Information About Shipping Personal Effects Into Australia

Start Here

For all commercial goods go to the Commercial Shipping index page

If you wish to Ship Personal Effects Overseas or back to Australia go to
Cubic formula for personal effects print the 4 pages (bedroom, inside, outside, sundries)
This will be of great assistance and is self explanatory. Simply fill in all forms and add up each page with calculator.
This is also available to Download as a Pdf Document and as a Word Document

A cubic metre is length x width x height = cubic metres
Here are two examples
1.3 m x .50 cm x .30 cm = .195 cbm
1.2 m x 1.2 m x 1.8 m = 2.592 cbm

You may also wish to visit our Helpful Hints for a Hassle Free Move page
This is also available to Download as a Pdf Document and as a Word Document

Importing:

For a General Quote for Importing Personal Effects

LCL stands for Less than a Container members of the public call it share a container service
If you have less than 15 cbm of If you have less than 15 cbm of Personal Effects to Import
Go to Import Share a Container for a quote
Or go to our Quick Price page to get a price

If you get more than 15 cbm (cubic metres) and less than 30 cbm
It will be cheaper to take 1 x 20ft shipping container
Go to Import a Container for a quote

RoRo means Roll on Roll off . If you wish to ship your car from overseas on a carship,
Go to Drive on off page

Exporting:

For a General Quote for Exporting Personal Effects

FCL stands for Full Container Load
Personal Effects to export
Go to Export Share a Container for a quote
Or go to our Quick Price page to get a price

If you get more than 15 cbm (cubic metres) and less than 30 cbm
It will be cheaper to take 1 x 20ft shipping container
Go to Export a Container for a quote

RoRo means Roll on Roll off . If you wish to ship your car overseas on a carship,
Go to Drive on off page

Container Sizes

Scroll down our Personal Effects Index page until you come to Container Sizes and Sales
We suggest you print out these pages so that you can see what the shipping containers look like PLUS you will get the internal and external measurements.
1 x 20ft container will carry up to 30 cbm of cargo 

If you have over 15 cbm of Personal Effects, you please use our on-line costing spreadsheets for
Importing Personal Effects into Australia or 
Exporting Personal Effects out of Australia
Simply fill in this spreadsheet and click submit and we will get back with pricing.

If you are importing 1 x 20ft container into Australia
We suggest you ask for a shipping price from local company in that country (they know who to pay off, talk the ling-ling, wing-wing etc..) and put us down on your Bill of lading / Waybill as Notify Party 
New Zealand Shipping 
PO Box 732 
Springwood Qld 4127 
Australia 
ph 61 7 3808 1200 
fax 61 73290 2481

This means we will be notified that your cargo is on its way into Australia and we can start the arrangements for customs & quarantine clearance

Payment:

Its an Industry standard that when shipping Personal Effects.. YOU are required to pay in the country at the port of departure. ( No ifs No buts, that's the way it is)
This way any bounced cheques at the Port of Loading means the shipping company at the Port of Arrival can put a stop to the cargo and

a) ask you to pay cash for all services plus dishonoured bank fees or

b) auction your cargo to recover debt (after transport, storage fees, freight, customs clearance, maybe Duty or GST, auctioneers fees, advertising costs I can tell you, that you will end up with nothing) so don't even think about.

Australian Customs & Quarantine Clearance using Agents

You can be expected to pay a A$3,000.00 plus GST per 20ft container security deposit before a customs agent starts the procedure for customs clearing your cargo. 
If an agent doesn't, then he/she's a bloody idiot.
This means that you are using the Customs Agents reputation, knowledge, and credit rating for paying all the contractors and allows sufficient time for your funds to clear, so if your money bounces the Customs Broker still has your goods in their possession.
If Australian Customs and or Quarantine Departments do there nanna (other expressions are, do their block, throw the book at you, not happy Jan) you can expect to pay more for ultimate delivery to your new residence.

A.Q.I.S (or Australian Quarantine Inspection service) are proving to be right bastards when it comes to importing personal and household effects because that's their job to be in the front row defending Australia from you wanabee's.

We recommend that you get your Customs Agent to book and pay the A.Q.I.S fees of A$130.00 per half hour x 4 sessions.. Yes that's right A$520.00. Hello !!!!!! now can you see where your money is going. 
Once your Customs Agent has paid the monies they can obtain date and time for A.Q.I.S appointment, we seriously recommend that You do the A.Q.I.S inspection so if you have any funny stuff you're the one who gets marched off to the klink, goal, cop shop, detention centre and re-exported back after you have done your time (make sure you go to the bond store with ID, wearing covered footwear as in boots .. no thongs, sandals, jandals for kiwis, and no animals or children in your vehicle (this is not a play ground), stanley knife, rolls of packing tape, manual screw drivers, claw hammer, fully charged battery powered screw driver) 

Credit Cards

Shipping companies do not accept credit cards payments as Banks take a credit card merchant fee of up to 4 % some even higher. The shipping industry works on smaller margins than 4 % hence the reason they do not take credit card payments unless you have agreed with the Shipping Agent to come to some service fee which funnily enough covers the Banks Fees.

Credit Rating

Once you arrive in a country you have NO credit rating so you will need a specialist company such as ourselves to do customs and quarantine clearance other wise if you choose to do it yourself you will have to pay in cash before you can get anything done.

A credit rating is very important in Australia, from purchasing cars, houses or renting furniture. So your first point of contact in Australia is your Shipping / Customs Agent, pay them and you can use them as a credit referee.

