Arrange international shipping for your belongings

Shipping your belongings internationally is usually a choice between sea freight (cheaper, slower -- weeks to months depending on origin) and air freight (faster, significantly more expensive) -- most people use sea freight for a full household move and air freight only for anything genuinely time-critical.

How to do it

1. Get quotes from at least 2-3 international freight forwarders, not just one -- pricing and included services (packing, insurance, door-to-door vs. port-to-port) vary a lot.
2. Ask about groupage/shared-container options if you don't have enough for a full container -- you pay for the space you use rather than a whole container, often significantly cheaper for a single household's worth of goods.
3. Check MPI's import declaration requirements for household goods -- used furniture, outdoor equipment, and anything that's been in contact with soil or plants must be declared and can be inspected, treated, or disposed of if needed, and undeclared items risk real delays.
4. If you're moving from Australia specifically, transit times are generally shorter than from further afield, though this varies by shipping method and route -- check with your freight forwarder for an actual estimate rather than assuming a fixed timeframe.

Common mistakes

• Not declaring items MPI cares about (used outdoor gear, anything with soil or plant matter) -- this is a genuinely strict process at the NZ border, not a formality
• Assuming door-to-door service is standard -- some quotes are port-to-port only, with local delivery as a separate cost
• Booking too close to your move date -- sea freight in particular needs real lead time, and delays are common enough to plan around

Related tasks

If there's any chance your shipment won't arrive by the time you need to be in your new home, sort temporary accommodation and short-term storage in parallel, not after the fact.

Useful links

• MPI: household goods and personal effects -- the biosecurity declaration requirements referenced above, direct from the source.
• NZ Customs: household effects concession -- check if you qualify to bring your used belongings in duty and GST-free.