How Long Does It Take to Ship Your Belongings From Abu Dhabi to the UK?

moving to the UK from Abu Dhabi

Are you moving from Abu Dhabi to the UK soon?

Are you being proactive and planning ahead to calculate the time it would require to ship your belongings to the new place?

Uprooting from one place and moving to settle in another is an exhausting task, and the process does not end upon your arrival. 

While you wait for your belongings and the household items to arrive, you will have to go through the hassle of living out of a suitcase.   

So it is only apt to gather relevant information about shipping your things and shortlisting the best movers from Abu Dhabi to the UK to help run things smoothly. 

It is going to make the transition easy, reduce the waiting period and help you plan accordingly.  

Selection of the Shipping Method

You can ship your belongings to the UK via air cargo or sea cargo. It depends on how urgently you require the goods to arrive at your new place. 

If you are not pressed for time, sea freight is recommended as it allows transporting larger containers and is relatively economical.

To decide which shipping method and medium suits you best, you need to keep some things under consideration such as:

  1. What is the timeline for your relocation?
  2. When is the latest you need to be in the UK?
  3. What are your housing plans? Renting or purchasing property?
  4. What is the number of fragile goods to be shipped?
  5. What will be the estimated size of your shipment?

Quotation For Transportation

Once the number of goods to be shipped is assessed by the movers and packers, they can then advise about the container sizes and the cost.

This will further help you decide how to budget your shipment, which items are worth taking, and which items can be left behind. 

There’s a smart way to go about shipping, use a combination of both air and sea freight. The items that are more precious and needed on an urgent basis can be shipped via air cargo, while the sturdier items can be shipped via sea cargo from Abu Dhabi to the UK. 

Timeline For The Arrival Of Items

Air Freights 

The arrival of air cargo is dependent on the number of flights going out of the UAE to the UK, the clearance time required at customs, and payments of tariffs and taxes. It usually takes 7-10 days for the air freight to arrive. 

Sea Freights

It takes somewhere between 6-8 weeks for the sea shipment to arrive from Abu Dhabi to the UK. If you opt for a shared container, it can add another 4 weeks to the arrival time.

Your international moving company in Abu Dhabi will be able to guide you better with options that suit your needs. You can read more on What’s the best way to ship your belongings when leaving the UAE?

Assessing Shipping Costs

Relocation to a different country requires a lot of things to be considered; being financially prudent always helps since there can be additional unexpected expenses that can disturb your budget. 

Prepare yourself to receive huge price differentials when gathering quotations. Keep in mind that if a moving firm is offering way less than its competition, then it’s very likely that it is going to cut corners. 

For instance, if the movers do improper packaging, you may have a hassle dealing with the customs. 

To estimate the shipping space and amount, a representative of the moving company must conduct a home survey.

Not everyone is qualified to make the judgment; only experienced movers would be in a position to offer a precise assessment just by looking at the things to be transported. 

Dealing With Customs Clearance

The point of choosing the right movers is to benefit from professionals who are experienced in dealing with custom officers and procedures, both in the UK and the UAE. 

They are better equipped to guide about proper mediums to ship specific items like antiques or fine art. Read more about Import and Export Clearance Procedure in Dubai.  

While checking through customs, the items undergo a strict scrutinizing process before they make it to clearance. This means that the customs officer may ask some packages to be opened to be inspected closely. 

The Final Take

When you hire professional movers from Abu Dhabi when moving to the UK, you expect to benefit from their integrity, rapport, and familiarity with the customs officers. ServiceMarket is equipped to ensure smooth and hassle-free clearance of your things moving from Abu Dhabi to the UK.

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