Best International Moving Companies: Your Ultimate Guide

Top Overseas Relocation Services

Choosing the best international moving companies is crucial for a smooth relocation experience. These companies specialize in moving household goods across borders, ensuring safe transport and customs clearance. With various options available, understanding service offerings, costs, and customer reviews can help you make an informed decision. This guide will provide insights into top-rated movers and essential tips for a successful international move.

How do I find one near me?

The good news about international moves is that you have plenty of hauling services from which to choose. Any moving agencies operating from the United States must register with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), which licenses companies authorized to handle international relocations.

Coordinating worldwide deliveries requires a lot of expertise. The company will need to work with a network of subcontractors, agents, and relocating specialists, including trucking companies, van lines, warehouse and storage providers, and ocean transporters. The global company of your choice must be reliable, above board, and committed to standard operations. If you live near an origin port in the U.S. and are moving to Canada from the USA or other nearby countries, the total distance may be shorter, but there are still multiple steps and logistics involved in the process.

The FMC maintains a consumer resource site where you can identify licensed and registered international shipping services and investigate whether the companies you are considering have a history of complaint issues. You should also consider checking with your state consumer protection agency for customer concerns and look for cases reported to the Better Business Bureau.

Cars in shipping containers - a different level of international shipping

You may want to start with U.S DOT licensed local agents of national van lines that offer international services including customs clearance. With any household relocation around the world, the work you do at the pre move stage in your move planning, to find a trustworthy company will pay off as you continue through the process. In international air freight, the importance is higher since you relinquish control for a longer time and greater overseas distance.

Ask for referrals from your contacts, people, or a business you know has made multinational moves anywhere. Chances are they used a local United States company that has a network with one of the major overseas vendors and experts that have coordination capacities for such international relocation services.

What’s the best way to start my search for them?

The FMC suggests starting with a moving plan, including the following pre-move elements:

Make a list of everything you plan to ship before packing.

Keep in mind that multinational relocation is expensive, so you may want to cull this checklist down to the essentials of your personal belongings, especially if the moving cost is coming out of your wallet. If the move is temporary, consider putting some of your household goods in storage or donating them before you go. You may want to decorate your new home in the style of the country of your new home. You may also be occupying less square footage in your new residence, so we advise customers not to take too much of your belongings with you internationally.

Obtain written quotes from several hauling companies based on an onsite inspection of the shipping goods.

The minimum recommended number of estimates is three, but you may want to get more. Getting an appraisal is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with a representative of the door-to-door international movers and decide if you’re going to partner with them. Make sure that you read the mover’s terms of service and understand any conditions or responsibilities they place on the move.

International shipment charges are based on the amount of space that your shipment occupies, and often the moving quote does not include packing material, which requires additional space, or palletizing, which adds even more. Palletizing protects your goods from shifting while on land, air, or worldwide sea transit to international country destinations. It may also supply an added layer of protection against weather, but it does increase the cubic volume. Verify with the global companies you are considering how much this will increase the estimates they provide.

Shipping overseas from Brooklyn, New York, and nearby cities

Insurance is essential, and it is often necessary to obtain coverage from a third party rather than from the multinational mover. The insurance company may require that your goods be packed by the mover, not by you. Carefully review the insurance terms of any policy before you agree to it. Some marine insurance policies only offer protection in the event of a total loss of the vessel, and not any coverage of routine damage during the move. There may also be exclusions and other loopholes that you want to be aware of in advance. It's okay to plan to move on budget, but it's important to ensure you are getting the necessary coverage.

Talk to potential moving vendors about their role in customs documentation, customs clearance, and any other paperwork both for exiting the U.S. and entry into the destination country. They may charge for these services, and you want to consider those fees as part of the overall cost. You can also research the customs requirements at S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Top Traits Of The Best International Companies

Storage solutions for all your household goods and resources

Making an transnational move is a big decision that comes with it own challenges. The last thing anyone wants is to start this great new life with a hangover of a bad move process. So, during your pre-move planning, it is important to secure the best global relocating services, and we have provided some tips here to help you spot a reliable company with experience.

License, Insurance, Accreditation, and Affiliations

A reputable global mover should have the necessary registration document, comprehensive insurance coverage, accreditation, and affiliations with credible associations of international movers globally.

In the US, the best international moving companies are regulated by the Federal Maritime Commission. You can also check their standing, reputation, or rating with organizations such as Better Business Bureau, International Association of Movers, FIDI Global Alliance, and other relevant agencies across the globe. A reputable international moving company should also have traceable overseas partners and associated destination services.

Reasonable and Transparent Pricing

Pricing is a good indicator that the company understands what it takes to move your belongings to your destination. So, when you are given estimates, compare them with the average international moving costs. A price that is too low indicates that the mover might do a shoddy job, and a price that is too high might mean a mover is trying to take advantage of you. You'll have to look for a company whose pricing and competence match your budget.

The best international companies and businesses don't just provide generic estimates; they provide customized international moving quotes to each customer with an explanation of every item on the estimate. So, if a company is not providing enough information, that's probably a red flag. However, it is important to note that costs are relative to where you are moving to. So, it makes more sense to find an average cost relative to your destination country.

Skilled Staff

Professional cheap international movers are always well-trained employees or representatives who can handle pickup, packing, unpacking, loading and unloading carefully and professionally. From the moment you talk to them on phone to when they come to inspect your house or office and provide estimates, you will always notice that touch of professionality if it's a reliable company.

Full-Service Shifting Company

One of the traits of reliable services is that they can handle all the logistics of your move from packing in your current location to unpacking at your new location. That includes the ability to provide temporary or long term storage services as well as specialized services in case of items with extra large dimensions, works of art, pianos, pool tables, antiques and other precious items.

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Companies Specializing in International Moves

When considering international moving companies, it's essential to evaluate those that focus solely on overseas relocations. Notable players in this field include Allied Van Lines, known for their comprehensive global services. Mayflower Transit, which offers tailored solutions for various destinations; and United Van Lines, recognized for their extensive network and customer satisfaction ratings. Each of these companies provides specialized support, including customs assistance and dedicated shipping options, making them ideal choices for anyone planning an international move.

Can Specialists Relocate My Vehicle To Another Country?

Car transportation to different locations abroad

Probably. The same company that you use to move your household shipment is likely to be a good source of information about moving a vehicle, or you can research car transportation companies on your own. Where you are going on the globe, what kind of car you want to move, and how long you are staying are factors in determining whether it makes sense. Usually, a vehicle exported for personal use needs to be without a lien. It will be subject to an import tax and must comply with local transportation regulations in the destination country or on the part of the globe you are shipping to (e.g., EU). It probably won’t travel with the rest of your belongings, so you may also want to look at alternatives for shipping the car. You can send a vehicle as unprotected cargo in a “Ro/Ro” or roll-on/roll-off transit or in an exclusive or shared container.

In a Ro/Ro transit, the vehicle is driven onto a vessel with a huge cargo area that is essentially a parking lot on board. A shared container involves multiple vehicles loaded into a shared container. There are more fees–terminal handling charges, trucking charges, unloading charges, and customs clearance charges. This takes more time because the container has to be full to leave. “Full container,” according to industry standards, means one vehicle in a shipping container, which is more expensive but is the most secure and fastest means of global auto-delivery.

Popular Areas We Service

Three Movers services move nationwide. Below are some of the most popular areas we work in, and have movers and moving trucks ready to assist:

Moving internationally comes with a lot of questions you might need the answers to. Here, we broke down the most commonly asked questions we get into a straightforward primer.