This is a sponsored guest post, even so I think it’s is very relative to anyone who is thinking of shipping anything to Australia. If you are interested in contributing to SMG please read through my terms and conditions.
So you’ve made the big decision to relocate to Australia.
Once you begin getting the wheels into motion and make arrangements for your lifestyle change, potentially the most stressful thing apart from stepping on the plane, is shipping your possessions overseas.
A quick and easy way to remove that stress is to invest in the services of a reliable and reputable International Moving Company.
Here are a few other handy hints for shipping your precious belongings to Australia once you have chosen a moving company.
Finding a reputable international moving company
Your international movers will endeavour to safeguard your belongings and deliver on time, and with a minimum of fuss. They’ll do the hard work, packing and wrapping your precious belongings into a container and safely deliver at your new destination.
Choosing a reputable moving company is definitely the way to go – especially when your belongings are being sent halfway around the world – you want someone you can trust! Keep an eye out for your movers (or removalists, as movers are called in Australia) accreditations.
Choose a company where they carry the FAIM logo; the highest quality assurance standard recognised internationally. Routine audits are performed to ensure quality standards are upheld.
FIDI is another; an internationally recognised organisation which accredits movers around the world to work together. This means a London based company can liaise with an Australian based company to ensure moves are carried out with full teams and proper equipment in both countries.
Experiencing a successful relocation overseas is highly attributed to experience. Removal companies who have been in the industry for 80 years or more are the way to go! Professional, highly-trained removalists know how to care for your move every step of the way.
Australian Quarantine and Customs
Avoid packing items that will be confiscated, or hold up your goods in quarantine unnecessarily. This means those small items of food, animal and plant materials finding their way into your vacuum, lawn mower or even garden tools.
Australia tries really hard to keep its unique environment and agricultural industries are free from pests. The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) carries a high level of physical inspection on incoming personal and household goods to Australia.
When shipping your goods to Australia, it isn’t recommended to include foodstuffs in your container. As mentioned, try and remove any traces of soil or other foreign matter from items such as vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, golf clubs, garden tools, wheelbarrows, etc. prior to the big move.
If you desperately need to move these types of items with you to Sydney, they will need to be declared for inspection on arrival to Australia. Some products may require treatment to make them safe. Others posing pest and disease you will need to say goodbye to!
They WILL BE seized and destroyed by AQIS. Your moving company will be able to guide you on what items you cannot ship, but it pays to be prepared and know for yourself.
Goods to be declared
Among the list of items that need to be declared designed to assist you when you are packing your goods up room by room when arriving in Sydney are:
- Seeds and nuts – commercially packaged seeds, seed ornaments, nuts out of shell such as salted nuts, in foil or roasted.
- Plant products – straw packaging, wooden articles, artefacts, handicrafts and curios – includes wreaths and decorations made of cereal or grain.
- Animal products – includes any items made with rawhide, such as drums, shields, artefacts, dog chews; and any treated skins, hides, furs, hair or feathers.
- Dried fruit and vegetables
- Herbs and spices of any kind – includes herbal medicines and remedies, tonics, teas
- Biscuits, cakes and confectionery – includes chocolate, sweets, crisps, nuts, pretzels
- Noodles and rice – includes processed and instant meals
- Teas, coffees, and milk based drinks
- Bamboo, cane or rattan basket ware and mats – including coconut carvings, cane baskets
- Wooden articles – includes painted and lacquered items
- Fresh flowers and leis & dried flower arrangements
For more information jump on the Australian Quarantine website.
Length of transport
This will really depend on where in the world you are moving from!
As an example, if you’re sending a full dedicated container this can take between 6-8 weeks to arrive in Sydney, while the more cost effective method of a shared container can take anywhere between 10-12 weeks.
Consult your international moving experts for exact timeframes.
About the Author: This article was contributed by Alex Bulmer. Alex works with Wridgways Moving Company. Believe me, he knows a lot about shipping and relocating to Australia. That’s what they do all day long.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
And I LOVE being an expat in Sydney but am fed up with all the misinformed and useless expat guides out there, not only giving bad advice, but also charging for it! So I created Sydney Moving Guide – written by expats, for expats. 
