Sending your belongings to Argentina by sea
Moving to Argentina, going home after years in Canada, or sending boxes to family? Personal effects travel in a shared ocean container (LCL groupage) from our receiving warehouses in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to Buenos Aires. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 8 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 35–67 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Argentina are accepted subject to carrier approval: before you pay, we send your packing list and passport copy to the carrier, and only then is the booking confirmed.
Customs in Argentina requires a licensed customs broker (despachante de aduana) for almost every import, including personal effects. Returning Argentine residents and foreigners who obtain residence can import used household goods with duty concessions, but the paperwork takes time, so the consignee should appoint a broker before the ship arrives. Commercial imports need an importer registered with AFIP/ARCA.
Practical tips. Argentina restricts imports of used clothing, used electronics in commercial quantities and many second-hand goods, so personal shipments should contain clearly personal, used items listed one by one. Prices in Argentina change quickly; agree with the consignee in advance who pays the broker, port storage and local trucking to Córdoba, Rosario or Mendoza. Spanish descriptions on the packing list help the customs inspection go faster.
Commercial cargo to Argentina. Argentine customs classifies goods in the Mercosur Common Nomenclature (NCM), so give the importer a commercial invoice with HS codes, unit values, the Incoterm and the country of origin, plus the packing list and bill of lading. The importer must be registered with the tax and customs authority (ARCA, formerly AFIP), and the broker files the declaration; import rules and fees have changed often in recent years, so ask the buyer to confirm with their broker before you ship. For personal shipments, a detailed inventory in Spanish, with the used condition of each item and serial numbers for electronics, helps the broker present the household goods to customs.
Rates for household boxes to Argentina
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires | USD 8 / cu ft 35 days · min. USD 575.82 | USD 9 / cu ft 40 days · min. USD 613.15 | USD 8 / cu ft 67 days · min. USD 547.56 |
Example: moving boxes from Toronto to Buenos Aires
A medium moving box of 18 × 18 × 16 inches holds 3.0 cubic feet; packed with clothes, books and kitchenware it weighs about 15 kg.
- 10 boxes (30 cu ft, 150 kg): USD 575.82
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 745.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 575.82
The totals include the A1 processing fee, surcharges and solar fee. The carrier charges by volume or by weight (1,000 kg per CBM), whichever is greater. From the Prairies, with trucking to the port included: Calgary USD 885.00 (via Vancouver) and Winnipeg USD 885.00 (via Vancouver).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Buenos Aires
- From Toronto: USD 745.00, about 35 days
- From Montreal: USD 805.00, about 40 days
- From Vancouver: USD 745.00, about 67 days
Toronto is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Buenos Aires. Choose the warehouse you can reach; from other Canadian cities the calculator shows the lowest of the three.
Documents for personal effects
- Passport copy. The photo page of the shipper's passport. It must be valid (not expired) and the name must match the shipper on the booking and on the packing list. We accept a passport from any country, but no other ID.
- Packing list. Our fillable packing list (PDF) names the shipper and the receiver in Argentina and lists every box: contents, quantity, dimensions, weight and value. Number the boxes and write the same numbers on the list. "Winter clothes, 2 coats, 6 sweaters" is useful; "personal items" is not. Sign it before you upload it.
- Customs value. The total declared value of the shipment may not exceed CAD 2,000.
The carrier's tariff requires a passport copy and a complete, detailed packing list for every personal-effects shipment, and household goods must be professionally packed. More help: how to fill in the packing list.
Packing advice
Your boxes are handled several times: at the warehouse, in the container and at the terminal in Buenos Aires. Use new, strong double-wall cartons and fill them completely so they do not collapse under the weight of others; seal every seam with packing tape. Put heavy items such as books in small boxes and light items in larger ones. Write the receiver's name and city in Argentina on two sides of every box. Many boxes can be strapped onto a pallet on ISPM 15 heat-treated wood; you or your mover prepare the pallet, A1 does not palletize.
What not to pack
The carrier does not accept vehicles or parts with fuel, food, plants, animals, medication, weapons, dangerous goods (aerosols, batteries, paint, flammable liquids), cash, jewellery or other valuables. If you are not sure about an item, ask us before you pack it.
Carrier conditions for Argentina
The carrier's tariff lists no special conditions for Argentina beyond the general rules on this page; the destination charges are confirmed for each booking.
Insurance (optional)
Cargo insurance for personal effects is arranged through Marsh Canada (CargoCover): owner-packed goods, all risks, with a USD 300 deductible. To request it, sign the insurance coverage form and complete the valued inventory, then upload both on your booking page before departure. All forms: useful links and forms.
How to book
Calculate the price in the calculator above with the cargo type "Personal effects", accept the quote and upload the passport copy and the signed packing list on your booking page. After the carrier approves the shipment and confirms the destination charges, you pay and receive the labels and the warehouse delivery instructions. You deliver the boxes yourself: A1 does not offer pickup from your home.
Shipping to Argentina by service
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to Argentina?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Toronto to Buenos Aires cost about USD 745.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Argentina?
A copy of the photo page of the shipper's passport: valid, not expired, and in the same name as the shipper on the booking and the packing list. A passport from any country is accepted; no other ID is.
Can A1 pick up my boxes at home?
No. You or a local mover deliver the packed boxes to our receiving warehouse in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver; the warehouse measures and weighs them and the final price follows those measurements.
Rates valid through December 25, 2026; totals include A1 fees of USD 265.00. Destination charges are confirmed by the carrier, duties and taxes are paid by the consignee, and transit days are the carrier's estimate.