How to Ship Your Belongings From Australia to the U.S.

Shipping your belongings from Australia to the U.S. comes down to two methods, sea freight and air freight, plus a few decisions about cost, customs, and what's actually worth bringing. For most people on a multi-year visa like the E-3 visa, sea freight carries the household and air freight covers the few things you need the week you land. The one rule that ties it together is simple: book the freight once your visa is approved, not before.

What to ship from Australia to the U.S. (and what to leave)

Before shipping your belongings from Australia to the US, decide what's worth the freight cost: ship what's valuable or irreplaceable, and sell or store what's cheaper to replace once you land. International freight is priced by volume and weight, so most of this decision is economic rather than sentimental.

Appliances are almost always worth selling. Australian power runs at 230V/50Hz and the US runs at 120V/60Hz, so most appliances won't work without a heavy step-up transformer that usually costs more than the appliance itself.

The exception is dual-voltage electronics marked 100 to 240V, like most laptop and phone chargers, which work in the US with a cheap plug adapter. The same standards problem is why importing a right-hand-drive car rarely makes sense; getting a US license once you arrive is the simpler path.

Choose a shipping method: sea freight vs air freight

The two ways to ship belongings from Australia to the U.S. are sea freight, which is cheaper but takes weeks, and air freight, which is faster but costs more per kilo.

With sea freight, you can book a full container, either a 20ft or 40ft box, for a whole home, or a shared container (also called groupage), where the space is split among several shippers and you pay only for the volume your goods take up. For most apartments and small houses, groupage is the cost sweet spot, because you're not paying to ship empty air.

Air freight costs multiples more, so it's reserved for essentials, not the whole house. It's priced by weight and dimensional volume.

How long does shipping take from Australia to the U.S?

Plan for weeks, not days. Door-to-door from Australia to the U.S. West Coast runs roughly six to eight weeks once you add port handling, customs clearance, and inland delivery, and East Coast destinations take longer.

How much it costs to ship belongings from Australia to the U.S.

There's no single dollar figure worth printing here, because prices swing widely by route, season, volume, and carrier. The only reliable number is the one written for your goods and your route, so the process is always the same: declutter to control volume, then get three written, all-in quotes for your exact load and destination.

U.S. customs rules for personal effects and household goods

Used personal and household goods you've owned and used for at least a year can usually enter the U.S. duty-free, declared on CBP Form 3299.

Filing CBP Form 3299

CBP treats your Form 3299 and inventory as the packing list, which is why the household-versus-personal split is worth getting right before you file.

To enter duty-free, goods need to have been owned and used abroad for at least a year and not be for sale, and CBP expects the move to happen within 10 years of your last U.S. arrival. Vehicles are dutiable no matter how long you've owned them, and new items bought to bring over can attract duty.

Agricultural items face the tightest restrictions. Meats, fresh produce, plants, seeds, and soil are prohibited or restricted and must be declared, and undeclared items can mean a civil penalty on top of losing the goods. Clean, declared wooden furniture is fine.

The 2025 U.S. reciprocal tariffs target commercial imports, not used personal and household effects, which stay duty-free under the one-year rule. Where charges can apply is the same place duty always does: new items, or anything owned under a year. Tariff rules are changing, so confirm current treatment with CBP or your forwarder close to your move date.

Choose an international removalist or freight forwarder

An international removalist or freight forwarder books the container, packs your goods, arranges clearance, and coordinates inland delivery, so choosing a reputable one is the most important decision in your move. Their value is that they own the whole chain, so you're not chasing it across two countries.

Vet them on what predicts a smooth move, not generic star ratings:

• FIDI or IAM accreditation, the recognized international moving standards
• Written, all-in quotes with no unspecified delivery charges
• Clear insurance terms you understand before you sign
• Reviews specific to Australia-to-US moves, not generic moving reviews

A cheap quote can quietly exclude clearance and inland delivery, so confirm exactly which steps each quote includes. A full-service mover handles everything door-to-door. A self-managed move, where you pack, deliver to the port, and often clear customs yourself, is cheaper on paper but puts the logistics and paperwork on you, and unclaimed freight can be moved to a bonded warehouse at your expense if anything stalls. Self-packing works for a small, boxes-only load; for a whole house, full-service is worth it.

Moving on a U.S. visa: ship once it's approved

Ship your belongings only after your visa is approved and your start date is set. Sea freight takes weeks, so booking before approval is the most common way a move goes wrong.

If your E-3 isn't filed yet, a dedicated Migrate Mate E-3 expert can handle the application for a flat $499, covering the LCA, the DS-160, document review, and consulate slot booking. Filing happens within one business day of document collection, and the service has a 100% E-3 approval rate.

Frequently asked questions