Sea freight — shared container (LCL)
Transit, door to door45–65 days
Typically suitsA part household.
International Moving from India to Canada
Moving a household from India to Canada? Your goods clear export in India, then CBSA's settler rules in Canada.
45–65 days · Sea, door to door
12,000+ successful movesCompleted to date
99.5%Delivered on time, over the last five years
4.8 out of 5 from 188 Google reviewsAccredited by IAM (International Association of Movers), IMA and GEMIs settler's effects relief automatic in Canada?
No. The relief is conditional, and your inventory is what tests it.
Most households assume Canadian customs waves personal effects through. CBSA's settler's effects provision admits a 'settler' duty- and tax-free on household and personal effects actually owned, possessed and used abroad prior to the settler's arrival in Canada, with no minimum ownership period stated — unlike the six-month test CBSA applies only to a former resident resuming Canadian residence, under the separate Memorandum D2-3-2.
A settler is someone establishing Canadian residence for the first time, for 12 months or more. Anything left off the inventory at first arrival cannot be added later.
Transit times
How long does a move to Canada take?
The sea figure is door to door, from collection in India to delivery in Canada. No air figure is shown.
Sea freight — full container (FCL)
Transit, door to door45–65 days
Typically suitsA full home.
Sailing schedules, port congestion and CBSA clearance all move the figure.
What decides your quote
What decides a quote for a move to Canada?
Three things decide it, and one is a customs test, not furniture. No price is published.
- 01
How much is going
A survey lists everything that is going, and that list shapes the quote. - 02
Whether you qualify as a settler
CBSA admits a settler duty- and tax-free on effects actually owned, possessed and used abroad prior to the settler's arrival in Canada, with no minimum ownership period stated — unlike the six-month test CBSA applies only to a former resident resuming Canadian residence, under the separate Memorandum D2-3-2. Whether you pass decides whether duty and tax are owed. - 03
The things that are not furniture
Vehicles, pets and alcohol each carry their own rules on this route, apart from the settler's effects list. Each is quoted separately.
Customs & documents
What paperwork does each end need?
Each end has its own authority and its own list. CBIC governs what leaves India. CBSA governs what enters Canada, and its settler's effects test decides release, duty and tax.
Leaving India — export
- Shipping bill — the export declaration CBIC requires before a container is loaded
- Packing list and inventory
Administered by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) ↗
Arriving in Canada — import
- Form BSF186 / BSF186A (B4 / B4A) — personal effects accounting document
Administered by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) ↗
Settler's effects relief — conditional, not automatic
CBSA admits a genuine settler's household and personal effects duty- and tax-free when they were actually owned, possessed and used abroad prior to the settler's arrival in Canada, with no minimum ownership period stated — unlike the six-month test CBSA applies only to a former resident resuming Canadian residence, under the separate Memorandum D2-3-2. A genuine settler is someone establishing Canadian residence for the first time, for 12 months or more.
How it works
What are the stages of a Canada move?
There are five. The goods list comes first, before anything is packed.
Survey and written inventory
CBSA reads a two-part goods list at first arrival, and this stage produces it. Everything going is listed and valued. It is split into what travels with the settler and what follows later.
Booking, and the export declaration
A sailing or a flight is booked, and the Indian export paperwork begins.
Packing and collection
Every carton is labelled against the survey inventory. The cartons are split the way CBSA will read them, into what travels with the settler and what follows later.
First arrival, and the CBSA declaration
The list is declared at first arrival, even if the household's own shipment has not landed yet. Goods to follow qualify for relief only if they are on this original declaration.
Release, and the goods that follow
When the goods to follow land, CBSA checks them against the original list and releases them.
Where this move starts
Where in India does a Canada move start?
It can start on either Indian coast. Your starting city changes the inland leg and which export terminal you can reach.
Mumbai and Nhava ShevaNhava Sheva, across the harbour from Mumbai, is India's principal container port on the west coast. A household leaving Mumbai has the shortest road leg to an export terminal of anywhere on this lane.
Chennai and the Bay of BengalChennai, on India's east coast, is south India's major container port. For a household on the Bay of Bengal side, it is a shorter road leg than the west coast.
