📊 Key Facts: A 20ft container (FCL) holds a typical 3-bedroom UK home and takes 6-8 weeks total to reach Delhi: 3-4 weeks sea freight to Nhava Sheva (Mumbai) port, 3-7 days customs clearance, plus 2-3 days inland road transport covering approximately 1,400km to Delhi.
Cost range: £3,200-£6,800 depending on volume, services, and your Transfer of Residence eligibility. Delhi requires inland trucking from India's west coast ports, adding distance and time compared to coastal cities like Mumbai or Chennai.
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Over 16 years and 850,000+ customer requests, we've helped families make this exact move. Returning Indian citizens, NRIs coming home after decades abroad, expats taking roles with multinationals in Gurgaon, and corporate transfers to Delhi NCR.
Here's a pattern we see regularly: families ship everything from the UK, then arrive in Delhi during May when temperatures hit 45°C. Within three months, their beautiful wooden furniture from the UK has warped and cracked. They end up buying new anyway, spending twice what they needed to.
This is why we created this guide. Moving to Delhi is different from moving to coastal cities like Mumbai or Chennai. Your shipment travels 1,400km inland from the port, the climate is extreme, and the costs work out differently. We want you to know exactly what to expect.
The honest truth: Sometimes the hybrid approach, shipping only essentials and buying furniture new in Delhi, actually costs slightly more than shipping everything. But in our experience, it works out better for most families because you get furniture designed for Delhi's climate, and you can move into your home immediately instead of waiting 6-8 weeks with bare essentials. We'll help you figure out what genuinely makes sense for your situation.
Our service is completely free to you. You pay the mover directly for their services. We connect you with one of our three certified partner companies who specialises in your specific route.
We recently helped two families move similar-sized homes to Delhi. Both used our free service. But one family paid £12,400 total. The other paid £4,100 total. That £8,300 difference? One qualified for Transfer of Residence status. The other didn't realise they could have qualified if they'd timed their shipment differently.
That difference still bothers us. If we'd spoken to the second family three months earlier, we could have saved them £8,300. This is why figuring out your residential status is the first thing we need to do, before we talk about quotes, before we talk about movers, before anything else.
You qualify for Transfer of Residence (TR) if:
✅ What This Actually Means:
Moving to Delhi on work/study visa:
⚠️ What We Tell Expat Families:
Company-sponsored move to Delhi/NCR:
📋 What We Need from Corporate Clients:
⚠️ Here's Something Critical You Need to Understand:
At least once a month, someone contacts us after they've already shipped their belongings, asking if we can "help them get TR status" even though they don't genuinely qualify. The answer is always no.
Fraudulently claiming Transfer of Residence is a criminal offence under Indian Customs Act 1962, Section 135. The penalties are real and enforced:
Mumbai and Chennai customs officers who handle Delhi-bound cargo aren't fooled easily. They process thousands of TR clearances every year and know every trick people try. Please be completely honest with us about your situation. If you don't qualify for TR, we'll work out the best approach for your circumstances. But we won't help anyone break the law.
⚠️ Mistake We See All The Time:
At least three families contact us every month confused about why their shipment has "arrived in India" but isn't at their Delhi home yet. Here's what's happening: their container has reached Mumbai or Chennai port. It hasn't disappeared. It's waiting for customs clearance, then it needs to travel 1,400km inland by truck to Delhi. That inland leg takes 2-3 days and costs £600-£900 extra compared to coastal cities.
Delhi is landlocked in northern India. Your belongings arrive at one of India's major seaports, typically Mumbai (Nhava Sheva port) on the west coast or Chennai on the east coast. Then they travel approximately 1,400km inland to reach Delhi.
We always explain this upfront because unlike moving to Mumbai or Chennai where your stuff goes straight from port to your home, Delhi requires this extra inland journey. It adds time and cost, but it's completely normal and happens with every single Delhi move.
Stage 1: UK Collection
Location: Your UK home
Duration: 1-2 days
What happens: Professional packing (if selected), inventory creation, loading into container or groupage crate.
