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Ottawa is one of the quicker Canadian cities to ship to, thanks to its near neighbour. Your container clears the Port of Montreal. Then it travels a short road or rail hop, a couple of hours, into the capital. That keeps the trip down to roughly 5 to 8 weeks. Costs land between £900 for a few boxes and £14,000-plus for a whole home. We put you with one FIDI-certified mover for Ottawa, who runs the shipping, the delivery and the customs. The service costs you nothing.
Written by Darren Benjamin, founder of International Removals Companies, who has arranged international moves for over 15 years. The service has handled 850,000+ enquiries since 2010. Reviewed July 2026.
Ottawa has a handy advantage: it sits close to a major port. Montreal is only a couple of hours away.
So your container sails up the St Lawrence to the Port of Montreal and clears there. Then it finishes with a short road or rail hop west into the capital. That tiny final leg barely adds to the clock.
From Britain the shipment leaves a port such as Liverpool or Southampton and crosses the Atlantic. It follows the river to Montreal, then makes the brief run to Ottawa.
None of the carrying is done by us. We hand your move to one vetted, FIDI-certified firm, who carry it through.
Delivery spans the whole capital region. Centretown and the Glebe, out to Kanata in the tech west. Barrhaven in the south and Orleans in the east. A mover reaches any Ottawa address, condo or house.
One thing to note: cross the river and you are in Gatineau, which is Quebec. If your new home is on that side, Quebec rules apply, including its QST on any new goods. Tell your mover which side of the river you are landing on.
Downtown apartment blocks usually want the lift and bay booked ahead. Flag the building and the access at the survey, and the crew turns up prepared.
There are two ways to load. A shared container, or part load, charges you for the space you fill and leaves once full, which suits a smaller move. A full container holds only your things, sealed in Britain and unsealed in Ottawa.
Budget £900 for a few boxes in shared space. A big home in a sole-use box rises to £14,000 or more. Ottawa's short hop from Montreal keeps the routing cheap and quick.
Ottawa is Canadian, so customs clearance applies on arrival. It is handled by the CBSA on form BSF186. Goods you have owned and used for over six months normally come through duty-free, as settler effects. Things bought in the last year can carry duty with GST or HST.
For the full route, see Removals UK to Canada. The numbers are in our cost of moving to Canada guide.
Decide how much to hand over. A crew can box the whole home, or just the breakables. They handle the packing and wrap the furniture for the ocean and load the container. At the Ottawa end they clear the customs, book any lift, deliver and unpack. Storage is on hand at both ends if your dates slip. Cars, pianos and fine art get careful, specialist handling.
Beyond the move, for years we've put customers in touch with trusted currency partners, whatever the currency. That covers the Canadian dollars you'll need early on. A full door-to-door booking leaves you lifting almost nothing. A part service trims the cost if you pack your own boxes.
Ottawa is officially bilingual, so you will meet English and French side by side, on signs and some paperwork. It makes no difference to your move; your mover handles the forms. Many newcomers arrive for government or tech work in Kanata.
Winter is the real planning point. Ottawa is one of the colder capitals anywhere, with deep snow from December into March. A winter delivery wants a little give in the timing.
On a long move, the firm is what counts. The accreditation to want is FIDI FAIM, the global yardstick for international movers, audited by Ernst and Young. BAR Overseas plays the same role in Britain. A company holding both has been vetted on its money, its training and the way it handles your belongings.
As for us, we are not the firm doing the lifting. International Removals Companies connects you with one vetted, FIDI-certified mover. They run it all from survey to delivery in Ottawa. Since November 2010, we have connected movers with vetted firms. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743, Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Ottawa is one of many. Have a look at the other destinations, or the guides on cost, cars and pets.
Shared-space boxes begin around £900; a full home in its own box can top £14,000. The short hop from Montreal keeps it economical. A survey sets the figure.
Through the Port of Montreal, then a short road or rail hop west into the capital. The final leg barely adds time.
Around 5 to 8 weeks, door to door. Being near Montreal makes Ottawa one of the quicker Canadian arrivals.
No. Ottawa is bilingual, but your mover handles the forms and language for you.
That is across the river in Quebec, so Quebec rules and QST apply. Tell your mover which side you are landing on.
The CBSA, on form BSF186. Belongings used for six months or more arrive free as settler effects. New goods can carry GST or HST.
Both work. A car needs to pass the 15-year rule. Pets travel by air, no quarantine for dogs or cats. See our guides.
No. We aren't a removal company. We link you with one vetted, FIDI-certified Ottawa mover, and they do the work.
Send your UK postcode, your Ottawa address, the date and a rough idea of what is coming. One vetted FIDI-certified mover answers with a price, dates and the customs steps. No cost, no obligation.
Get My Ottawa QuoteFree. One FIDI-certified partner mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, operating since 2010.
We connect removals to Ottawa with one vetted, FIDI-certified partner mover. We don't run removals ourselves. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Every price, transit time, insurance and customs detail is checked by the mover before you book.