Sending your belongings to Cambodia by sea
Moving to Cambodia, 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 Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 2 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 43–60 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Cambodia 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.
Read the restrictions. The carrier's tariff prohibits chemical products, gambling equipment, medical supplies and equipment, religious books and materials, and all foodstuffs to Cambodia, and dangerous goods are not accepted. Freight must be prepaid. Check every box of household goods against this list before packing.
Most household shipments to Cambodia go to Phnom Penh, where expatriates, NGO staff and returning Cambodian families live; Siem Reap is reached by road. Customs clearance is handled through a licensed broker, and duties can be high on electronics and furniture. Keep the inventory simple and specific, and make sure nothing on the prohibited list is packed.
Which Cambodian port suits a family move? Sihanoukville is the faster destination, about 43 days from Vancouver and 53 from Toronto or Montreal; Phnom Penh takes about 50 days from the west coast and 60 from the east. Personal effects go on carrier approval, with the passport copy and the signed packing list, and the carrier wants household goods professionally packed. Read the prohibited list before packing: all foodstuffs, medical supplies, chemical products and religious books or materials are excluded, so a box of family medicines or a carton of scripture cannot travel. Belongings may be declared at up to CAD 2,000 in total.
Rates for household boxes to Cambodia
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sihanoukville | USD 3 / cu ft 53 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 3 / cu ft 53 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 2 / cu ft 43 days · min. USD 335.64 |
| Phnom Penh | USD 5 / cu ft 60 days · min. USD 441.60 | USD 5 / cu ft 60 days · min. USD 441.60 | USD 3 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 370.96 |
Example: moving boxes from Vancouver to Sihanoukville
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 335.64
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 385.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 335.64
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 525.00 (via Vancouver) and Winnipeg USD 525.00 (via Vancouver).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Sihanoukville
- From Toronto: USD 445.00, about 53 days
- From Montreal: USD 445.00, about 53 days
- From Vancouver: USD 385.00, about 43 days
Vancouver is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Sihanoukville. Choose the warehouse you can reach; from other Canadian cities the calculator shows the lowest of the three.
20 moving boxes to different cities in Cambodia
- Sihanoukville: USD 385.00 from Vancouver, about 43 days
- Phnom Penh: USD 445.00 from Vancouver, about 50 days
The difference between the least and the most expensive of these is USD 60.00.
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 Cambodia 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 Sihanoukville. 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 Cambodia 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 Cambodia
- Freight Prepaid Only.
- Chemical Products, Gambling Equipment, Medical Supplies/Equipment Prohibited
- Books and Materials Relating To Religion, All Foodstuffs Prohibited
- IMO DG Cargo Not Accepted
- 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 Cambodia by service
By city: Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville.
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 Cambodia?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Vancouver to Sihanoukville cost about USD 385.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Cambodia?
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.