MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
🗻 & ✈ Shipping to Hong Kong • UK’s Hong Kong specialists • Since 1998

Shipping to Hong Kong from the UK
Luggage, personal effects & household goods — by air or sea

Everything you need to ship to Hong Kong in one place. We collect from your door anywhere in the UK, handle the customs paperwork, and deliver across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Air freight in 4–7 working days, or economical sea freight in roughly 4–7 weeks, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers. 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. Shipping to Hong Kong since 1998.

Get a quote 📞 0800 096 38 39

Hong Kong is one of the most straightforward long-haul destinations we ship to — it’s a free port, so there’s no import tariff and no VAT or GST on your belongings. That makes the customs side refreshingly simple. What actually needs planning on this route is the practical end: small flats, building move-in rules, and the handful of goods that are still dutiable. This guide covers all of it, drawn from our Heathrow-side operation and 25+ years on this lane.

Every way we ship to Hong Kong

Not sure which service you need? Start here — each links to full details, transit times and what’s included.

How shipping to Hong Kong works, step by step

1
Quote & book

Tell us what you’re sending and where. We’ll give you a clear quote up front.

2
Door collection

We collect from your address anywhere in the UK. No depot or airport drop-off needed.

3
Pack & document

Goods are export-packed and we prepare your itemised inventory and the customs declaration.

4
Ship by air or sea

Air freight from Heathrow, or consolidated sea freight to the Port of Hong Kong.

5
Customs clearance

The Customs & Excise Department assess your shipment. Personal effects clear under general cargo procedures — inventory, transport document and matching consignee ID.

6
Delivery

Your goods are delivered to your Hong Kong address — including service-lift booking and building move-in windows — or ready to collect.

A free port — what that actually means for your shipment

Hong Kong levies no customs tariff on imports and has no VAT or GST. For anyone moving house, that makes it one of the simplest customs regimes anywhere — but “free port” doesn’t mean “no customs”, and a short list of goods is still dutiable.

No import duty, no VAT or GST: your used personal and household effects come in free of customs tariff. There’s no relief to apply for and no minimum period abroad to satisfy — unlike almost every other destination on this site.
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The four dutiable commodities: liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol attract excise duty regardless of where they came from — and there is no duty-free concession for dutiable goods inside an unaccompanied personal-effects shipment. The simple answer is to leave them out entirely.
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It’s still a customs clearance: personal effects clear under general cargo procedures. You’ll need the transport document, a detailed inventory or packing list, consignee identity details matching the shipment, and any permits that apply.
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Reasonable quantity applies: each item should be a sensible quantity for personal use. Unusual volumes of one thing can be treated as commercial, which brings licensing requirements with it.
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Everything is subject to screening. Plants, soil, wood products, foodstuffs and used outdoor gear are the usual inspection triggers — clean them, and describe them clearly on the inventory.

Moving-to-Hong Kong shipping guide ›

What you can’t ship — and what slows shipments down

The duty side is simple; the licensing side is where Hong Kong is strict. Checking before you pack is what keeps a free-port clearance quick.

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Prohibited in freight: aerosols and pressurised cans, perfumes and aftershaves (flammable), loose batteries, and tobacco. Leave them out.
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Licence or permit needed: weapons and ammunition, certain telecommunications and radio equipment, pharmaceuticals, some foods (meat, poultry and milk products), and live animals or pets (an Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department permit).
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Protected species (CITES): anything containing ivory, fur, skins, feathers or other parts of a protected species needs certificates and import and export licences. This catches more household items than people expect — tell us if you own any.
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List everything clearly. A vague inventory invites inspection and delay; a clear one clears fast. Number your boxes to match the list.

