VerifiedGet matched with vetted international mover We match you with only accredited partner for your route: fewer calls, less stress, and a clearer quote.
In short: Moves from the USA to Ireland are matched to one vetted partner, free. Goods travel by sea container or air freight, with customs cleared on arrival.
Sea freight suits full households; air suits small, urgent shipments. Returning residents may claim relief on used goods.
Most household moves from the USA to Ireland go by sea freight, either in a full container (FCL) or sharing a container with other shipments (LCL, also called groupage). Air freight exists but is expensive and usually only for small urgent loads or high-value items.
Your goods share a container with other Ireland-bound shipments. You pay for the cubic metres you use.
Transit from the US East Coast to Dublin or Rosslare: about 4 to 6 weeks. Best for smaller moves. Most cost-effective option for studios to two-bed loads.
A 20ft or 40ft container is yours alone. Faster and more secure for large loads.
Transit from the US East Coast: about 3 to 5 weeks. US West Coast adds about a week. Port of Dublin or Rosslare are the main Irish arrival points.
Port of departure varies by US city: New York, Baltimore and Boston serve the East Coast; Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco serve the West Coast. East Coast ports are shorter transit to Ireland. Your mover selects the best departure port for your collection address.
Free. One FIDI-certified partner mover. No obligation.
List your rooms or items. Add the USA collection address, the Irish delivery address with Eircode, floor level, lift, stairs, parking, preferred date and photos of large pieces.
One FIDI-certified partner mover checks the volume, route, vehicle size, customs documentation and access at both ends. We connect you with one mover, not a shortlist of firms.
The mover contacts you with a firm price, transit time, packing options, insurance and the customs plan. You decide whether to book. No charge, no obligation.
Use these as planning guides, not quotes. The firm price comes from the mover after they see your items, addresses and access. Volume, route and Irish delivery area are the main variables.
Shared container, typically studio to two-bed
From about $3,500 to $8,000
Transit 4 to 6 weeks from the East Coast. West Coast longer.
Full container, roughly two to three-bed house
From about $6,000 to $12,000
Your container alone. Transit 3 to 5 weeks East Coast.
Full container, three-bed house and above
From about $9,000 to $18,000
Larger homes. Price includes origin packing and destination delivery.
Antiques, art, vehicles, pianos
Priced after survey
Specialist crating, condition reports and insurance valuation needed.
Rural Irish deliveries with narrow lanes or long driveways typically add £150 to £400. Stairs without a lift add crew time at both ends.
Most moves land at Dublin Port or Rosslare Europort in County Wexford. From there, the van drives to your Irish delivery address. Dublin Port is the arrival point for the Holyhead to Dublin crossing, run by Irish Ferries and Stena Line. Rosslare is the arrival point for crossings from Pembroke, Fishguard and the direct continental sailings from Cherbourg and Bilbao.
Dublin Port suits deliveries to Dublin, the east, the midlands and the north-west. Rosslare suits Wexford, Waterford, Cork and the south. For a far-west delivery to Galway, Mayo or Donegal, the mover adds road time from whichever port the load arrives at.
Irish VAT is 23% on most goods, but Transfer of Residence relief, claimed on Form C&E 1076 via Revenue, removes import duty and VAT on used personal belongings when you genuinely move your home to Ireland. The Common Travel Area covers people, not goods, so it does not affect the customs position for your belongings. Your mover files the customs documents; your eligibility for the relief is yours to confirm with Revenue.
Always give an Eircode for the delivery address. An Eircode is the Irish postcode, a seven-character code unique to each address. Much of rural Ireland uses townland names rather than street numbers, so the Eircode is how the mover finds your door.
A move from the USA to the Republic of Ireland crosses two customs boundaries: US export at the American end, and EU import at the Irish end. Both need documentation. This is a longer, more complex customs process than a European intra-EU move.
At the US end, your goods need a Shipper's Export Declaration or Electronic Export Information (EEI) filing. Your mover or freight forwarder handles this. At the Irish end, a customs declaration is needed. Transfer of Residence relief, run by Revenue, can remove import duty and the 23% Irish VAT on used personal belongings if you qualify.