Kolkata and eastern IndiaKolkata, on the Hooghly river, is one of eastern India's major ports. It is the shortest sea-freight road leg for a household starting in the east or the north-east.
What customers say
How did other customers find their move?
We shifted from Bangalore to Auckland and our complete move was handled by Venissa from IMove Global Mobility LLP.There was a vessel delay due to port congestion in Hong Kong, but the team communicated well and managed everything smoothly. Still very happy with the service. Highly recommend their service for international relocation. Thank you Vanessia and I Move
Kumail Abbas Jung Mir · Household move · Bangalore → Auckland
Special mention of appreciation to Venissa for handling our shipment door to door from Bangalore to Chicago. Her crew had packed all the items very well and marked each item for identifying as it was a shared container. All the items were intact and without damage or scratch especially the Marble dinning tables, chairs, Diwan and the console. Venissa was tracking the shipment from port to port an updating us every step of the way. Her counterpart team in New Jersey also did a very good job of unloading, opening crates and assembling the furniture. Also they removed all the debris from our site. Overall we were very impressed with the service the Venissa - IMove had provided and will definitely recommend them to our friends and also to people who wish transport items from India. Well done IMove. Once again special thanks to Venissa.
Harish Manjunath · Household move · Bangalore → Chicago
I recently moved from Australia to India and IMOVE handled Indian customs and the experience was seamless. They delivered my shipment within the promised timeframe, and the process was straightforward from start to finish. Riju kept us informed every step of the way, providing regular updates, assisting with the paperwork, and ensuring everything went smoothly. Their professionalism and excellent communication made the move incredibly easy and stress-free. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking for reliable relocation services.
Anushree Chacko · Household move · Australia → India
Questions
What does CBSA ask of a settler?
Am I eligible for CBSA's duty- and tax-free settler's effects relief?
Usually yes, because CBSA admits a settler duty- and tax-free on household and personal effects actually owned, possessed and used abroad prior to the settler's arrival in Canada, with no minimum ownership period stated — unlike the six-month test CBSA applies only to a former resident resuming Canadian residence, under the separate Memorandum D2-3-2.
A new immigrant faces no waiting period at all. That test is reserved for a returning former resident, under a separate rule. Something bought new and packed unused still fails, because you never used it abroad.
What paperwork does CBSA need from a settler at the border?
CBSA requires a goods list split into 'accompanying' and 'goods to follow' sections, prepared before arrival and presented to the border services officer at first arrival even if nothing is imported that day — formalised as CBSA Form BSF186 (B4), the Personal Effects Accounting Document, with Form BSF186A (B4A) usable in place of a handwritten list.
Only goods on that original list qualify for duty- and tax-free release when the goods-to-follow shipment arrives. So prepare the two-part list well before the first flight or sailing, not after it.
What happens to belongings that arrive after me?
CBSA lets a settler list some belongings as "goods to follow" rather than travel with them, and goods declared that way on the original Form B4 carry no deadline of their own, so they can arrive weeks or months later and still clear duty- and tax-free if they were on that first list.
Nothing left off the original declaration can be added afterwards, whatever the reason. So the goods-to-follow half of the inventory deserves as much care at the survey as the half that travels first.
Does something I bought just before the move qualify for the relief?
Usually not, because CBSA's settler's effects relief only covers effects actually owned, possessed and used abroad prior to the settler's arrival in Canada, with no minimum ownership period stated — unlike the six-month test CBSA applies only to a former resident resuming Canadian residence, under the separate Memorandum D2-3-2.
An item bought new just before departure and still unused was never used abroad, so it fails that test outright. It can still ship, but it is not eligible for the exemption. Keep the receipt, list it separately, and expect duty and tax on that item rather than on the whole shipment.
Get a quote, and start your goods list today.
Tell us what is moving and roughly when. We reply to every enquiry within 2 hours.
Start your own inventory now, split into what travels with you and what follows. It is the one piece of paperwork worth beginning before the sailing or flight date is fixed.
Insurance is all-risk marine cover at declared replacement value, included as standard.