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Sea freight means your things travel by ship in a standard steel container. It is the slow but affordable way to move a whole home halfway round the world. A ship carries thousands of containers at once, and that scale keeps the price down. Nearly every UK to New Zealand move goes this way.
You have two main choices, and your budget and volume decide between them. A sole-use container is yours alone. A shared container holds your goods alongside other people's. A full home usually needs its own container. A smaller load shares one with other moves heading the same way. Your mover helps you pick the right one at the survey, so you only pay for what you need.
Most people search for sea freight, container shipping or a shipping company to New Zealand. We match your enquiry with one vetted FIDI-certified mover from the AGM Group network. You deal with one team.
Air freight is the other option, but it is the exception. It is fast, a few days rather than weeks. Yet it costs far more per box, so most people use it only for a small bag of essentials.
Sea freight wins on price for the simple reason that a ship carries so much at once. The trade-off is time. You plan around the crossing, and you pack a small case of must-haves to fly with you.
Written by Darren Benjamin, who has run International Removals Companies since 2010.
Free matching. One vetted FIDI-certified mover. No obligation.
| 20ft container | A 2 to 3 bedroom home, sole use |
|---|---|
| 40ft container | A 3 to 4 bedroom home, sole use |
| Shared container | Smaller loads, you pay for the space used |
| Typical transit | Around 6 to 10 weeks port to port |
| Main ports | Auckland, Tauranga, Lyttelton, CentrePort, Napier |
A sole-use container is the usual pick for a whole home. In the trade this is called FCL, a full container load. It is the simplest option, since the whole box is sealed at your home and not opened until it reaches you. A 20ft holds a typical 2 to 3 bedroom house. A 40ft suits a 3 to 4 bedroom home, or a smaller home with a lot of furniture. Your mover measures up at the survey, so you are not guessing at the size yourself.
Moving a studio, a one-bed, or just some boxes? A shared container is better value. Your goods take part of a container, and you pay only for the space they use. See our part load shipping page for that option.
Most UK shipments sail to the Ports of Auckland or to Tauranga, the country's two busiest. South Island goods often go to Lyttelton near Christchurch. Wellington goods land at CentrePort, and Hawke's Bay at Napier Port.
Port to port is usually 6 to 10 weeks. Add UK collection and New Zealand clearance at each end. Your mover gives you the vessel and the sailing dates, so you can follow the container on its way.
A sea freight move follows the same path every time, so you always know what is coming next.
First comes the survey. Your mover sees what you are shipping, in person or by video. They recommend a container size, then give you a firm quote and a collection plan.
Next is packing and collection day. The team wraps and boxes everything, loads the container, and seals it. For a sole-use container, this often happens right at your home.
Then the sealed container travels to a UK port and is loaded onto a ship. The sea crossing is the long part, usually 6 to 10 weeks.
When the ship lands, your goods clear Customs and pass an MPI biosecurity check. Once released, the container comes to your new home. The team unloads it and rebuilds your furniture.
Because you pay for the space your goods take, a sea freight move rewards a good clear-out. Every box you do not ship is money saved.
Be honest about what is worth the journey. Heavy, low-value items are often cheaper to replace in New Zealand than to ship across the world.
Think about your appliances too. UK white goods and TVs may not suit New Zealand power or broadcast standards, so many people leave them behind.
Your mover can advise at the survey on what tends to be worth taking. A lighter load can even drop you from a 40ft container to a 20ft, or to a part load.
Move to New Zealand to live on a residence visa, or a work visa of 12 months or more. Own and use the goods before you leave. Your used household goods then usually come in free of duty and GST. This is the household goods concession. New items are charged GST at 15 per cent.
MPI then inspects every shipment for soil, pests and plant matter. Used outdoor gear, garden tools and anything wooden must be clean. Our customs and MPI biosecurity page covers the forms, the fees and the risk items in full.
A long sea voyage asks more of your packing than a local move. Your matched mover handles all of it, so the extras sit with one team.
Export-grade wrapping and timber crating, built to survive weeks at sea. Fragile items are crated. Wood crates meet the ISPM 15 standard for MPI.
Storage at the UK end or in New Zealand, for when your dates do not line up. Useful if your new home is not ready when the container lands.
Goods-in-transit insurance, so your things are covered while they travel. Your mover talks you through the cover and the valued inventory first.
We also include a currency service through a trusted partner. It covers the New Zealand dollars you will need when you land. We are not a currency company, and we never quote you a rate. We just connect you with people who do this well.
A move this far is long, and the paperwork is strict, so the company you pick matters. We connect you with one mover that holds FIDI FAIM, the audited international standard, plus BAR Overseas membership. You get one quality match, not a stack of cold calls.
Trust marks across our network: FIDI FAIM Certified, BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC. FIDI FAIM is a certification. The others are respected industry associations.
We have run this matching service since November 2010 as DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, a Working Member of AGM Group. If your first match is full for your dates, another company in the network can step in. You still deal with one team.
A sole-use 20ft container holds a typical 2 to 3 bedroom home. A 40ft suits a 3 to 4 bedroom home. For a studio, a one-bed, or just a few items, a shared container is better value. You pay only for the space you use.
A sole-use container is yours alone, packed and sealed for your move only. A shared container carries your goods alongside other people's. Sole use suits a full home. Shared, also called part load, suits smaller loads.
Sailing is usually around 6 to 10 weeks port to port. Add UK collection and packing at the start, and New Zealand customs, MPI biosecurity and delivery at the end. Your mover gives you the dates for your sailing.
It depends where you are moving to. The Ports of Auckland and Tauranga handle most North Island goods. Lyttelton serves Christchurch and much of the South Island. Wellington lands at CentrePort and Hawke's Bay at Napier Port.
As a planning guide, a shared load runs about 1,800 to 3,500 pounds. A 20ft container is about 4,500 to 7,500 pounds. A 40ft is from around 7,000 pounds. Our cost of shipping page breaks down what drives the price.
Your matched mover offers goods-in-transit insurance, so your things are covered while they travel. You agree a valued inventory first. It is worth having for a journey this long, and your mover talks you through the cover.
Export packing is built to survive weeks at sea, with sturdy wrapping and timber crating for fragile pieces. Any wood crating meets the ISPM 15 standard for New Zealand biosecurity. Your mover handles the packing for you.
Yes. Your mover gives you the vessel name and the sailing dates. You can follow the ship on its way. They also tell you when it has landed and cleared, and when delivery is booked in.
Send one enquiry through our form, or call 07551 855 064. We match you with one vetted FIDI-certified mover, free. They survey your home, recommend the right container, and give you a firm quote.
Send your UK collection postcode, your New Zealand delivery address, a rough inventory and your preferred date. We match you with one vetted FIDI-certified mover who confirms the route, the quote and the customs plan.
Get a New Zealand QuoteFree matching. One vetted FIDI-certified mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, operating since November 2010.
We connect house moving company and removals to New Zealand enquiries with one vetted FIDI-certified partner mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Prices, transit times, insurance and customs paperwork are confirmed by your partner mover before booking.