Shipping personal effects internationally requires more planning than simply putting belongings into boxes and arranging transport. Packing standards, shipment volume, customs documentation, destination requirements, storage and the chosen method of transport can all affect how your personal belongings should be prepared.
Get Cracking Relocations & Storage provides international moving and shipping services from Ireland for household goods, furniture and personal effects travelling by road, sea or air.
Whether you are relocating permanently, moving for work, returning home or sending selected belongings overseas, careful preparation can make the process considerably easier.
REQUEST A PERSONAL EFFECTS SHIPPING QUOTE
Professional shipping of personal effects from Ireland with export packing, sea freight, air freight and worldwide delivery.
What Does Shipping Personal Effects Mean?
Personal effects generally refers to belongings owned and used by an individual or household.
A personal-effects shipment might include:
- Clothing
- Books
- Shoes
- Kitchenware
- Bed linen
- Pictures
- Toys
- Sports equipment
- Home-office belongings
- Small household items
- Furniture
- Other used household possessions
The exact customs definition and treatment of personal effects can vary by destination country, so customers should not assume that every item receives the same customs treatment.
Shipping Personal Effects From Ireland
When shipping personal effects from Ireland, the first step is to establish exactly what you are sending and where it is going.
Useful information for your quotation includes:
- Irish collection address
- Destination country and city
- Approximate moving date
- Number of boxes
- Furniture inventory
- Approximate shipment volume
- Packing requirements
- Fragile or valuable items
- Storage requirements
- Preferred shipping method where known
- Destination access
The more accurate your information, the easier it is to plan the shipment.
Learn more about Worldwide Relocations.
Prepare an Accurate Inventory
A detailed inventory is one of the most important parts of shipping personal effects internationally.
Avoid vague descriptions such as:
Miscellaneous goods
Instead, use clearer descriptions such as:
- Clothing
- Books
- Kitchen utensils
- Bed linen
- Children’s toys
- Pictures
- Shoes
- Household decorations
Furniture should also be identified clearly.
For example:
- Three-seat sofa
- Dining table
- Six dining chairs
- Double bed frame
- Mattress
- Chest of drawers
- Bookshelf
Accurate descriptions can help with packing, volume calculations, shipping documentation and customs procedures.
Estimate Your Shipment Volume
International household shipments are often planned according to volume rather than simply the number of boxes.
A shipment containing ten cartons and several large pieces of furniture can require considerably more space than twenty small cartons.
Your shipment volume can influence:
- Transport method
- Container requirements
- Consolidation options
- Storage
- Collection arrangements
- Shipping cost
If you are uncertain about your volume, use the Get Cracking Household Goods Volume Calculator.
Professional Packing for Personal Effects
International shipments can pass through several handling and transport stages.
For this reason, packing requirements can be different from those for a short local move.
Get Cracking provides Professional Packing Services that can include full packing, partial packing and specialist protection depending on the shipment.
Professional export packing may involve:
- Strong moving cartons
- Appropriate packing paper
- Protective wrapping
- Furniture protection
- Fragile-item packing
- Clear carton labelling
- Inventory preparation
- Specialist crating where required
Good packing should protect belongings while also making the shipment easier to identify and handle.
Can I Pack My Personal Effects Myself?
In many circumstances customers can pack some belongings themselves, depending on the shipment and destination requirements.
Owner-packed goods are often described as PBO – Packed by Owner.
If you self-pack:
- Use strong moving cartons
- Do not overfill boxes
- Do not make boxes excessively heavy
- Close every carton properly
- Label cartons clearly
- Prepare a detailed contents list
- Tell Get Cracking about fragile or unusual belongings
- Do not include prohibited or restricted items
For some international shipments, packing procedures may differ depending on the destination.
Discuss this with Get Cracking before packing begins.
Packing Fragile Personal Effects
Fragile belongings may require additional protection.
Examples include:
- Glassware
- Crockery
- Mirrors
- Artwork
- Pictures
- Antiques
- Sculptures
- Musical instruments
- Delicate electronics
- Glass furniture
Large or particularly sensitive items may require specialist protection.
Learn more about Custom Crating for Fragile Items.
Tell Get Cracking about fragile, unusual or high-value belongings during the quotation stage rather than waiting until collection day.
Shipping Personal Effects by Sea Freight
Sea freight is commonly used for larger international household shipments.
Depending on the volume and destination, your personal effects may travel as part of a consolidated shipment or within a dedicated container.
Learn more about Sea Freight From Ireland.
Shared or Groupage Shipping
If you are shipping selected furniture and cartons rather than the contents of a complete home, your shipment may be suitable for a shared or consolidated service where available.
