Moving to Australia
Australia is a distant and beautiful country. Numerous movies and TV series show how easygoing and marvellous life in Australia is. The proximity of the ocean, palm trees and a pleasant climate only encourages individuals seeking change to leave everything and move to Australia permanently.
Moving to Australia would require thorough planning and preparation months in advance. We know how stressful and overwhelming it can get and therefore have prepared for you the following moving to Australia guide.
Ready to move to Australia? Fill out the quote and your personal moving coordinator will get the process started now!
Moving to Australia by Sea Freight
One of the most affordable ways to move to Australia is by transporting your household goods via sea freight. You can choose one of the following shipment types.
Moving to Australia by Air Freight
If you need your items to arrive ASAP you may want to go ahead with Air Freight Shipping to Australia. It is much faster than sea freight, however keep in mind it is slightly costly as well.
Sole Use Containers are a perfect solution for those transporting a large cargo of personal goods. Also referred to as FCL ( Full Container Load) is preferred by those, who wish to have an individual container with luxury or antique valuables. Here are the 3 FCL container size shipments available when moving to Australia:
If moving to Australia with household goods that are not antique or simply do not require as much space, you can always choose to ship to Australia taking over only part of the shipping container. Chose one of the following methods when moving to Australia:
Groupage Shipping
Groupage Shipping allows senders to split the costs between each other making overall shipment more accessible. Your valuables will be collected by the moving company and held in storage until additional cargo going to the same location would be received.
LCL shipping
Less than Container Load is somewhat similar to groupage shipping. However, in this case, your moving company will create a custom wooden crate for your household goods moving to Australia and pass it on to a freight forwarder who would ship it further.
It is known that the fastest way to move from one place to another is by plane. Therefore, shipping your household goods by air freight is a convenient way to move to Australia if you need your items at . Your cargo will arrive in Australia in a matter of days. Choose one of the following shipment sizes when moving to Australia:
Door to Port vs. Door to Door Moving
Hercules Moving Company offers 2 ways we can support you during your relocation to Australia:
This method includes disassembling, packing and transporting your items to the port to be shipped to Australia. It is recommended for those, who wish to have more control over the cargo in Australia and require to be present at the port for customs regulations.
When choosing a Door-to-Door shipping method, Hercules Moving Company will supervise and manage your move from the beginning to the end. We will not only pack and transport your valuables but also deliver them to your new house, unpack and assemble everything for you.
Moving household goods to Australia
Customs Regulations
When moving to Australia consider the following customer regulations:
- All goods imported into Australia are subject to duties and taxes unless exemptions apply. See Current tariff classification.
- Used personal and household goods are allowed to be imported without payment of taxes and duties if they were owned by the importer and used by him abroad for 12 months or more. All goods must be in quantities appropriate to a normal household.
- Curtain goods can be temporarily imported into Australia for up to 12 months without payment of duties and taxes under certain conditions.
See Australia Border Force website for more details.
Restricted and Dutiable Items
- You do not have to pay duties, taxes or levies on most goods costing A$1,000 or less. For some goods (such as tobacco, tobacco products or alcoholic beverages), you have to pay duties and taxes regardless of their value.
- For goods over AUD1,000, you must pay all applicable duties, taxes and other charges, including an import handling fee.
- Food brought into Australia must be declared on your Arrivals Passenger Card if you arrive by air, or on packages, you send in the mail. Biosecurity officers may need to inspect some of the food you bring with you.
- Some electromechanical devices are imported from Turkey by air freight.
- Animals that fall under the CITES category.
- Plastic explosives formulated as a mixture.
- Firearms and accessories
- Medications and antibiotics(must carry a prescription)
- Food products
- Counterfeit Goods
For a detailed list, follow this link.
Prohibited Items
- Drugs and Narcotics
- Certain Weapons
- Fresh Fruits and Homemade Food
- Pepper Spray
- Suicide Devices
- Prohibited Dog Breeds
- Plants, Soil and Seeds
- Certain Aminal Products
- Rough Diamonds
Shipping a Car to Australia
- You should contact the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts before importing any motor vehicle, including a dismantled or partially assembled road vehicle.
