Sending your belongings to Ecuador by sea
Moving to Ecuador, 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 Guayaquil. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 13 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 50–62 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Ecuador 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.
Ecuadorians returning to live in the country can import used household goods (menaje de casa) free of duty once, with a SENAE application and proof of residence abroad; foreigners with a resident visa have similar rules. A local customs agent usually handles the clearance.
Ecuador is a favourite retirement destination for Canadians in Cuenca and on the coast, and the menaje de casa exemption is one of the main reasons people ship household goods. The application to SENAE is made before the cargo arrives, and the goods must match the approved list. Guayaquil port is hot and humid: pack electronics and textiles in sealed plastic.
Canadians retiring to Cuenca or the coast usually move in two steps: the household boxes travel by sea to Guayaquil under the menaje de casa exemption, and the furniture is bought locally. Apply for the exemption first, keep the list of goods identical to what is in the boxes, and plan the road trip from Guayaquil up to Cuenca once the goods are released.
Rates for household boxes to Ecuador
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guayaquil | USD 13 / cu ft 53 days · min. USD 752.42 | USD 13 / cu ft 50 days · min. USD 751.57 | USD 18 / cu ft 62 days · min. USD 929.33 |
Example: moving boxes from Toronto to Guayaquil
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 752.42
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 1,045.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 752.42
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 1,245.00 (via Montreal) and Winnipeg USD 1,245.00 (via Montreal).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Guayaquil
- From Toronto: USD 1,045.00, about 53 days
- From Montreal: USD 1,045.00, about 50 days
- From Vancouver: USD 1,345.00, about 62 days
Montreal is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Guayaquil. 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 Ecuador 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 Guayaquil. 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 Ecuador 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 Ecuador
The carrier's tariff lists no special conditions for Ecuador 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 Ecuador by service
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to Ecuador?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Toronto to Guayaquil cost about USD 1,045.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Ecuador?
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.