Relocating an employee, senior executive or their family to Australia involves more than booking a shipping container. Shipping belongings to Australia requires planning around customs, biosecurity, packing, freight and delivery times.
For businesses, employee relocation to Australia, whether it’s to Sydney or Melbourne, can also involve coordinating several people and suppliers at once. Aqua Moving Services provides end-to-end international move management for relocations to and from Australia, managing everything from packing and freight to customs clearance and final delivery.
How Do You Ship Belongings to Australia?
Shipping belongings to Australia works in five stages: a survey of the household, professional export packing, the freight booking, customs and biosecurity clearance on arrival, then delivery to the new address.
At Aqua Moving Services, we have over 15 years of experience in move management and international removals, and we coordinate each stage through a single survey:
- An independent surveyor, either in person or virtually, assesses the shipment to ensure accurate pricing and planning for the entire household.
- 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 professionally export-packed using clean materials and a detailed inventory, as the standard Australian quarantine expects.
- Sea or air freight is arranged to suit the budget, the shipment volume and the required arrival date.
- The belongings are delivered to the new Australian home and unpacked.
Read our UK to Australia case study to see how one Aqua looked after a family through their relocation.
How Do You Move an Employee’s Belongings to Australia?
For a company moving an employee or senior executives to Australia, it’s best to work with an experienced move management company who can handle international moves to Australia. They will take care of:
- Professional packing and preparation of belongings
- Customs clearance and the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement (B534 form)
- Sea or air freight, depending on the shipment and timescale
- Door-to-door delivery to the employee’s new home
At Aqua Moving Services, we manage relocations involving employees, higher-ups (CEOs, senior executives and regional leaders) and business affairs, working alongside HR and global mobility teams throughout. We provide end-to-end move management for anyone relocating to or from Australia, from any country worldwide.
A CEO, regional leader or senior executive’s household often contains high-value and fragile belongings. What varies is the complexity: antiques, artwork, a wine collection or a piano all need specialist handling on top of the standard customs process.
We manage complex moves like this day-in-and-day-out.
Read about how Aqua managed a hotel chain vice president’s relocation from Singapore to Miami, which involved:
- two 40ft containers
- a grand piano
- antiques
- a wine collection
Read our international removals checklist for HR, which sets out what needs confirming at each stage.
How Does Australian Customs Clearance Work?
Personal belongings entering Australia are treated as an import, though most used household goods can clear without duty or GST under the personal effects concession.
To qualify, the shipment needs the following:
- The goods owned and used by the importer for at least 12 months before the move
- A completed B534 Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement, submitted to Australian Border Force
- A clear connection between the shipment and the owner’s own move to Australia
- An accurate declaration, since motor vehicles, alcohol and tobacco are assessed for duty regardless of how long they have been owned
Handling the B534 declaration is core move management work, and Aqua manages Australian customs clearance on the client’s behalf from the point the shipment departs.
What Does Australian Biosecurity Check For?
Australian biosecurity protects a unique environment and a large agricultural economy from foreign pests, seeds and disease. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) inspects incoming household shipments for this risk.
The items that draw the closest inspection are:
- Wooden furniture and natural-fibre items are checked for pests and organic matter, so shipping furniture to Australia requires careful preparation.
- Fruits, vegetables and any animal and dairy products.
- Bicycles, golf clubs, camping gear and other outdoor equipment, which must be free of soil and plant debris
- Untreated timber, which can carry wood-boring insects
Aqua’s export packing already uses clean materials and a detailed inventory, exactly what Australian quarantine expects to see.
Moving pets to Australia
When employees and their families relocate to Australia, they may also need to arrange for their pets to travel with them. To move a pet to Australia, you need:
- a DAFF import permit
- a valid microchip
- mandatory 10-day post-arrival quarantine at a controlled facility in Mickleham, Victoria
Moving high-value and specialist items to Australia
Employees and senior executives may also need to move high-value or specialist items, such as art, antiques, pianos and wine collections, as part of their relocation.
To move these items to Australia, you need bespoke crating, an accurate replacement value for insurance cover and suitable storage if the new home is not ready. Climate-controlled storage can also help protect sensitive items from humidity, particularly in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
How Are Belongings Protected in Transit?
At Aqua Moving Service, we protect goods in transit through our move protection cover, an extension of our standard contract under which we accept liability for loss or damage to most of the items we move or store.
This cover applies throughout the whole journey to Australia, including any time spent in temporary storage before the new home is ready.
You can read the full details on our global transit protection page.
How Long Does It Take to Ship Belongings to Australia?
Shipping belongings to Australia can take different amounts of time depending on the country of origin, shipping method and destination port.
- UK to Australia: 6 to 8 weeks by sea, 1 to 2 weeks by air (can be quicker)
- USA to Australia: 6 to 10 weeks by sea, 1 to 2 weeks by air
- Singapore to Australia: 4 to 6 weeks by sea, under a week by air (can be quicker)
Many corporate moves send a small air shipment ahead so the employee or executive can start work on time, while the bulk of the household follows by sea. Sailings, the destination port and the time of year all affect the final timeline, so get in touch and we will give you a route-specific estimate for a move from any country to Australia.
Why Choose Aqua Moving Services for Your Australia Relocation?
A global partner network
Aqua has a global partner network that reaches beyond Australia alone, coordinating relocations between virtually any two countries, including APAC routes such as Singapore to Hong Kong. A business moving staff across the region as well as into Australia can use one move manager throughout.
Accredited partners on both ends
We only work with removal partners affiliated with recognised industry bodies:
- BAR, the 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
Start Your Move to Australia with Aqua Moving Services
Aqua Moving Services has managed relocations to Australia for private clients, businesses and senior executives. Our corporate relocation services support HR leaders and procurement teams handling employee relocation to Australia, from a single move to a wider programme across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
Visas, home search and school places can be handled by our sister companies in the Clearview Group. Clearview Immigration manages Australian visa applications, and Clearview Relocation provides home search, school search and settling-in support, working to the same timeline as the move.
Get in touch with our move management team to discuss your move to Australia, and we will talk you through a timeline for your specific shipment.
FAQS
Do I need to pay duty when shipping household goods to Australia?
Most used personal effects can enter Australia free of duty and GST under the personal effects concession. However, they have been owned and used for at least 12 months and are declared on a B534 form. Motor vehicles, alcohol and tobacco do not qualify and are assessed separately.
Can Aqua handle a move to Australia alongside an existing immigration provider?
Yes. Each company in the Clearview Group can be engaged on its own, so Aqua can manage the shipping and logistics while an existing immigration or relocation provider handles the rest.