- Do not make arrangements to transport your road vehicle to Australia until you have obtained ONE of the following types of approvals:
- Vehicle type approval
- A concessionary import permit for the Registry of Approved Vehicles (RAV)
- Non-RAV import permit or
- Re-importation permit
Each of these permits includes a vehicle import permit. It is a crime to import a road vehicle without obtaining one of the above permits.
- Apply for one of the above permits at the Department of Transportation
- One import permit is required regardless of the value of your road vehicle.
- When you begin transporting your road vehicle to Australia, you must submit an Import Declaration to the Australian Border Force
- Your vehicle will not clear customs until you have provided a valid import permit for the vehicle and paid customs duty, Goods and Services Tax (GST), Luxury Car Tax (LCT) and other fees, where applicable.
- It is your responsibility to ensure that each vehicle is clean and free of bio-secure contaminants, both inside and outside before moving to Australia. For information on biosecurity requirements for importing vehicles, motorcycles, cars and tires, visit the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment website.
- If your road vehicle arrives in Australia before you are permitted to import, you may incur storage and other costs (not ours) until the vehicle has been cleared, or you may be required to export or destroy the vehicle at your own expense.
Moving a Boat to Australia
- Yachts are subject to a general duty rate of 5% based on customs value (the price paid) and a 10% goods and services tax (GST) based on customs value plus international shipping and insurance plus duty.
- international shipping and insurance plus duty. Privately imported yachts are generally valued using the transaction-based valuation method when purchasing new or used yachts overseas for export to Australia. Circumstances in which the Australian Border Force may use the alternative valuation method include situations such as:
- The yacht was built by the owner/employee.
- The yacht has undergone significant alterations since its purchase.
- The buyer and seller are related parties and this relationship has affected the purchase price.
- The original purchase price is too distant in time.
In these cases, the yacht must be appraised by a marine surveyor in Australia. This appraisal will be based on market value and, accordingly, will include elements such as customs duty and GST.
Moving Pets to Australia
Goods, including animals, are considered imported into Australia if they are purchased, ordered or otherwise arranged for delivery or shipment to Australia from overseas.
Before importing an animal:
- Check with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (Agriculture) to make sure the import meets conditions regarding species, country of origin and other biosecurity requirements, including pre-export preparation
- Make sure you can comply with all relevant laws to legally keep the animal in your state or territory.
Follow this link for a detailed step-by-step process.
If the imported animal falls under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) or Part 2 of the List of Specimens Considered Eligible for Importation in Live Import, you may also need a permit from the Department of Environment.
Prohibited Breeds:
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
- Japanese Tosa
- American Pit Bull terrier or Pit Bull terrier
- Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario
Electronics in Australia
If importing large electronic appliances when moving to Australia you must consider wherever the plug and socket type matches your home country’s. Australia uses an I type plug along with 230/240 V voltage power.
Customs Forms
Here we have collected all the necessary forms and documents you will need in order to import your personal effects into Australia. In addition please check if you need any additional documents/forms on the official Border Australia Website
How We Work
We could have wrote 100 beautiful words here - but instead take a look on how we move below
Hercules goes the extra mile to ensure that all of your most valuable art is protected. Expert wrapping and packaging methods start the highest quality moving & packing materials. Our mover training program ensures that every team has an expert who can safely pack any item so it arrives in the same condition it left.
Hercules can build custom measured crates and containers to meet your specific long distance shipping needs. If you are moving, and have a taxidermy collection, the experts at HMC can help. Our crateless system is effective for securing any type or size of trophy.
To avoid damage to fragile items during a long-distance move to your new residence, office or storage unit Hercules will use all the right materials and implement the proper packing techniques for maximum protection.
With the right training and proper equipment, your furniture will be handled safely in any situation.
Not all furniture is the same size. Hercules uses various materials to prepare furniture for moving: moving blankets, cardboard, bubble wrap, or alligator wrap. HMC movers and packers will pack your furniture the right way.