Moving to Australia, handled from door to door

Where we move clients to Australia from

Other origins we cover

• France → Australia
• Belgium → Australia
• Netherlands → Australia
• Luxembourg → Australia
• Germany → Australia
• Austria → Australia
• Switzerland → Australia
• Ireland → Australia
• United Kingdom → Australia
• Spain → Australia
• Portugal → Australia
• Italy → Australia

Customs & paperwork into Australia

Duty-free personal effects

The Australian Border Force (ABF) applies the same rules whatever country you move from.

Used household goods and personal effects can enter free of duty and GST if you have owned and used them overseas for at least 12 months before leaving for Australia.

Items owned for less than 12 months may be subject to duty and the 10% GST; keep the purchase receipts. Alcohol and tobacco are never covered.

Clearance and biosecurity

Your goods are declared on the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement (form B534). In practice:

• your shipment is cleared by a licensed customs broker on your behalf;
• every household shipment is assessed for biosecurity risk and may be inspected;
• anything carrying soil, seeds, insects or plant material can be cleaned, treated or destroyed at your expense;
• your passport, with the Australian entry or visa details, is needed for clearance.

Clean everything before packing: garden furniture and tools, bicycles, outdoor and sports equipment, shoes and camping gear must be free of soil and plant residue.

Wooden items, cane, wicker and natural-fibre objects are checked closely. Declaring them accurately avoids delays.

Our packers prepare a detailed English-language inventory and a packing declaration, both required for clearance.

Documents usually required for customs clearance

• Valid passport, with your visa details
• Form B534, Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement
• A detailed inventory in English
• Packing declaration completed by the packer
• Bill of lading or air waybill (we provide it)
• Purchase receipts for items owned less than 12 months

Biosecurity inspections and fumigation, when required, are charged separately at destination. A clean, well-documented shipment is the best way to avoid them.

Vehicles and restricted items

• Vehicles Importing a vehicle requires prior approval under Australia's road vehicle rules, and the car must be thoroughly cleaned for biosecurity. Duty, GST and possibly luxury car tax apply. Check eligibility well before shipping.
• Food and plant material Most food, seeds, plants, soil and many natural products are prohibited or must be declared.
• Alcohol and tobacco Not covered by the duty-free concession and heavily taxed.
• Pets Pets travel separately and must meet Australia's strict import conditions, including a stay in a government quarantine facility. Plan this several months ahead.

How a move to Australia works

1. Free quote. Share your origin, your delivery address in Australia and roughly how much you are moving. A written quote lands in your inbox within 24 hours.
2. Survey and planning. A coordinator confirms your volume and the transport mode, and reviews the customs rules that apply to your move to Australia.
3. Packing and collection. We bring the packing materials to your home, inventory each piece and load everything on moving day.
4. Transport. By road across Europe, or by sea container between continents — whichever best fits your route to Australia.
5. Customs clearance (where required). We handle the clearance into Australia end to end (Form B534, customs broker and biosecurity clearance).
6. Delivery and set-up. We deliver at your new address and, if you asked for it on the quote, unpack boxes and reassemble furniture.

A single point of contact handles your move to Australia from estimate to delivery.

Modes and typical door-to-door times

Door-to-door transit times are indicative and depend on the season, the exact addresses and, where required, customs clearance.

Door-to-door times are indicative and include packing, ocean transit, customs and biosecurity clearance, and delivery. An inspection can add several days.

Many families send a small air freight shipment with essentials and the rest of their home by sea.

How the price of your move to Australia is calculated

We price every move to Australia with the same ingredients — nothing hidden, nothing improvised:

• Volume — measured in cubic metres (m³) — the main cost driver. Our online volume calculator helps you estimate it room by room.
• Distance and route — measured on the actual road, from your door to your delivery address in Australia.
• Transport mode — shared road load, a truck booked only for you, FCL or LCL by sea, or air for very small cargo.
• Services — everything beyond pure transport: packing, dismantling, crating, short-term storage, extra legs by ferry.
• Access — top-floor flats with no lift, narrow lanes, long carries, external hoists when the stairs will not do.
• Customs — declaration fees and port or airport handling, when the route to Australia crosses a customs border.
• Insurance — priced as a percentage of what you tell us your belongings are worth.

Typical volumes, as a guide:

For road moves inside Europe, the estimator returns a starting price in two minutes. Sea freight, air freight and any move that crosses a customs border go through a written quote, delivered within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay duty on my belongings when moving to Australia?

Not on personal effects you have owned and used overseas for at least 12 months. Newer items may be subject to duty and 10% GST, and alcohol and tobacco are always taxed.

What is form B534?

It is the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement, the Australian customs declaration for household goods shipped separately from you.

Why is Australian biosecurity so strict?

Australia protects its agriculture and ecosystems from pests and diseases. Shipments are assessed and may be inspected, cleaned or fumigated if they carry soil, insects or plant material.

Can I bring my car to Australia?

Only with prior import approval, and the vehicle must be spotless for biosecurity. Duty, GST and possibly luxury car tax apply, so compare the cost with buying locally.

How long does a move from Europe to Australia take?

By sea container, allow eight to twelve weeks door to door, or more for a shared container. Air freight takes one to two weeks for small volumes.