Quick Answer: Moving a household out of or into Hong Kong by sea costs roughly HK$8,000 to HK$70,000 in 2026 depending on volume and destination, and a full relocation service adds home search, school search and settling-in. Here is what the money buys, the customs rules, and how to compare quotes.
Moving a home out of or into Hong Kong costs roughly HK$8,000 to HK$70,000 by sea in 2026, depending on how much you ship and where it goes, and a full relocation service, with home and school search, visa handling and settling-in, is priced on top for corporate moves. The market is crowded: international movers, local packers, destination services agencies and relocation management companies all compete for the same family. This guide explains what each does, what the money buys, the customs rules for household goods, and how to compare quotes. Providers are listed under relocation services on Portal Hong Kong.
What do relocation companies do?
| Service | What it covers | Who provides it |
|---|---|---|
| Household goods move | Survey, packing, export crating, freight by sea or air, customs clearance, delivery and unpacking at destination, storage | International movers such as Allied Pickfords, Crown, Santa Fe, Asian Tigers, and local packers |
| Destination services | Orientation tours, home search and lease negotiation, school search, temporary housing, bank account and utility set-up, driving licence conversion | Relocation and destination services companies; some movers through partners |
| Immigration | Employment visa, dependant visas, Hong Kong identity card appointments, and the reverse on departure | Relocation companies working with immigration consultants or law firms |
| Relocation management | The whole programme for a corporate employer: policy, budget, vendor management, expense tracking, repatriation | Global relocation management companies engaged by the employer |
| Pet relocation | Import permits, quarantine where required, crates, flights | Specialist pet movers |
An individual moving on their own account usually buys the first line only. An employer relocating staff buys some or all of the rest.
What does it cost in 2026?
| Move | Typical 2026 cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sea freight household move, Hong Kong to Asia | HK$8,000 to HK$18,000 | HK How Much, 2026 |
| Sea freight household move, Hong Kong to UK, Europe, Canada, US | HK$15,000 to HK$70,000 | |
| Air freight | Three to five times sea freight for the same volume | |
| 20-foot container, Hong Kong to UK, shipping only | About £3,660 to £4,050 | MoveHub |
| Shared-container small move, UK to Hong Kong | From about £850; one-bedroom flat about £2,070; three-bedroom house from about £4,500 | MoveHub, 2026 |
| Local move within Hong Kong | A few thousand dollars for a flat with lift access; more for walk-ups and pianos | Local packers' quotes |
Volume is the main driver: a studio ships in a shared container (groupage), a family house fills a 20-foot or 40-foot box. Destination matters next: port charges, delivery distance and customs handling differ by country. Timing is third: June to August is peak and priced accordingly.
What are the customs rules?
Hong Kong is a free port. There is no customs duty, sales tax or GST on used household goods and personal effects arriving in Hong Kong, and the Customs and Excise Department clears personal effects as ordinary cargo: an inventory, the consignee's identity document and proof of residence status, and import licences for anything controlled. Four goods are dutiable, liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol, and personal effects shipments get no duty-free allowance for them, so a wine collection in a container is taxed. Vehicles need a first registration tax assessment, pets need an import permit from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department before travel, and some medicines and all firearms need licences. On the way out, the destination country's rules apply: most allow used household goods duty-free for returning residents or new immigrants with a residence visa, on condition the goods have been owned and used for six or twelve months and arrive within a set period of the owner.
How do you compare quotes?
- Get three surveys. A video or in-home survey produces a volume estimate; quotes without a survey are guesses.
- Compare the same volume and service level. Door-to-door with full packing and unpacking, or port-to-port with self-packing, are different products.
- Read the exclusions: destination port charges and terminal handling, customs inspection fees, shuttle vehicles where a container cannot reach the building, long carries, stairs, crating for art and glass, storage after the free period, and dismantling or reassembly of furniture.
- Insurance. Transit insurance is a percentage of declared value (typically 2 to 4%); check who underwrites it, whether it is all-risk or total-loss only, and the excess.
- Credentials. FIDI FAIM certification, International Association of Movers membership, a Hong Kong business registration and office, and corporate references. A quote from an agent without its own crews is a quote from whoever they subcontract.
- Payment terms. Deposits are normal; full payment before loading is not.
What does a full relocation package look like?
For a corporate move: pre-decision orientation visit; visa and dependant visa applications; temporary serviced apartment for two to four weeks; home search with a consultant who knows the districts, from Central and Mid-Levels to Sai Kung and Discovery Bay; lease negotiation and inventory check; school search and application support, which in Hong Kong means starting early because international school places are allocated a year ahead; settling-in (bank, utilities, mobile, Octopus, driving licence); and, at the end, lease termination, sale of goods, deregistration and the shipment home. Employers budget it per move; individuals can buy the pieces separately from the same providers. Browse relocation services and serviced offices on Portal Hong Kong, and for schools, our guides to preschools and pre-nursery admissions and American curriculum schools.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an international move from Hong Kong cost?
- Published 2026 estimates put sea-freight household moves from Hong Kong at about HK$8,000 to HK$18,000 within Asia and HK$15,000 to HK$70,000 to the UK, Europe, Canada or the US, depending on volume; a 20-foot container from Hong Kong to the UK is quoted at roughly £3,700 to £4,000 for the shipping alone, and air freight costs three to five times sea freight. Packing, insurance, destination delivery and storage are on top.
- What is the difference between a mover and a relocation company?
- A mover packs, ships and delivers household goods. A relocation company manages the move as a whole: the mover, plus visa and immigration paperwork, orientation, home search and lease negotiation, school search, temporary accommodation, utility set-up and settling-in, usually for a corporate client relocating an employee. Many firms do both.
- Is there duty on household goods coming into Hong Kong?
- Hong Kong is a free port. Used household goods and personal effects can be imported without customs duty or sales tax; the only dutiable goods are liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol, and personal effects shipments get no duty-free allowance for those. Customs clears personal effects as ordinary cargo, so an accurate inventory and the right licences for controlled items (vehicles, firearms, some medicines, pets) are required.
- What should a relocation quote include?
- A survey of the volume (in cubic feet or metres), packing materials and labour, export packing for fragile items, transport to port, ocean or air freight, destination handling, customs clearance at both ends, delivery and unpacking, debris removal, transit insurance terms, and storage rates. Anything not listed, such as crating, shuttle vehicles for buildings without lift access, or destination port charges, is where surprises come from.
- How far ahead should I book?
- Six to eight weeks before the move date for a sea shipment, longer in the summer peak when school-year moves cluster from June to August, and at least two weeks for an air shipment. Surveys and quotes take a week; container space and packing crews book out.
- How do I check a relocation company is reputable?
- Look for membership of FIDI (with FAIM certification), the International Association of Movers, or the Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics; a Hong Kong business registration and a physical office; transit insurance underwritten by a named insurer rather than the mover's own promise; and references from corporate clients. Get three surveys and compare like for like.
