Sending your belongings to Uruguay by sea
Moving to Uruguay, 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 Montevideo. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 4 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 65–75 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Uruguay 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.
Uruguayans returning after at least two years abroad can import used household goods with exemptions, and a customs broker (despachante de aduana) handles the clearance.
Montevideo is one of the most efficient ports in South America and a regional hub for Paraguay and Argentina. Uruguay attracts retirees and remote workers, and household goods of new residents can qualify for exemptions. Spanish descriptions on the packing list make clearance easier.
Foreign residents settling in Uruguay, including retirees and remote workers on residence, can ask a despachante whether their used household goods qualify for an exemption under their residence category. The papers usually requested are the passport, the residence application, the bill of lading and an inventory in Spanish that lists each box and marks used items as used; new goods in original packaging are normally taxed. Sailings from Canada reach Montevideo after transshipment, so a household move should be booked well ahead of the date the family needs its belongings.
Uruguayan citizens coming back after at least two years abroad should contact the consulate in Canada before the move, because it certifies the time of residence abroad on which the exemption depends.
Rates for household boxes to Uruguay
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montevideo | USD 5 / cu ft 75 days · min. USD 441.60 | USD 4 / cu ft 70 days · min. USD 406.28 | USD 8 / cu ft 65 days · min. USD 547.56 |
Example: moving boxes from Montreal to Montevideo
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 406.28
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 505.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 406.28
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 Montreal) and Winnipeg USD 705.00 (via Montreal).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Montevideo
- From Toronto: USD 565.00, about 75 days
- From Montreal: USD 505.00, about 70 days
- From Vancouver: USD 745.00, about 65 days
Montreal is the least expensive gateway to Montevideo, Vancouver the fastest: 5 days quicker for USD 240.00 more. 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 Uruguay 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 Montevideo. 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 Uruguay 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 Uruguay
The carrier's tariff lists no special conditions for Uruguay 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 Uruguay 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 Uruguay?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Montreal to Montevideo cost about USD 505.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Uruguay?
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.