance documentation for entry into Canada.
6. Delivery: Once cleared, your shipment of furniture or other personal effects is delivered directly to your new home in Canada.

Yes, you will need to have a valid Visa or permit before you are able to move furniture and personal effects to Canada. Below is an outline of some of the visas and permits that are available when moving to Canada.

• Work Permit: If you have been hired for a job in Canada, you can apply for a work permit which allows you to move personal effects and furniture when you are relocating.
• Study Permit: International students who are approved for a study permit to attend a Canadian educational institution can also move their personal effects and furniture to Canada.
• Permanent Resident Visa: Anyone moving to Canada with a permanent resident visa is able to move their personal effects and furniture duty free.

The Government of Canada website provides full details on the Visa/Permit application process and requirements for duty-free personal effects importation.

We have over 25 years’ worth of experience in moving all types of personal effects, household goods, personal belongings, furniture, boxes, bags and suitcases from the UK to Canada, and have the expertise to safely collect, pack and ship any items that you wish.

Moving Personal Effects to Canada from the UK

At 1st Move International, we understand the need for the safety and security of international removals, and combine our safer packing with the fastest shipping times in the industry, shipping every week to destinations worldwide. We ship all manner of personal effects and belongings including;

• Clothing and Footwear: This includes all everyday clothes, shoes, trainers, coats and accessories, including the occasional wedding dress (new and used)
• Household Items: Kitchenware, cutlery, bedding and towels, lamps, ornaments and other everyday household goods.
• Electronics and Appliances: Televisions, computers and laptops, white goods, stereo systems and all kinds of small appliances such as kettles or toasters. We have seen an increase in air fryers recently as well!
• Books and Personal Documents: Books, photo albums and important or sentimental documents such as birth or marriage certificates. Don’t pack your passport though, you may need it to collect your goods in Canada!
• Sports Equipment: Bikes, tennis rackets, surfboards and snowboards, golf clubs and regularly Peloton bikes, which we crate individually for added protection and ease of loading/unloading.

Moving Furniture and Household Goods to Canada

Moving furniture overseas from the UK to Canada requires great care and attention to ensure the safest of journeys, and our experienced international removals team will use the utmost care when collecting and loading your furniture onto our vans. We then continue the care and attention by carefully stacking and wrapping all of your items onto pallets using our specialist, and unique, shrink-fast packing technique.

Palletised shipping prevents excessive handling of furniture items as they are loaded and offloaded with experienced forklift truck drivers, instead of being loose loaded and handled individually at various stages of the international removals shipping process.

We are able to ship all kinds of furniture items, and palletising them helps with the loading and unloading of larger items. We are the only UK International Removals company that offers this palletised shipping service, and even if you are shipping on our dedicated full container service, we palletise your goods to ensure the safest loading and unloading process possible.

Furniture items that we can ship include;

• Bedroom Furniture: King size, single and every bed size in between, either framed or divan, including mattresses, chests of drawers, wardrobes and bedside tables.
• Living Room Furniture: Sofas and armchairs, coffee tables, bookshelves, TV and entertainment units.
• Dining Room Furniture: Dining tables and chairs
• Office Furniture: Desks, chairs and bookshelves

Moving Boxes to Canada from the UK

Our shared container international removals services are perfect when you only have a few boxes or bags to ship. All items are palletised and the pallet measured exactly, so you only pay for the exact size that your boxes, cartons or bags take up inside the shared shipping container, nothing is estimated.

Shipping Cars and Vehicles to Canada

We have been shipping cars to Canada for over 25 years under our sister company, Autoshippers. The Autoshippers website is a mine of information on shipping cars to Canada as well as all major destinations throughout the world. As car shipping is a very specialist service, you will need to enlist a knowledgeable company when you are looking to ship your car, van or motorbike to Canada, and Autoshippers fits the bill.

Take a look at their guide to shipping a car to Canada where you can find out everything you need to know.

