Moving from New Zealand to United States
A long Pacific crossing where the shipping is the easy part and the visa is the real puzzle. Here is the honest brief on sea freight to the West Coast, the CBP Form 3299 that brings your goods in free of duty, and why New Zealanders face a narrower set of work routes than they expect.
Costs are indicative ranges for 2026.
The honest summary of this move.
Moving a household from New Zealand to the United States is a long Pacific sea move. Goods ship from a port such as Auckland or Tauranga to the United States West Coast, and for a 2 to 3 bedroom home a shared container runs roughly 5,500 to 10,000 US dollars in 2026, with door to door time of about six to ten weeks. The shipping is straightforward; the visa is where this corridor gets hard.
Your goods cross the Pacific by container ship, usually to a West Coast port such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, or Oakland, with onward trucking to your city. A shared container is the value option for a normal home or a partial move, a sole use twenty foot container suits a full household, and a forty foot container suits a large one. East Coast destinations add transit time as the ship routes through the Panama Canal or you rail the goods across the country.
Bringing your belongings in is well handled by a single form. Returning residents and new arrivals declare their used household goods on CBP Form 3299, the declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles, and items you have owned and used qualify for duty free entry. This part of the move rarely causes trouble.
The visa is the real puzzle. Unlike Australians, New Zealanders cannot use the E3 work visa, so the common routes are the H1B for sponsored professionals, the L1 for transfers within the same company, the E1 and E2 treaty trader and investor visas that New Zealand citizens can now use, family based green cards, and the O1 for those with extraordinary ability. Once you arrive you apply for a Social Security number, which you need for work, banking, and tax.
What this move really costs in 2026.
On a long Pacific lane the drivers are volume, the destination port and coast, and inland trucking to your city. The table shows indicative ranges in US dollars for the common home sizes and shipping modes.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in US dollars. A shared container is cheapest because you share the box and wait for it to fill, a sole use container is faster and private, and the destination coast, port handling, and inland trucking all add cost.
- + Best value for a normal home or partial move
- + You pay only for the volume you ship
- ~ Slower, as you wait for the container to fill
- + Private and faster than groupage
- + Right size for a full 2 to 3 bed home
- ! You pay for the whole box
- + Fastest for a small, urgent shipment
- ! Far more expensive per cubic metre
- ~ Best for essentials, not a full home
A realistic timeline for this move.
The visa drives this corridor, so secure your route before anything else, then book the slow sea freight early. The CBP Form 3299 is simple by comparison.
Lock in your visa route
Confirm which United States visa you qualify for, since New Zealanders cannot use the E3. The H1B, L1, E1 or E2, family, and O1 routes have very different timelines, so this is the first task.
Get three movers to survey
Have movers run video or in home surveys for an accurate volume and a binding or not to exceed quote. Compare a shared container against a sole use container for your dates.
Book the sailing
Confirm your shipment and sailing from Auckland or Tauranga, choosing the destination port that best fits your city.
Prepare CBP Form 3299
Complete the declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles with a full inventory, ready for your goods to clear United States customs.
Pack, load, and ship
The crew packs and loads, the container is delivered to the port, and the ship sails across the Pacific.
Clear customs and settle in
Goods clear United States customs on your CBP Form 3299, then deliver. Apply for a Social Security number, open a bank account, and sort state specific steps such as a driver licence.
Bringing your household goods into United States.
Bringing your used household goods into the United States is well handled by a single declaration. Items you have owned and used qualify for duty free entry, so customs is rarely the hard part of this move.
You declare your goods on CBP Form 3299, the declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles. To qualify for duty free entry the items must be used, owned and used by you, and not intended for resale. United States rules generally expect personal effects to have been owned and used for at least one year, and you should import them within a reasonable period of your arrival from the country where you used them.
Almost all normal household goods qualify, including furniture, clothing, books, electronics, and kitchenware. Some categories draw extra attention, including food, plants, and anything covered by agricultural rules, so declare them honestly. Build a clear room by room inventory, because it is both your customs list and the basis of any insurance claim.
If you bring a vehicle it must meet United States safety and emissions standards, which most New Zealand market cars do not, so importing a car is rarely practical. Pets travel under United States import rules, with dogs subject to current rabies vaccination requirements, so check the latest guidance well before you travel.
Verify before you move. United States import rules, the ownership periods, and agricultural and vehicle requirements change. Confirm the current position with United States Customs and Border Protection and your mover before you move, especially for vehicles and pets.The realistic routes for this corridor.
This is the hard part of the corridor. New Zealanders cannot use the E3 visa that Australians have, so the realistic routes are narrower. These are the ones that apply most often.
For sponsored professionals in roles needing a degree. It is subject to an annual cap and a lottery, so timing and employer sponsorship are critical for New Zealanders on this route.
If your employer moves you from a New Zealand office to a United States office in the same company, the L1 covers managers, executives, and specialised knowledge staff.
New Zealand citizens can now use the E1 treaty trader and E2 treaty investor visas, which suit business owners and substantial investors, and can include a spouse.
A family based green card applies if you have a close United States relative, and the O1 covers individuals with extraordinary ability in their field.
How to choose a mover for New Zealand to United States.
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 on your exact route in the past year. A mover that runs the lane regularly 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 New Zealand to United States.
One short form, shared with vetted international movers who run this exact lane from New Zealand into the United States by sea. No call centre roulette and no obligation.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from New Zealand to the United States?
For a 2 to 3 bedroom home, a shared container typically costs from about 5,500 to 10,000 US dollars in 2026. The destination coast, port handling, and inland trucking shape the figure. Base your budget on a binding pre move survey.
How long does it take to move from New Zealand to the United States?
Plan on roughly six to ten weeks door to door for a shared container to the West Coast. East Coast destinations add time through the Panama Canal or by rail across the country.
Do I pay duty moving from New Zealand to the United States?
Usually no. Used household goods you have owned and used qualify for duty free entry. You declare them on CBP Form 3299, the declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles.
Can New Zealanders use the E3 visa?
No. The E3 visa is reserved for Australian citizens. New Zealanders use other routes such as the H1B, the L1, the E1 or E2 treaty visas, a family based green card, or the O1 for extraordinary ability.
What is CBP Form 3299?
CBP Form 3299 is the United States declaration for free entry of unaccompanied articles. It lets returning residents and new arrivals bring used household goods in duty free. Your mover lodges it with a full inventory at clearance.
Do I need a Social Security number?
Yes, for work, banking, and tax. You apply for a Social Security number after you arrive, once you have your visa status and a United States address. It is one of the first things to sort on the ground.