South African Relocations FAQ
Most frequent questions asked about relocation in South Africa.
Exclusive Use / Full Container Load (FCL) Service: If you are shipping your belongings in your own exclusive use container (known as a Full Container Load [FCL] service), the transit time is approximately between 6-12 weeks door to door. FCL option is recommended for a full house removal. This allows you to have sole exclusive use of a 20ft or a 40ft steel shipping container. As a rough guide, the contents of a three bedroom house usually fit into a 20ft container.
Shared Container / Groupage Service: If you have less than a full container load, you can ship your belongings to any worldwide destination using our groupage service. This is essentially a shared container service. If you aren’t shipping enough to fill a 20ft container, you can split the cost with other consignments. This is a cheaper option for many people who do not want to ship their whole house or are trying to keep the costs down for their move. The approximate transit time for a shared container / groupage service is between only 4 to 6 weeks longer than door to door depending on the final destination you are relocating to.
Administration
All Risk Cover is really recommended, especially for international removals. Moving accidents like broken glassware, furniture or water damage can and does occasionally occur. Even if you hired the best moving company, you want to make sure that your goods are protected against damage and loss. Consider it a financial protection for a worst-case scenario.
When moving abroad, you want to make sure that you have the proper documentation and necessary information in order to enter the host country. Additional to a copy of your passport and visa, you will also need an inventory of the goods being shipped. Depending on the country you are moving to, you will also need more specific documents.
Below you will find the special import documents per country. Important: for a duty and tax free import, your household goods and personal belongings need to be 6 months to 1 year old.
Australia B534
Irish Customs Form
U.S. Customs Form 3299
U.S. Customs Form Instructions
U.S. Customs Power of Attorney
UK ToR Form
Dubai Customs Authorization Letter
Canada B4E Form
South Africa DA 304 + P1.160 + Affidavit
Costs
The cost of an international move depends on a few criteria/variables.
- The size of the move. Quotes are volume sensitive and will depend on whether you intend relocating with all your household goods including furniture or if you are only taking your personal belongings like clothes and sentimental items? Costs will vary greatly depending on the final volume.
- Destination. It won’t come as a surprise but moving across the street will be less expensive that an international relocation. At destination costs can also vary from one city to the next. For example, moving to Colorado, USA will be more costly than moving to New York, USA due to on-carriage freight costs to get the goods from Port of Entry to final destination.
- Services. Value added and additional service such as dismantling and reassembling furniture, storage, shuttle service, heavy lifting for bulkier items, delivery above 1st floor etc. will be additional costs to consider.
- Unforeseen Costs: While our quotes are for door-to-door service, there may occasionally be factors outside of our control which we cannot include in our rates. Such factors may include demurrage, freight increases from the shipping line at time of booking, fuel and other related surcharges at destination, parking permits etc.
General
If it is your first time moving internationally, do your research. After all, your moving company is shipping some of your most valuable items abroad. Your choice for an international moving partner depends also on the goods that you want to ship, the budget you have available and the level of service you expect.
The best way to choose an international moving company is via a personal recommendation of a friend, a neighbour or an acquaintance who has recently moved. Another option would be via an Internet review. The best is to consult objective platforms such as Google Reviews or Sirelo.
If opting for shared container service, consolidation time is an important consideration, so always be sure to ask this question, as it can differ greatly from one company to the next or from one destination to the next. Groupage service is not available to all countries, so be sure to enquire about availability of this service.
A pre-move survey is the best way to obtain information to prepare a removal quote. It is not only a way to show us your items, it is also a perfect moment to understand the moving service, schedule the moving dates, understand the customs documents and answer all your questions related to your upcoming international relocation. A survey ensures your quote is tailored to your needs in terms of your expected volume, packing requirements and additional services required.
- Complimentary Pre-Move Survey: Our team of highly qualified and professional sales consultants are able to provide this free, no obligation service to establish your specific needs and to provide all of the assistance and guidance you require.
- Dedicated Move Manager: Our consultants are always a call away to assist you. Even once your file has been handed to other departments after collection, your move manager remains your dedicated contact person until such time that your goods have been safely delivered to your new home.
- Online Client Zone: Via our online platform, you can easily access and review your quote and personal profile at any time, or even accept your quote and request booking dates.
