If you live in the USA and you’re planning a move abroad, we strongly urge you to work with one of the best professional international shipping companies instead of handling this monumental task yourself. International moves require much more planning than local or long-distance moves across the country, with considerations on shipping methods, customs, import duties, and more.
The best international moving companies can handle all of these tasks on your behalf. These moving companies are experienced in the processes required to relocate abroad, helping you rest with the peace of mind that comes with knowing your documentation is in order and professionally compiled. While there are many international moving service providers operating throughout the country, some options are better than others. Read on to learn a little more about our top recommended global moving companies and begin collecting international moving quotes to find the best rate on your move.
The 4 Best International Movers
Our top recommended international moving companies for 2023:
Compare The Best International Movers
The table below outlines data for the best moving companies on the market. We constantly update these ratings and price estimates to reflect industry changes. Continue reading in-depth reviews of several top providers.
Company | Our Rating | BBB Rating | Local Cost | Long-distance Cost |
 | 4.5 | B | $650–$1350 | $2,100–$5,400 |
 | 3.6 | B- | $550–$1,100 | $2,550–$5,700 |
 | 3.7 | Not Rated | Not available for local moves | $2,200–$5,500 |
 | 4.3 | B | Call for a quote | $2,750–$5,200 |
 | 4.0 | A+ | Call for a quote | $2,750–$6,000 |
 | 4.7 | A+ | $800–$1,500 | $2,000–$5,000 |
 | 3.6 | A+ | Not available for local moves | $1,350–$2,400 |
 | 4.4 | A+ | $800–$1,500 | $2,000–$5,000 |
*Quote and cost data are updated and monitored continuously.
International Van Lines
4.5
Our Rating
International Van Lines (IVL) is truly international. They can move you to over 150 countries, including places in the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other tricky moving destinations. They have over 20 years of experience in the moving industry, and they facilitate an average of 20,000 moves each year, many of which are overseas moves. IVL is licensed with the Federal Maritime Commission so that they can transport containers full of your belongings, including vehicles, by ship. International Van Lines is a savvy international mover that knows what customs forms are required for which ports of entry, so you don’t have to worry about anything besides getting your family members where they need to go.
International Van Lines can handle every step of your international move, from packing and loading to international shipping and unpacking. If you choose to send your items by air transport, they offer door-to-door service or door-to-port service — you can pick your stuff up from the airport if you need to, or you can have everything delivered to your new home. Few international moving services can match the professionalism and options offered by IVL’s team.
International Van Lines currently offers the following add-on services for its moving processes:
- Packing and unpacking services
- Loading and unloading services
- Furniture disassembly and reassembly
- Crating
- Specialized packing services for fragile items
- Storage solutions for both short-term and long-term periods
- Packing supplies
- Auto transportation services
- International moving services
- Military moving services
- Commercial moving services
Take a look at the table of previous customer pricing below to get an idea of what previous customers paid for their services from International Van Lines.
| <250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
| Two-bedroom home | $1,400 to $4,400 | $1,900 to $4,900 | $2,100 to $5,100 | $2,400 to $5,400 |
| Four-bedroom home | $3,200 to $6,200 | $5,100 to $8,100 | $5,700 to $8,700 | $6,200 to $9,200 |
Allied Van Lines
4.7
Our Rating
Whether you need a full-service move overseas, you simply need container shipping by sea, or you need that plus additional services, Allied Van Lines has you covered for your international relocation. They also offer long-term or short-term storage services if you’re looking to reduce the volume of your international move to your new home. They even offer vehicle shipment services internationally, able to move everything from a standard sedan to a boat with ease.
You can trust Allied Van Lines to plan and execute every step of your international move, whether it includes custom crating or simply packing up your essential household goods onto pallets and shrink-wrapping them securely. Your International Relocation Coordinator will provide you with the necessary documents for customs and for your shipment’s arrival in your destination country. They will help you fill those documents out and then forward them to the Move Manager. You are not alone in the moving process — Allied strives to make sure that your international move, which can be a stressful experience, is as stress-free and smooth as possible.
Allied Van Lines currently offers the following services on its moves:
- Packing services and unpacking services
- Fragile-only packing
- Storage for in-transit items
- Arrangement of long-term storage units
- Shipment tracking
- Furniture disassembly and reassembly
- Auto and boat transport
- Basic liability coverage
- Full-value coverage
Allied Van Line also offers a number of online moving resources and checklists you can use to enhance and streamline your moving services.
