Seattle is about as far from a UK port as an American city gets, and most moves there are people following a job. Both facts shape how the shipment is best planned.
Tell us what is moving and when, and we connect you with a vetted moving company from our network that runs the Pacific Northwest route. You deal with them directly and nothing is charged for the introduction.
Published 2026 schedules put West Coast sailings from the UK at roughly twenty five to thirty five days port to port. Seattle and Tacoma are run together as a single seaport alliance, so your goods may arrive at either.
If a start date is driving the move, work backwards from it. On a five to eight week door to door journey, deciding what flies and what sails is the difference between settling in and living out of a suitcase.
twenty five to thirty five days at sea into a two port alliance, six to eight weeks door to door, and most moves here follow a job with a start date attached.
| Ports | Seattle and Tacoma, run as one alliance |
|---|---|
| Ocean leg | Roughly twenty five to thirty five days |
| Door to door | Usually six to eight weeks in total |
| Air option | Worth pairing with sea on a route this long |
| Access | Steep streets and narrow lanes in older districts |
| Currency | Exchange help included with your move |
Reaching the Pacific Northwest from the UK means either the Panama Canal or a crossing to the East Coast followed by an overland run. Both are long, and which one your shipment uses affects the schedule you are given.
Because of that length, splitting a shipment is more common on this route than on the Atlantic ones. A modest air consignment covering the first few weeks often costs less than the alternative of buying replacements.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Tell us the start date | Most Seattle moves are job driven. The date you need to be working shapes the whole plan more than the inventory does. |
| Your route gets checked | A moving company from the network confirms the sailing, the container option, clearance into the Pacific Northwest and the delivery access at your address. |
| You deal with them directly | They set out the quote, the timetable and the delivery plan in writing before you commit to anything. |
Effects used by you, or in a household where you were a resident, for a year normally enter free of duty on a CBP Form 3299 declaration. On a five week crossing there is no chance to correct an inventory once the ship has sailed, so it is worth getting right before it does.
Schedules published in 2026 put West Coast sailings at roughly twenty five to thirty five days port to port. Door to door, allow six to eight weeks in total.
Seattle and Tacoma are operated together as a single seaport alliance, so a shipment may arrive at either and clear there before delivery.
Distance. Cargo reaches the Pacific Northwest either through the Panama Canal or by crossing the Atlantic and travelling overland, and both take far longer than a direct Atlantic sailing.
For a small consignment, often yes. It covers the weeks before the container lands, which matters more on a route this long.
Not the shipping, but check what the relocation policy covers, especially storage and any duty on newer items.
Yes, though it may need a smaller vehicle for the final run. Mention the approach at enquiry stage so it is planned rather than improvised.
Either, depending on the service. Seattle and Tacoma are run together as a single seaport alliance, so the paperwork and the clearance are the same whichever one it docks at.
Not the shipping. It usually changes the timing, because a start date is fixed and a sea crossing of five weeks is not, which is what makes the air and sea split worth pricing.
Send your collection address, the Seattle delivery address, the date you need to be settled and what is coming. A moving company from our network works out the split between sea and air and comes back to you.
A Working Member of AGM Group. Enquiries are connected with vetted FIDI FAIM certified and BAR Overseas accredited international moving companies from the network.
We do not move anything ourselves. Your Seattle move is handled and quoted by the moving company you are introduced to.
Written by Darren Benjamin, Founder.