Personal Effects Shipping from Canada

Moving abroad from Canada with a few dozen boxes

Going home after years in Canada, starting a job overseas, or sending belongings to family: most moves do not fill a container. With A1 your boxes travel by sea in a shared container (LCL) from Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, and you pay only for the space they take. Personal effects are accepted to 80 of the 88 countries in the carrier's tariff, always subject to carrier approval: before you pay, we send your packing list and passport copy to the carrier, and the booking is confirmed only after it agrees.

Ship household goods overseas: the carrier's rules

The tariff sets two rules for every personal-effects shipment, whatever the destination:

Professional packing. Household goods must be professionally packed: strong double-wall cartons, filled and sealed, or crates. Boxes that collapse under others are the most common cause of damage in a shared container.
Passport copy and a complete, detailed packing list. Every box numbered, with its contents, quantity, dimensions, weight and value. "Winter clothes, 2 coats, 6 sweaters" passes; "personal items" does not.

On top of these, each country has its own carrier conditions and import rules, and some take no personal effects at all. Personal effects are not accepted to Bangladesh, Croatia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lithuania, Macedonia, Morocco, and Tanzania, nor to Chennai (India), Guangzhou (China), Hong Kong (China), Incheon (South Korea), and Macau (China); commercial cargo still goes there.

What 20 moving boxes cost

Twenty medium moving boxes are about 60 cubic feet and 300 kg: a typical student move or a family's first shipment. From the least expensive Canadian gateway to the least expensive destination in each country that takes personal effects:

20 moving boxes from Canada: total with all A1 fees and carrier transit
Country	Destination	Best gateway	Total, all A1 fees	Transit
Philippines	Cebu	Vancouver	USD 385.00	47 days
India	Nhava Sheva	Vancouver	USD 565.00	53 days
Pakistan	Karachi	Vancouver	USD 385.00	52 days
United Kingdom	Southampton	Toronto	USD 445.00	18 days
Portugal	Leixoes	Toronto	USD 505.00	33 days
Lebanon	Beirut	Montreal	USD 625.00	49 days
Vietnam	Haiphong	Vancouver	USD 445.00	47 days
Italy	Genoa	Montreal	USD 445.00	24 days
Poland	Gdynia	Toronto	USD 745.00	37 days
Australia	Adelaide	Vancouver	USD 505.00	43 days

Destination charges are confirmed by the carrier before you pay; duties and taxes, where any apply, are paid by the receiver. Your exact price is in the calculator above with the cargo type "Personal effects".

Documents

Passport copy: the photo page of the shipper's passport, valid, 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.
Packing list: our fillable packing list (PDF), signed. How to fill it in: packing list guide.
Customs value: the declared value of the shipment may not exceed CAD 2,000. Carry jewellery, cash, documents and expensive electronics with you.
Destination papers: some countries ask for proof of residence, a returning-resident certificate or a customs form in the receiver's name; the country pages below list what we know.

Where to deliver your boxes

A1 does not offer pickup from your home. You, a friend with a van or a mover bring the boxes to one of the receiving warehouses:

Toronto — Mississauga, next to Pearson airport. The natural start for Toronto, the GTA and the rest of Ontario. Priced to 238 destinations, and the least expensive of the three gateways for 119 of them.
Montreal — the east end of Montreal, on Notre-Dame Street East (Québec). The natural start for Québec, eastern Ontario and the Atlantic provinces. Priced to 238 destinations, and the least expensive of the three gateways for 23 of them.
Vancouver — Richmond, BC. The natural start for British Columbia and senders who want the Pacific routes to Asia and Oceania. Priced to 237 destinations, and the least expensive of the three gateways for 97 of them.

From Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg you hand the cargo in at the Fastfrate terminal in your city and the calculator adds trucking to the Montreal or Vancouver warehouse, whichever gives the lower total. From anywhere else in Canada (Ottawa, Québec City, Halifax, Victoria…) you or a trucking company you hire bring the cargo to the nearest of the three warehouses. Receiving hours are 08:00 to 16:00; the exact address comes with the labels after you pay.

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. Some countries add their own bans, listed in their carrier conditions. If you are unsure about an item, ask before you pack it.

Insurance

Optional cargo insurance for personal effects is arranged through Marsh Canada (CargoCover): owner-packed goods, all risks, USD 300 deductible. Sign the insurance coverage form and complete the valued inventory, then upload both before departure.

What A1 does and does not do

A1 does: the price with all fees, the carrier approval, the check of your passport copy and packing list, the labels and warehouse instructions, and the contact until arrival. A1 does not: pick up, pack or palletize; ship cars or motorcycles; offer courier or door-to-door delivery abroad; clear customs for the receiver. Shipments end at the destination warehouse (CFS), where the receiver collects them after clearance or books onward delivery.

Personal effects shipping by country

Each page has the country's rates for household boxes, the gateway comparison, the carrier conditions and what we know of its import rules:

Personal effects are also accepted on approval to Brunei, Canary Islands, Iceland, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico, Seychelles, and Tahiti and 2 more countries: see their pages in shipping destinations A–Z. Read also how to ship personal effects from Canada.

Questions and answers

What counts as personal effects?

Your own used belongings: clothes, books, kitchenware, linen, toys, small household items and similar goods that are not for sale. Goods you sell or deliver to a customer are commercial cargo.

Can I ship household goods without a passport copy?

No. The carrier requires a copy of the shipper's passport photo page and a complete, detailed packing list for every personal-effects shipment. A passport from any country is accepted; it must be valid and in the shipper's name.

Will A1 come to my home to collect the boxes?

No. You or a mover you hire deliver the packed boxes to the receiving warehouse in Toronto (Mississauga), Montreal or Vancouver (Richmond).

Do I pay duty on my belongings abroad?

That depends on the destination country and your situation (returning resident, new resident, gift). Many countries relieve used household goods of a returning or relocating resident; the country pages describe what we know, and duties and taxes are paid by the receiver.

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.