Moving from Italy to Australia
A long ocean haul on one of the oldest migration routes there is, where the freight is the easy part and Australian biosecurity is the bit that catches people out. Here is the honest brief on cost, sea transit from Genoa, the duty and inspection rules, and getting your Tax File Number.
Costs are indicative ranges for 2026.
The honest summary of this move.
Moving a household from Italy to Australia is a long haul ocean move along a corridor that generations of Italians have travelled, so it is paced by the sea leg and by clearance at the Australian end, not by paperwork in Italy. For a 2 to 3 bedroom home a shared container runs roughly 6,000 to 14,000 US dollars in 2026, with delivery in about six to ten weeks door to door from your Italian city to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, or wherever you settle.
Almost everything ships by sea from the main Italian container ports of Genoa, La Spezia, and Naples to Australian ports such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Fremantle. Price is driven by your volume in cubic metres, whether you share a container or take a sole use twenty or forty foot box, the delivery distance from the port to your Australian town, the season, and any biosecurity treatment your shipment needs. Air freight exists for a small urgent shipment but costs several times more by volume.
Duty is rarely the issue. Used personal and household effects that you have owned and used for at least twelve months are generally admitted free of duty and goods and services tax under the unaccompanied personal effects concession, declared on form B534. The thing to plan around instead is biosecurity. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry inspects every household shipment for soil, seeds, food, plant material, and untreated timber, and Italian homes often carry exactly the wooden and outdoor items that get flagged.
On arrival the early admin is light but important. You apply for a Tax File Number from the Australian Taxation Office so you are not taxed at the top rate, open an Australian bank account, and enrol with Medicare if your visa makes you eligible. Italy uses the euro and Australia the Australian dollar, so budget for the currency change alongside the move, and remember the time difference puts you most of a day ahead of family back in Italy.
What it costs, by home size and method.
The numbers below are indicative ranges for Italy to Australia in 2026. It is a long ocean corridor, so volume, whether you share a container, the delivery distance inside Australia, and biosecurity treatment drive the price.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in US dollars. The main drivers are volume in cubic metres, shared versus sole use container, the delivery distance from the Australian port to your town, packing scope, the season, and any DAFF cleaning or treatment fees. A move booked for the Australian summer of December to February tends to cost more, since demand peaks then.
- + Best value for a 2 to 3 bedroom home
- + You pay only for the space you use
- - Consolidation adds time at both ends
- + Your goods only, sealed at your door
- + Faster and tidier for a full house
- - More than you need for a small load
- + Fastest by far for essentials
- + Good for a small urgent shipment
- - Far dearer than sea by volume
A sane timeline for this move.
With a long sea leg and a strict biosecurity check at the Australian end, the plan is mostly about booking early, cleaning your goods properly in Italy, and lining up your arrival admin.
Get surveys and book early
Have movers run video or in home surveys for an accurate volume and a binding quote that names your Italian collection address and your Australian delivery town. Confirm whether you share a container or take a sole use box.
Clean for biosecurity
Deep clean outdoor furniture, garden tools, bicycles, camping gear, and footwear to remove all soil and seeds, and flag wooden items, since DAFF inspects for these on arrival.
Pack, load, and sail
The crew packs and inventories your goods and loads the container at Genoa, La Spezia, or Naples for the ocean leg to Australia.
Ocean transit
Your container sails the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean to Australia, often via a transhipment hub. A shared load waits for consolidation, which is why groupage takes a little longer.
Clear customs and biosecurity
Your agent lodges form B534 with the Australian Border Force and the biosecurity declaration with DAFF. Anything flagged is cleaned or treated at your cost before release.
Settle in
Take delivery, then apply for a Tax File Number, open an Australian bank account, enrol with Medicare if eligible, and sort a local phone and transport.
Bringing your household goods into Australia.
Australia is generous on duty and strict on biosecurity, and the second part catches more people out than the first. Plan the cleaning, not the customs form, as the hard part of this corridor.
Used personal and household effects that you have owned and used for at least twelve months are generally admitted free of duty and goods and services tax under the unaccompanied personal effects concession. You declare them on the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement, form B534, which your mover or a customs broker usually lodges with the Australian Border Force. Newer items, and anything clearly for sale, can attract duty and tax, so keep the shipment to genuinely used belongings.
