Shipping Boxes: Ship Your Belongings to Ireland

Looking to move to Ireland? You’ll need to make sure you’re able to ship all of your belongings to Ireland safely and securely so you can make your move as smooth as possible! In our shipping belongings guide, we’ll walk you through how to correctly ship your belongings, where to get shipping boxes, and what taxes you’ll need to pay when moving to Ireland!

How Do I Start Shipping My Belongings?

Moving country can be one of the most stressful experiences you can possibly have. While moving home within the same country is hard enough, making sure you have everything packed and ready to be shipped out to different nations altogether is a lot tougher. Fortunately, when moving to Ireland, there’s a lot of resources and companies that will help you out!

Moving from overseas, whether from the European Union or outside, can be a costly business and you’ll want to make sure you have everything organised before you even begin. We’ve created a moving house checklist to help with all your packing and sorting of your belongings!

Where Can I Get Shipping Boxes in Ireland?

Shipping boxes for moving countries is more or less same as packing up everything in standard moving boxes. The difference with shipping boxes is that you’ll usually need to get a shipping container that you can use to put all your shipping boxes into. Shipping companies, like removal companies, will usually provide a quote for these containers, but inside you can stack all your shipping boxes so you have it all organised and ready for unloading!

Check Out Our Moving Boxes Guide!

How Much Does Shipping My Belongings Cost?

How much you’ll pay for your shipping will vary since you’ll usually get a bespoke quote based on your circumstances. You’ll often pay for the size of the container and the amount of time it takes to ship all your belongings to Ireland.

What Factors Affect Shipping Costs?

There are lots of factors that can affect the price of your overall shipping quote. Since all the quotes you’ll receive will be based on your individual circumstances, it’s impossible to predict how much you’ll end up paying with any given shipping company. However, there are some definite factors that will affect your shipping costs:

• Container Size
  You’ll usually be offered two types of container size. The first type is a ‘Less than Full Container’ load (LCL) which is where you’ll share the container space with other people’s moving items. The LCL option is great for keeping costs down if you’ve only got a few things to ship. The other option is for a ‘Full Container’ load’ (FCL) where you will have a container just for your belongings and it can be more expensive.


• Type of Transport
  The type of transport you use to ship your belongings will also affect your overall costs. For example, if you want to ship your belongings via air, it would be a lot quicker but much more expensive than shipping them by ship.


• Distance
  The distance that you’ll need to transport your belongings will affect the final cost of your move since the further you’ll need to go, the more you’ll end up paying. If you’re moving from further away, you’ll need to make sure you’ve budgeted for paying more.

What is a bespoke quote? A bespoke quote is one that has been catered to your exact needs. In some industries, it’s very difficult to get an overall idea of how much you’ll be paying without the full details of what you require. For shipping your belongings, you’ll need to have a bespoke quote so you can compare better.

What Taxes Are There To Ship My Belongings?

When moving your belongings into Ireland, you need to be aware that you might have to pay taxes and duty on importing some of your household items into the country. These are shipping costs you’ll also need to factor in when it comes to moving to Ireland from abroad.

Do I Need To Pay Custom Duty?

You’ll usually need to pay custom duty on some of the items that you import. The amount that you pay will depend on the amount that you’re bringing in and what they’re valued at. There are two main rates that you might pay due to the value of what you’re importing:

1. Standard Rate
   You can benefit from the standard rate for custom duty that applies to any items that you’re importing that are worth less than €700. This standard rate is 2.5% that is applied.
2. Goods Over €700
   For goods over €700, your customs duty will incur a different percentage depending on the item. The European Union usually sets these standards and they can vary from item to item. You should research exactly how much your belongings are worth and what to expect when it comes to customs.

Do I Need To Pay VAT?

You will also need to pay Value Added Tax (VAT) on your goods too. Like paying for duty, the amount of VAT you pay on your goods will vary depending on the goods you want to import. Sometimes, you’ll be paying a reduced rate most properly you’ll have to pay the standard rate of 23%.

If you’re importing items from another EU country, you won’t have to pay any VAT on them. You can also get relief on household items, vehicles, and wedding presents.

What About Shipping My Car and Pets?

Shipping your car and pets will be the most stressful part of the shipping process. You need to make sure that you have all the paperwork in order plus all the standard requirements in place before you begin. Both vehicles and pets are sensitive to ships since the former is quite expensive and regulated and the other is living creatures that might get stressed during the move.

How Do I Ship My Car to Ireland?

If you want to import your vehicle into Ireland, you need to make sure that you get it registered on the National Car Testing Service (NCTS) and you’ll also need to pay the Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT). The amount of VRT you do pay will depend on the car model and will be based on its estimated retail price.

How Do I Ship My Pets?

Importing pets into Ireland can be a tricky business. It can be quite stressful for you but also distressing to them since they won’t also know what’s going on. However, you will need to follow some important steps in order to make sure your pet is safely able to enter Ireland.

The steps that you follow will depend on the type of pet you have to bring into Ireland, however the process is similar for each animal:

1. Microchipping
   You’ll need to make sure your pet is microchipped with a readable chip. You should go to your vet if you’re unsure about what type of chip your pet has.
2. Vaccination
   Your pet must be vaccinated for the rabies virus and this needs to come after you’ve microchipped your pet. The vaccination needs to have occurred at least 21 days before you travel with your pet.
3. Pet Passport
   If you’re an EU resident, your pet needs to have a stamped EU pet passport that shows the details of their vaccinations. If your pet doesn’t have a pet passport, then you’ll need to get them a EU Health Certificate which is valid for 4 months.
4. Tapeworm Treatment
   If you’re bringing your dog, you need to make sure they have taken worm medicine at least a week before you arrive in Ireland. You’ll need to have recorded the treatment in your pet’s passport.

After you’ve moved… Remember, after you’ve successfully settled into your new Irish home, you’ll need to make sure all your utilities, broadband, and other services are all set up at your new address. We’ve designed a change of address checklist to help get you set up on everything you need as quickly as possible!

Download Our Change of Address Checklist!

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