Sending your belongings to Zimbabwe by sea
Moving to Zimbabwe, 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 Harare. You pay only for the space your boxes take, from USD 12 per cubic foot, and the carrier estimates 77–87 days in transit depending on the gateway and the city.
Personal effects to Zimbabwe 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.
A commercial invoice and packing list are required, and wharfage and fuel charges are prepaid by the shipper. Zimbabweans returning after living abroad can apply for rebates on household goods.
Harare is about 1,600 km by road from Durban, so the carrier's transit estimate for Zimbabwe is long. Many shipments are household goods and gifts from Zimbabwean families in Canada, and supplies for missions and NGOs. Zimbabwe customs (ZIMRA) checks values carefully, so declare realistic prices and keep receipts.
A long road to Harare. Cargo for Zimbabwe is transhipped via Rotterdam to Durban and then carried overland, which is why the transit is among the longest in the tariff: about 77 days from Vancouver and about 87 days from Toronto or Montreal. Personal effects are accepted on carrier approval with the passport copy and the signed packing list, and household goods must be professionally packed. Pack for a journey with several handlings: strong cartons, filled completely and taped on every seam. The declared value of the belongings stays within CAD 2,000.
Rates for household boxes to Zimbabwe
| Destination | From Toronto | From Montreal | From Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harare | USD 13 / cu ft 87 days · min. USD 724.16 | USD 13 / cu ft 87 days · min. USD 724.16 | USD 12 / cu ft 77 days · min. USD 688.84 |
Example: moving boxes from Vancouver to Harare
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 688.84
- 20 boxes (60 cu ft, 300 kg): USD 985.00
- The smallest shipment: USD 688.84
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 1,125.00 (via Vancouver) and Winnipeg USD 1,125.00 (via Vancouver).
Which Canadian gateway: 20 boxes to Harare
- From Toronto: USD 1,045.00, about 87 days
- From Montreal: USD 1,045.00, about 87 days
- From Vancouver: USD 985.00, about 77 days
Vancouver is both the least expensive and the fastest gateway to Harare. 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 Zimbabwe 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 Harare. 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 Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe
- Collect Freight Only On Approval
- Commercial Invoice / Packing List Required
- Wharfage Prepaid By Shipper $11.00 W/M.
- CAF / BAF Prepaid By Shipper. Inquire For Rates
- Subject to ISPM 15 Packing Regulations
- tranship via Rotterdam -Durban
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 Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe?
Twenty medium moving boxes (about 60 cu ft and 300 kg) from Vancouver to Harare cost about USD 985.00 including all A1 fees. Destination charges, duties and taxes are confirmed separately.
Which ID do I need to ship personal effects to Zimbabwe?
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.