If you’re moving overseas, you’ve probably stood in your lounge room and wondered which worldly possessions are worth taking. Border checks, quarantine rules, and power differences all affect which items can go, so early planning makes shipping belongings overseas cheaper and quicker.
We’re Gooferman, and we’ve packed and shipped homes for Australians from our Brisbane base for over ten years. Our depots now reach 80-plus countries, with 500-plus trained staff on the ground.
In our guide, you’ll see how furniture, clothing, sporting gear, and electronics travel, plus the documents officials expect. We’ll finish with anything best left behind, but first, let’s look at what customs treats as personal effects.
What Counts as Personal Effects When Shipping Belongings Overseas?
Personal effects are the used household goods you own and plan to keep using as you start a new life abroad. Your sofa, winter coats, books and saucepans all qualify, while stock you plan to resell falls under commercial import rules.
The personal effects label can also lower your bill, as many countries waive import duty on belongings you’ve had for a set time. In Australia, for example, the Australian Border Force only drops duty on unaccompanied goods you’ve owned and used for 12 months or more.
Brand-new purchases are a different story. Customs officers may classify anything still sealed in the original packaging as new goods, and unopened wedding gifts catch plenty of couples we move. Unbox and use every gift before moving day.
Hang on to your receipts too, as some destination countries have specific requirements for proof of purchase dates and values.
With the used and new piles sorted, the next question is what an international moving company can load.
Which Household Items Can an International Moving Company Ship?
Nearly every household item can make the trip, and most fall into four groups: furniture, clothing, sporting equipment, and electronics. Your destination’s import rules still apply to each group.
Quotes usually depend on how much container space you fill, so each item you leave behind means you spend money on a smaller load. Sea freight costs less than air freight, although transit times run to weeks by ship and days by plane.
Plan your shipping timelines around your move date, since your sofa may land a month after you do. Each group needs different handling, so let’s start with the bulkiest pieces.
Each of those four groups we mentioned needs different handling, so let’s start with the bulkiest pieces.
- How International Movers Protect Your Furniture in Transit
Furniture takes up more room than anything else you own, so crews usually start with the lounge suite. Professional international removalists wrap each piece in moving blankets and stretch film, then build timber crates around fragile pieces like a glass cabinet.
Our export packing teams at Gooferman use specialized tools to take beds, wardrobes, and tables apart before any padding goes on. We’ve found the dismantled parts arrive with far fewer knocks in transit.
Before packing timber furniture, check it for borers (timber-eating beetle larvae). Look underneath every chest and table for pinholes or fine sawdust. Skip the borer check, and customs may find live pests on arrival. If that happens, your shipment may need treatment at your cost, depending on the destination country’s biosecurity rules.
Pro Tip: Check your removal insurance before the shipment leaves, as standard cover may not fully protect high-value items. Ask whether prized possessions such as heirlooms, antiques, or valuable furniture need to be declared separately, and confirm the level of cover provided for damage in transit.
- Clothing and Linen Double as Padding for Fragile Items
The best part about clothes and linen is the free padding for your breakables. Your jumpers and scarves can plug the gaps around heavier objects in each carton.
Sheets and pillowcases, meanwhile, offer a cheap way to protect fragile items like wine glasses and picture frames (so yes, the old beach towels are coming too). Clothes also skip the need for special cartons, so your overseas moving budget stretches further.
Just a heads up, though. Only clean laundry should go in, since damp or grubby garments can grow mold during the weeks at sea. So, run every load through the dryer or out on the Hills Hoist first.
- Sporting Equipment Must Be Free of Soil Before Shipping
Golf clubs, bikes, surfboards, and camping gear can all join your shipment, as long as every piece reaches the border clean. Honestly, a bit of mud on your footie boots is enough for quarantine officers to pull the pair aside.
So why do officials care about a little dirt? Soil can carry seeds, fungi, and insects into farmland, and inspectors check tire treads, tent pegs, cleats, and club heads up close.
Kayaks, wetsuits, and fishing rods from freshwater trips have to be bone dry as well.
Australia’s own biosecurity rules want anything with soil or plant contact to be clean and dry before packing. The same scrub-down standard suits most destinations, but a few minutes of research will show any extra local rules.
A stiff brush, soapy water and a sunny afternoon cost far less than cleaning fees or border delays.
- Will Your Electronics Work After International Moving?
Some electronics will work straight away in your new home, while others will need a converter or a replacement. Voltage decides which group each device falls into.
Australia runs on 230 volts, but the United States and Canada use around 120 volts. Laptop, phone, and camera chargers usually handle either voltage, so look for a range like 100 to 240 volts on the label.
Heat-based appliances such as kettles, hair straighteners, and toasters are more likely to support a single voltage. A 230-volt kettle, for example, may need a step-up transformer to work in Toronto.
For anyone moving internationally, our advice is to check every label, pack the dual-voltage devices, and sell the single-voltage appliances.
With the keep list settled, the next job is a written record of everything you’re sending.
Customs Clearance in Your Destination Country Starts With a Detailed Inventory
A vague box label like “kitchen stuff” earns a second look from customs. A detailed inventory identifies the items in each carton, which makes it easier to assess your goods without opening every box.
Nobody’s keen on paperwork after a week of boxes and tape, and we don’t blame you. Still, a clear inventory list tells officers what’s inside before they open a single carton.
Most destination countries ask for three important documents, each with a clear job:
| Document | Role at Customs |
| Inventory list | Shows what sits in each numbered carton, plus its condition and rough value |
| Passport and visa copies | Proves your identity and your right to live in the new country |
| Bill of lading | Acts as your mover’s shipping receipt and tracks the container |
Send all three documents to your mover early so the forms go in before the ship docks. Late or missing paperwork usually means storage fees while your goods wait at the port.
We’ve seen a single unnumbered box hold up an entire shipment (numbered cartons also shorten inspections and lower the fees you pay).
Quick Tip: Always declare every risk item honestly, because undeclared goods can lead to prosecution in strict countries like Australia.
Even a flawless inventory won’t clear gas bottles, fresh food, or the family dog, though.
What the Best International Movers Won’t Ship Overseas
The best international movers refuse anything flammable, perishable or alive, and firearms need permits first. Keep an eye out for four categories as you pack:
- Flammable Household Chemicals: If you spot a flame or corrosive warning on a label, leave the product behind. Paint tins, aerosols, pool chlorine and mower fuel can leak or ignite in a hot container.
- Fresh Food and Plants: A bare pantry saves you a possible border fine. Most destination countries restrict fresh produce, pot plants, seeds and even packaged snacks under their own biosecurity laws.
- Firearms and Prescription Medicines: A rifle or a prescription medicine can travel, but only with approval from officials in the country you’re moving to. Pack medicines in your carry-on with a doctor’s letter instead.
- Pets and Live Animals: A pet relocation service flies your dog or cat separately and handles the vet checks and import permits. On top of that, Australia’s agriculture department warns that pets lose their Australian health status once they leave the country. Plan early if you might return one day.
If you’re not sure which items cannot be shipped, ask your mover before anything goes in a box. A quick call now saves a last-minute repack.
Why Door-to-Door International Moving Services Save You Time
Door-to-door international moving services save you time because one crew packs your home, handles customs, and makes the final delivery overseas. With door-to-door shipping, you won’t need separate packers, freight forwarders, and clearance agents, each with its own invoice and phone number.
To recap your packing plan, sort used belongings from new purchases and keep the receipts. Then crate the good furniture, pad breakables with linen, and scrub every bike and boot.
Check appliance labels for dual voltage too, and keep flammables and fresh food out of the container.