Shipping Your Belongings from Canada to Australia: Full Cost Breakdown
The honest starting point for most Canadians: ship less than you think, sell more than feels comfortable, and buy new in Australia. Shipping is still the right call for furniture with real sentimental or replacement value, specialist gear, and anything genuinely expensive to rebuy - but Australia's biosecurity rules make careless shipping an expensive mistake.
What's actually worth shipping
A new bed frame in Sydney or Melbourne costs roughly the same as one in Toronto. Shipping a mattress in a shared container costs real money on top of the item's value, plus six to ten weeks at sea. Run the maths honestly before you commit to shipping anything replaceable.
Your shipping options
Shared container (LCL)
The most common option for individuals and couples - your goods go into a wooden crate that shares a container with other shipments, priced per cubic metre.
LCL shared container
CAD $2,500-6,000
1-2 bedroom household, 6-10 week transit
20-foot full container (FCL)
CAD $9,000-15,000
only worthwhile for a full household
40-foot full container (FCL)
CAD $13,000-22,000
similar transit time to LCL
Air freight
CAD $18-35/kg
only worth it for small, urgent or high-value shipments
Couriers and post
For smaller, non-fragile shipments under about 30kg, international couriers (DHL, FedEx) or Canada Post's international parcel service handle clothes, books and personal items well - useful for sending things ahead of or after your main shipment.
Who to use
Major international removalists operating the Canada-Australia route include Crown Relocations and Allied Pickfords (both full-service, handling packing and customs at both ends), Seven Seas Worldwide (popular for smaller moves with flat-rate pricing), and a range of budget-friendly freight forwarders that offer less hand-holding for a lower price. Get quotes from at least three - prices vary significantly and the cheapest isn't always the most reliable.
Paying for your shipment
If you're paying an international removalist in AUD, using Wise or OFX instead of your bank's transfer service will save you real money. On a CAD $6,000 shipment, a 2-3% bank exchange margin plus fees can add CAD $150-250 to your bill for nothing in return.
Australian biosecurity: the part that catches Canadians out
Every shipment of unaccompanied personal effects (UPE) entering Australia is assessed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) before it can be released. This isn't a formality - Australia is genuinely strict, and goods of biosecurity concern get inspected, and sometimes held or treated at your cost.
The paperwork: Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement (B534)
You'll need to complete a B534 statement declaring what's in your shipment and flagging anything of biosecurity concern. A biosecurity officer reviews the documentation and notifies you of any inspection requirements once it's assessed.
Duty-free import: the 12-month ownership rule
You can bring everyday household items and personal goods into Australia duty-free provided you owned and used them for at least 12 months before they arrive. Newer items bought specifically for the move may attract duty if they don't qualify as used personal goods - keep receipts and be upfront about anything recently purchased.
Insurance for your goods in transit
Your belongings aren't automatically insured during shipping, and a removalist's own liability is usually a fraction of your goods' real value. Ask your removalist directly about marine cargo insurance, the standard product for this kind of shipment, or check whether a travel insurer's high-value item cover extends to goods in transit.
The timeline to plan around
- 1
3+ months before departure
Get shipping quotes from at least three providers.
- 2
6-8 weeks before your move date
Book your shipment.
- 3
1-2 weeks before departure
Pack and have goods collected.
- 4
6-10 weeks after departure
Goods arrive in Australia.
- 5
After arrival
Biosecurity assessment and customs clearance, timing depends on your B534 declaration and whether an inspection is required.
That gap matters: you'll be in Australia for six to ten weeks without your shipped goods. Keep a full suitcase with everything you'll genuinely need for that stretch, and don't ship anything you can't do without on arrival.
Moving from Canada to Australia?
Our free relocation checklist covers shipping, customs and everything else to plan around your move date.
Related Reading
Moving from Canada to Australia: The Complete Guide for Canadians
Moving Your Pet Between Canada and Australia: What You Actually Need to Know
Driving in Australia as a Canadian: Licence Exchange, Road Rules, and Buying a Car