A cross-border relocation across APAC is the process of moving employees, their households or business operations between countries within the Asia-Pacific region or between APAC and international destinations. It typically includes:
- The physical shipment of the employee’s belongings
- The customs clearance at both the origin and the destination
- The coordination that keeps the move aligned with the employee’s start date
With over 15 years of international move management experience, Aqua Moving Services supports businesses relocating employees, senior executives and business operations across APAC and worldwide.
What Makes Cross-Border Relocations Across APAC More Complex?
Different customs regulations in every country
Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and Japan all have different import rules, documentation requirements and prohibited items for household goods and business equipment.
Climate and storage conditions
Humidity across Singapore and much of Southeast Asia can damage unprotected belongings. Therefore, wine, artwork, antiques and sensitive business assets may require secure, climate-controlled storage on arrival.
High-value executive and business moves
Cross-border relocations across APAC often involve senior executives, regional leaders and business operations, meaning shipments can include high-value household belongings.
How Do You Move an Employee’s Belongings Across APAC?
Moving an employee’s belongings across APAC follows five stages: a survey of the household, shipping quotations, packing and transit, customs clearance at both ends, and finally delivery.
Choosing an experienced move management company that specialises in international relocations across APAC makes the process much smoother. They will provide a realistic timeline, recommend the right freight method, and manage packing, shipping and customs compliance.
At Aqua Moving Services, we have over 15 years of experience relocating employees across APAC and worldwide. Every relocation is managed through a framework built around a single survey:
- An independent surveyor assesses the volume of the shipment, either in person or virtually.
- That one survey goes to our vetted partner network and returns three like-for-like quotes priced against the same scope of work.
- Belongings are then professionally export-packed and sent by sea or air, with the method chosen against the budget, shipment volume and required arrival date.
- Customs clearance is managed at both the origin and destination, with documentation tailored to each country’s requirements.
- Belongings are delivered to the employee’s new home.
If there are any delays to the employee’s arrival, we can also arrange secure private storage until delivery can take place.
If you’re planning an employee relocation, our International Removals Checklist for HR Teams explains each stage of the process in more detail.
How Do You Move a Senior Executive’s Household Across APAC?
A CEO, regional head or senior executive’s household often contains high-value and fragile belongings, which means expert coordination is essential when moving across APAC. That is why you need a reliable move management company, who understands cross-border compliance across APAC.
Aqua managed exactly this kind of move when we relocated a hotel chain vice president from Singapore to Miami.
The relocation included:
- Two 40ft shipping containers transporting the household
- Specialist packing and handling of antiques and a grand piano
- Air-conditioned storage for a valuable wine collection during transit
- Customs documentation managed across multiple jurisdictions
- Temporary accommodation arranged on arrival
- Home search support for the executive and their family
- School search and placement assistance
One team held accountability for every part of it, which is what made a move of such complexity manageable.
How Does Customs Clearance Work for APAC Relocations?
Customs clearance across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region varies between countries, with each destination having its documentation requirements, duty and tax reliefs and import restrictions.
The main APAC destinations show how much the detail varies:
Singapore
Used household goods are subject to 9% GST unless the employee qualifies for GST relief. To qualify, a Declaration of Facts (DOF) must be submitted before the shipment arrives. The goods must have been owned and used for at least three months.
Australia
Eligible personal effects can be imported free of duty and GST if they meet the ownership and use requirements and are declared correctly. Australia also applies strict biosecurity and quarantine inspections, making customs more detailed than many other APAC destinations.
Japan
Household effects can generally be imported tax-free if you owned and used them for more than 12 months, provided the shipment arrives within six months of the person’s arrival.
Hong Kong
Most household goods enter duty-free, although dutiable commodities such as alcohol and tobacco remain subject to duty.
A dedicated move manager prepares the correct documentation for each destination, helping shipments clear customs efficiently at both the origin and destination.
How Are Belongings Protected During an APAC Relocation?
Aqua protects goods in transit through MoveProtect, which covers belongings throughout relocations across APAC and internationally. It is an extension of our standard contract under which we accept liability for loss or damage to most of the items we move or store.
MoveProtect applies throughout the entire journey, so belongings are protected while in transit and during any temporary storage.
You can read the full details on our global transit protection page.
How Long Does a Cross-Border Relocation Across APAC Take?
Most cross-border relocations involving APAC take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks. Once the shipment is in transit, the timeline depends on the destination, customs clearance and the chosen freight method.
Typical transit times include:
- Sea freight within APAC: 4 to 6 weeks
- Sea freight between APAC and destinations such as Australia or the USA: 4 to 10 weeks, depending on the route
- Air freight: 7 to 10 days for most international routes, but can be quicker
Our international removals timeline breaks down every stage week by week.
Why Choose Aqua Moving Services for Cross-Border APAC Relocations?
Global Partner Network
Aqua has a global partner network across APACs and beyond, allowing us to manage relocations and shipments between virtually any two countries, not just moves into or out of a single destination.
Accredited partners at both ends
We only work with removal partners affiliated with recognised industry organisations, including
- BAR (British Association of Removers)
- FIDI, the world’s largest alliance of quality-certified international movers.
- OMNI, which represents established moving companies in more than 70 countries.
Transparent, comparable pricing
Three quotes built on one survey can be compared line by line. This is what HR and procurement teams need to benchmark cost and avoid the hidden charges that fragmented models produce.
How Are Visas, Housing and Schools Managed During an APAC Relocation?
Visas, home search and school places can all be handled by our sister companies that make up the Clearview Group. Each is a specialist in its own field and works to the same timeline as the move.
- Clearview Immigration handles visas, work permits and the compliance side of moving staff between countries.
- Clearview Relocation provides home search, school search, temporary accommodation and settling-in support.
Our article on how our move management and relocation services work together explains how the group model closes those gaps. Each company can also be engaged on its own, so a business with an immigration provider it already trusts can use Aqua for the move alone.
Start Your Cross-Border APAC Relocation with Aqua Moving Services
Aqua Moving Services has managed international and cross-border moves for over fifteen years, and 99% of our clients come back to us for their next one.
Our corporate relocation services support HR leaders and procurement teams looking to relocate employees, higher-ups and business affairs across the APAC region and the rest of the world. We manage relocations between any two countries rather than just moving in and out of one.
Get in touch with our move management team to discuss your next cross-border relocation, and we will walk you through the timeline for a specific employee move.
