The cheapest way to move abroad from the UK is to share the cost of transport. Within Europe that means a part load by road, which starts from £590. Outside Europe it means a part load in a shared sea container, from £690. If you only need a few boxes, those start from £290. A full container or air freight only becomes the cheaper choice in specific situations, which this guide explains.
Last updated 9 November 2026.
Every price below comes from the starting prices we publish on our own route pages, reviewed in November 2026. They are starting prices, so your quote depends on how much you send, where it is going and when. We give a fixed, written quote after a free survey.
The cheapest ways to move abroad, compared
There are five realistic ways to get your belongings abroad. The right one depends mostly on how much you are sending and how far it is going.
| Method | Best for | Starting price | Typical transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boxes only | Clothes, books and personal items, no furniture | £290 long-haul, £390 Europe | Same as a part load on that route |
| Part load by road (Europe) | A flat or a few rooms going to mainland Europe | £590 | 6 to 12 days |
| Part load by sea (long-haul) | Less than a full house going outside Europe | £690 | 4 to 12 weeks, by route |
| Dedicated van (Europe) | A full home going to Europe on your own dates | £1,790 | Days, door to door |
| 20ft container | Roughly a two to three bedroom home | £3,990 | 4 to 12 weeks, by route |
| 40ft container | A larger home | £4,990 | 4 to 12 weeks, by route |
| Air freight | A few urgent items | £4.90 per kg plus £190 handling, 20kg minimum | Days |
For most people moving less than a whole house, a part load is the cheapest way to move abroad. You can see every route’s starting price on our international removals costs page.
Part load vs full container: when sharing saves money
A part load, also called a shared container or groupage, means your belongings share a vehicle or container with other people’s. You pay only for the space your things take up, not for the whole container.
That makes a part load the cheapest choice until you have enough to fill most of a container yourself. A 20ft container holds roughly the contents of a two to three bedroom home. Once your inventory gets close to that, a container of your own is usually better value, and it is also faster because it does not wait for other shipments.
The trade-off with a part load is time. The container only leaves when it is full, and it is cleared alongside everyone else’s goods at the other end. If your dates are flexible, that wait is what makes it cheap. Read more about how part load removals work, or compare container shipping costs.
Moving to Europe cheaply: road beats sea
For mainland Europe, road is almost always cheaper than shipping a container by sea. Your belongings are collected from your door and driven all the way to your new home, so there are no port or terminal charges at either end.
- Part load by road: from £590, usually 6 to 12 days door to door.
- Dedicated van: from £1,790, for a full home moving on dates you choose.
- Boxes only: from £390.
Islands are the exception. Cyprus and Malta go by sea, so they price like long-haul routes. See all our European removals routes.
Moving long-haul cheaply: sea freight, not air
Outside Europe, sea freight is far cheaper than air. Air is priced by weight, from £4.90 per kg plus £190 handling, so it only makes sense for a small number of things you need quickly.
Typical sea transit times on our main routes:
- USA and Canada: 4 to 8 weeks
- Dubai and the UAE: 4 to 6 weeks
- Malaysia, Hong Kong and China: 6 to 8 weeks
- Australia and New Zealand: 6 to 12 weeks
- Japan: 8 to 12 weeks
A common way to save money is to fly out with a suitcase of essentials and send everything else by sea in a part load, from £690.
Shipping just boxes: the cheapest option of all
If you are leaving your furniture behind, sending boxes only is the cheapest way to move abroad. Boxes start from £290 on long-haul routes and £390 within Europe.
We collect from your door anywhere in the UK, pack the boxes for you if you want, and ship them by sea or air with the customs paperwork handled. It suits students, people moving into furnished homes, and anyone starting fresh. See shipping boxes overseas.
What to sell, ship or leave behind
International moves are priced on volume, the space your things take up, not on what they are worth. A cheap sofa costs as much to ship as an expensive one. So the simplest rule is this: ship what is expensive or hard to replace for its size, and sell what is bulky and cheap to buy again.
