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

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

Everything you need to ship to Nigeria in one place. We collect from your door anywhere in the UK, handle the customs paperwork, and deliver to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and beyond. 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 Nigeria since 1998.

Get a quote 📞 0800 096 38 39
Sending a barrel or drum to Nigeria? See our Barrel & Drum Shipping to Africa page.

Nigeria is one of our largest diaspora routes. A smooth clearance comes down to two things: shipping genuinely used effects under the PUBD waiver, and steering clear of the prohibition list. This guide brings together everything that actually matters for a UK–Nigeria shipment, drawn from our Heathrow-side operation and 25+ years on this lane.

Every way we ship to Nigeria

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

How shipping to Nigeria 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 Lagos (Apapa / Tin Can).

5
Customs clearance

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) assess your shipment. Clearance runs on the NICIS II system; used effects clear under the PUBD waiver.

6
Delivery

Your goods are delivered to your Nigeria address, or ready to collect from the arrival depot.

Personal effects relief — the PUBD waiver

Nigeria lets returning residents bring their used personal and household effects in duty-free under the Passenger Unaccompanied Baggage Declaration (PUBD) waiver — but the line between used effects and new/commercial goods is enforced strictly.

The relief: personal and household effects of a Nigerian citizen who has been resident abroad for at least 9 months clear duty-free as baggage — used furniture, appliances, clothing, books and personal items.
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Ownership & timing: items should have been used and owned for at least 6 months, and arrive within 9 months of your return, to qualify under the PUBD waiver.
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New = commercial. New items, anything in original packaging or with tags, and goods for sale are reclassified as commercial imports at full duty. NCS officers are trained to spot new goods declared as used — be honest to avoid seizure or penalties.
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Documents & system: passport showing 9+ months abroad, a detailed inventory, and the PUBD, filed digitally through NICIS II. Vehicles and goods for sale are excluded. We prepare the paperwork with you.

Moving-to-Nigeria shipping guide ›

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

Nigeria has one of the strictest import regimes on this list. Declaring honestly and checking the prohibition list is what keeps your clearance quick.

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Nigeria’s Import Prohibition List is extensive and updated regularly — it bans a wide range of goods (certain foods, some footwear and bags, textiles and carpets, some medicines, used tyres and more). We help you check it before shipping so nothing is seized.
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Also prohibited in freight: aerosols, perfumes and aftershaves, loose batteries, and tobacco. Leave them out.
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Declare honestly and in detail. A clear, itemised inventory of genuinely used effects is what keeps a Nigerian clearance moving. Number boxes to match.
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Stamp your crates (ISPM 15). Unstamped wooden crates attract extra charges — we handle compliant packing.

What we see most often — and how to avoid it

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

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New goods declared as used. The single biggest cause of trouble — NCS reclassify them as commercial at full duty. Ship genuinely used effects.
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Overlooking the prohibition list. It’s long and enforced — one prohibited item can hold a whole shipment. We check before you ship.
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Missing the 9-month window. Effects should arrive within 9 months of your return to qualify for the waiver.
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Demurrage at Lagos. Ports get congested; ready paperwork and prompt clearance keep charges down.

What a shipment to Nigeria actually looks like

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

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A Nigerian returning to Lagos after years in the UK would typically send a home’s contents by sea freight to Apapa, with us collecting from their UK door, export-packing, and preparing the PUBD and a detailed inventory of genuinely used effects on NICIS II. Used furniture, appliances and belongings clear under the waiver. Transit is usually 4–7 weeks. Urgent items go ahead by air.

Door-to-door across Nigeria

We deliver nationwide. Here are our most popular destinations — each with local delivery detail and transit times:

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 Nigeria — 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 Nigeria.
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? +
Personal and household effects of a Nigerian resident abroad 9+ months clear duty-free under the PUBD waiver (used, owned 6+ months, arriving within 9 months of return). New or packaged items are treated as commercial imports at full duty.
What paperwork do I need? +
Passport showing 9+ months abroad, a detailed inventory of used effects, and the Passenger Unaccompanied Baggage Declaration filed on NICIS II. We prepare these with you.
Can I send electrical items and furniture? +
Yes — used appliances and electricals qualify, but they must be genuinely used (not new or boxed). Nigeria uses 230V and UK-style plugs, so most UK appliances work.
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–Nigeria shipping since 1998 • MetEx House, Hounslow, next to Heathrow

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

Ready to ship to Nigeria?

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.