Moving from Australia to Canada
A long Pacific move where one customs habit saves you grief: present your BSF186 list at your very first point of entry, even a layover. Here is the honest brief on cost, shipping to Vancouver, and arriving settled.
Costs are indicative ranges for 2026.
The honest summary of this move.
Moving a household from Australia to Canada is a long ocean haul across the Pacific with a clear, paperwork led customs process. For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared sea container runs roughly 5,500 to 11,000 US dollars in 2026, arriving in about six to ten weeks door to door from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane to Vancouver, or onward to Halifax or Montreal for eastern Canada.
The detail that trips people up is the customs declaration. You list your goods on the Personal Effects Accounting Document, form BSF186, with the itemised list on form BSF186A, and you must present and have it stamped at your first point of entry to Canada, even if that is just a layover before your final city. This stamped form is what lets your sea shipment clear later, so keep it safe.
As a newcomer you arrive as a settler or, if you have lived in Canada before, a former resident. A settler can bring goods owned, possessed, and used before arrival free of duty, while a former resident must have owned and used the goods for at least six months. You agree not to sell or dispose of the relieved goods within twelve months of import, and certain higher value items need values on the list.
For daily life, your first job is a Social Insurance Number, the SIN, from Service Canada, which you need to work and to be paid. You then apply for your provincial health card, for example with the relevant provincial plan, noting some provinces have a waiting period before cover begins. Budget in Canadian dollars and line up private cover for any gap.
What it costs, by home size and method.
The numbers below are indicative ranges for Australia to Canada in 2026. This is a long Pacific lane, so volume and whether you land on the west or east coast move the number most.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in US dollars. The main drivers are volume in cubic metres, your Australian port, whether you deliver to the west coast at Vancouver or onward to eastern Canada, packing scope, and the season. Demand peaks over the southern summer around the new year.
- + Best value for a 2 to 3 bedroom home
- + You pay only for the space you use
- - Long transit and fixed sailings
- + Sealed, your goods only, fewer handoffs
- + Pays off for a 3 bedroom home or larger
- - Expensive for smaller loads
- + Fastest by far over the long Pacific route
- + Ideal for essentials during the long wait
- - Very expensive by volume
A sane timeline for this move.
With six to ten weeks at sea and a customs form to stamp on entry, the plan is about the visa, the BSF186 list, and the order of your first days in Canada.
Sort your status
Confirm your immigration route, often permanent residence through Express Entry or a provincial program, or a work permit, and have your documents ready before you book the move.
Get three surveys
Have movers run video or in home surveys for an accurate volume and a binding quote that names the Canadian port and city delivery. Confirm your sailing from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane.
Build the BSF186 list
Prepare your goods to follow list for the Personal Effects Accounting Document, form BSF186 and BSF186A, with values for higher worth items, ready to present on entry.
Pack and load
The packing crew comes one to two days before collection. Goods are inventoried, sealed, and trucked to your Australian port for the ocean voyage to Canada.
Stamp the form
At your first point of entry to Canada, present your BSF186 with the goods to follow list to a border officer, who stamps and returns it. Keep the stamped copy to clear your shipment.
Register and settle
Get your Social Insurance Number from Service Canada, apply for your provincial health card, open a bank account, and arrange your shipment delivery with the stamped form.
Bringing your household goods into Canada.
Canada admits the household goods of genuine newcomers, but the process turns on presenting your BSF186 list at your first point of entry.
As a settler moving to Canada, goods you owned, possessed, and used before arrival can generally be imported free of duty for your household and personal use. If you are a former resident returning to resume residence, the goods must have been owned, possessed, and used abroad for at least six months before your return. The Canada Border Services Agency manages this through the Personal Effects Accounting Document, form BSF186, with the itemised list on form BSF186A.
The pivotal step is timing. You present the form at your very first point of entry to Canada, even if that is a connecting airport before your final destination, and the officer stamps and returns it. Your destination agent then uses the stamped form to release your sea shipment. Prepare a goods to follow list so items arriving later are covered, and put values against higher worth pieces.
