Moving from Ireland to United States
A transatlantic container move from Dublin to the American seaboard, where the shipping is routine and the visa is the real hurdle. Here is the honest brief on costs in euro, the customs rules at the US end, the immigration routes, and a timeline you can plan around.
An easy Atlantic shipment where the visa, not the container, decides whether you can go.
Most household moves from Ireland to the United States travel by sea. Your goods leave Dublin Port and cross the Atlantic to an east coast gateway such as New York and Newark, Baltimore, or Norfolk, with onward trucking to your final city. Plan for roughly two to four weeks port to port to the east coast, plus collection in Ireland and clearance and delivery in the United States. If you are headed to the west coast, transit runs longer and many shipments are railed across the country after they land.
Shipping across the Atlantic is well trodden and predictable. The hard part of this corridor is the visa, because the United States has no free movement and limited routes. Used household goods themselves are simple at the border: a person relocating can bring owned and used effects free of duty under subheading 9804.00.05 of the tariff, declared on CBP Form 3299, the Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles, with a packing list. The customs is the easy half. The immigration is the half to solve first.
Prices below are in euro and indicative for 2026. The United States runs on the dollar, so budget for currency on the far side, from a security deposit and first month of rent to the cost of replacing anything you choose not to ship.
What it costs in 2026, by home size and method.
Because Ireland and the United States sit across an ocean, the choice that drives your bill is a shared container versus a full container. The figures below are indicative ranges for 2026 in euro.
Indicative 2026 ranges in euro, port to port by sea to the US east coast. Volume, season, the west coast routing, and inland delivery distance move the figure. Clearance handling is extra.
- +Best value for a typical home, you pay for the space you use
- +Operators run the Dublin to US lane all year
- −Consolidation and sailing dates flex around other shipments
- +Your goods alone, sealed at your door in Ireland
- +Faster clearance, nothing waits on a co loader
- −Wasted money unless you fill most of the box
- +Right for documents, a few boxes, and what you need first
- +Beats sea by weeks
- −Many times the cost of sea for the same volume
Get moving quotes for Ireland to United States.
Tell us your home size and timing and we will put your Ireland to United States move in front of vetted international movers who run this exact lane.
A realistic schedule for this route.
A move from Ireland to the United States is paced by the visa first and the container second. Solve the immigration, then book the ship. Here is a realistic schedule.
Secure your visa
Confirm your route and have your visa or status in hand before you ship. Your goods clear in your name as a person relocating, so the immigration has to come first.
Book and survey
Arrange a video or in home survey so your volume is measured. Decide between a shared and a full container, and lock a sailing from Dublin Port.
Pack and load
Professional packing for an ocean voyage and a detailed inventory in English. That inventory becomes your CBP 3299 packing list, so it must match what is in the boxes.
Atlantic transit
Your container crosses to a US east coast port. Two to four weeks is realistic to the east, longer to the west coast where goods are often railed onward.
US clearance and delivery
Your agent files CBP Form 3299 with your packing list and passport so used effects enter free of duty. Once released, your goods are trucked to your American address.
Used household goods, CBP Form 3299, and what the US controls.
United States Customs and Border Protection treats your shipment as unaccompanied personal effects. A person relocating can bring household goods that were owned and used abroad free of duty under subheading 9804.00.05 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. You declare them on CBP Form 3299, the Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles, supported by a passport copy and a detailed itemised packing list that matches the form. Most effects must have been used abroad before they are imported.
Some categories draw extra attention. Alcohol is subject to duty and state rules, food and plant products are restricted and inspected, and items such as certain medicines, firearms, and protected wildlife products carry strict controls. New goods bought shortly before the move can attract duty, so keep used effects clearly described and separate from anything recently purchased.
Pets travel under the rules of the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Agriculture, which set vaccination and documentation requirements that vary by animal and origin. If you plan to ship a vehicle, check it against the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation first, because many European models need modification or do not qualify.
The routes in for this corridor.
The United States has no free movement and a limited set of routes, so your visa is the thing to settle before anything else. These are summaries, not immigration advice, and US immigration is famously case specific.
Sponsored work routes such as the H1B for specialty occupations and the L1 for intra company transfers are common for professionals. They depend on an employer petition and, for some, an annual cap or lottery.
Ireland is a treaty country, so the E2 investor and E1 trader visas can suit those starting or running a qualifying US business or trade. They require a real, active enterprise and substantial commitment.
A US citizen or permanent resident can petition for a spouse, child, parent, or sibling under the family preference system. Timelines vary widely by category and country.
Ireland is eligible for the annual Diversity Visa lottery, which offers a limited number of permanent residence places by random selection to applicants who meet the education or work requirement.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Check the trade affiliation. For a transatlantic move, FIDI accreditation through the FIDI Global Alliance and its FAIM standard is the strongest signal, alongside membership of IAM. It tells you the company is audited on the financial and operational standards that matter when your goods cross the Atlantic.
Insist on a binding pre move survey. A real video or in home survey of your volume is the only honest basis for a price. A quote given without one is a guess that tends to grow on moving day.
Compare like for like. Read what each quote includes: packing, materials, customs clearance, destination delivery, stair or long carry charges, and insurance. The cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest move.
Understand the insurance terms. Ask whether cover is full replacement value or depreciated, what the excess is, and how claims are handled. Read the valuation clause before you sign.
Read recent reviews for this corridor. Look specifically for reviews that mention US clearance, CBP 3299 handling, and inland delivery across states, not just a smooth pack in Ireland. The American end, including any onward trucking or rail, is where experience pays off.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Ireland to the United States?
For a two to three bedroom home expect roughly €4,500 to €8,500 in a shared container in 2026, and more for a full container. Volume, season, and whether you land east or west coast move the figure. Always get a surveyed quote.
How long does shipping take from Ireland to the United States?
Plan for two to four weeks port to port by sea from Dublin to a US east coast port, plus collection and clearance. The west coast runs longer. Air freight cuts it to one to two weeks at a much higher cost.
Do I pay duty on my furniture going into the United States?
Used household goods owned and used abroad can enter free of duty under tariff subheading 9804.00.05 when you file CBP Form 3299 with a matching packing list. New items can attract duty.
Can I bring my car from Ireland to the United States?
Sometimes, but it must meet Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation standards. Many European models need modification or do not qualify, so cost it before deciding to ship rather than sell.
Do I need a visa before I ship my belongings?
In practice yes. The United States has no free movement, so confirm your visa or status first. Your goods clear in your name as a person relocating, which assumes you have the right to move.
Which US port should I ship to?
Ship to the port nearest your destination. The east coast clears fastest from Ireland, while west coast moves run longer and often involve onward rail, so let your final city decide.
Last reviewed: 11 April 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.