How is personal luggage charged on sea freight door-to-door (subject to your destination)?

Personal luggage on our sea freight door-to-door (subject to your destination) service is measured in cubic feet (CUFT) rather than cubic metres. We calculate the space your luggage occupies in CUFT and compare this to its actual weight, charging on whichever is greater. For example, a 25kg case measuring 75 x 45 x 30cm works out to approximately 3.58 CUFT. Rates vary by route and are confirmed at the time of quote.

Sea Freight Personal Effects Shipping

Sea freight personal effects shipping

What is sea freight personal effects shipping?

The most economical method for larger volumes

Sea freight personal effects shipping means your belongings travel in a shipping container by sea — either in a shared container with other shippers (LCL — Less than Container Load) or in a dedicated container exclusively for your shipment (FCL — Full Container Load). Sea freight is significantly cheaper than air cargo for larger volumes of personal effects and household goods, making it the method of choice for household relocations, larger family shipments, and anyone shipping 10 or more boxes.

Excess Luggage Co. has offered sea freight personal effects shipping since 1998 alongside our air cargo service. We handle all UK export documentation, customs clearance, and arrange delivery to your destination — door-to-door where available, or port collection where required.

Sea freight at a glance

Transit times from UK by sea freight

Europe: 1-3 weeks
USA / Canada: 8-12 weeks
Caribbean: 6-12 weeks
UAE / Middle East: 8-12 weeks
India / Pakistan / South Asia: 8-12 weeks
West Africa (Nigeria / Ghana): 8-12 weeks
East Africa (Kenya / Tanzania): 8-12 weeks
Australia / New Zealand: 8-12 weeks
China / Hong Kong: 8-12 weeks

Sea freight insurance: Owner-packed goods approximately 5% of declared replacement value. Professionally packed approximately 3.5%. All goods must be declared at true replacement value.

Sea freight door-to-door (subject to your destination) for personal luggage

How personal luggage is charged on sea freight door-to-door (subject to your destination)

For individual bags, suitcases, and personal luggage moving sea freight door-to-door (subject to your destination), space taken in the container is measured in cubic feet (CUFT), not cubic metres. Charges are based on the greater of your luggage's actual weight or the space it occupies, calculated in CUFT — the same "greater of weight or volume" principle that applies across all our services.

Worked example

A 25kg case measuring 75cm × 45cm × 30cm:

75 × 45 × 30 = 101,250 cm³

101,250 ÷ 28,316.8 = 3.58 CUFT

The shipment is then rated on whichever is greater — the 25kg actual weight or the equivalent charge for 3.58 CUFT of space occupied. Rates vary by route and are confirmed at the time of quote — contact us for an accurate price for your specific luggage.

Note: This CUFT method applies to personal luggage on our sea freight door-to-door (subject to your destination) service. Bulk and large-volume shipments (multiple boxes, household goods, groupage) are priced differently — see LCL/CBM below.

LCL vs FCL — bulk and groupage shipments

Shared container (LCL) vs dedicated container (FCL) — which do you need?

LCL — Shared container

Less than Container Load

Best for: 1-15 cubic metres — partial household moves, multiple boxes, household goods that don't fill a whole container
How it works: Your personal effects are consolidated with other shippers' cargo in a shared container — you pay only for the space your goods occupy, charged per cubic metre (CBM)
Cost: Most economical for volumes under ~15 CBM
Transit: Slightly longer than FCL due to consolidation and deconsolidation at each end
Best for most personal effects shipments

FCL — Dedicated container

Full Container Load

Best for: Large household relocations — full household contents, furniture, and personal effects that fill or nearly fill a container
How it works: A 20ft or 40ft container is dedicated exclusively to your shipment — no other cargo, faster handling, lower damage risk
Cost: More economical than LCL for volumes above ~15 CBM
Transit: Faster than LCL — no consolidation delays
Best for full household moves

Not sure which you need? As a rough guide — a standard 20ft container holds approximately 25-28 CBM, equivalent to the contents of a 2-3 bedroom home. Call us on 0800 096 38 39 or WhatsApp us and we will advise on the right option for your volume.

How it works

Sea freight personal effects — step by step

Get a sea freight quote
Tell us your UK collection address, destination country and city, and approximate volume (number of boxes, bags, or cubic metres). We provide a full quote for LCL or FCL sea freight personal effects shipping.
We collect from your UK address
We collect from homes, offices, and student accommodation across the UK — wherever you are, we come to your door. For FCL container moves, we bring the container to you.
Packing and documentation
We prepare your detailed packing list and all UK export documentation. We advise on what can and cannot be shipped and ensure your goods are packed appropriately for sea transit.
UK export customs
We submit your UK export customs declaration. For personal effects, this is a standard procedure — we handle it as part of your shipment.
Sea freight transit
Your personal effects are loaded into a container and shipped by sea from a UK port (typically Felixstowe, Southampton, or Tilbury). Transit takes 6-12 weeks depending on destination.
Destination customs clearance
Your goods are cleared through destination customs. We advise on import documentation required at your destination — Transfer of Residence (ToR1) relief for UK-bound shipments, or equivalent personal effects relief at other destinations.
Delivery to your address
Door-to-door delivery is available for most destinations. For some countries, port or depot collection is required — we advise at booking.