You agree not to sell or otherwise dispose of the relieved goods within twelve months of importing them. Restricted and prohibited categories include firearms and weapons, certain foods, plants, and wood products, and protected species items. Pets from Australia must meet Canadian import rules. A vehicle can be imported but must meet Canadian admissibility and provincial registration standards, which often makes selling before you leave the simpler choice.
Verify before you move. The settler and former resident conditions, the BSF186 process, the twelve month no disposal rule, and vehicle admissibility change. Confirm the current position with the Canada Border Services Agency and your destination agent before your goods ship.The realistic routes for this corridor.
Australians need the right immigration status to settle in Canada, arranged before the move. These are the routes movers on this lane use most.
The points based system for skilled workers, drawing on age, education, work experience, and language. A common path to permanent residence for Australians moving to Canada.
Provinces nominate workers who fit local labour needs, often pairing with Express Entry for a faster route to permanent residence in a chosen province.
For Australians with a Canadian job offer, sometimes supported by a labour market assessment. A practical way to start work while pursuing residence.
The International Experience Canada route lets eligible younger Australians work in Canada for a set period, a popular first step.
How to choose a mover for Australia to Canada.
We never name, rank, or recommend a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that matters on this exact lane. Apply it to any quote, then request comparable quotes through the form below.
FIDI or IAM affiliation
Membership of the FIDI Global Alliance or the International Association of Movers signals audited financial stability and a complaints process you can lean on if something goes wrong.
Real corridor experience
Ask how many households the company has shipped from Australia to Canada in the past year. A mover that runs the lane often knows the ports, the customs broker, and the paperwork by heart.
A binding pre move survey
Insist on a video or in home survey and a binding or not to exceed quote. A price built from a real volume estimate is the only quote you can compare like for like.
Clear insurance terms
Read how transit cover is calculated, what the deductible is, and whether valuation is by replacement value. Vague cover is the most common regret on an international move.
Verifiable reviews
Look for recent, specific reviews that name the destination, not just star ratings. Patterns in how a company handles claims tell you more than any single glowing note.
Written scope and timeline
Everything that matters belongs in writing: packing, customs clearance, delivery, unpacking, and debris removal, with who pays destination charges spelled out.
Get moving quotes for Australia to Canada.
One short form, shared with vetted international movers who run this exact Pacific lane from the Australian ports to Canada. No call centre roulette and no obligation.
One useful email a month for people moving countries.
Real cost movements, customs rule changes, and corridor notes. No spam, and you can leave whenever you like.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Australia to Canada?
For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared container typically costs from about 5,500 to 11,000 US dollars in 2026. It is a long Pacific lane, so volume and whether you land in the west or east drive the price. Base your budget on a binding pre move survey.
How long does shipping take from Australia to Canada?
Plan on roughly six to ten weeks door to door for a shared container from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane to Vancouver, longer if you deliver onward to eastern Canada. Air freight lands in one to two weeks at a much higher cost.
Do I pay duty on my furniture moving to Canada?
As a settler, goods you owned and used before arrival generally enter free of duty, listed on the BSF186 and BSF186A forms. Former residents must have owned and used the goods for at least six months. You cannot sell relieved goods within twelve months. Confirm current rules before shipping.
What is the BSF186 form and when do I use it?
It is the Personal Effects Accounting Document. You present it, with the itemised BSF186A list, at your first point of entry to Canada, even a layover, and the officer stamps and returns it. The stamped form is needed to clear your sea shipment.
What is the SIN and how do I get health cover?
The Social Insurance Number from Service Canada is needed to work and be paid. Health cover comes from your provincial plan, and some provinces have a waiting period, so arrange private cover for any gap.
Should I ship my car from Australia?
Often not. A vehicle must meet Canadian admissibility and provincial registration standards, and Australia drives on the left while Canada drives on the right. The long shipping cost is significant, so many movers sell before leaving.