Sending your belongings to Colombia by sea
Moving to Colombia, 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 Cartagena. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 8 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 30–42 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Colombia 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.
Freight to Colombia must be prepaid. Colombians returning after living abroad, and foreigners with a resident visa, can usually import used household goods (menaje doméstico) with tax benefits through a customs agent; new goods and electronics are taxed. Commercial importers need registration with DIAN.
Cartagena is a busy Caribbean hub and cargo moves on to the interior by truck, which can take several days to Bogotá or Medellín in the Andes. Colombian customs (DIAN) checks declared values carefully, so the commercial invoice should show realistic prices. Personal shipments of returning Colombians should include a copy of the passport showing time spent abroad.
Commercial imports into Colombia. Colombia classifies goods in the Andean Community nomenclature (NANDINA), and most imports pay customs duty plus VAT at the standard rate of 19%. The importer's customs agent files the declaration with DIAN, so send the commercial invoice with HS codes and realistic unit values, the packing list and the bill of lading before the vessel arrives in Cartagena. For household goods, a numbered inventory in Spanish describing each item as used, with brands and serial numbers for televisions and appliances, makes the menaje doméstico inspection simpler for returning residents.
Rates for household boxes to Colombia
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cartagena | USD 8 / cu ft 30 days · min. USD 547.56 | USD 8 / cu ft 35 days · min. USD 547.56 | USD 13 / cu ft 42 days · min. USD 724.16 |
Example: moving boxes from Toronto to Cartagena
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 547.56
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 745.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 547.56
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 945.00 (via Montreal) and Winnipeg USD 945.00 (via Montreal).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Cartagena
- From Toronto: USD 745.00, about 30 days
- From Montreal: USD 745.00, about 35 days
- From Vancouver: USD 1,045.00, about 42 days
Toronto is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Cartagena. 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 Colombia 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 Cartagena. 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 Colombia 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 Colombia
- Freight Prepaid Only
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 Colombia by service
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to Colombia?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Toronto to Cartagena 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 Colombia?
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.