Sea freight destinations

Popular sea freight personal effects destinations from the UK

We ship personal effects by sea freight from the UK to over 185 destinations worldwide. The most popular sea freight corridors from the UK:

UAE & Gulf

Jebel Ali Port (Dubai) — one of the world's largest ports. 8-12 weeks transit. LCL available. Gulf shipping guide →

India

Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), Chennai, Kolkata. 8-12 weeks. Door-to-door available. India guide →

Pakistan

Karachi (Port Qasim). 8-12 weeks. Strong demand from UK Pakistani communities. Pakistan guide →

Nigeria

Lagos Apapa Seaport / Tin Can Island Port. 8-12 weeks. Port collection required. Nigeria guide →

Ghana

Tema Port (25km from Accra). 8-12 weeks. West Africa's most efficient container port. Ghana guide →

Australia

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide. 8-12 weeks. Door-to-door available. Australia guide →

Jamaica & Caribbean

Kingston, Port of Spain, Bridgetown. 6-12 weeks. Barrel shipping available. Caribbean barrel guide →

Kenya & East Africa

Mombasa Port (East Africa's largest seaport). 8-12 weeks. Inland transit to Nairobi. Kenya guide →

Canada & USA

Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Los Angeles. 8-12 weeks. Door-to-door available. Canada guide →

Sea freight vs air cargo

When to choose sea freight over air cargo

Choose sea freight when

You are shipping 10 or more boxes or bags of personal effects
You are relocating a partial or full household — furniture, kitchen equipment, linen, clothing
You can accept a 6-12 week transit time — you have flexibility on arrival
You want to save significantly on cost — sea freight is typically 60-80% cheaper per cubic metre than air cargo for larger volumes
You qualify for Transfer of Residence (ToR1) relief on UK-inbound shipments — removing 20% import VAT
You are shipping barrel and drum consignments to the Caribbean

Choose air cargo when

You are shipping 1-10 bags or boxes — smaller personal effects consignments
You need your belongings within 1-2 weeks
The items are high value and you prefer faster, more trackable transit
You are a student shipping personal effects at the end of term
The destination has limited sea freight infrastructure or collection-only sea freight arrival

Still not sure? Read our full air cargo vs sea freight comparison → or call us on 0800 096 38 39 and we will advise based on your specific destination, volume, and timeline.

Documentation

Documents required for sea freight personal effects shipping

Sea freight

Bill of Lading (B/L)

The contract of carriage and title document for sea freight. Issued by the shipping line. The original Bill of Lading must be surrendered at the destination port to release your goods. We prepare the Bill of Lading as part of your shipment. Full documents guide →

Required

Detailed packing list

A complete inventory of all items in your shipment with quantities and estimated replacement values. Must match the Bill of Lading description exactly. Required for customs clearance at destination.

UK import

ToR1 Unique Reference Number

If you are shipping personal effects TO the UK and qualify for Transfer of Residence relief — removing 20% import VAT. Apply to HMRC before shipping. Full ToR1 guide →

Identity

Passport copy

Required for UK export and destination import customs declarations. Colour copy of biographical page. Must be valid.

UK collection

We collect sea freight personal effects from across the UK

We collect from homes, offices, and student accommodation throughout the UK for sea freight personal effects shipments.

London Birmingham Manchester Bradford Leicester Leeds Liverpool Nottingham Glasgow Edinburgh

We collect from every UK postcode. View all 36 UK collection locations →

Frequently asked questions

Common questions answered

How long does sea freight personal effects shipping take from the UK?+

Sea freight personal effects from the UK takes 8-12 weeks to the UAE, India, Pakistan, and Canada; 8-12 weeks to Nigeria, Ghana, and East Africa; 8-12 weeks to Australia, New Zealand, and China; and 6-12 weeks to the Caribbean. 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. Transit time depends on the destination port, shipping line schedule, and customs clearance time at destination.

What is LCL sea freight for personal effects?+

LCL (Less than Container Load) means your personal effects are consolidated with other shippers in a shared container — you pay only for the cubic metre space your goods occupy. LCL is the most economical sea freight option for partial household moves and personal effects shipments that do not fill a whole container.

Is sea freight cheaper than air cargo for personal effects?+

Yes — for larger volumes, sea freight is significantly cheaper than air cargo. For 10 or more boxes of personal effects, sea freight is typically 60-80% less expensive per cubic metre than air cargo. For smaller volumes of 1-5 bags or boxes where speed matters, air cargo is usually the more practical option.

What documents do I need for sea freight personal effects?+

You need a detailed packing list of all items with values, a copy of your passport, and your UK address and destination address. We prepare the Bill of Lading and UK export customs declaration as part of your shipment. If you are shipping TO the UK, you will also need your ToR1 URN from HMRC if claiming Transfer of Residence relief.

Can I ship household furniture by sea freight from the UK?+

Yes. Household furniture, white goods, kitchen equipment, and large personal effects items are ideal for sea freight. FCL (Full Container Load) is recommended for larger household moves — a 20ft container holds approximately 25-28 CBM, equivalent to the contents of a 2-3 bedroom home. LCL is available for smaller furniture consignments.

What is the difference between LCL and FCL sea freight?+

LCL (Less than Container Load) is a shared container where you pay per cubic metre — ideal for volumes under about 15 CBM. FCL (Full Container Load) is a dedicated container exclusively for your shipment — more economical for volumes above 15 CBM and offers faster transit and lower damage risk. We advise on which option is right for your volume and destination at booking.

Sea Freight Personal Effects Shipping from the UK