Sending your belongings to Czech Republic by sea
Moving to Czech Republic, 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 Ostrava and Prague. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 2 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 37–47 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Czech Republic 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.
Note the Ostrava weight rule in the tariff: 1 CBM is counted as 500 kg, so heavy shipments are charged by weight sooner. Used household goods are free of duty and VAT under the EU transfer-of-residence relief; personal effects are accepted on carrier approval.
Prague is a major centre for international companies, and Brno and Ostrava have growing automotive and engineering industries, so commercial shipments of parts and equipment are common. Czech customs applies EU rules, and importers need an EORI number. For household goods, register your residence with the Foreign Police or your municipality before the cargo arrives.
For a household move to Czechia, people from outside the EU first obtain a long-term residence permit from the Ministry of the Interior, and the relief for used belongings is claimed at the Czech customs office that clears the shipment. Keep a numbered inventory in English or Czech, the residence document and proof that you lived outside the EU for at least twelve months; belongings must have been in your use for six months, and new items are listed separately. Plan the move-in date around the rail leg from the port to Prague or Ostrava.
Rates for household boxes to Czech Republic
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prague | USD 3 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 2 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 335.64 | USD 5 / cu ft 47 days · min. USD 441.60 |
| Ostrava | USD 3 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 3 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 5 / cu ft 47 days · min. USD 441.60 |
Example: moving boxes from Montreal to Prague
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 585.00 (via Montreal) and Winnipeg USD 585.00 (via Montreal).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Prague
- From Toronto: USD 445.00, about 37 days
- From Montreal: USD 385.00, about 37 days
- From Vancouver: USD 565.00, about 47 days
Montreal is the least expensive gateway to Prague, 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.
20 moving boxes to different cities in Czech Republic
- Prague: USD 385.00 from Montreal, about 37 days
- Ostrava: USD 445.00 from Toronto, about 37 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 Czech Republic 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 Prague. 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 Czech Republic 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 Czech Republic
- Commercial Invoice Required
- Personal Effects / Household Goods On Approval
- Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
- OSTRAVA RATE BASIS: 1 CBM / 500 KGS
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 Czech Republic by service
- All shipping to Czech Republic: rates and destinations
- Commercial cargo shipping to Czech Republic 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 Czech Republic?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Montreal to Prague 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 Czech Republic?
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.