Sending your belongings to Bosnia and Herzegovina by sea
Moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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 Sarajevo. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 7 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 33–43 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Bosnia and Herzegovina 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.
Every shipment needs a commercial invoice and freight must be prepaid in Canada. Returning citizens moving their household back home can usually import used goods free of duty with proof of residence abroad; the consignee should check the current rules with the Indirect Taxation Authority.
Most cargo for Sarajevo arrives through the Croatian port of Ploče or through Rijeka and crosses a border on the way, so transit documents and a correct commercial invoice are important. Diaspora families in Canada often send household goods and gifts home; mark each box clearly and keep the value within the declared amount, since Bosnian customs checks gift shipments carefully.
Belongings for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The tariff serves Bosnia and Herzegovina through the inland terminal at Sarajevo, about 33 days from Toronto or Montreal and about 43 days from Vancouver. Freight is prepaid only, so everything is settled in Canada before the boxes leave. The carrier approves a shipment of household goods from the passport copy and the signed packing list, and it wants them professionally packed. The declared value may not pass CAD 2,000; families in Mostar, Banja Luka or Tuzla collect in Sarajevo or arrange transport from there.
Rates for household boxes to Bosnia and Herzegovina
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarajevo | USD 8 / cu ft 33 days · min. USD 707.93 | USD 7 / cu ft 33 days · min. USD 656.46 | USD 10 / cu ft 43 days · min. USD 766.54 |
Example: moving boxes from Montreal to Sarajevo
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 656.46
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 685.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 656.46
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 Montreal) and Winnipeg USD 885.00 (via Montreal).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Sarajevo
- From Toronto: USD 745.00, about 33 days
- From Montreal: USD 685.00, about 33 days
- From Vancouver: USD 865.00, about 43 days
Montreal is the least expensive gateway to Sarajevo, Toronto the fastest: 0 days quicker for USD 60.00 more. 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 Sarajevo. 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Freight Prepaid Only
- Commercial Invoice Required
- Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
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 Bosnia and Herzegovina by service
- All shipping to Bosnia and Herzegovina: rates and destinations
- Commercial cargo shipping to Bosnia and Herzegovina from Canada
A1 services from Canada: Ocean LCL shipping, personal effects, commercial cargo, air freight (on request).
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Montreal to Sarajevo cost about USD 685.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
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.