To qualify for Transfer of Residence relief, you generally need to have owned and used the goods for at least six months, and to be moving your main home to Ireland. The claim is made on Form C&E 1076, usually filed by your mover with a valued inventory about two weeks before the goods arrive. A PPS number, the Irish Personal Public Service number, is needed for most official things on arrival.
Most quote surprises come from access, not distance. A move may travel smoothly from USA to the Irish port, but the final delivery is harder if stairs, lifts, parking or a narrow village street were not confirmed first. Give these details when you enquire and the price will be accurate.
We do not send your enquiry to a list of moving companies. We connect you with one suitable FIDI-certified partner mover for your exact route. They review your items, access and Irish delivery area before confirming the price.
FIDI FAIM is the main quality standard for international removal companies. Partner movers pass an independent audit by Ernst and Young covering more than 200 quality criteria, repeated every three years. For a move crossing international borders with customs documentation, that standard is the benchmark to look for.
Most moves go by sea freight, either in a shared container (LCL groupage) or a full container (FCL). A shared container is best for smaller loads and costs less. A full container suits larger homes and gives more control over timing. Air freight exists for small urgent loads but is significantly more expensive. The main Irish arrival ports are Dublin and Rosslare.
Potentially, but usually not on your own used belongings if you claim Transfer of Residence relief. Revenue, the Irish customs authority, removes import duty and 23% VAT on used personal goods moved as part of a genuine residence transfer. The claim is made on Form C&E 1076. If you do not claim it, the 23% VAT can apply. Check revenue.ie for the current conditions.
A shared container from the US East Coast typically takes 4 to 6 weeks to arrive in Ireland. A full container is slightly faster at about 3 to 5 weeks. The West Coast adds roughly a week to each. Customs clearance at the Irish end adds a few days. Total door-to-door is typically 6 to 10 weeks.
A shared container for a small load starts from about 3,500 to 8,000 US dollars as a rough guide. A 20ft container runs from about 6,000 to 12,000 dollars. A 40ft container starts from about 9,000 dollars. The firm price depends on volume, the US departure city, packing level and Irish delivery access.
Transfer of Residence relief is run by Revenue, the Irish tax authority. It removes import duty and the 23% Irish VAT on used personal goods when you move your home to Ireland from outside the EU. To qualify, you generally need to have owned and used the goods for at least six months and be establishing permanent Irish residence. The claim is made on Form C&E 1076, filed by your mover.
Not to complete the move itself, but you will need a PPS number for banking, employment, Revenue registration and most official matters in Ireland. Apply at your local Intreo centre promptly on arrival.
Yes, but it is complex. A left-hand drive American car needs a National Car Test (NCT) and VRT assessment in Ireland. VRT, Vehicle Registration Tax, is based on the car's CO2 emissions. Most American cars do not meet Irish emissions standards easily. Get specialist advice before shipping a US car to Ireland.
Yes. International Removals Companies, operated by DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD (company 07425576), connects your enquiry with one FIDI-certified partner mover for the USA to Ireland route. The partner mover contacts you with the price, container options, transit time and customs plan. Free, no obligation.
At the US end: a packing inventory, proof of ownership of goods and the Electronic Export Information (EEI) filing for the shipment. At the Irish end: the valued inventory, proof you are moving your home to Ireland and Form C&E 1076 for Transfer of Residence relief. Your mover prepares the commercial documents. The customs relief eligibility and PPS number are yours to arrange.
This guide is written and maintained by Darren Benjamin, founder of International Removals Companies (DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, Companies House 07425576). Darren has worked in international removals and logistics for over 20 years and has been a director of a UK removals company since 2013.
Partner movers hold FIDI FAIM Certified, BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC accreditations. Only FIDI FAIM is an audited certification, checked by Ernst and Young.
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Send the collection address, the Irish delivery address with Eircode, your room list, access notes, photos and preferred date. One FIDI-certified partner mover confirms the price and customs plan.
Get a Free Removals QuoteFree. One FIDI-certified partner mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, operating since 2010.
International Removals Companies connects international removals to Ireland enquiries with one suitable vetted partner mover. Partner movers hold FIDI FAIM, BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC accreditations where confirmed. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Prices, transit times, insurance cover and customs paperwork must be confirmed by the partner mover before booking.