What can be asked for
- A valid passport and a copy of your residency visa
- A detailed, itemised inventory
- A packing list
Administered by Dubai Customs ↗
International moving from the UAE
Packing, export clearance, freight and delivery abroad, run as one move out of the UAE. It starts with a survey of your home.
2010Trading since
12,000+ successful movesCompleted to date
99.5%Delivered on time, over the last five years
4.8 out of 5 from 188 Google reviewsAccreditations: IAM (International Association of Movers), IMA and GEMDubai
Where does a move out of the UAE start?
In the UAE we operate in Dubai.
Every international move that starts here runs through the same sequence. It begins with a survey and a written quote. Then come export-grade packing, export clearance and the freight.
At the far end come destination clearance and delivery. The order stays the same on every route. The paperwork changes, because each country sets its own rules for what arrives.
How it works
What happens in a move out of the UAE?
A move runs in five stages, from your enquiry to delivery at your new address.
Your enquiry
You say what's moving and where it's going. Nothing is booked yet, and there is no obligation.
The survey and written quote
A surveyor sees what's going, room by room. The volume behind your quote is measured, not guessed.
Export-grade packing
Your belongings are packed at your home, and crated where an item needs it. The materials are built for a sea or air journey.
UAE export clearance and freight
The shipping documents are filed against the packing list and the inventory. The freight goes by sea, by air or both, booked once the volume is set.
Clearance and delivery abroad
A second customs authority applies its own rules to the shipment. Work at the destination is handled by our own in-house coordinators, working with a vetted agent network and local destination partners. Your household is then delivered to your new address.
What it costs
What decides the price of a move from the UAE?
Six things decide it. No price is published, because yours depends on all six.
- 01
How much is going
The survey measures the volume. The volume sets how much space your shipment takes, by sea or by air. - 02
Where it's going
The route and the destination's own rules matter more than the distance. - 03
Sea, air or both
Sea freight carries the household. Air carries what can't wait. The split is set at the survey. - 04
Access at both ends
A tower's service lift takes longer than a villa's driveway. The survey asks about both ends. - 05
Packing and crating
A marble top or a piano may need a crate built for it. - 06
Timing
Visa dates, lease ends and school terms cluster. The busiest weeks are the hardest to book.
Leaving Dubai
What paperwork does an export from Dubai need?
The list below starts with your passport, your visa and an itemised inventory. It is written for a move that starts in Dubai. The exact set depends on your visa status and what's shipping.
What else you may need to hand
- Proof of the move, such as a work contract, a visa cancellation or your new address abroad
- Your Emirates ID
Administered by Dubai Customs ↗
Confirm the exact list before packing day
What's asked for varies with your visa status and with what's shipping. Treat this as a starting checklist. Ask at the survey for the full list your move needs.
Other services
Which other services might your move need?
Storage, a car, an office or IT equipment can each be part of it. Each one has its own page.
International movingPacking, freight, customs clearance and delivery, coordinated as one move rather than separate jobs.
Office movingRelocating a workplace abroad. Furniture, files and equipment are moved and set up again with as little disruption as possible.
Move managementFor an employer moving staff abroad. One programme takes in the policy, the budget, the coordination and the reporting.
Storage solutionsSomewhere secure to keep your goods between packing day and delivery, for as long as the gap runs.
International car shippingGetting a vehicle from one country to another. That means the paperwork, the shipping method and the release at the far end.
IT equipment movingServers, racks and workstations broken down, shipped and reinstalled in the order an office move needs.
Reviews
What do customers say about IMove?
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
Common questions
What else do people ask about moving from the UAE?
How long does an international move from the UAE take?
There is no single figure for a move that simply starts in the UAE, because the time depends on the destination, the route and the season, and clearance at each end can move the date, not only the sailing or the flight.
The route guides on this site carry figures only for lanes that start in India. For your own route, ask when you request a quote.
Where in the UAE do you operate?
In the UAE we operate in Dubai, so this page and its checklist are written for a move that starts there, and if your home is in another emirate, say so in your enquiry so that the reply can tell you plainly whether that move can be handled.
Do I need to be in the UAE when my things are packed?
Whether someone you trust can stand in for you on packing day depends on the arrangements confirmed for your move, so raise it at the survey if you plan to fly ahead of your shipment, and name the person who will be there in your place.
Whoever is there at the survey and on packing day should agree on what is going.
What can't I ship out of the UAE?
Every destination publishes its own list of prohibited and restricted goods, and the UAE applies its own export rules on top of that, so anything unusual, such as medicines, plants or anything alcoholic, is best raised at the survey rather than on packing day.
One restricted item can hold up a whole shipment.
Is my shipment protected against loss or damage?
Yes, your shipment travels with all-risk marine cover at declared replacement value, included as standard, which means the protection follows the values you declare, so it is worth thinking about what each item would cost to replace before you put a value on it.
Ask what the policy leaves out when you compare quotes.
Can you move me to a country with no route guide here?
Yes, because IMove delivers to 150+ countries, and the route guides on this site describe only four lanes that start in India, so a destination without a guide goes through the same sequence, starting with a survey of your home and a written quote.
The paperwork on arrival is set by the destination country.
Tell us where you're going.
Send your route and a rough date. We reply to every enquiry within 2 hours.