Sending your belongings to India by sea
Moving to India, 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 <a href="/shipping-to/bangalore-india/">Bangalore</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/cochin-india/">Cochin</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/hyderabad-india/">Hyderabad</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/kolkata-india/">Kolkata</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/new-delhi-india/">New Delhi</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/nhava-sheva-india/">Nhava Sheva</a>, and <a href="/shipping-to/tuticorin-india/">Tuticorin</a>. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 5 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 39–73 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to India 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. Personal effects are not accepted to Chennai; commercial cargo still is.
Cargo to India travels to the major ports of Nhava Sheva (JNPT, Mumbai), Chennai, Cochin, Kolkata and Tuticorin, or to inland container depots in New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, where it is cleared by customs after a rail or road leg. For Mumbai and Maharashtra choose Nhava Sheva, for Delhi and the north New Delhi, for Kerala Cochin. The carrier does not accept personal effects to Chennai.
Transfer of residence. Indian passport holders returning after living abroad for at least two years may import used household goods with duty concessions under the baggage rules. Unaccompanied baggage should arrive within one month before or one year after the passenger, and the owner normally needs passport pages showing the stay abroad. New appliances and televisions are dutiable.
Rates for household boxes to India
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nhava Sheva | USD 7 / cu ft 63 days · min. USD 512.24 | USD 7 / cu ft 63 days · min. USD 512.24 | USD 5 / cu ft 53 days · min. USD 441.60 |
| Cochin | USD 6 / cu ft 49 days · min. USD 476.92 | USD 6 / cu ft 49 days · min. USD 476.92 | USD 7 / cu ft 57 days · min. USD 512.24 |
| Kolkata | USD 7 / cu ft 42 days · min. USD 512.24 | USD 7 / cu ft 42 days · min. USD 512.24 | USD 6 / cu ft 48 days · min. USD 476.92 |
| Bangalore | USD 8 / cu ft 47 days · min. USD 547.56 | USD 7 / cu ft 47 days · min. USD 512.24 | USD 7 / cu ft 52 days · min. USD 512.24 |
| Hyderabad | USD 8 / cu ft 65 days · min. USD 547.56 | USD 8 / cu ft 65 days · min. USD 547.56 | USD 7 / cu ft 55 days · min. USD 512.24 |
Example: moving boxes from Vancouver to Nhava Sheva
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 441.60
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 565.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 441.60
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 705.00 (via Vancouver) and Winnipeg USD 705.00 (via Vancouver).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Nhava Sheva
- From Toronto: USD 685.00, about 63 days
- From Montreal: USD 685.00, about 63 days
- From Vancouver: USD 565.00, about 53 days
Vancouver is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Nhava Sheva. 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 India
- Nhava Sheva: USD 565.00 from Vancouver, about 53 days
- Cochin: USD 625.00 from Toronto, about 49 days
- Kolkata: USD 625.00 from Vancouver, about 48 days
- Bangalore: USD 685.00 from Montreal, about 47 days
- Hyderabad: USD 685.00 from Vancouver, about 55 days
- Tuticorin: USD 685.00 from Vancouver, about 39 days
The difference between the least and the most expensive of these is USD 120.00. The other 1 destinations are in the calculator.
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 India 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 Nhava Sheva. 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 India 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 India
- Freight Prepaid Only
- Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
- GSTIN / IEC / E-Mail ID Of Importer Required
- Importer Exporter Code no. of the Importer to be indicated on HBL (IEC no. is a registration number allotted to all Indian traders / manufacturers who are in the IMP/EXP business)
- Personal Effects On Approval Only, Except Prohibited to Chennai
- Hyderabad Cargo Customs Clearance in Chennai
- Liquid items, food stuff, medicines, alcohol, electronic items and batteries are subject to commodity restrictions.
- Final confirmation of acceptance can only be advised by consignee custom broker at destination.
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 India by service
By city: Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi, Nhava Sheva, Tuticorin.
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to India?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Vancouver to Nhava Sheva cost about USD 565.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to India?
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 October 1–31, 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.