Shipping Motor Vehicles

You can choose to use our on-line costing spreadsheets for
Importing a motor vehicle into Australia or 
Exporting a motor vehicles out of Australia
Simply fill in this spreadsheet and click submit and  we will get back with pricing
You are going to need an Australian Import Permit Scroll our Import Declarations and Application Forms Page you come to the appropriate form/s 

The Australian Import Permit will take 28 days do not ship your vehicle until you get this permit.

In the section which states Shipping Agent put New Zealand Shipping or New Zealand Shipping and Department of Infrastructure and Road Safety will email us a copy of the permit within 21 days, the physical document will take an additional 7 days. A new on-line application system was implemented by Dept of Infrastucture in 2017 so you can expect a quicker turnaround then the time frame i have indicated using the previous method.

The BIG problem with coming to Australia that YOU should Know and Budget for.
You are probably in some country where the local shipping agent is trying to mimic Australian behaviour or accent and doing a poor job of it, will say here's your price Door To Door.
STOP what you are doing !!!!! Hello Dahhhhh
In Australia under the Commonwealth Law administered by the Federal Customs and Quarantine Departments you can NOT take personal / household effects from any Australian wharf direct to your residence. This is not Europe or UK where you have open borders and foot and mouth disease. Remember this is why you are coming to Australia so don't moan or whinge if we don't tell you someone else will quick smart so you might as well as get told now.

So if someone says here is a door to door price .. 
get them to put in writing which door, 

1. the container door at the Australian wharf, 

2. container door at licensed customs bond store, 

3. at the truck door at licensed bond store, 

4. at the truck door at your Australian residence, 

5. at the front door of your Australian residence or 

6. finally inside your house placed in one room of your house.

Door to Door means a lot of things to many people its amazing how many times we hear of stories, such as YES you have paid to have your goods delivered to your House Door.. however here are the charges brought about by Australian Customs and Quarantine Departments because they wished to inspect your cargo at the bond store, 

1. here is your fumigation invoice, 

2. here is the steam cleaning charges for motor bikes, lawn mowers, garden tools or machinery, 

3. here is incinerator and cartage charges for burning timber, straw or wood, 

4. here is the unpacking charge

5. here is the DPI re-inspection fees, 

6. here are bond charges and additional storage charges because we went outside the Three (3) free days, 

7. here is the re-delivery fee out of the bond store and 

8. here is our charges to attend to all these matters on your behalf.

9. here is the shipping companies detention invoice for not getting the container back empty in 7 days

You will not receive your goods until you pay for these additional charges .. So all you Kiwis, South Africans, Chinese, British, Canadians, Indians, Europeans and North & South Americans people wishing to come to Australia, who are trying to do it on the cheap YOU have been informed so budget accordingly.

Remember A$3,000.00 plus GST per 20ft container security deposit to cover outgoings by Customs Broker for getting container off the ship and onto the wharf, moved under bond to a licensed bond store for tailgate inspection, unpack quarantine inspection, cart empty container to container park.

If you decide to do it yourself and you get in the shit ... don't bother ringing us .. we have no time to placate all the contractors who you have got off side and now all of a sudden you can not speak English or you tried to bribe an official, (Australian don't take bribes, back handers, cash donations or brown paper bags) they get paid by their employer. (The Boss)

Packing List:

On the Personal Effects index page you will find a link to Packing List for personal effects
print the 4 pages (bedroom, inside, outside, sundries)
This is also available to Download as
Packing list Pers Effects.PDF or
Packing list Pers Effects.doc (word)
This is an exact duplicate of Cubic Formula except we have charged the name, all you have to do is type in and print out then simply click to give us a copy for customs clearance

Passports

We will require a photo copy of your passport face page only and the page where Australian Customs stamped the date when you arrived in the country.
Australian passport holders your passport will simply be scanned by bar code so you will not have a physical stamp appearing.

That's about it.
It's a bloody shame you're getting hit with such a lot of money based on A.Q.I.S requirements but now you know.
I trust you enjoy your new life in Australia.
It's a beaut place.

(Kiwi's even though you come from a country which has no foot and mouth, no dangerous snakes except for those trouser snakes or spiders, no fire ants .. you get treated in such a harsh manner, no wonder you have so many Aussie jokes. I don't blame you)

Please feel free to contact us at New Zealand Shipping.
Phone:	Adelaide: Brisbane: Burnie: Cairns: Canberra: Coffs Harbour: Darwin: Gladstone: Gold Coast: Hervey Bay:	+61 8 8464 0840 +61 7 3808 1200 +61 3 6441 0292 +61 7 4222 1088 +61 2 6223 2799 +61 2 6699 3288 +61 8 7979 0088 +61 7 4962 0488 +61 7 5667 7088 +61 7 4183 1788	Lismore: MacKay: Melbourne: Newcastle: Perth: Port Kembla: Sunshine Coast: Sydney: Toowoomba: Townsville	+61 2 6619 1699 +61 7 4914 2388 +61 3 9038 8339 +61 2 4016 4388 +61 8 6461 6688 +61 2 4231 4799 +61 7 5370 5688 +61 2 8255 8388 +61 7 4642 1500 +61 7 4795 1288
	Mailing address Head Office PO Box 732 Springwood Qld 4127 Australia		5 Bates St Springwood Qld 4127 Australia Email info(at)newzealandshipping.com.au
I wish a safe and prosperous journey for you and your loved ones.