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Sending a barrel to Jamaica is the cheap, popular way to get clothes, food and gifts home to family. A barrel is a big plastic or fibre drum that travels by sea, packed with your things and sealed for the journey. It clears at Kingston or Montego Bay, then a mover delivers it to the door. Tell us what you're sending and we'll connect you with one vetted shipper who knows the route. Asking is free.
✅ The quick answer — Pack a drum with clothes, food and gifts, and a vetted shipper sends it by sea and clears it for you. Free to enquire.
📦 What size — A standard barrel is a 55-gallon drum (about 200 litres), holding roughly 400 to 500 lb of goods.
💷 What it costs — A barrel to Kingston starts from around £80, depending on weight, contents and where it's going.
⏱️ How long it takes — Around 3 weeks at sea from UK ports, and roughly 4 to 6 weeks door to door once you add clearance.
⛔ What you can't pack — No alcohol, tobacco, batteries, meat, perishables or homemade food. More on that below.
📍 Where it clears — At Kingston or Montego Bay, with your TRN, ID and paperwork.
A barrel is a sturdy drum, usually 55 gallons (around 200 litres), sometimes called a 44-gallon drum in the UK. Packed sensibly, one holds roughly 400 to 500 lb. You can buy an empty drum from a shipping firm or online from around £40, or your shipper can supply one.
Barrels are made for non-perishable, everyday things. Most people send clothes and shoes, tinned and dry food in its original sealed packaging, toiletries, bedding, small household items and gifts. Heavier or bulkier things, like furniture or a fridge, belong in a container rather than a barrel.
Getting this wrong is the main reason a barrel gets held up at customs, which costs the receiver time and money. As a rule, keep these out of your drum:
Some goods aren't banned but are restricted, meaning they need a permit or certificate, such as plants or certain medicines. If you're not sure about something, ask your shipper before you pack it. It's far cheaper to leave a doubtful item out than to have the whole barrel opened and held.
There's a knack to packing a drum. Put the heaviest things at the bottom so nothing underneath gets crushed. Wrap anything breakable in bubble wrap, and avoid glass where you can. Dry foods like rice or flour go in sealed plastic bags near the top, so a spill can't ruin everything below.
Fill the gaps so things can't shift on the ship, then seal the lid, ideally with a tamper-proof tag. Label the drum clearly with the receiver's full name as it appears on their ID, their parish and town, and a phone number. Clear labelling matters: a mislabelled barrel can cost the receiver far more than it should.
A barrel to Kingston starts from around £80. The final price depends on the weight and contents, where in Jamaica it's going, and the time of year, since the run-up to Christmas and the back-to-school season are busy and tend to cost more. Door-to-door services usually fold pickup, sea freight, clearing and delivery into one price, which saves surprises.
Customs may charge duty once the value of the contents passes a set threshold, worked out on the cost, insurance and freight value. An ordinary barrel of used personal effects often clears with little or no duty. For a full breakdown and ways to spend less, see the cost of shipping to Jamaica guide.
Your barrel clears at one of two wharfs, Kingston or Montego Bay, whichever is nearer the delivery address. The receiver, or a representative, needs the receiver's Taxpayer Registration Number, valid photo ID, the invoice or packing list and the bill of lading. The shipper's local agent guides them through it and lets them know when the barrel is ready.
Sending things to a town inland? It still clears at the nearest wharf and travels on by road. We have pages for Kingston, Montego Bay, Spanish Town and Portmore, plus the rest of the island on the Jamaica hub.
Moving or sending money to Jamaica often means changing currency, whether for a deposit, a property or settling in. For years we've pointed customers to trusted partners who handle any currency, so the money side is one less worry.
Start at the Jamaica hub for every destination and service, or carry on with a related guide or town below.
Tell us what you're sending, and we connect you with a single partner suited to your shipment and the route. No call centre, and no wading through ten quotes.
For a full household container, partners hold FIDI FAIM, the worldwide standard for international movers, independently audited by Ernst and Young. In the UK, BAR Overseas points to the same vetting. For barrels and part loads, partners are seasoned Caribbean shippers who know the Kingston and Montego Bay wharfs.
International Removals Companies isn't a shipper itself. We pass your enquiry to one vetted partner who does the work, and have done so free since November 2010. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743, Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Tell us what you're sending and roughly when. One vetted mover comes back with a price, a timeline and the customs steps. No cost, no obligation.
Get my free quoteYour shipper confirms every price, transit time, insurance and customs point before you book.
International Removals Companies is the official enquiry service for three FIDI FAIM and BAR Overseas certified international moving companies in AGM Group, members of IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC. It's a free route-matching service, not a removal company, a man with a van or a house clearance service.
Use this page to send your Jamaica removal enquiry, then speak directly with the partner mover we connect you with before booking.