Take a look at the table of previous customer pricing below to get an idea of what previous customers paid for their services from Allied Van Lines.
| <250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
| Two-bedroom home | $1,800 to $4,500 | $2,400 to $5,400 | $2,700 to $5,700 | $4,400 to $7,400 |
| Four-bedroom home | $3,300 to $6,000 | $5,700 to $8,700 | $7,500 to $10,500 | $10,900 to $13,000 |
JK Moving Services
4.0
Our Rating
JK Moving Services is a full-service moving company that specializes in long-distance moving, but they are also one of the only 31 FIDI-certified movers in the U.S. They can provide fine arts moving, fragile-only moving and packing, and overseas shipping by ocean freight. JK Moving Services will pack up your belongings and make a full item-by-item inventory so that everything is accounted for and your overseas relocation is as calm and collected as possible.
Your personal moving coordinator is your source for planning and organizing each step of your move and all the information you need. Customer service is available 24/7 on JK’s mobile app, and the company’s personal moving coordinator assigned to you will be with you every step of the moving process. When you move internationally with JK Moving Services, you receive a customized moving package perfectly suited to your needs.
JK Moving Services currently offers the following services on its moves:
- Packing and unpacking services
- Loading and unloading services
- Long-term and short-term storage unit arrangement
- Transportation and delivery
- Freighting
- Crating
- Furniture disassembly and reassembly services
- Specialty services for items like antiques and pianos
- Specialized services for commercial moves for law firms, hospitals and other specialized workplaces
- Government moving services
- Archive services
- Auto relocation services
JK Moving Services offers personalized moving packages, which means that predicting pricing based on previous customers’ bills can be more difficult. As a general idea of what you might pay for moving services from JK, know that a recent 500 mile move for a two-bedroom was quoted at a price of $2,500 and $5,500. Be sure to click the link below to get your customized pricing from JK Moving Services.
North American Van Lines
4.4
Our Rating
Not only does North American Van Lines have decades of experience moving families and companies all across every state in the U.S. — they can also help move you to 130 countries worldwide. This company offers personal international moving coordinators to help you plan your move, pack up your belongings, ship them to your destination, and clear customs once everything arrives. You can request a free moving quote with just a phone call, and this preliminary quote is based on the size of your home, the origin of your move, and the country you plan to move to.
North American Van Lines is a relocation company that prides itself on getting each individual customer exactly what they need for each move at a price they can afford. Unlike most moving companies, North American offers a variety of pricing structures to help you accurately plan and save for your move. They are also a company of first, being the first mover to traverse the Alaska Highway, and the first U.S. moving company to develop their own driver simulation. Their digital app called MoovScout was created to streamline the international moving process.
North American Van Lines currently offers the following services on its moves:
- Full-service packing
- Fragile-only packing
- Boxes and moving supplies
- Appliance disconnection and reconnection
- Furniture disassembly and reassembly
- Custom crates
- Loading and unloading
- Crane vans for large items
- Storage
- Auto transport
- Basic liability coverage
- Full-valuation coverage
Take a look at the table of previous customer pricing below to get an idea of what previous customers paid for their services from North American Van Lines.
| <250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
| Two-bedroom home | $1,800 to $4,500 | $2,400 to $5,400 | $2,700 to $5,700 | $4,400 to $7,400 |
| Four-bedroom home | $3,300 to $6,000 | $5,700 to $8,700 | $7,500 to $10,500 | $10,900 to $13,000 |
What To Look for In International Movers
Moving to a new country is daunting enough, and choosing an international moving company is just the start. How can you make the process easier on yourself? Firstly, it depends on your destination country. Each country has its own rules and customs forms, and you can count on your moving company to help you fill these out completely and correctly. There are a few other things you should be mindful of when you’re selecting an international moving company, including the following.
Reputation and registration
An international moving company that knows what they’re doing will have customs forms available either on their website or once they begin the quoting process with you. These forms will be issued through the FIDI (Fédération Internationale des Déménageurs Internationaux), a Belgian-based global alliance of international movers. Your chosen moving company should be part of FIDI so that you know they’ve been thoroughly vetted and they’re qualified to provide international removals and shipping services. You should also check to see if your company has a high rating with the Better Business Bureau and how general online reviews speak of the company’s international processes.
Paperwork
When you are moving overseas, expect a mountain of paperwork. This includes visa applications for you and your family, FBI background checks, customs forms, medical checks, and depending on where you’re headed, a pile of other forms to fill out. When it comes to international household shipping, there is even more paperwork to fill out. Missing even a single form can jeopardize your entire moving process.
Your moving company should go through the process of filling out customs declaration forms and freight shipping forms with you, as well as insurance plans and of course your moving plan contract. Your mover should be knowledgeable about how to fill out all required forms for your move, and they should be able to handle much of the paperwork themselves. However, make sure they keep you informed about what’s going on so you don’t have any surprises when you try to enter your destination country. If a moving company can’t explain exactly what you’ll need to move to the country of your choice, move on to another option.