Stage 2: UK Port and Documentation
Location: Felixstowe, Southampton, or Tilbury
Duration: 3-5 days
What happens: Export customs clearance, container loaded onto vessel, all shipping documents prepared for Indian customs.
Stage 3: Sea Freight
Route: UK to Mumbai or Chennai
Duration: 3-4 weeks
What happens: Container ships via Suez Canal. Mumbai route is western route via Arabian Sea. Chennai route is eastern route via Bay of Bengal.
Stage 4: Customs Clearance
Location: Mumbai (Nhava Sheva/JNPT) or Chennai port
Duration: 3-7 days (with correct documents)
CRITICAL: You MUST be in India. Original passport required. TR documents verified by customs officers. This stage determines entire timeline, delays here affect everything.
Stage 5: Inland Transport
Distance: Approximately 1,400km from Mumbai or Chennai
Duration: 2-3 days road transport
Route: If from Mumbai: NH48 (Mumbai-Delhi expressway). If from Chennai: NH44 (Chennai-Delhi highway). Temperature-controlled trucks for valuable items.
Stage 6: Delhi Delivery
Areas covered: Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad
Duration: 1-2 days
What happens: Final delivery to your NCR address, unloading, furniture placement, removal of packing materials, final inventory check.
⏱️ Total Delhi Timeline Reality:
Total UK to Delhi: 6-8 weeks minimum. Breakdown: 3-4 weeks sea freight plus 3-7 days customs plus 2-3 days inland road transport plus 1-2 days final delivery.
Compare to coastal cities: Mumbai (5-7 weeks), Chennai (5-7 weeks), Bangalore (7-9 weeks, further inland). Delhi's 1,400km inland distance makes it slower than ports but faster than deeper inland cities like Bangalore or Hyderabad.
Definitive rule for Delhi international removals using Transfer of Residence: You MUST be physically present in India when your shipment clears customs at Mumbai or Chennai port. This is Indian law under Customs Act 1962, not optional, not negotiable.
📋 What Indian Customs Requires:
❌ Common Critical Mistakes:
💡 What We Tell Every Family:
Based on our experience handling Delhi moves, here's the ideal timeline we recommend:
Arrive in India 2-3 weeks BEFORE your shipment's scheduled port arrival. This gives you buffer time for:
This is the pattern we see with families who have smooth experiences: They arrive early, sort everything out calmly, then when their shipment reaches port, customs clearance takes 3-5 days. Done.
Families who arrive late? They're stressed, rushing to get documents, paying demurrage charges at the port (₹8,000-₹12,000 per day adds up fast), and the whole experience is miserable. Don't be that family.
We'll check your TR eligibility and connect you with a certified mover who knows the Delhi route.
Request Your Free QuoteThis is the conversation that matters most, and we're going to be completely honest with you.
Here's what we've learned handling Delhi moves over 16 years: Delhi has competitive furniture prices, especially since IKEA opened in Noida in 2018. The costs between shipping everything versus buying new are very close, usually within £600 either way. But there are other factors that might matter more to you than £600.
Typical 3-bedroom UK house (30 cubic metres):
What you're shipping:
Full Container Load (20ft FCL): £3,400
Professional packing service: £750
UK collection and port delivery: £320
Sea freight to Mumbai/Chennai: (included above)
Customs clearance (if TR qualified): £380
Port charges (Mumbai or Chennai): £280
Inland transport (1,400km to Delhi): £720
Delhi local delivery and unloading: £180
Insurance (2.5% of £15,000 value): £190
Unpacking service (optional): £220
Total: £6,440
Timeline: 6-8 weeks. Advantages: Keep sentimental items, familiar furniture, known quality UK-made goods, everything you already own, no immediate furniture shopping burden.
Ship essentials only, buy bulky furniture in Delhi:
What you ship (8 cubic metres):
Part Load shipping (8m³): £1,850
Self-pack (you do it yourself): £0
UK collection: £180
Customs clearance: £280
Inland transport to Delhi: £350
Delhi delivery: £120
Insurance (£5,000 value): £65
Buy new in Delhi/NCR:
IKEA Noida (similar to UK prices): £2,500
Or local markets (30-50% cheaper): £1,500-£2,000
Delivery and assembly: £50-£100
Total: £5,395-£5,845
Timeline: Move in immediately, shipment arrives 6-8 weeks later. Advantages: Climate-appropriate furniture, immediate settlement, no furniture damage risk, flexibility to choose what suits Delhi home.
