Sending your belongings to Poland by sea
Moving to Poland, 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/gdansk-poland/">Gdansk</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/gdynia-poland/">Gdynia</a>, <a href="/shipping-to/poznan-poland/">Poznan</a>, and <a href="/shipping-to/warsaw-poland/">Warsaw</a>. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 8 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 29–47 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Poland 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.
Moving to Poland. Used household goods are free of duty and VAT under the EU transfer-of-residence relief after at least twelve months living outside the EU. Polish customs asks for the inventory, passport and proof of your new residence in Poland, such as a registration (zameldowanie) or a residence card.
Many Polish-Canadian families send household goods and gifts home, and Poland's growing economy attracts commercial shipments of machinery and consumer goods. Commercial importers need an EORI number, and Polish VAT is 23 %. Invoices in English are accepted, though Polish descriptions speed up inspection.
Rates for household boxes to Poland
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gdynia | USD 8 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 721.44 | USD 8 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 726.02 | USD 10 / cu ft 47 days · min. USD 781.22 |
| Gdansk | USD 9 / cu ft 29 days · min. USD 631.25 | USD 9 / cu ft 29 days · min. USD 632.33 | USD 12 / cu ft 39 days · min. USD 739.13 |
| Poznan | USD 9 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 631.25 | USD 9 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 632.33 | USD 12 / cu ft 47 days · min. USD 739.13 |
| Warsaw | USD 9 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 631.25 | USD 9 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 632.33 | USD 12 / cu ft 47 days · min. USD 739.13 |
Example: moving boxes from Toronto to Gdynia
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 721.44
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 745.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 721.44
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 945.00 (via Montreal) and Winnipeg USD 945.00 (via Montreal).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Gdynia
- From Toronto: USD 745.00, about 37 days
- From Montreal: USD 745.00, about 37 days
- From Vancouver: USD 865.00, about 47 days
Toronto is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Gdynia. 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 Poland
- Gdynia: USD 745.00 from Toronto, about 37 days
- Gdansk: USD 805.00 from Toronto, about 29 days
- Poznan: USD 805.00 from Toronto, about 37 days
- Warsaw: USD 805.00 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 Poland 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 Gdynia. 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 Poland 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 Poland
- Commercial Invoice / Certificate of Origin Required
- Personal Effects / Household Goods On Approval
- Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
- Via Vilnius. EUR390. Storage Deposit Required From Consignee
- Destination Charges Prepaid In Vilnius
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 Poland by service
By city: Gdansk, Gdynia, Poznan, Warsaw.
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to Poland?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Toronto to Gdynia cost about USD 745.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Poland?
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.