Customer reviews
See what others have said about international moves with the companies that you’re considering. Do they say that the company is great as a local mover but not very good as an overseas mover? Do they lose or damage items regularly? Are they amazing and competent when it comes to overseas moves? Don’t treat customer reviews as gospel, but don’t ignore them either. They can provide valuable insight on what companies to trust, especially if they’re written by third parties with no monetary interest in the companies.
What Costs Are Involved with International Movers?
International moving costs are inherently higher than local moves or long-distance moves within the same country. Air and sea shipping are both much more expensive than overland shipping, and there are more moving parts and staff involved in international relocation services rather than in-country relocations. What are some other costs associated with international movers? In addition to standard services, you’ll also need to budget for the following when moving abroad.
- Customs: Customs fees can sound reasonable or exorbitant, depending on your destination. Remember, moving to Singapore from the U.S. is going to be more expensive than moving to Canada.
- Insurance: All international moving companies based in the U.S. are required to provide a minimum of sixty cents per pound per article for insurance with their moves, but you may want to consider purchasing a more comprehensive insurance plan, especially if you’re someone who likes to be prepared for every situation. In this case, expect to pay around 2% of the total moving cost for full valuation insurance coverage when shipping your home overseas.
- Furniture: Shipping furniture overseas can cost thousands of dollars per piece. Unless you have a huge budget, your employer is paying for your move, or you are moving to a place you know you won’t be able to replace the furnishing easily, it may be best to sell or donate most or all of your furniture before your move so you don’t have to pay the exorbitant shipping costs.
Final Thoughts
International moving quotes can vary widely from one moving company to the next depending on where you’re moving and the resources the moving company has available on hand. In order to find the most affordable pricing possible on your upcoming international move, we recommend that you get a quote from each one of our recommended moving service providers above. Remember that an international move can cost tens of thousands of dollars – and you can’t be sure that you’ve got the best pricing on your move until you know what’s out there.
FAQs About International Movers
When should I schedule my international move with the moving company?
The advice for booking an international move is much different from that given for booking a long-distance or local domestic move. If you’re planning an international move, in order to have the best moving experience and to give your moving company plenty of time, it’s best to schedule your move at least eight months in advance. Customs forms and visas can take months and months to acquire, so you may even want to start scheduling your overseas move a year in advance. If you start any earlier than that, details get foggy and things can be harder to plan.
How much does it cost to move to another country?
This depends on where you’re going. An international move can be anywhere from a couple thousand dollars to $10,000 or more, including your plane tickets and transport to and from the airport. If you’re moving a two- or three-bedroom home, your household goods will likely take up a whole shipping container. If you’re only moving a one-bedroom home or apartment, you may be able to get away with only using half of a shipping container. You do need to be prepared for just the shipping to be a few thousand dollars.
How can I save money on my international move?
You can make sure your packing and unpacking steps are DIY, and then simply pay the international moving company for loading up the shipping container. You can also only sign up for packing services instead of packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking, as well as debris removal. Paring down the services you add to your plan can make the cost lower. You can also donate the belongings you won’t use overseas so that you can save on the cost of cubic feet your stuff occupies.
Today's Homeowner Rating Methodology
At Today's Homeowner, our primary goals are to be a reliable source of information and to be totally transparent to our readers. With that in mind, we’ve developed the following formula to render objective ratings – on a scale of 10 points – for the moving companies we review.
- Transparency (3.0): Communication and being fully straightforward regarding company policies and licensing are incredibly important. A given mover’s willingness to display these, to supply quick quotes, and to provide clearly-worded moving contracts all factor into the three points within this single rating criteria.
- Cost (2.5): A mover’s cost relative to industry averages, as well as accessibility to cost data play a role in the customer experience as much as anything else. We know that being sure of what you’re paying – and being confident that you’re not overpaying – will ultimately make for a positive move. We’ve weighted cost factors accordingly in our ratings.
- Customer Service (2.0): Establishing an easy line of contact with your movers during the booking process or during the move itself is a huge asset for any moving client. The stress of moving, in general, can be greatly eased by knowing you can talk to a licensed professional whenever you need to, which is why we’ve listed this as a key rating category. This is where customer reviews come into play; since the majority of complaints stem from poor customer service, feedback from BBB, Yelp, Google, and other review platforms factor into this criteria.
- Services Offered (1.5): This rates lower on our priority list than many would think, simply due to the fact that many movers provide a similar line of services. However, breadth of service offerings does still vary to a degree.
- Customization Options (1.0): Having the autonomy to fully customize your move should rate highly on any moving checklist. Here, we’ve taken moving package customization ability, as well as pricing for more involved add-ons. Steep pricing for such services can provide something of a soft barrier for clients looking to add to their move, and we’ve taken this into consideration.
