Door-to-Door Sea and Air Shipping from Dubai to 32+ Countries
Delight Movers UAE are international movers in Dubai for families, professionals and businesses moving abroad. We pack your home for export, ship it by sea freight, air cargo or road freight to the GCC, handle the customs paperwork and deliver it to your new door in the UK, Europe, the USA, Asia or the Gulf.
Every international move starts with a free volume survey and a clear quote, and you have one relocation coordinator from packing day until your boxes are unpacked abroad.
International movers take your household goods from your home in Dubai to your new home in another country — door to door. Delight Movers UAE handles every stage:
International moving services
One team for packing, shipping, paperwork and delivery, whatever the size of your move.
Moving your home abroad takes careful planning, customs compliance and a provider who can deliver door to door. We pack and inventory furniture, electronics, clothes, kitchenware and valuables, crate fragile pieces, arrange transit insurance if you want it and track the shipment to your new home.
From a studio apartment to a large family villa, every move is planned around the destination's rules and your schedule.
International shipping needs stronger packing than a local move. We use shock-absorbing padding for fragile items, moisture-proof wrapping for sea freight and padded packing for electronics.
Art, chandeliers, mirrors, marble and antiques travel in custom wooden crates built to ISPM-15 — the international standard for heat-treated wood packaging, so crates are accepted by customs worldwide.
Our team prepares your inventory and packing list, bill of lading or air waybill and the export clearance in the UAE, and tells you exactly which forms your destination country needs — such as the UK's ToR1, the USA's CBP Form 3299 or India's baggage rules — so your goods aren't held at the port.
Moving a branch, headquarters or assignee abroad? We plan corporate relocations to protect business continuity — dismantling workstations, packing IT equipment and confidential archives, and handling international freight documents — with a move manager at every stage.
Need to move out before your shipment sails, or wait for your new home abroad? We store your goods in secure, climate-controlled storage in Dubai, with barcoded inventory and flexible periods from a few days to several months.
We arrange IATA-compliant pet travel — crates, vet checks, import permits and flights — and international car shipping by Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) or container, including the export documents and port handling.
Sea freight
Sea freight is the most cost-effective way to ship a household abroad. Choose the option that fits your volume:
A studio, a few rooms or selected items.
Approx. capacity
33 CBM
Typically a 1–2 bedroom apartment.
Approx. capacity
67 CBM
Typically a 3–4 bedroom apartment or villa.
Approx. capacity
76 CBM
Typically a large villa.
Not everything needs to go by sea.
Air freight usually takes about one to two weeks door to door, including customs. It suits essentials, documents, electronics and small shipments you need on arrival.
Air freight is charged on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000), so light but bulky items cost more by air.
Moves to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait usually go by covered truck — for example, about 3–7 days door to door to Saudi Arabia with a dedicated truck, plus border clearance.
Many families send a small air shipment for the first weeks and the rest of the household by sea.
Transit times
We move households from Dubai to 32+ countries, including the GCC, the UK and 20 European countries, the USA, India and Southeast Asia. Typical door-to-door times:
GCC
Road freight
3–14 days
Air cargo
All destinations
1–2 weeks
India
Sea freight
3–5 weeks
United Kingdom
Sea freight
5–10 weeks
Europe
Sea freight
5–10 weeks
USA
Sea freight
8–12 weeks
Shared containers can take one to two weeks longer than full containers. Your quote shows the current estimate for your destination.
International moves from Dubai to 32+ countries, including:
Moving somewhere else? Ask us — we'll confirm the route and timing with our partner network.
How it works
Every international move follows the same clear steps.
We measure your shipment in CBM and agree what ships by sea, air or road.
Shipping method, route, timing, insurance and destination services, in writing.
You send passport, visa and Emirates ID copies; we prepare the inventory and forms.
Every item packed, numbered and inventoried; fragile pieces crated.
Loading, sealing and export customs clearance in the UAE.
Your shipment travels by sea, air or road with updates along the way.
Our partner agent clears customs, delivers, unpacks and removes the debris.
Tracking
A common complaint about international movers is that the office goes quiet once the goods have left the house. With us, one named coordinator stays with your move from survey to delivery, and you get your bill of lading and tracking details once your shipment is booked. You hear from us at each stage.
Your numbered inventory is shared with you to check before the truck leaves.
The container or liftvan is loaded and sealed, and you receive the container or shipment reference.
