Sending your belongings to Singapore by sea
Moving to Singapore, 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 Singapore. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 3 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 37–47 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Singapore 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.
Clearance in Singapore is done through a declaring agent who files an import permit in TradeNet. Used household goods and personal effects of people relocating to Singapore are generally relieved from GST; alcohol and tobacco are taxed, and some goods, such as chewing gum, firearms or certain medicines, are controlled or prohibited.
Personal effects to Singapore, step by step. There is only one destination here, and it is the city itself, so the routing question is simply which Canadian warehouse you can reach. Boxes delivered to Vancouver are the fastest, at about 37 days in the carrier's estimate; Toronto and Montreal both take about 47 days. The tariff lists a handling surcharge at the Singapore end for personal effects, wine and dutiable goods, and it is included in the destination charges that the carrier confirms before you pay. A shipment of belongings is accepted on approval: we pass the passport copy and the signed packing list to the carrier first. Professional packing is a carrier requirement for household goods.
Relocating expatriates often ship a few dozen cartons rather than a full household, and LCL suits that size well. The declared value of the boxes may not go above CAD 2,000, which also keeps valuable electronics and jewellery out of a groupage container. Write the Singapore delivery address and the consignee's name on every carton, and keep a copy of the numbered list in your hand luggage for the declaring agent.
Rates for household boxes to Singapore
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | USD 4 / cu ft 47 days · min. USD 406.28 | USD 4 / cu ft 47 days · min. USD 406.28 | USD 3 / cu ft 37 days · min. USD 370.96 |
Example: moving boxes from Vancouver to Singapore
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 370.96
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 445.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 370.96
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 585.00 (via Vancouver) and Winnipeg USD 585.00 (via Vancouver).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Singapore
- From Toronto: USD 505.00, about 47 days
- From Montreal: USD 505.00, about 47 days
- From Vancouver: USD 445.00, about 37 days
Vancouver is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Singapore. 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 Singapore 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 Singapore. 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 Singapore 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 Singapore
- Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
- Handling Surcharge (SGD 50 / HBL) : Applied for Wine, Dutiable, and Personal Effects 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 Singapore by service
Questions and answers
How much does it cost to ship 20 boxes to Singapore?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Vancouver to Singapore cost about USD 445.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Singapore?
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.