International Shipping for Overseas Movers

Don’t waste your time with stock boxes, banana boxes or well-used hand-me-downs; they’re just not sturdy enough for international relocations. Plus having a real mixture of box types can make it harder to handle and clearly identify your freight. PIY moving boxes are purpose-made for shipping and storage plus they’ve been approved by our Marine Insurers so you’re not disadvantaged when it comes to getting cover.

These boxes were designed for packing bananas. They aren’t suitable for packing your effects and shipping them overseas because they have holes in them and just aren’t sturdy enough for this purpose. The PIY Multi box holds a similar volume of contents as a small banana box and the PIY Medium box holds more than a large banana box.

This will depend on how big your home is and how much you’re taking with you. We recommend you begin with a Starter Kit. These generally have enough packaging for a 1 bedroom home and include everything you need to obtain full transit insurance cover. You’ll then get a feel for how much and of what you’ll need to continue so you can order as you go. The beauty of PIY is that if you end up with too many boxes, you can return them for an equivalent credit on your international freight costs provided they’re in the same condition as they were supplied to you.

This depends on how much you’re taking and how efficiently it’s been packed. We can quote you a per cubic metre rate or a full shipping container.

A cubic metre (m3) = length x height x width in metres of your total consignment. Usually we’ll pack your belongings onto a shipping pallet to best keep them together and make handling easier. Once packed on the pallets, those dimensions are measured to calculate the total m3.

No. You can ship as much or as little as you want. Note though that there’s a minimum international freight cost which is equal to 1m3 or ton (whichever is greater). This means it’s more economical for you to aim for at least 1.0m3 for shipping.

37 Multi boxes or 19 Medium boxes or 9 Large boxes equal roughly 1.0m3

You’ll only have a shipping container to yourself if you have enough to fill one otherwise you’ll share the space with as many others as it takes to fill it. With most moving companies, this means your belongings could sit around for weeks or months waiting for others to move where you’re going. But because most PIY Operators also move commercial exports, your freight will move on the next available ship unless you’ve asked for storage.

If you don’t have enough to completely fill a shipping container, the space must be shared with others. With most moving companies, this means your belongings could sit around for weeks or months waiting for enough people to move where you’re going. But because most PIY Operators also move commercial exports, your freight will be able to go on the next available ship unless you’ve asked for storage. Transit time will depend on what country you’re going to but you’ll be advised of the Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) and Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) of the ship. These dates are only estimations because ships can easily be delayed at any of the multiple ports they visit on the way.

A standard 20’ shipping container measures 6.1mL x 2.6mH x 2.4mW and will take 33.0m3 depending on how well it’s packed. This is similar in size to a single garage so you could expect to fit an average sized 3 bedroom home into one if it’s well sorted and packed. A standard 40’ shipping container can take approximately 67.0m3. This size container has the same dimensions as the 20’ but is double the length.

No. You must specifically request Transit Insurance cover from us before we move anything. Transit Insurance is not the same thing as Household insurance so it’s important to obtain cover just in case things go wrong. The PIY Starter Kit contains all the necessary packaging to qualify for full-cover, all risks Transit insurance provided you follow our Packing Guidelines & Tips and complete your paperwork correctly.

It’s vital you complete both the PIY Freight Instructions form and the Packlist Valuation Declaration. Just as you complete departure and arrival cards when you travel, the Packlist Valuation Declaration provides important information for Customs and MAF about your belongings and helps value them for insurance purposes.

Yes. Anything arriving in an overseas country incurs port costs, MAF Quarantine costs, Customs clearance and delivery costs, etc and these aren’t included in PIY international removals. We exclude these costs and only ship to the nearest overseas port to allow you the flexibility to make your own arrangements overseas and keep costs under control. You won’t be left to fend for yourself though. You’ll be supplied with the contact details of our helpful overseas Agent to assist you should you need it. You’re not obligated to use them and you’re free to shop around if you don’t want to do it yourself.

PIY operates a 3-step “pay-as-you-go” system. First you pay for your boxes and packaging. Second you pay for your international freight before anything is shipped. Third, you pay your overseas costs to the freight agent overseas to take delivery of your belongings.