Are you planning on moving overseas for university or school?
Moving overseas is an adventurous opportunity that will undoubtedly change your life. While there’s so much to be excited about, you’re probably stressed about the moving process.
One of the most important steps in your international move is moving your household goods. By learning about the shipping processes and hiring a trustworthy moving company, you can tackle this obstacle and focus on the new opportunities that await you.
Keep reading our page to learn the best international moving tips, how the transporting process works, and what to look for in a reliable moving company.
Questions to Ask Yourself When Moving Overseas
Before you start the moving process, you need to evaluate your needs first. We’ve made a list of some important questions to consider before reaching out to any moving companies.
Is This Temporary or Permanent?
If you’re moving overseas for schooling, it may be difficult to know whether or not it’s a temporary or permanent move. Many people initially plan for a temporary move, but end up extending their visas and eventually becoming a citizen.
If you’re planning on this being a temporary move, you might want to consider renting furnished housing to avoid unnecessarily moving your furniture back and forth.
You may also feel more comfortable buying cheap furniture once you’re settled in, instead of paying to ship your old furniture from home.
How Much Stuff Are You Bringing?
Typically when you move, you’ll want to bring most of your belongings with you so that way you’re not missing something later on. However, when you’re moving overseas, you’ll want to limit what you’re moving to save on money, space, and even hassle from customs.
Before you can get an accurate quote on how much a moving company is going to charge you, you’ll want to calculate your shipment volume. By using a volume estimator, you can get a better idea of what your move will cost, as well as what services are available for you.
What Are the Customs Policies to Where You’re Going?
Many people aren’t familiar with the customs policies in the country that they’re moving to, and end up losing stuff that they could have left behind. Before you start packing, be sure to look up the customs policy for your soon-to-be home so you can avoid any surprises later on.
Transporting via Sea Freight
The most common method of transporting your belongings overseas is by ship. While this method takes longer than by plane, it is significantly cheaper and can carry heavier loads.
If you intend on moving with lots of heavy furniture and boxes, your best option is by sea freight. So how exactly does this service work?
Typically the international moving company that you’ve hired will drop off a very large container for you to pack up with your belongings. Then, once the container is loaded and ready to go, they’ll transport it to a port where it’ll be loaded onto a ship.
Depending on what type of service you’ve paid for, the ship may leave straight away or it may wait a few days until it’s fully loaded with other international goods.
Once the ship arrives at a port closest to your new home, your belongings will have to go through customs and then the moving company will deliver the shipping container to you.
Private Shipping Containers
How much stuff are you moving? If you’ve got a lot of stuff to fill a whole shipping container, you’ll need what’s called a Full Container Load (FCL). This shipping container will cost a little bit more but it’ll allow you to bring more stuff abroad.
Shared Shipping Containers
If you don’t have a lot of stuff to move, you might want to consider sharing the space of a shipping container by getting a Less than Container Load (LCL). By not using a full container, you’ll save quite a bit of money.
Transporting via Airfreight
The second option for moving your stuff internationally is by plane. Airfreight is much more expensive than ship freight, and it’s limited to how much weight you can move. However, this method is much faster and more convenient, especially if you’re in a time crunch.
If you’re moving abroad for university and you don’t have a lot to bring, you might feel that air freight is the best option for you. Once your belongings have arrived and gone through customs, your moving company will deliver them to your new home.
Handling Customs Paperwork
One of the most stressful parts of moving abroad for anyone is dealing with customs. Every country has its own laws on what you can and can’t bring with you when crossing their border, so you’ll need to do your research.
When you move, you’ll need to have a thorough list of everything that you’re bringing with you. The shipping containers with your contents will go through an X-ray machine to confirm everything is legal.
Many countries’ customs will charge you tax and duty fees when your possessions arrive. Some moving companies will take care of these fees and handle the paperwork so you don’t have to worry about it.
By choosing EuroUSA to handle your overseas move, we’ll take care of customs to make your move smoother.
Insuring Your Belongings
Whether you’re moving to a new neighborhood or across the world, you want to get insurance for your possessions. There are always risks to moving, and if the worst-case scenario happens, you’ll want to make sure you’re covered.
Some reliable moving companies will come prepared and have their own insurance to ensure that you’ve got the best coverage available should something happen.
If you’ve got something extra special or valuable that exceeds your movers’ insurance policy, you can get specific policies for personal items. Be sure to talk with your international moving company to find out what their insurance covers.
Hiring the Right Moving Company
Moving overseas for school is an exciting experience, so you shouldn’t let the moving process stress you out. By hiring the best international moving company, you can alleviate a lot of that stress and let the professionals do the work for you.
At EuroUSA, our goal is to provide you with a safe and trouble-free move while saving you some money. Get a free quote for our door-to-door international moving services and find out how we can make this process easier for you!
