International moves from India follow one of two paths: air freight (fast, expensive, small loads) or sea freight (cheap-per-kg, slow, whole households). Which you pick depends on urgency, budget and volume.
Sea freight — FCL vs LCL
FCL (Full Container Load) means you rent the whole 20-foot or 40-foot container. LCL (Less than Container Load) means your goods share a container with others. FCL is faster in transit (no consolidation delay) but only makes sense if you're moving a full 3BHK+ household.
Transit times from Nhava Sheva / Chennai
- USA (LA/NY): 35–45 days sea · 5–7 days air
- UK (Southampton): 28–35 days sea · 4–6 days air
- UAE (Jebel Ali): 12–18 days sea · 2–3 days air
- Australia (Sydney): 30–40 days sea · 5–7 days air
- Singapore: 15–20 days sea · 2–3 days air
Customs and documentation
Passport copies, visa/PR copies, transfer-of-residence certificate, packing list with declared value per item, insurance policy. For destinations like UAE and Singapore you'll also need a residency permit. We handle all origin paperwork; destination-side is done by our partner agent.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Under-declaring value to save duty — this voids insurance
- Sending prohibited items (spices in bulk, certain wooden items to Australia)
- Not photographing every crated item for insurance claims
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