How do I ship my things to the USA?

Shipping a home’s worth of belongings to the USA takes around six weeks to three months door to door. Used household goods can usually come in without duty, but the rules on how long you have owned things, on food and soil, and on cars catch people out.

How long it takes and what it costs

Belongings go by sea, either in a container of your own or as a “part load” (also called groupage), sharing a container with others. Air freight is faster, about 7–14 days, but much dearer, so people use it for a few boxes. Prices below are from a UK comparison site and a UK removals firm in 2026. Ask exactly what a quote includes: one firm’s prices include packing, customs clearance and delivery to your door, while cheap port-to-port rates don’t. Estimate

Times can stretch with busy ports, US public holidays, your exact address and the weather. Add time at both ends for packing, customs and inspections. You may want to pack essentials in your luggage, or rent furnished at first: see Finding a home to rent. Insurance for the shipment (often called marine insurance) is usually extra.

Duty-free household goods

CBP says household effects you bought abroad can come in duty-free if:

• You (or your family) used them abroad for at least one year
• They are not meant for anyone else, and not for sale

Household effects means things like furniture, carpets, paintings, tableware, stereos, linens and similar furnishings, plus tools of your trade and professional books. CBP treats clothing, jewellery, cameras, electronics and vehicles as personal effects, not household effects. Duty is usually waived on personal effects more than a year old, but all vehicles are dutiable. Newer items may be dutiable, so keep receipts.

The customs form (CBP Form 3299)

For anything shipped separately from you, you or your removals firm’s US agent file CBP Form 3299, the Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles. You tick the statements that apply, such as household effects used abroad for more than a year, and attach a packing list. The form has columns for the number of boxes and their marks, so number and label every box (for example “Box 1 of 40”) and list what is in each. Everything you declare can be checked, and false declarations can bring penalties. Ask your removals firm which documents its US agent needs from you and when.

What not to pack

• Food, especially meat and anything containing it (even soup mixes), fresh fruit and vegetables. Most fruit, vegetables and plants are prohibited without a permit; it is simpler not to ship food
• Plants, seeds and soil: no soil of any kind is allowed in without a permit from the USDA (the Department of Agriculture). Scrub boots, bikes, garden tools and outdoor furniture
• Firearms and ammunition: restricted, with permits from federal agencies and state rules on top. Get specialist advice or leave them behind
• Alcohol: ask your removals firm and check CBP’s rules before packing any
• Medicines: carry what you need in your hand luggage. See Bringing medicines

CBP keeps a list of prohibited and restricted items. If in doubt, declare it.

Plugs and electrics

The US uses 120 volts at 60 hertz, with two-pin (Type A) or three-pin (Type B) plugs. The UK uses 230 volts. A UK appliance plugged into a US socket through a simple adapter can be damaged or destroyed. Laptops, tablets and phone chargers marked “100–240V” usually only need a plug adapter. Things that heat up, such as kettles, toasters and hairdryers, generally need a heavy transformer, so many people sell or give them away before they go.

Bringing a car

For most people this isn’t practical. A car less than 25 years old must meet US federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) to be imported permanently, and the Clean Air Act bars cars that don’t meet EPA emissions standards. Most UK cars weren’t built to them. Making a car conform has to be done through a registered importer, with a bond, and is expensive.

Selling in the UK and buying in the US is simpler for most people: see Driving in the USA.