What we see most often — and how to avoid it

Most UK–Hong Kong shipments clear without drama. The ones that don’t nearly always come down to the same short list:

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Shipping furniture that won’t fit. This is the number one Hong Kong regret. Flats are small and lifts and stairwells are tight — measure your new place before you ship the wardrobe, not after.
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Forgetting the building’s move-in rules. Most Hong Kong buildings require the service lift to be booked and management approval for a move-in window. We coordinate delivery around that so nothing sits waiting on the street.
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A stray bottle in a box. One undeclared bottle of spirits is the fastest way to turn a simple free-port clearance into a penalty. Dutiable goods get no concession in an unaccompanied shipment.
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Typhoon season. Port operations and deliveries can be suspended at short notice during the summer and autumn typhoon season — worth building a little slack into your timings.

What a shipment to Hong Kong actually looks like

An illustrative example of a common scenario — your quote is always to your exact shipment.

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A professional relocating to Hong Kong Island with a one-bed flat’s contents would typically send the bulk by shared-container sea freight, with us collecting from their UK door, export-packing, and preparing a detailed inventory for clearance. With no import tariff to pay, the goods clear free of duty and the work is in the scheduling — booking the service lift and delivering inside the building’s move-in window. Transit is usually 4–7 weeks, with essentials sent ahead by air.

Door-to-door across Hong Kong

We deliver across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories — including the outlying islands. Because most moves are into high-rise buildings, we handle the practical side too: booking the service lift, working inside the building’s move-in window, and timing delivery so nothing waits at the door.

Which is right for your shipment?

Air freight suits a few boxes or anything urgent — 4–7 working days, priced on weight and size. Sea freight suits volume — a room, a family’s contents or a whole home — at a fraction of the per-kilo cost, over roughly 4–7 weeks door-to-door. Many customers split the two: air for the essentials, sea for the rest.

Shipping to Hong Kong — your questions answered

Should I ship or pay the airline for extra bags? +
For more than a bag or two, shipping is usually cheaper than airline excess-baggage fees — and you’re not carrying the weight through the airport. We collect from your door and deliver across Hong Kong.
How long does it take? +
Air freight is typically 4–7 working days. Sea freight is typically around 4–7 weeks door-to-door, plus customs clearance.
Will I pay duty? +
No — Hong Kong is a free port with no customs tariff on imports and no VAT or GST, so your used personal and household effects clear free of import duty. The exceptions are the four dutiable commodities (liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol), which attract excise duty and get no duty-free concession inside an unaccompanied shipment.
If there is no duty, do I still need customs paperwork? +
Yes. A free port isn’t the same as no customs. Personal effects clear under general cargo procedures, so you still need the transport document, a detailed inventory or packing list, consignee identity details that match the shipment, and any licences for restricted goods. Shipments are still screened and can be physically inspected.
What paperwork do I need? +
The transport document, a detailed inventory or packing list, consignee identity details matching the shipment, and any permits or licences for restricted goods (such as CITES items, pharmaceuticals or telecoms equipment). We prepare the UK-side paperwork and inventory with you.
Can I send electrical items and furniture? +
Yes — furniture, appliances and electricals all clear free of import duty. Hong Kong uses 220V and the UK-style three-pin (Type G) plug, so UK appliances work without adapters. Do measure first, though: Hong Kong flats and lifts are small, and oversized furniture is the most common thing people wish they hadn’t shipped.
Is my shipment insured? +
We offer marine transit cover — we’ll explain the options and cost when we quote, and we always recommend cover for a long-haul shipment.
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Lak Kharod, Director
Excess Luggage Co. • overseeing UK–Hong Kong shipping since 1998 • MetEx House, Hounslow, next to Heathrow

Excess Luggage Co. has shipped personal effects, luggage and household goods from the UK to Hong Kong for over 28 years — through our own Heathrow-side warehouse and collection fleet. We know this route and exactly what Hong Kong customs looks for. For a quote or advice on your paperwork, call us on 0800 096 38 39.

Ready to ship to Hong Kong?

Tell us what you’re sending and where it’s going. We’ll come back with a quote and a realistic transit-time estimate — before you commit to anything.