Usually worth shipping:
- Family items, photos and anything you cannot replace
- Good-quality furniture that would be expensive to buy again
- Bikes, tools, sports and hobby equipment
- Clothes, books and kitchenware, which pack small
Usually worth selling or leaving:
- Large, inexpensive flat-pack furniture
- Old mattresses and white goods near the end of their life
- Electrical items that will not work at your destination
Check the power supply before you pack anything electrical. The UAE uses the same 220 to 240 volt supply and three-pin plug as the UK, so your appliances work straight away. The USA uses a different voltage, so many UK appliances are not worth shipping there.
9 ways to cut the cost of moving abroad
- Declutter before your survey. Every item you sell or give away is volume you do not pay to ship.
- Choose a part load unless you have most of a container’s worth of belongings.
- Be flexible on dates. A part load is cheapest when you can wait for the container to fill.
- Book early. For long-haul sea freight, plan 8 to 12 weeks before you want your things to arrive.
- Pack some things yourself. It lowers the cost, but insurance cover usually depends on who packed each box, so let professionals pack anything fragile or valuable.
- Use storage to wait for the right slot. If your new home is not ready, your belongings can wait in storage at our own yard in Fazeley, Tamworth, rather than paying for a rushed shipment.
- Send boxes only and buy furniture locally if you are moving into a furnished home.
- Check whether you can import your goods duty-free. Many countries let you bring used household goods in without duty when you move your home there. Each of our country pages explains that country’s rules.
- Get a home or video survey. A survey measures your volume properly, so the quote is fixed in writing and there are no surprises later.
Hidden costs that make a cheap move expensive
The cheapest quote is not always the cheapest move. Before you compare prices, check what is included. Costs that often catch people out:
- Destination port and terminal charges on sea shipments.
- Storage at the port if your paperwork is not ready. In the UAE, for example, goods usually cannot clear customs until your residence visa has been issued, and a shipment that arrives first sits in storage at Jebel Ali. See our removals to Dubai guide.
- Import duty and taxes if you do not qualify for a duty-free transfer of residence.
- Access charges for flats with no lift, long carries or restricted parking.
Our cost page lists exactly what our starting prices do and do not include, so you can compare quotes on the same basis.
Cheap removals by country: starting prices
These are the starting prices for a part load to the destinations people ask us about most. Follow the link for each country’s customs rules, documents and full prices.
| Destination | Part load from | Typical transit |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | £590 | 6 to 12 days by road |
| France | £590 | 6 to 12 days by road |
| Portugal | £590 | 6 to 12 days by road |
| Netherlands | £590 | 6 to 12 days by road |
| Cyprus | £690 | 4 to 6 weeks by sea |
| Canada | £690 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| USA | £690 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Dubai | £690 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| UAE | £690 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Kuwait | £690 | Quoted per move |
| Australia | £690 | 6 to 12 weeks |
| New Zealand | £690 | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Malaysia | £690 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Hong Kong | £690 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| China | £690 | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Thailand | £690 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Japan | £690 | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Philippines | £690 | Quoted per move |
| Taiwan | £690 | Quoted per move |
| Vietnam | £690 | Quoted per move |
Moving somewhere else? We run removals to over 100 destinations. Find yours on our international shipping page.
Cheapest way to move abroad: frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to ship furniture or buy new abroad?
It depends on the furniture. Shipping is priced by volume, so large, inexpensive pieces are usually cheaper to replace at your destination. Good-quality or sentimental furniture is often worth shipping, especially in a part load where you only pay for the space it uses.
How much does it cost to move abroad from the UK?
Our starting prices are £290 for boxes only, £590 for a part load within Europe, £690 for a long-haul part load, £3,990 for a 20ft container and £4,990 for a 40ft container. Your exact price depends on volume, destination and timing, and a free survey fixes it in writing.
What is the cheapest way to ship furniture overseas?
A part load is usually the cheapest way to ship furniture overseas, because you share the container and pay only for your space. Within Europe, a part load by road is cheaper still, with no port charges.
Can I take my belongings abroad without paying duty?
Often, yes. Many countries let you import used household goods duty-free when you are moving your home there, as long as you meet their conditions, such as owning the items before the move or holding a residence visa. Each of our country pages explains the local rules.
Get your free quote
Tell us what you are moving and where to, and we will send a free, written, no-obligation quote. Every move gets one named move coordinator, and we are members of the International Association of Movers (IAM), The Movers Trading Club and Approved Movers, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 118 reviews on Trustpilot. Get your free quote.
Prices reviewed November 2026.