This means your belongings travel alongside other compatible shipments heading in the same general direction.
Shared shipping can be useful when you do not require an entire container.
The suitability, routing and timing depend on the destination, shipment volume and current shipping arrangements.
Dedicated Container Shipping
Larger household relocations may require a dedicated shipping container.
The appropriate arrangement depends on:
- Shipment volume
- Furniture dimensions
- Destination
- Access
- Packing requirements
- Transport requirements
A dedicated container can be particularly relevant when moving the contents of a complete household overseas.
Shipping Personal Effects by Air Freight
Air freight can be considered for smaller or more urgent shipments.
Because air freight is generally better suited to smaller volumes than complete household moves, customers sometimes use it for selected belongings they need sooner.
These might include:
- Clothing
- Essential personal belongings
- Work equipment
- Children’s belongings
- Selected household items
Learn more about Airfreight Services.
Sea Freight or Air Freight?
The most appropriate method depends on your circumstances.
Sea freight may be more suitable for larger quantities of furniture and household goods.
Air freight may be considered for smaller or more urgent personal-effects shipments.
Some international relocations can also involve a combination.
For example, a small number of essential belongings may travel by air while the main household shipment travels by sea.
Shipping Personal Effects to Europe
Moves from Ireland to continental Europe are commonly coordinated by road rather than sea or air.
Depending on the destination, an international European move can involve:
- Household collection
- Professional packing
- Furniture protection
- Road transport
- Customs procedures where applicable
- Destination delivery
For European moves, visit UK & European Relocations.
Customs Documentation for Personal Effects
Customs requirements depend on the destination country.
An international personal-effects shipment may require documents such as:
- Passport or identification
- Detailed inventory
- Customs forms
- Residence documentation
- Work or immigration documentation
- Proof of previous residence
- Destination address
- Additional country-specific declarations
The documentation required can change depending on your destination and personal circumstances.
Never assume that customs rules for one country apply to another.
Get Cracking can coordinate the moving documentation connected with the shipment, but customers remain responsible for providing accurate information and any documents required from them.
See our guide to Customs for International Removals.
Used Personal Effects vs New Goods
Used household effects may be treated differently from newly purchased goods by customs authorities.
If your shipment contains newly purchased furniture, electronics or other new items, tell your relocation coordinator.
Invoices or proof of purchase may be required depending on the destination.
Do not assume that a newly purchased item automatically receives the same customs treatment as used household belongings.
Check Restricted and Prohibited Items
Not everything in your home should automatically be packed into an international shipment.
Rules vary by destination and transport method.
Items requiring particular attention can include:
- Food
- Plants
- Seeds
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Medicines
- Chemicals
- Flammable materials
- Aerosols
- Paint
- Gas cylinders
- Batteries
- Cleaning products
- Weapons
- Agricultural products
- Animal products
This is not an exhaustive prohibited-items list.
Always check the current rules for your destination before packing.
If you are unsure about an item, ask Get Cracking before placing it inside your shipment.
Do Not Pack Important Documents
Certain belongings should normally remain with you rather than being placed into the general household shipment.
These include:
- Passports
- Immigration documents
- Important certificates
- Medication
- Money
- Jewellery
- Keys
- Phones
- Laptops needed immediately
- Travel documentation
- Essential children’s belongings
International shipping can take time, so keep anything you may need immediately with you.
Keep an Essentials Shipment Separate
If your main household goods are travelling by sea, consider which belongings you will need before they arrive.
An essentials shipment or luggage may include:
- Clothing
- Chargers
- Basic kitchen items
- Work equipment
- Children’s essentials
- Important documents
- Medication
- Toiletries
This can make the first few weeks at destination considerably easier.
Shipping Furniture With Personal Effects
Personal-effects shipments often include furniture as well as cartons.
Furniture may include:
- Sofas
- Beds
- Wardrobes
- Tables
- Chairs
- Desks
- Cabinets
- Bookcases
- Drawers
Some suitable furniture may require dismantling before transport and reassembly at destination where agreed.
Learn more about Furniture Removals.
Storage Before Shipping Personal Effects
Your shipment does not always need to leave Ireland immediately after collection.
Storage may be useful if:
- Your overseas property is not ready
- Your shipping date changes
- You are waiting for visas or documentation
- You are travelling before your belongings
- You are moving in stages
- You need temporary storage between properties
Get Cracking provides Storage Services in Dublin.
Storage requirements should be discussed before collection so they can be incorporated into the shipment plan.
