International household moving from the UAE
In short
Household goods leaving the UAE travel as used personal effects, which most countries admit free of duty if you qualify under transfer-of-residence rules. We survey the volume, advise shared container or full container, pack to export standard, and produce the itemised valued inventory that destination customs actually reads.
The inventory is the document that decides how smoothly a household shipment clears. Customs officers do not open every box; they read the list, and a list that says "kitchen items" where it should say what those items are and what they are worth is the most common reason a container gets selected for inspection.
What qualifies as used personal effects?
Goods you have owned and used abroad for a qualifying period, moving with you to a new residence. Most countries set that period at six or twelve months of ownership and require you to have lived outside the country for a minimum time. Items still boxed and unused, bought shortly before the move, are treated as new imports and can attract duty and VAT at the destination. Keep the receipts for anything genuinely old but valuable, because proving age is easier than arguing it.
How should the inventory be written?
Box by box, numbered, with the contents described specifically and a realistic replacement value against each line. "Box 14 — kitchen" tells customs nothing; "Box 14 — 6 dinner plates, 8 glasses, 1 blender, AED 450" tells them everything they need and makes an inspection unlikely. Undervaluing to reduce duty is a false declaration and risks the shipment; overvaluing raises the insurance premium and can trigger a duty assessment on goods that would otherwise have passed free.
Our process
Survey
Volume measured and the shipping mode chosen.
Pack and list
Export packing with a numbered, valued inventory.
Clear and sail
UAE export clearance and loading.
Deliver
Destination clearance, delivery and placement.
What affects the price
| Volume | Cubic metres, measured at survey. |
|---|---|
| Shared vs full container | Crossover is usually around fifteen cubic metres. |
| Destination charges | Port, clearance and delivery fees vary widely by country. |
| Access at both ends | A shuttle vehicle is needed where a trailer cannot reach. |
Frequently asked questions
Can I include a car with my household goods?
Vehicles are almost always declared and cleared separately even when they share a container, because they follow a different duty and registration process. See our vehicle shipping page for the export certificate steps, which must be started well before the container is booked.
What if my new home is not ready?
The shipment can be held in storage at the destination and delivered when you are. It is billed separately and it is usually cheaper to arrange before arrival than to pay port storage while you decide, because port free time is short and the daily rate after it is not.
Do you pack everything or can I pack some myself?
You can pack your own, but for international moves we recommend against it for anything fragile. Owner-packed cartons are marked as such on the inventory, are generally excluded from transit cover, and are the boxes customs is most likely to open because their contents cannot be verified.
Get a free quote
A free survey and a fixed written price before you commit to anything.