Delhi has extreme climate: 45°C+ summers, monsoon humidity, and cold winters. We've seen the following happen to UK furniture within the first year:
That IKEA wardrobe that cost £300 in the UK and £80 to ship? It'll warp by July. Buy the same one in Delhi for ₹7,500 (£75) designed for Indian climate.
💡 Our Recommendation:
The hybrid approach often costs slightly more (£500-£1,000) but works better for most families. You get furniture designed for Delhi's extreme climate, you can move into your home immediately instead of camping for 6-8 weeks, and you avoid the heartbreak of seeing cherished pieces damaged. We'd rather you make the right decision for your family than maximise shipping volume.
This is the part of our job we hate. At least once a month, someone contacts us after they've already lost money to a fraudulent removal company. The amounts range from £3,000 to £12,000. We wish we could have helped them earlier.
Here are the patterns we see constantly with Delhi moves. If you spot any of these red flags, walk away immediately:
This happens all the time with Delhi moves: The initial quote seems competitive at £4,500. Then after your belongings clear Mumbai or Chennai customs, the company suddenly demands an extra ₹1,00,000-₹2,00,000 (£1,000-£2,000) for "Delhi inland transport" that supposedly "wasn't included."
Why this is fraud: Delhi requires 1,400km inland transport from ports. This is known from day one and should be explicitly in any legitimate quote.
✅ Our Rule:
Any Delhi quote that doesn't explicitly mention "includes inland transport from port to Delhi" is suspicious. The 1,400km journey is the single biggest cost difference between Delhi and coastal cities. Legitimate companies state it clearly upfront.
This pattern appears regularly: Companies promise "we guarantee your TR approval" or "we can get anyone TR status" regardless of actual eligibility, charging £800-£1,500 for this "service."
Here's what you need to understand: TR qualification is determined by Indian Customs Law, not by removal companies. No company can "guarantee" or "get you" TR status. You either legally qualify or you don't.
✅ What We Actually Do:
The scam: Before you've even decided to use them, company requests passport copies, PAN card details, Aadhaar information, UK address proof "to start processing" or "check eligibility."
Why this is suspicious:
PAN card scam specifically: Some fraudsters offer to "get you a PAN card quickly for ₹15,000-₹25,000." Reality: PAN application is FREE from Income Tax Department. Official fee is only ₹110 for Indian addresses.
We see this pattern constantly:
💡 The Real Timeline:
We only work with three certified movers we'd trust with our own belongings. Our partners are members of AGM Group and hold the following credentials:
Verifiable Credentials:
Honest Communication:
If something feels wrong, trust your instincts. We've been doing this for 16 years. The good companies welcome questions and provide detailed answers. The dodgy ones get defensive or evasive.
Once your Delhi international removals complete and household goods arrive, here's practical information for smooth settlement in India's capital and National Capital Region:
India uses 230V (same voltage as UK) but Type D/M plugs (round pins, different from UK Type G rectangular pins).
We are the official online platform for three FIDI-FAIM and BAR Overseas certified international moving companies. Tell us where you're going and we'll connect you with the certified partner who specialises in your route.
✅ What We'll Help You With:
✅ Our Three Partner Companies:
✅ Our Honest Approach:
✓ Three certified partners · ✓ Free service · ✓ 16 years trusted
Or explore our guides for other Indian cities including Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Kolkata.
Our company, DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, is not connected to any other businesses with similar names:
International Removals LTD
A separate company that was set up on 16 June 2023 and dissolved on 19 November 2024. No connection to us.
PSS International Removals
A different company (trading name of PSSREMOVALS) that has been running for over 40 years. No connection to us.
Pickfords
A well-known removals company. No connection to us.
We are the official online platform for three FIDI-FAIM and BAR Overseas certified international moving companies. Our partners are members of AGM Group.