Removals to Australia

Removals to Australia from the UK are unlike most international moves. Your belongings make one of the longest sea passages a household can take, arrive into a process built around biosecurity, and travel with an inventory written for an Australian officer to read. Williams & Yates manages international removals to Australia for families moving a valued home, art or collections, with one dedicated coordinator running the move from survey to delivery.

If you are heading for a particular city, our pages on removals to Sydney and removals to Melbourne cover the local detail.

Every move begins with a survey, in person or virtual, so we can see what is going, what needs special handling and what the access is like at both ends. From then on, you have one dedicated move coordinator as your single point of contact until the last box is unpacked. Your coordinator handles the customs, duty and Australian requirements for you.

On a move to Australia, the inventory carries particular weight. It is the document Australian customs and biosecurity officers read to decide how your consignment is treated, so we complete it for you and describe each item by what it is made from, the detail those officers expect.

Anything fragile or valuable is crated in our in-house workshop, built to specification for the piece it protects. Crates for international consignments use ISPM 15 compliant timber, and our work is backed by FIDI/FAIM, BAR, IAM and Which? accreditation.

Many of our moves to Australia are run day to day by a PA or household manager, and we work alongside them throughout. On larger moves, a project manager can fly out to oversee the crews and the unpack jointly with the PA. One move can also span several collection addresses, such as a main home and a second property, consolidated into one consignment.

Storage is raised at the survey as part of the plan, not as a last-minute fix. We offer secure storage in the UK, and we have storage at your destination for when your new home is not quite ready.

At the other end, you choose between a debris clear unpack, with everything placed on clear surfaces for you to put away, or a full white-glove unpack, with every box emptied and the beds dressed ready to sleep in.

When you are ready, arrange a tailored survey or call us on 0208 081 0188.

Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) assesses imported household goods, starting with your B534 statement and packing list, and uses them to decide how much of the consignment must be presented for inspection. Goods that do not meet its conditions can be cleaned, treated, destroyed or exported at the owner’s cost.

DAFF’s guidance on moving to Australia and importing personal effects sets out the current process. For any item you are unsure about, check the Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON), which sets out Australia’s import conditions and whether a permit is needed.

We build the preparation into how we run your move:

• Outdoor and garden equipment, bicycles, camping gear and footwear are cleaned of soil and plant material before packing, in line with DAFF’s guidance on preparing personal effects.
• Food is left out of the consignment.
• Every item is described on the inventory by its material, for example a wooden chair or a cane basket, rather than “furniture” or “household goods”.
• Boxes are numbered to match the inventory, one number to each box or large item, so an officer can find what they need quickly.

Wooden items, wicker, rattan and bamboo are checked against BICON. Wooden pieces, antiques included, must be clean and free of bark, insects and soil, and DAFF’s guidance on importing wooden and bamboo articles explains what officers look for. Your coordinator will advise on any particular piece.

Fresh food, plants, seeds and soil, weapons, and medication without a prescription should not be packed at all. The Australian Government publishes the full lists through DAFF and the Australian Border Force’s guide to what you can bring into Australia.

The sea voyage is the main leg of any move to Australia. Fremantle, the port serving Perth, is typically the nearest Australian port on the route from the UK, with the eastern cities further round the coast. Durations vary with the sailing and the load type, so your coordinator will advise on timing for your move.

In most cases your belongings arrive some time after you do. People who have made the move often describe living with borrowed or second-hand furniture while they wait, so it pays to plan for the gap from the start.

Air freight can bring the essentials you cannot be without, and destination storage holds your belongings if your new home is not ready. Once your property is confirmed, we set a coordinated delivery date.

Australia requires import approval for vehicles. A car brought in as personal effects needs a concessional RAV entry approval, applied for online through the ROVER system under the Road Vehicle Standards Act. Broadly, you must have owned the car continuously for at least 12 months before arriving to live in Australia, and apply within six months of arrival.

We offer vehicle transport, and your coordinator will advise on whether your car qualifies and how best to move it.

Australia’s rules for pets are strict and permit-led. UK cats and dogs complete a period of post-entry quarantine at the government facility at Mickleham, near Melbourne. We offer full pet relocation, and your coordinator guides you through each step.

In Sydney, the arrival end turns on access at your new address and the timing of delivery and unpacking, both covered in detail on our page on removals to Sydney.

Our page on removals to Melbourne covers the arrival end in the same detail for families settling in Melbourne.

We also arrange moves to Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and regional Australia.

Planning a move further afield? See all our international removals destinations, or speak to our team about a tailored survey.

Documentation

Below is a list of the documentation required when moving to Australia. Our International Move Coordinators will be able to talk you through all the documentation you need.

– Passport copy
– Visa copy (If not using an Australian passport)
– Full Australian and UK address
– Inventory of everything going (Williams & Yates team will complete)
– Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement (B534 Form)
– Original bill of lading

Duties & Taxes

– All household effects going into Australia have a physical examination, completed by the Australian Inspection Service (AQIS).
– Providing all goods are household effects that are less than 12 months old, shipments are duty free.
– Alcohol is subject to duty. It you do opt to transport alcohol, the inventory must be completed with the value, volume and percentage alcohol content.

Items prohibited for removal to Australia

– Medication should not be transported unless prescribed by a doctor, this will need to be produced at customs.
– Foods including but not limited to Fresh fruit & vegetables, meat, dairy and grains etc.
– Weapons and explosives including, firearms, fireworks and martial arts weapons.
– Plants including flowers, dried plants, seeds, soil and buds.
– Any item imported without an Australian import permit may result in a fine or a jail term in extreme circumstances.