- Secure Storage: Storage available on request at any of our branches in Cape Town, Gauteng or KZN.
- Groupage Service: Shared container service available to all major destinations including the UK, EU, USA, Canada, UAE, Australia and New Zealand
- Pet Relocations with Jet Pets: We are the only relocations company in South Africa with our own in-house Pet Relocations service to assist in reuniting you and your beloved fur-babies as quickly and easily as possible.
Logistics
When moving Internationally it is important to have realistic expectations regarding the timing. International moving companies are not courier companies like DHL and Fedex and they can only offer estimated dates.
Estimating a time of arrival depends on several factors. When relocating internationally, there are various factors to consider as various stakeholders are involved such as your relocation company, the shipping line, customs, port authorites, and Destination Agents.
We always try to be as transparent as possible regarding the estimated delivery. We think good communication is extremely important during an international move.
The best way to choose an international moving company is via a personal recommendation of a friend, a neighbour or an acquaintance who has recently moved. Another option would be via an Internet review. The best is to consult objective platforms such as Google Reviews or Sirelo.
If opting for shared container service, consolidation time is an important consideration, so always be sure to ask this question, as it can differ greatly from one company to the next or from one destination to the next. Groupage service is not available to all countries, so be sure to enquire about availability of this service.
A very important aspect of moving internationally is considering the restricted and prohibited items list. By violating these rules, you risk that your items are send back to the country of origin or that they are being destroyed. Depending on which country you are moving to, the rules on restricted items might differ.
- Detergents
- Paint
- Motor oil
- Insecticide
- Firewood charcoal
- Matches
- Lighters
- Gas cans
- Pesticides
- Antifreeze/coolant
- Compressed gas
- Aerosols propane tanks
- Fire extinguishers
- Fertiliser
- Ammunition
- Bleach batteries
- Peroxides
- Auto batteries
Professional packing and unpacking is an important part of our service. Our professional packing process consists of the following items:
Leave us a question.
Here are a few questions asked regularly by our clients. If you have a question, please feel free to ask it below.
Pet Relocating FAQ
Most frequent questions asked about relocation in South Africa.
We recommend that you keep them. We can attach them to the crate but we cannot guarantee that they will make the trip to the other side, it might be removed by the cargo team, or it might be bumped off.
No, airline regulations unfortunately do not allow for any toys or “chewies” in their crates. This is for safety purposes.
Please provide one portion of food per pet, (no more than 300g of dry food in a marked ziplock bag) this is in the event of any delays and stopovers. The cargo crew will always make sure their water bowls are filled, before they leave, during stopovers and at arrival airport.
I am your main point of contact throughout the whole move, from start to finish. When the babies land, our affiliated agent abroad will confirm the time and exactly where to go. Usually this happens the day before or the morning of. They will make contact via email or via phone. Home deliveries will be discussed and invoiced well before the time.
We need to request this early on. Unfortunately with the time differences or weekend relocations, this can be very difficult. Certain airlines such as Emirates and Qatar do not allow photos in their pet hotels (this is because they are in the middle east)
During flight; No, because they are flying as manifest cargo, there is no one in the hold with them. This is also why we do not allow treats during flight. during stopovers; yes, there are vets and skilled cargo crews that handle live animals during their transits and during their hotel stays.
There is no Sedation policy, pets are not allowed to be sedated during travel. If the pets seem drowsy or sleeping during check in they will not allow the pets on flight. we recommended Calm-eze or Nutri-calms for the trip. This is an OTC natural calming aid. If we are travelling with medication, we must have a vet letter confirming the brand, dosage, manufacture, and the pet’s details. This must be on a vet letter, that is signed and stamped.
No, the crates are yours to keep. You may not leave these at the airport, as you the client will be held liable for disposal fees. You are welcome to advise the clearing agent to donate the crates, or you can take them home.
They will be travelling with the comfort travel mattress in their crates. You are welcome to give a small blanket, pillow case, or old t-shirt as well. This is so that they have the smell of home close to them, this does help ease anxiety and calm their nerves.
Yes, all original documents must travel with the pets. On entry this documentation is checked and verified by customs. If you are not handed all the vet documents, please reminder your clearing agent to do so. Please do not send any KUSA documentation with. This will not be sent over. Rather keep this safe with your documents.