Insurance When Shipping Personal Effects
Insurance is not automatically included with your shipment.
If you require insurance cover, request it from Get Cracking in advance.
Get Cracking can arrange insurance at additional cost, subject to the destination, transport method, declared value of your belongings and applicable policy terms and conditions.
For overseas shipments travelling by sea or air, Marine Transit cover may be available.
A correct declaration of value is important.
Owner-packed goods can also be subject to specific conditions, limitations or exclusions under the applicable policy, so review these carefully before choosing your packing method.
How to Value Your Personal Effects
When insurance is requested, customers should provide an accurate declared value according to the applicable insurance requirements.
Do not simply guess a low figure to reduce the cost of cover.
Under-declaring the value of your shipment can affect a claim.
Particularly valuable items may also need to be listed separately depending on the applicable policy conditions.
Review the insurance documentation carefully before the shipment begins.
Shipping Personal Effects to the USA
Personal-effects shipments to the United States require appropriate packing, inventories, customs documentation and destination coordination.
A shipment may travel by:
- Groupage or consolidated sea freight
- Dedicated container
- Air freight
For detailed information, visit Moving to USA.
Shipping Personal Effects Worldwide
Get Cracking can coordinate international household relocations from Ireland to destinations around the world.
Common destination regions include:
- United Kingdom
- Continental Europe
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Middle East
- Asia
The transport method, transit arrangements, customs requirements and destination services vary substantially between countries.
This is why destination-specific planning should begin before packing.
Shipping Personal Effects From Dublin
For customers based in Dublin, Get Cracking can coordinate collection, packing and international shipment preparation from homes and apartments across the city and surrounding areas.
This can include moves from:
Dublin City, Castleknock, Blanchardstown, Swords, Malahide, Clontarf, Lucan, Tallaght, Dundrum, Sandyford, Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire and other Dublin locations.
For the Irish collection stage, see Dublin Removals.
How Much Does Shipping Personal Effects Cost?
There is no single price for shipping personal effects internationally.
The cost can depend on:
- Shipment volume
- Destination
- Collection location
- Packing requirements
- Sea, air or road transport
- Shared or dedicated shipping
- Storage
- Furniture
- Custom crating
- Destination services
- Access conditions
- Additional documentation requirements
A few cartons travelling by air will have very different requirements from the contents of a complete household travelling in a shipping container.
For an accurate quotation, provide as much information as possible.
GET A PERSONAL EFFECTS SHIPPING QUOTE
Professional International Moving Standards
When choosing a company for shipping personal effects, price should not be the only consideration.
International relocation can involve packing, inventories, transport, customs documentation, overseas coordination, storage and destination services.
Get Cracking is a FIDI Affiliate and FAIM-accredited international mover.
Get Cracking is also a member of the International Association of Movers – IAM.
Get Cracking is a FEDEMAC Commercial Member.
Get Cracking is also a member of the British Association of Removers – BAR.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shipping Personal Effects
What are personal effects?
Personal effects generally means belongings owned and used by an individual or household, although customs definitions vary by country.
Can I ship only a few boxes overseas?
Yes. Smaller shipments can be discussed according to the destination, volume and transport requirements.
Can furniture be included with personal effects?
Yes. Furniture and cartons can form part of the same household shipment where appropriate.
Can I pack the boxes myself?
Depending on the shipment and destination, owner packing may be possible. Discuss your packing arrangements with Get Cracking before packing begins.
Do I need an inventory?
International household shipments commonly require a detailed inventory for planning and documentation.
Can personal effects be shipped by air?
Yes. Air freight can be considered for smaller or more urgent shipments.
Can personal effects be shipped by sea?
Yes. Sea freight is commonly used for larger international household shipments.
Can my belongings go into storage first?
Yes. Storage can be discussed where there is a gap between collection and international shipment.
Is insurance included?
No. Insurance is not automatically included. If you require insurance, request it from Get Cracking in advance.
Do customs rules differ between countries?
Yes. Customs requirements vary significantly, which is why destination-specific documentation should be checked before shipment.
Tips for Shipping Personal Effects Successfully
Start planning early.
Prepare an accurate inventory, establish your approximate shipment volume, decide what needs professional packing, identify fragile or valuable items and check the customs requirements for your destination.
Do not leave packing or documentation until the last few days.
The earlier Get Cracking understands what you are shipping and where it is going, the easier it is to develop an appropriate international shipping plan.
REQUEST YOUR INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING QUOTE
Get Cracking Relocations & Storage
Dublin, Ireland
+353 (0)1 866 5999
info@getcracking.ie overseas@getcracking.ie
