Sending your belongings to Pakistan by sea
Moving to Pakistan, 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 Karachi. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 2 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 52–62 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Pakistan 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.
The bill of lading must show the consignee's tax number (NTN) or CNIC or passport number, the HS code and the gross and net weight. Overseas Pakistanis returning home can import used personal and household goods under baggage rules with concessions.
Many Pakistani-Canadian families send household goods and gifts to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Under Pakistan's baggage and gift schemes, duty-free allowances are limited, so the consignee should check the current rules with Pakistan Customs and keep receipts for new items. Commercial shipments are cleared electronically through the WeBOC system.
Families in Mississauga, Brampton, Toronto and Calgary often fill boxes of personal belongings and gifts for weddings and Eid in Pakistan; book well ahead, because the sea passage to Karachi takes several weeks before clearance even starts. List the contents of each box in English on the packing list (clothes, shoes, kitchenware, bedding) with a realistic value, and leave out sealed medicines, liquids and anything flammable. The consignee in Karachi should have the passport copy, the packing list and the bill of lading ready before the container arrives.
Rates for household boxes to Pakistan
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi | USD 3 / cu ft 62 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 3 / cu ft 62 days · min. USD 370.96 | USD 2 / cu ft 52 days · min. USD 335.64 |
Example: moving boxes from Vancouver to Karachi
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 525.00 (via Vancouver) and Winnipeg USD 525.00 (via Vancouver).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Karachi
- From Toronto: USD 445.00, about 62 days
- From Montreal: USD 445.00, about 62 days
- From Vancouver: USD 385.00, about 52 days
Vancouver is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Karachi. 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 Pakistan 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 Karachi. 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 Pakistan 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 Pakistan
- Freight Prepaid Only.
- Customs Clearance At Khi Port
- Commercial Invoice / Packing List Required
- Consignee National Tax Number Required on BL
- HS Code, Gross & Net Weight Must Appear On B/L
- Mandatory requirement for Consignee NTN, FTN, CNIC, or Passport Number details
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 Pakistan by service
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to Pakistan?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Vancouver to Karachi 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 Pakistan?
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.