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MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
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🇦🇺 Australia • Moving Checklist • Since 1998

Moving to Australia
Your step-by-step checklist

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📍 Part of our complete Shipping to Australia hub — customs, biosecurity, costs & every service ›
Before you ship

Prepare your documentation

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Passport & ID. Have copies ready; Australian customs will want proof of identity for personal effects clearance.
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B534 Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement. We help you prepare this, but you need to be ready with an itemised, accurate packing list before collection.
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Valued packing list. List every item you’re shipping with approximate value. This is what DAFF uses to decide inspection depth.
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Proof of residency. You may need to show you’re moving to Australia (tenancy agreement, job offer, visa, etc.).
Before you pack

Clean & prepare your belongings

This is the step that saves time at customs. Outdoor and sporting gear must be spotlessly clean — any soil, grass seed or plant matter holds up your entire shipment. Allow time to clean everything thoroughly before collection.

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Bikes, surfboards, sporting gear. Degrease, wash, dry completely.
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Camping & outdoor equipment. Check seams and pegs for soil; wash tents.
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Hiking boots & outdoor footwear. Scrub soles, remove all dirt.
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Garden tools & equipment. No soil residue.
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Anything wooden. Check for bark or pest risk; all packing must be ISPM-15 compliant.
What NOT to pack

Biosecurity no-goes

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Soil — in any form. Including dirt on tools, boots, pots or equipment. This catches most people.
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Live plants, seeds, bulbs, cuttings. Almost always banned without an import permit.
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Fresh food. Prohibited. Commercially packaged food must be declared; we recommend not packing any food.
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Animal products. Meat, dairy, eggs, and untreated hides, feathers, bones.
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Anything undeclared. Australia operates near zero-tolerance biosecurity; undeclared items cause inspections, fees and delays.
Logistics

Timing & shipping

Air freight: 5–9 working days. Best for essentials, documents or items you need immediately on arrival.

Sea freight: 8–14 weeks door-to-door. Most cost-effective for a full relocation; factor in consolidation time, ocean transit (~6–8 weeks) and customs clearance. Book well in advance if you have a fixed arrival date.

On arrival

What to expect

DAFF will assess your B534 and packing list, then decide how much to inspect. If everything is clean and declared, clearance is usually straightforward. If they find undeclared items or biosecurity risks, you’ll face inspection fees, possible treatment or cleaning costs, and delays. Honest packing and accurate documentation is what keeps your shipment moving.

From us

What we handle

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Quotation & planning. We’ll discuss your move timeline, help you choose air or sea, and give you realistic transit times.
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B534 preparation. We help you compile your itemised packing list so customs can assess it quickly.
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Collection & packing. We collect from your UK door, remeasure and reweigh at our warehouse, and prepare the export paperwork.
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Customs & export. We handle your UK export documentation and liaise with your freight carrier.

Moving to Australia — FAQs

How long does it take to ship to Australia?+
Air freight takes 5–9 working days, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers. Sea freight takes 8-14 weeks door-to-door, including consolidation, ocean transit and customs clearance. These sea transit times are approximate — the actual time depends on when your LCL container finishes loading and consolidating, the vessel’s sailing date and route, any transhipment hub before the final destination, and customs clearance, so please allow a week or two either side.
Do I need a B534 form?+
Yes. Every unaccompanied shipment to Australia requires a B534 Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement with an itemised packing list. We help you prepare it.
What is the biggest thing that holds up Australian customs?+
Undeclared items, soil on outdoor gear, and incomplete packing lists. An accurate, itemised list and spotlessly clean belongings speed clearance dramatically.
Can I ship everything I own to Australia?+
No. Soil, plants, seeds, fresh food and animal products are prohibited. Used outdoor gear must be spotlessly clean. Check the Australian Biosecurity Guide before you pack.
What happens if customs finds something wrong?+
You may face inspection fees (AUD 150–500), mandatory cleaning or treatment at your cost, re-export, or destruction of the item. This is why honest declarations and clean packing matter.
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