Confirmation that your shipment has left, with the bill of lading and tracking details to follow it yourself.
Notice when the shipment reaches the destination port or airport, and what happens next.
Your coordinator and our partner agent confirm when clearance is done, or what customs need from you.
The delivery date is agreed with you, and the partner agent delivers and unpacks as booked.
If the route or timing changes after your goods ship, your coordinator tells you and explains the new estimate.
Paperwork
Two sets of paperwork: what the UAE needs to let your goods leave, and what your destination needs to let them in duty-free.
Transfer of Residence relief (form ToR1) — apply and get your approval number before the goods ship, because it goes on the import entry. Generally for people who have lived outside the UK for 12 months, with goods owned and used for 6 months, imported within 12 months of your move. Alcohol and tobacco are excluded, and a car also needs a NOVA notification.
Transfer of residence relief, generally after 12 months living outside the EU, with goods owned and used for at least 6 months and no selling or lending them for 12 months after arrival. Each country adds its own form — in Germany it is form 0350.
List everything on forms B4 and B4A at your first entry into Canada — including the goods that will arrive later by sea. Goods left off the "goods to follow" list at that point can lose their duty-free status.
An Unaccompanied Personal Effects statement (B534) plus strict biosecurity checks. Outdoor furniture, bikes and garden tools must be spotless (no soil), and timber or cane items may need treatment certificates.
CBP Form 3299 for household goods used abroad, plus an Importer Security Filing (ISF) lodged at least 24 hours before your container is loaded — late ISF filings carry penalties.
Unaccompanied baggage is cleared under India's Baggage Rules, and transfer of residence concessions depend on how long you have lived abroad and your recent visits. Unlike your suitcase, unaccompanied baggage has no free allowance — check the current rules before you pack.
Returning residents declare household effects on form DA 304. If your shipment arrives before you do, storage at the port is at your cost — time the sailing to your arrival.
First-time residents with an Iqama or work visa can apply for duty exemption on used personal effects. VAT still applies, and clearance usually needs your Iqama and a Saudi national address.
Leaving Dubai
Most stress on an international move comes from UAE admin colliding with packing day. Work back from your flight date — and keep your visa valid until your shipment has cleared export.
Check your tenancy contract's notice period (often 60–90 days) and give written notice. Decide what to ship, sell or donate — large, cheap furniture often costs more to ship than to replace. North America runs on 110V, so most UAE appliances won't work there.
Book your survey and confirm the shipping method. Check your destination's import rules — some forms, like the UK's ToR1, must be approved before the goods ship.
Settle or plan your loans and credit cards with your bank — leaving with unpaid balances can cause serious problems later. Decide whether to sell or export your car; export needs RTA paperwork.
Book the move-out permit and service lift, and the DEWA final reading for your last day in the home. Use up liquids, aerosols and perfumes that can't be shipped.
Your passport, visa and Emirates ID must still be valid for export clearance — cancel your visa after the shipment has cleared. Keep documents, valuables and medicines in your hand luggage.
Cancel Ejari, close DEWA, hand keys back against a signed receipt, then cancel your visa within your employer's timeline. Your grace period to stay after cancellation depends on your visa type.
Ship it or sell it?
Freight is charged by volume, not value. A bulky item that cost little to buy can cost more to ship than to replace. Go through the house room by room before your survey, so the quote is based on what you actually decide to take.
Ask your surveyor roughly how much space an item takes. If replacing it at your destination costs less than shipping it, selling it in Dubai is usually the better choice.
The UAE runs on 220–240V. The UK, Europe and India use similar voltage, so most appliances work with a plug adaptor. The USA and Canada use 110–120V, so most UAE appliances won't work there without a transformer.
Sentimental items are worth shipping even when the maths says otherwise. Small irreplaceable items and documents are best carried in your hand luggage.
Your fixed quote covers the items on the survey list. Adding items later changes the volume and the price, so settle the ship-or-sell list first.
Plan ahead
These items are prohibited or restricted on international household shipments.
Fuel, paint, thinners, matches, aerosols, gas bottles, scuba tanks and fire extinguishers — and perfume, oud oils and aftershave, which are flammable liquids and among the items most often pulled from UAE shipments.
Car batteries, loose lithium batteries (especially by air), cleaning chemicals and pesticides.
Perishable food, plants, seeds and soil, which most countries control strictly.