Airfreight and Faster International Removals Shipping Options from the UK to Canada

When moving to Canada, you may find that there are items that you simply cannot wait to arrive by seafreight, even with 1st Move International’s faster shipping services, and for those we can offer air freight and express options. We have accounts with major international courier companies DHL and UPS as well as international cargo airlines, meaning we can offer reliable services globally for items that you need to have earlier than the rest of your personal effects and furniture.

We can airfreight;

• Important Documents
• Fragile or Valuable Items, such as Artwork or Antiques
• Work Related Electronics
• Essential Items for Babies and Small Children

Yes, when moving to Canada you are allowed to move your used household goods, including household and electrical appliances, on a duty-free basis, as long as they meet the CBSA criteria for personal effects and meet Canadian Electrical Safety Standards and Requirements.

For larger items, such as refrigerators or washing machines, we advise that you check that they are compatible with Canada’s electrical system of 110-120 volts and 60 HZ cycle. Smaller 120V items may work with just a plug adaptor, but other larger 220-240V appliances may need a voltage transformer.

All appliances and electronics must be thoroughly cleaned before you ship them to Canada, as The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) may inspect them before they release them from Customs.

When you are planning your move from the UK to Canada, it’s important to understand what household goods and personal items may be restricted or prohibited to ship, as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) enforces strict regulations to protect the country’s environmental, and public, safety.

Items that are prohibited for International Removals to Canada include;

• Fruits, vegetables, plants and seeds
• Firearms, weapons, ammunition
• Counterfeit Goods

Items that are restricted, and may require further permits and/or declarations resulting in increased costs and delays, include;

• Tobacco Products
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Certain Medication and Pharmaceuticals
• New Items

Please discuss any items that you are unsure of with your Move Manager at 1st Move International when you are making your booking, and include everything on your packing inventory so that checks can be made of any item that may cause an issue with your international removals shipment to Canada.

Take a look at our Customs Guide for Personal Effects Shipping to Canada for more details and links to specific CBSA web pages.

When your international removals shipment is loaded into the shipping container, either on our dedicated or shared container services, you are sent all the documentation which includes the unique shipping container number and vessel name, and these can be used to track your personal effects whilst they are on their way to Canada.

You can use tracking websites that are used by commercial shipping companies by inputting the container number or vessel name, or you can use 1st Move International’s container tracking tool on our website.

Yes, you are able to ship your car or motorbike when you move to Canada, but you need to be aware of certain import requirements, the most crucial factor being whether your vehicle meets the criteria set by Transport Canada in regards to their safety standards.

For cars, motorbikes and other vehicles that are 15 years old or newer, they must be manufactured for sale in either Canada or the USA to be eligible for import. This is overseen in Canada by the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program. Cars, motorbikes and other vehicles that are over 15 years old are exempt from RIV requirements, but you must be able to prove the age of your vehicle using the registration documents.

There are also duties and taxes to pay, with most car imports subject to a 6.1% duty rate and 5% Goods and Services and Tax (GST) on the value of the vehicle. We would suggest that you check the eligibility of any vehicle that you are thinking of shipping when you are moving to Canada with a specialist car shipping company, such as Autoshippers, who are our sister company, and they have all of the information you need shipping a car to Canada.

We have international removals services to the main Canadian arrival ports of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. From these main ports we have international removals delivery services throughout Canada, including Edmonton, Halifax, Calgary, Winnipeg and all towns in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and all other territories in Canada.

• Toronto: The provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture, known for its vibrant and dynamic atmosphere.
• Montreal: The second-largest city in Canada, and the largest city in Quebec. It is an island city on the St Lawrence River with a rich French heritage, celebrated for its culture, cuisine and festivals.
• Vancouver: The largest city in British Columbia located on the west coast of Canada. It is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Canada, known for its natural beauty, mild climate (for Canada) and economic opportunities.
• Halifax: The capital of Nova Scotia and a major economic centre in Atlantic Canada with one of the world’s greatest natural harbours. It blends urban amenities with maritime heritage.

