Removals to Canada from the UK
1st Choice Removals, a family-run BAR member near Wimborne in Dorset, handles removals to Canada from the UK: we survey, export-pack and ship your belongings by sea, and partner agents in Canada handle customs clearance and delivery. You arrange your own marine insurance for the voyage.
How removals to Canada from the UK work
Every overseas move starts with a quote. If you live in a BH postcode or DT11, Book your free home visit. Everywhere else, Get an online quote by sending short room videos or photos from your phone, or call 01202 570970.
From there we plan your shipment together, and your written quote sets out exactly what is included. Canada has one step that catches people out, declaring goods to follow when you first arrive, so we plan for it from the start.
- Free home visit or online quote, then a written quote
- Export packing by our own full-time, uniformed crews, never agency staff
- Loading and shipping by sea
- Help preparing your export and import paperwork
- Customs clearance and delivery in Canada handled by our partner agents there
- Unpacking and furniture dismantling and reassembly available as optional extras, charged on top of your quote
Packing for a long sea journey
Goods shipped to Canada travel a long way and are handled several times, so they need more protection than a local move. Our crews wrap fragile items properly, pad furniture and build bespoke wooden crates for antiques, artwork and other valuable pieces.
Everything is listed on a detailed inventory, which you will need for customs and for your insurance. Our inventory also helps you complete the list of goods that Canadian customs asks new settlers to declare.
Prefer to pack some things yourself? We sell packing materials individually, or our packing service can do as much or as little as you like. Unpacking at your new home and furniture dismantling and reassembly are available as optional extras, charged on top of your quote.
Canadian customs and settler's effects
Customs in Canada is handled by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). As a new settler you list everything you are bringing, including goods arriving later by sea, on a personal effects accounting document (form BSF186).
Present that list when you first arrive in Canada, even if your shipment is still at sea. Goods you owned, possessed and used before arriving can usually come in free of duty as settler's effects, but items not declared on arrival may be charged later.
- Keep a copy of your inventory with your travel documents
- Do not pack food, plants, seeds or soil
- Clean outdoor furniture, tools and bikes
- Firearms, alcohol and tobacco have strict rules and limits
Fiona holds a BTEC in Customs Export and Import Procedures, and we will talk you through the list before your goods are collected.
Marine insurance: you must arrange it yourself
This is the most important point on this page. 1st Choice moves are insured for goods in transit, but that is not marine insurance and it does not cover the sea voyage to Canada.
If you want your belongings covered while they are shipped, you must arrange marine insurance yourself before they leave the UK. We do not provide it.
- Value your items properly, using your inventory as the basis
- Check the excess and any limits on single items
- Ask whether items you packed yourself are covered, as many policies treat them differently
Storage and currency exchange
If your home in Canada is not ready, we can keep your belongings in containerised storage in Dorset until you are ready to ship. We run around 1,000 storage units across four local sites, for short or long periods.
Sending money for a deposit, rent or a purchase? Our partner Regency FX offers currency exchange into Canadian dollars, as a one-off transfer or regular payments.
For a step-by-step plan, read our moving abroad checklist, or see all our worldwide removals.
Your questions answered
How much does it cost to move to Canada from the UK?
We do not publish prices for overseas moves because every shipment is different. The cost depends mainly on how much you are taking, how much packing you want us to do, any crating for valuable items and where in Canada you are going. Book your free home visit if you live in a BH postcode or DT11, or Get an online quote from anywhere else, and we will give you a clear written quote.
Do I need marine insurance to ship my furniture to Canada?
We strongly recommend it, and you must arrange it yourself. 1st Choice moves are insured for goods in transit, but that does not cover your belongings on the sea voyage to Canada. Take out a marine insurance policy before your goods leave the UK, value items using your inventory, and check the excess and what the policy says about items you packed.
Who handles customs clearance and delivery in Canada?
Our partner agents in Canada handle customs clearance at the destination and deliver your belongings to your new home. 1st Choice surveys and plans the move, export-packs your belongings in the UK and arranges the shipment. Unpacking and furniture dismantling and reassembly are optional extras, charged on top of your quote.
What paperwork do I need to ship household goods to Canada?
You will usually need your passport, your immigration or work documents, a detailed inventory and a personal effects accounting document (form BSF186) listing the goods you are bringing and the goods to follow. You present this to the Canada Border Services Agency when you first arrive. We go through the paperwork with you so nothing is missed.
Do I have to declare my shipment when I land in Canada?
Yes. If your household goods are following by sea, you should declare them as goods to follow when you first arrive in Canada, using your list of settler's effects. Missing this step can make clearance harder and may mean paying duty on goods that would otherwise have been free. Keep a copy of your inventory in your hand luggage.
Will I pay duty on my furniture in Canada?
Goods you owned, possessed and used before arriving in Canada can usually be imported free of duty as settler's effects, as long as they are declared properly. New items, alcohol and tobacco above the allowances may attract duty and taxes. The details depend on your circumstances, so check with the Canada Border Services Agency if you are unsure.
Can you ship a piano, antiques or artwork to Canada?
Yes. Pianos, antiques and artwork are part of our specialist removals work. We build bespoke wooden crates for delicate or valuable pieces so they are protected in the container. Mention these items at your survey so we can plan the crating and include it in your quote, and make sure your own marine insurance covers their full value.