The international moving process, step by step, and who does each part
Each stage of a move in order, who does it, and which customs papers are yours.
The international moving process runs in seven stages, from the survey and quote to delivery. The mover and its agents do the physical work, and you supply the facts, the forms and the signatures. Customs at the destination checks the papers, and can examine the goods, before it releases them.
This guide takes each stage in turn and says who does what. It names the customs papers that are yours in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Dubai.
For when each paper is due, see the international moving timeline. For the whole service, see international moving with IMove. For short checked tips, see international moving tips.
How does the international moving process work?
An international move runs through seven stages, from the survey and quote through the papers, packing day, export and loading, the sailing or flight and customs at arrival to delivery, and at each stage you, the mover or its agent, the carrier or customs does a part.
The list gives each stage and who acts in it. The diagram shows the same order.
- The survey and quote, where the mover sees what is going and prices it
- The papers, where you complete the relief forms that are yours and your agent makes the declarations with your details
- Packing day, where the packers wrap, pack and list your goods and you check the inventory
- Export and loading, where the goods clear export and the carrier issues a bill of lading or an air waybill
- The sailing or the flight, run by the carrier
- Customs at arrival, where you or your agent present the papers, and customs checks them and can examine the goods
- Delivery, where a crew unloads and you check the goods before you sign
The stages come in this order, but the papers run across them. Some are due before the goods are shipped, some before they land and some after you arrive.
The timeline guide sets out when each one falls.
What happens at the survey and the quote?
At the survey, someone from the mover sees everything you plan to move and lists it, so the quote is built on what is actually going, and your part is to show every room and say plainly what stays behind.
These are the things a surveyor needs to see.
- Every room, cupboard, loft, balcony and storeroom
- Anything you are selling, giving away or leaving behind
- Fragile, valuable or oversized pieces that may need a crate
- Items that may need a permit or another authority's approval
- Access at both ends, such as stairs, lifts and parking
Anything you don't show is not on the survey list. The quote is only as complete as that list.
Some goods need approval from authorities other than customs. Singapore Customs (opens in a new tab) asks you to check this early, with its product code checker.
Ask each mover how it surveys and who does it. The checklist at the end of this guide has the questions.
Which customs papers are yours, and who completes them?
It depends on your destination, because some papers carry your own facts and signature, such as the UK's ToR1 or Australia's B534, others are made by an agent with the details you give, and Canada's BSF186 is completed by the border officer from your list.
Each destination names its paper and who completes it.
- The UK asks for the ToR1 form to claim relief. You apply, or an agent with your signed letter of authority, and your agent or removal company declares with your reference
- Singapore asks for a Declaration of Facts, then the relief permit. You or your appointed agent completes them
- Canada asks for a list of goods, then Form BSF186. You write the list, and the border officer completes the BSF186 from it, or you fill it in before you arrive
- Australia asks for the B534 statement. You sign it, and you may nominate someone to clear the goods
- The USA asks for Customs Form 3299 for household goods claimed free of duty. You sign it, or an agent you give power of attorney signs it from your facts
- Dubai asks for a passport copy, a residency visa copy and a written list of the goods. Its page does not say who hands them in, so ask your mover
The rules are set by HMRC (opens in a new tab), Singapore Customs (opens in a new tab), the Canada Border Services Agency (opens in a new tab) and the Australian Border Force (opens in a new tab). The US rule is in US Customs and Border Protection regulations, 19 CFR 148.52 (opens in a new tab), and Dubai's is set by Dubai Customs (opens in a new tab).
What you hand your agent
For the UK, HMRC lists what you give your agent or removal company to claim the relief.
- Your unique reference number
- A description of the goods moving under the relief
- Any goods left out of the relief, or restricted goods
- Commodity codes, if you are asked for them
Other destinations ask for their own set. Singapore's declaration goes in with a copy of your passport or NRIC. It also needs proof that you are moving there, and the bill of lading or air waybill.
Canada's list gives the value, make, model and serial number of each item, where it has one. The India to Canada route page explains the goods-to-follow list.
The destination also sets when each paper is due. The international moving timeline lists the deadlines, so this guide does not repeat them.
What happens on packing day?
On packing day the packers wrap, pack and label your goods and list them on an inventory, while your part is to keep apart what stays, keep your papers with you, and check that the inventory matches what was packed before you sign it.
These are the things to do before and during packing.
- Put what stays behind in one closed room before the packers start
- Keep passports, visas and the papers your destination asks for with you
- For Canada, note the make, model and serial number of anything that has one
- For Australia, clean soil off garden tools and outdoor furniture
- Ask for a copy of the inventory, and check it before you sign
The Australian Border Force's B534 statement (opens in a new tab) asks whether you packed the goods yourself and, if not, who did. It also asks whether you know what is in the packages, and about food, wooden furniture, soil and straw packing.
Crates and the wood packaging standard
Crates made of raw wood fall under ISPM 15, the IPPC standard for wood packaging (opens in a new tab). The wood must be debarked and treated, and the crate must carry the official mark.
