British Citizen Moving to Australia

Are you a British Citizen who's interested in moving to Australia? If the answer is yes, we understand why you're considering the move as Australia has so much to offer. Australia's laid-back lifestyle is characterized by a low population density, mild climate, natural ecosystems, and so much more. If you're looking to move to an Australian location that's more populated, there's always vibrant cities like Melbourne and Sydney. 

When seeking information on how to move to Australia as a British citizen, chances are you already have your ideal locations in mind, so we're going to focus on how you can ship your household items to Australia and import your vehicle. 

Let's begin with the process of transporting household items from Britain to Australia. 

How Do I Ship My Household Items From Britain to Australia? 

Moving from Britain to Australia is by no means a short-distance move, so you're going to need to select air freight or sea freight shipping to transport your household items. Sea freight shipping is the more popular option as it's less expensive than air freight shipping. If you have room in your budget, airfreight shipping provides you with the perk of having your household items delivered at an accelerated rate. Since sea freight shipping is a longer process than air freight shipping, it's essential to book ahead so you can line up the delivery of your household items with your arrival. 

Now that we've introduced the two main methods for shipping your household items overseas let's jump into the different sizes and delivery services you can select within these methods. 

The three most common sizes of sea freight shipping containers are:

• 20ft 
• 40ft
• 40ft high cube containers

Smaller-sized moves can benefit from 20ft sea freight shipping containers or a 40 ft Less Than Container Load (LCL). When you select LCL sizing, you're sharing the shipping container with another person, while Full Load Containers (FCL) involve you having the container to yourself. Shipping companies tend to prefer that movers select FCL shipping, which minimizes the number of logistics involved in the moving process. If you select LCL shipping, the delivery will take a bit longer as the moving company has to take care of two people within a single container. 

Airfreight shipping can accommodate small or large-sized household moves. If you plan to use air freight shipping for a full household move, expect to pay ten times the amount of money you would for sea freight shipping.

Once you select the shipping method and sizing that suits your needs, it'll help to know what items are prohibited by Australian Customs.

What Do I Need to Understand About Australian Customs?

The first two steps of legally shipping items to Australia are outlining the items you are sending through a list that'll be reviewed by Australian Customs and making sure that your shipping items are personal property. Avoid shipping items like commercial goods, items purchased online, inherited goods, or vehicles as the Australian Government will hold on to their entry. 

Vehicles can be shipped to Australia, but you'll have to do some work upfront to ensure the importation is legal. 

How Do I Import a Vehicle from Britain Into Australia? 

Similar to shipping household items, vehicles can be transported overseas via sea freight or airfreight shipping. Most people select sea freight shipping for their vehicles unless their car is a rare vintage or modern exotic vehicle. Gaining Vehicle Import Approval is one of the essential components of legally importing a car into Australia. Before shipping your vehicle, steam clean the vehicle on both the inside and outside to reduce your vehicle's possibility of presenting quarantine risks. 

Customs clearance for your vehicle in Australia will consist of you paying Customs duties, Goods and Services tax, and luxury tax (if your vehicle's value is over $60,000). Many British citizens moving to Australia end up being exempt from Goods and Services tax. After you've paid customs duties, be sure to acquire new registration and license plates, and you should be ready to hit the road in Australia.