Biosecurity is the screen that holds shipments. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, DAFF, inspects for soil, seeds, food, plant and animal material, and untreated or bark covered wood. Italian households often ship olive or other wooden items, garden tools, outdoor furniture, and well used shoes, all of which are flagged for soil and pests. Anything that fails is cleaned, fumigated, or in some cases destroyed, all at your expense, so the cleaning you do before packing genuinely decides whether your container clears smoothly.
A motor vehicle is a project of its own. You need a vehicle import approval granted before the car ships, and Australia tests imported goods for asbestos, which appeared in parts and gaskets of many older cars. Most movers find importing a vehicle slower and dearer than selling in Italy and buying once they land. Pets travel under Australia's strict import conditions with quarantine, so begin that process early and separately from your household goods.
Verify before you move. Australian customs and biosecurity rules for used household goods change and turn on the exact conditions of your move. Treat the categories here as a planning guide, not customs advice, and confirm the current position with the Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry before you ship.The realistic routes for this corridor.
Australia runs a points based, occupation driven system. Most permanent movers from Italy arrive on a skilled or employer sponsored visa, while family and working holiday routes cover much of the rest.
For people whose occupation sits on a skilled list. Points are scored on age, English, qualifications, and experience. The 189 is independent, while the 190 and 491 need nomination by a state or territory.
An Australian employer sponsors you for a skilled role. The 482 is temporary and can lead to the permanent 186, and it is the most direct path when you already hold a job offer.
For partners and spouses of Australian citizens or permanent residents. A two stage process from temporary to permanent, with a genuine relationship test along the way.
For eligible Italian nationals in the qualifying age range. A year of work and travel that some people use as a first step toward a longer stay.
How to choose a mover for Italy to Australia.
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 on a long haul shipment.
Real corridor experience
Ask how many households the company has shipped from Italy to Australia in the past year. A mover that runs the lane knows Genoa and Naples, the Australian agents, and the DAFF biosecurity expectations.
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 across this long route.
Clear insurance terms
Read how transit cover is calculated over a multi week ocean voyage, what the deductible is, and whether valuation is by replacement value. Vague cover is the most common regret on a long sea move.
Verifiable reviews
Look for recent, specific reviews that name Australia and the biosecurity experience, not just star ratings. How a company handles a held container tells you more than any glowing note.
Written scope and timeline
Everything that matters belongs in writing: packing, the sea leg, customs and biosecurity clearance, destination delivery, unpacking, and who pays any cleaning or treatment fees.
Get moving quotes for Italy to Australia.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Italy to Australia?
For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared container typically costs from about 6,000 to 14,000 US dollars in 2026. Your volume, whether you share a container or take a sole use box, the delivery distance inside Australia, and any biosecurity treatment fees drive the number. Base your budget on a binding pre move survey.
How long does shipping take from Italy to Australia?
Plan on roughly six to ten weeks door to door by sea from Genoa or Naples to an Australian port, including the ocean leg, then customs and biosecurity clearance once it lands. A shared container adds consolidation time at both ends. Air freight is days rather than weeks but costs several times more by volume.
Do I pay duty on my household goods moving to Australia?
Used personal and household effects you have owned and used for at least twelve months are generally admitted free of duty and GST under the unaccompanied personal effects concession, declared on form B534. Newer items can attract duty and tax. Confirm the current position with the Australian Border Force before you ship.
What is the hardest part of importing to Australia?
Biosecurity, not duty. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry inspects for soil, seeds, food, and untreated timber, and will hold or treat anything that fails. Italian olive wood items, garden tools, outdoor furniture, and footwear are common triggers, so clean everything thoroughly before packing to avoid delays and treatment fees.
What is a Tax File Number and do I need one?
The Tax File Number, or TFN, is your tax number from the Australian Taxation Office. Without one your pay is taxed at the top rate, so it is one of the first things to apply for after you arrive, alongside opening a bank account and enrolling with Medicare if your visa makes you eligible.