Sending your belongings to Myanmar by sea
Moving to Myanmar, 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 Yangon. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 5 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 44–54 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Myanmar 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.
Commercial imports require a registered Myanmar importer and, for many goods, an import licence. Personal effects should be discussed with the consignee and a local customs agent before shipping.
Yangon's port handles most of Myanmar's container traffic. Import rules and licensing in Myanmar change often, so the consignee should check the current requirements for the specific goods before the cargo is shipped. Household goods for returning families and NGO staff are usually cleared through a local agent with an inventory and passport copies.
Sending a family's things to Yangon. The tariff has one destination in Myanmar, Yangon. Vancouver is ten days quicker than the eastern gateways, about 44 days against 54 from Toronto or Montreal. Freight collect is not accepted, so the freight and the destination charges are paid in Canada with the booking, which is how A1 works anyway. The carrier approves the shipment from the passport copy and the signed packing list, household goods must be professionally packed, and the declared value of the boxes may not pass CAD 2,000.
Families sending belongings to relatives in Mandalay or elsewhere upcountry should agree in advance who will collect the boxes in Yangon and how they will travel on. A detailed list, carton by carton, with the receiver's name and phone number, makes the collection simpler.
Yangon receives household goods and commercial cargo on the same service, so both follow the same rule on payment: the carrier does not accept freight collect, and A1 takes payment for the freight and the confirmed destination charges in Canada before departure.
Rates for household boxes to Myanmar
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yangon | USD 6 / cu ft 54 days · min. USD 476.92 | USD 6 / cu ft 54 days · min. USD 476.92 | USD 5 / cu ft 44 days · min. USD 441.60 |
Example: moving boxes from Vancouver to Yangon
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 Yangon
- From Toronto: USD 625.00, about 54 days
- From Montreal: USD 625.00, about 54 days
- From Vancouver: USD 565.00, about 44 days
Vancouver is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Yangon. 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 Myanmar 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 Yangon. 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 Myanmar 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 Myanmar
The carrier's tariff lists no special conditions for Myanmar 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 Myanmar by service
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 Myanmar?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Vancouver to Yangon 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 Myanmar?
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.