Sea freight vs air freight
The choice between sea and air freight is primarily determined by volume, budget, and timeline:
- Sea freight: The standard mode for household goods moves. A 20-foot container holds a typical two-to-three-bedroom apartment's contents. Shipment time from Shanghai to the UK is [VERIFY: source needed — May 2026] approximately 25–35 days, transit times vary. Cost is substantially lower than air freight per cubic metre. Suitable for furniture, appliances, books, and bulk goods.
- Air freight: Appropriate for time-sensitive items, high-value small goods, or when the total volume is modest. [VERIFY: source needed — May 2026] Cost per kilogram is significantly higher than sea freight. Transit time is 3–7 days. Most international removal companies offer both modes.
- Groupage (shared container) shipments: For smaller volumes — say, one room's contents — a groupage shipment where your goods share a container with other customers' goods offers a cost-effective middle ground between air and full-container sea freight.
Choosing a removal company
Several international removal companies operate in China with English-language service and established customs relationships. Names commonly used by expatriate communities include Crown Relocations, Asian Tigers, Santa Fe Relocation, and Grace Relocations. Your employer's relocation policy may specify a preferred supplier or provide a relocation allowance for moving costs.
When obtaining quotations:
- Ensure the quotation is door-to-door (packing in China, customs clearance at origin, sea/air freight, customs clearance at destination, delivery to your new home) — not just origin port to destination port.
- Confirm whether packing materials, insurance, and customs broker fees are included or additional.
- Check the insurance terms carefully — cargo insurance for household goods typically covers loss and total damage but has significant exclusions for partial damage, pre-existing damage, and valuables without separate valuation.
Documentation and preparation
[VERIFY: source needed — May 2026] Documents typically required for export clearance in China:
- Detailed packing list (inventory) of all items being shipped, with descriptions and estimated replacement values in both CNY and the destination currency.
- Copy of your passport and valid Chinese residence permit.
- Letter from your employer confirming the end of your employment and departure from China (employer cancellation letter).
- GACC (Chinese Customs) export declaration form, prepared by your removal company's customs broker.
Your removal company will typically prepare and submit the customs documentation on your behalf. You are responsible for providing an accurate and complete inventory — customs inspectors in China have the right to open and inspect shipments, and significant discrepancies between the declared inventory and actual contents are treated seriously.
Items that cannot be shipped
Certain categories of items face restrictions on export from China:
- Antiques and cultural relics: Items over 100 years old and items designated as cultural relics under Chinese law require export permits from the National Cultural Heritage Administration. Without a permit, they cannot legally leave China. Your removal company will flag items that may be subject to this restriction.
- Certain animals, plants, and biological materials are subject to CITES and Chinese wildlife export regulations.
- Firearms, weapons, and certain chemicals cannot be exported by individuals.
- Items subject to Chinese state secrets laws — broadly, documents, data, or equipment that may be classified. For most civilian expats this is not relevant, but those who have worked in sensitive sectors should take advice.
At the destination — import customs
Most countries allow returning residents to import used household goods duty-free under a “household goods and personal effects” category, provided the goods are genuinely used, you have resided abroad for a minimum period, and you import them within a set timeframe of your return. The specific rules vary by country — your removal company or destination-country customs broker can advise. Common requirements include:
- Proof that you have been resident abroad for at least 6–12 months (varies by country).
- Proof of change of residence to the destination country.
- A completed inventory (you typically use the same inventory prepared for Chinese export).
- All items must have been in personal use abroad — newly purchased items brought back may attract duty.
Selling, donating, and disposing
Not everything needs to be shipped. Many departing expatriates sell furniture and appliances in China — Facebook Marketplace groups for expatriate communities in major cities are active, as are WeChat groups specifically for expat sales. Charitable donations to local organisations are also possible; some international schools accept donated household goods for families in need. Your building's property management office may be able to facilitate the leaving sale process.