When your belongings arrive in Canada, our trusted agent will be in contact with you to assist with Customs clearance and to book your delivery once your shipment is released by Customs. Once your international removals shipment has departed from the UK, 1st Move International sends all shipping documentation to them, along with your contact details.

These documents are also sent to you, along with confirmation of the shipping departure and arrival dates, and contact details of the agent in Canada.

You should have already declared to Customs that you have goods to follow when you arrived in Canada (for more details of this process see here) so should be able to easily arrange Customs clearance with assistance from the Customs agent.

Once your shipment has been cleared by Customs, and released, it can either be collected by you, or delivery arranged with the local agent in Canada. All through the process, both 1st Move International in the UK and the agent in Canada are available for any assistance that is needed.

Customs clearance in Canada is best handled by enlisting the help of a Customs broker, or a clearance agent, to carry out Customs formalities, although you will still need to visit your closest CBSA office to complete the final clearance form and process in person.

1st Move International can assist with all export Customs formalities before you move your personal effects to Canada, but you aren’t able to complete some of the paperwork until you arrive. Once arriving in Canada, you will need to check-in using the computer terminals at the airport, and make sure that you check the “Goods to Follow” declaration on the screen.

Then, once your international removals shipment arrives, you will need to visit your nearest Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) office, where the BSF186 Customs form is completed, your paperwork stamped and you, or your moving company, are then free to collect your personal effects and furniture.

We have further information on our Canada Customs Guide for Personal Effects Shipping to Canada, and our trusted local agent in Canada, M Consolidation Lines, are also on hand to assist.

We also provide a detailed guide on prohibited & restricted items when shipping to Canada, including information on duties and how to delcare when shipping to Canada.

Yes, you will need to be present at a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) office to clear your personal effects shipment through Customs when it arrives in Canada.

When you arrive into the country, you will have submitted a Goods to Follow declaration at the airport, and this advises Customs that you have an unaccompanied shipment of personal effects and household goods moving separately.

To clear your goods through Customs, you will complete the BSF186 form whist at the CBSA office and they will stamp the paperwork to release your personal effects either for you to collect or for the local agent to arrange delivery to your chosen address.

You do not need to pay duty on personal effects when you move to Canada, as long as you meet the criteria set out by the Canda Border Services Agency, which is;

• You must have owned and used the goods for 6 months or more before your move to Canada
• The goods are for your personal use, and not for commercial purposes
• You ship the goods within a year of your own arrival date

There are some exceptions however, including alcohol and tobacco products above certain personal exemption limits, motor vehicles (more detail on this here) and new or unused items, which could attract further cost of duties and taxes when moving to Canada.

If you are moving your personal effects and household goods on our door-to-door service to Canada, then we will put you in contact with our trusted local agent, M Consolidation Lines. We have been working together for many years and they have Customs clearance, bonded warehousing and trucking services in Canada to meet your requirements.

They will contact you before arrival, to help arrange the Customs formalities, and to book your delivery, and have decades of experience in moving personal effects into Canada. They have offices in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver and can cover deliveries throughout Canada.

Contact details are;

Toronto

• Address: 2 – 6275 Northham Drive, Unit 2, Missisauga, ON L4V 1Y8
• Phone: 001-905-362-0249

Montreal

• Address: 1085 rue Saint-Alexandre, Suite 110, Montreal, QC H2Z 1P4
• Phone: 001-514-282-1270

Vancouver

• Address: 4360 Agar Drive, Richmond, BC V7B 1A3
• Phone: 001-604-248-0997

Yes, with the assistance of our trusted partners in Canada, M Consolidation Lines, 1st Move International can offer a full door to door international removals service to Canada.

This includes collection from any mainland UK address, full palletised packing, Customs clearance and other shipping documentation, shipping from the UK port to the Canadian port, handling, clearance and delivery in Canada and just being a hand to hold every step of the way.