Weapons and ammunition, cash, and alcohol and tobacco, which are often excluded from duty-free relief.
Pricing
Every international quote is based on a free survey, because the price depends on your shipment and route. Your quote lists what is included, so you can compare like for like.
Cubic metres (CBM) for sea and road freight, or chargeable weight for air cargo.
Full container, shared container, air cargo or road freight.
Door to door, door to port or port to port.
Routes and transit times can change with regional shipping conditions; we confirm the current route, timing and any surcharges in writing in your quote.
Export packing, crating and access at both homes.
Customs duties or VAT where they apply, inspections, port storage and access extras at the destination are usually excluded — see what door to door covers below. Your quote lists exactly what is included and what isn't.
Read more in our complete guide to international moving.
Door to door
The most expensive surprise on an international move is a bill at the destination port before your goods are released. "Door to door" covers the move itself, but some charges are set by the destination country and can only be known once the shipment arrives. Your quote shows which side of the line each one falls.
Check with your coordinator before you pay. They confirm whether the charge is one of the exclusions on your quote — such as duty or an inspection — and what it is for.
Duty and VAT depend on your residency status and the destination's rules, and customs choose which shipments to examine. We help you with the forms that qualify you for relief, which is often what keeps these costs down.
A door-to-port or port-to-port quote looks cheaper because it stops at the destination port. Compare quotes at the same service level.
Tell us about stairs, narrow streets or lift restrictions at the new address before you book. If access needs a smaller vehicle or a long carry, it goes on the quote instead of appearing as an extra later.
Insurance
Transit insurance is available on request. We explain what it covers and what it costs before you book — so you decide before packing day, not after something goes wrong.
Cover needs to be in place before your goods leave home, so it applies from the start of the move. Tell your coordinator early if you want it.
Some policies cover loss or damage to individual items; others pay only if the whole shipment is lost. Ask which one you're being offered, and what it excludes.
List your goods at what it would cost to replace them at your destination, not what you paid for them years ago.
If you take cover, keep the policy document with your inventory and read the claim terms before your goods ship.
Insurers often treat boxes you pack yourself differently from professionally packed ones. Check what applies before you pack anything yourself.
Why choose us
We make the complex process of moving abroad simple, with local expertise and a global partner network.
A single contact for packing, paperwork, shipping and delivery.
Destination agents who clear customs and deliver in every country we ship to.
A full cost breakdown with route, timing and surcharges — no hidden charges.
Moisture-proof packing and ISPM-15 crates for fragile and valuable items.
Your bill of lading and tracking details, with an update at every stage until your goods arrive.
The right method — or combination — for your budget, volume and timeline.
By sea, about 3–5 weeks to India, 5–10 weeks to the UK and Europe and 8–12 weeks to the USA, door to door. Air cargo usually takes about one to two weeks, and GCC moves by road about 3–14 days. Your quote confirms the current estimate for your route.
It depends on volume, shipping method, destination, service level and current surcharges. We give you a written quote after a free survey of your belongings.
A full container suits most moves above about 15 CBM and is faster. A shared container is better value for smaller moves but usually takes one to two weeks longer.
Sea freight is far more economical for furniture and full households. Air cargo is faster and suits urgent essentials. Many families combine a small air shipment with a sea shipment.
Yes. GCC moves usually go door to door by covered truck, including export and border clearance.
Usually a passport copy with your UAE residence visa, your Emirates ID and a signed authorisation for customs, plus destination forms such as the UK ToR1 or US CBP 3299.
Flammables, aerosols and gas bottles, batteries and chemicals, perishable food, plants and soil, weapons and cash. Alcohol and tobacco are often restricted.
Yes. We arrange international car shipping by RoRo or container and IATA-compliant pet relocation.
Transit insurance is available on request. We explain what it covers and what it costs before you book, so you can decide before your goods are packed.
Yes. We offer short- and long-term climate-controlled storage in Dubai.
Charges set at the destination are usually excluded unless your quote says otherwise — customs duties and VAT, customs inspections, port storage and demurrage, and access extras such as stairs, long carries or a shuttle vehicle. Every exclusion is written on your quote.
Yes. You get your bill of lading and tracking details, and your coordinator updates you at packing, loading, sailing, arrival, customs clearance and delivery.
Tell us where you're moving, when, and roughly how big your home is. You'll get a free survey, a clear quote and the right shipping plan for your destination.