Crates made wholly of plywood, particle board or other processed wood are exempt. Where a crate has no mark, the importing country's plant protection body can act. It can hold the shipment while it deals with the crate, then remove, treat or destroy the crate, or have it shipped back.
The standard asks it to keep that action light. It also asks it to tell the goods apart from the crate.
Ask your mover whether its crates are plywood or marked, treated timber.
What happens between loading and arrival?
Once your goods are loaded, the carrier moves each shipment under its own transport document, a bill of lading for sea freight or an air waybill for air freight, and customs papers at the destination ask for it, as Singapore's declaration and Australia's B534 do.
Keep a copy of each one. A split move has two shipments and two documents. Singapore wants one declaration for each air waybill or bill of lading.
The comparison of sea freight and air freight explains how to choose the mode. The timeline guide gives the published sailing times.
What happens at customs when your goods arrive?
At the destination, customs checks the papers and can examine the goods before it releases them, and where the rules allow an agent acts for you, which in Singapore means your appointed agent collects the goods and presents them with the relief permit and the supporting papers.
Here is what each destination's customs does, and what it asks of you.
- In Singapore, checkpoint officers check the goods and documents before clearance
- In Australia, unaccompanied goods may be examined, so have the keys ready for clearance
- In Dubai, inspectors check used household goods before exempting them from duty
- In Canada, you show your copy of the BSF186 when the goods arrive
- In the UK, an agent who declares for you can arrange payment of any duty due
Singapore Customs adds that you usually do not need to be present, since your agent does the collecting. Dubai charges customs tax where the inspectors find goods in commercial quantities.
In Canada, that copy of the BSF186 is how you claim the goods free of duty and tax. The sources are Singapore Customs on collecting shipped items (opens in a new tab), the Australian Border Force's B534, Dubai Customs, the CBSA and HMRC.
Missing a relief condition does not stop your goods, which can still clear, paying duty or tax. HMRC charges both on anything that misses a condition. In Singapore, your agent applies for a permit that pays GST instead.
For what that adds up to, see the hidden costs of international moving.
What happens on delivery day?
On delivery day a crew unloads your goods and places them in your new home, and your part is to check what arrives against the inventory, note anything missing or damaged on the delivery record, and only then sign for the delivery.
These are the checks to make before the crew leaves.
- Count the cartons and pieces against the inventory
- Open anything that looks crushed, wet or torn
- Write each missing or damaged item on the delivery record
- Photograph damage before anything is moved or thrown away
Unpacking, putting furniture back together and taking the packing away are services a mover may or may not offer. Ask before you book.
If your home is not ready when the goods arrive, see storage during an international move. The move management page explains that service.
What should you ask a mover about the process?
Ask every mover you compare the same seven questions, because the answers show who surveys and packs your home, who files each customs paper, who acts for you at the destination, and what happens on delivery day if something is missing or damaged.
Ask every mover
- Who surveys my home, and is it in person or remote?
- Who packs, and do I get a copy of the inventory?
- Are your crates plywood or marked, treated timber?
- Which customs papers do you complete, and which are mine?
- Who clears my goods at the destination, your own staff or a partner?
- Do you unpack, put furniture back together and take the packing away?
- How do I report damage I find at delivery?
Signs an answer leaves gaps
- No word on who files each paper
- No copy of the inventory for you
- No name for the destination agent
Common questions about the moving process
What are the steps in an international move?
There are seven, which are the survey and quote, the papers, packing day, export and loading, the sailing or flight, customs at arrival and delivery, and at each one you, the mover or its agent, the carrier or customs does a part, and yours is the papers, the checks and the signatures. The diagram above shows who does what.
Who handles customs clearance when you move abroad?
At the destination an agent or your removal company can make the import declaration for you, but some papers need your own facts or signature, such as the UK's ToR1 form, Australia's B534 statement and Canada's list of goods, and the agent declares with the details you give it. Ask your mover which papers it completes.
Do you need to be there when your goods clear customs?
Not always, since Singapore Customs says your appointed agent collects the goods and you usually do not need to be present, and Australia's B534 lets you nominate a broker, forwarder, friend or relative to clear them, but Canada needs your list of goods at your first point of entry, even if nothing comes with you.
What should you keep with you on packing day?
Keep with you your passports and visas, the papers your destination asks for, such as your ToR1 reference or Canada's list of goods, any valuables, and what you need until delivery, and put it all in one place the packers know not to touch. A small air shipment can carry what you need sooner.
What happens if customs inspects your shipment?
Officers check the goods and the papers, as Singapore's checkpoint officers do, Dubai's inspectors check used household goods before exempting them, and Australia may examine unaccompanied goods and asks for the keys at clearance, so have both ready, and expect duty or tax on anything that misses a relief condition. Ask your mover who pays any inspection charge.
Get started
Ready to plan your move?
Tell us where you're moving from and to, what you're taking and your date. We'll come back with a quote you can check against the questions above. Work at the destination is handled by our own in-house coordinators, working with a vetted agent network and local destination partners, and your goods travel with all-risk marine cover at declared replacement value, included as standard.