Moving from United Kingdom to Canada
A classic move with deep roots and a long sailing. A permanent residence route or a work permit, a settler customs declaration, and a container across the Atlantic. Plan those together and the rest follows. Here is the honest brief.
The surprise on this corridor is the paperwork at the Canadian border rather than at the British end. Canada admits a settler's used household goods free of duty and tax, but only against a detailed list. You prepare two lists, one for the goods arriving with you and one headed goods to follow, and you present them on the official accounting document so the Canada Border Services Agency can match what arrives to what you declared. An accurate, valued list made before you ship is what keeps clearance smooth.
The move is a long ocean haul. Most households send a container to Halifax or Montreal for eastern destinations, or to Vancouver for the west, with onward road or rail to your city. The United Kingdom is no longer in the European Union, so this is a straightforward third country export. Line up your immigration route, the shipping, and the goods lists in parallel, because the immigration step is the long pole and the sailing sets your delivery date.
What it costs to move from United Kingdom to Canada.
What it really costs to ship a household from the United Kingdom to Canada in 2026, as indicative ranges by home size and method. Eastern Canadian ports are cheaper to reach than the west coast, which adds a longer sailing or an inland leg.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in US dollars, before full packing, premium insurance, and destination delivery beyond the port city. Air freight is far higher and suits essentials only. These are not binding figures.
Volume is the main lever, since a shared container charges only for the space you use, so a thorough declutter before the survey saves real money. Destination matters too, because Vancouver and inland cities such as Calgary or Toronto add sailing distance or an overland leg beyond the port of Halifax or Montreal. Season brings a summer premium from roughly June to September. And access at delivery counts, since a condo with a booking only service lift costs more to deliver into than a house with a driveway.
A realistic schedule, working back from the sailing.
Work back from the sailing. On this corridor your immigration route is the long pole, so confirm it first, then line up surveys and the goods lists.
Confirm your immigration route
Lodge or confirm your Express Entry profile, provincial nomination, work permit, or family sponsorship through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Processing varies, so this step starts first and gates the move.
Get binding surveys
Have movers run video or in home surveys for an accurate volume, and compare shared versus sole use container quotes on a like for like basis. Confirm your sailing and port, Halifax, Montreal, or Vancouver.
Build the goods lists
Prepare the itemised, valued list of goods arriving with you and the goods to follow list for the Canada Border Services Agency. Note serial numbers for high value electronics and jewellery. Sort pet import paperwork.
Pack and load
The packing crew comes one to two days before collection. Goods are inventoried, sealed, and trucked to the departure port for loading.
Clear customs and deliver
Present your goods lists to the Canada Border Services Agency as a settler, the container clears, then goods move by road or rail to your address. Apply for your Social Insurance Number and provincial health card.
Clearing your goods into Canada.
Canada lets people settling in the country import their used personal and household goods free of duty and tax as settler's effects, provided you owned and used the goods before you arrived. The relief is generous, but it depends entirely on the documentation you present at the border.
You prepare an itemised list in two parts. The first covers goods arriving with you, and the second, headed goods to follow, covers anything shipped separately such as a sea container that lands later. Both go on the Personal Effects Accounting Document, form BSF186, with the goods to follow list as BSF186A. Each line needs a description and a value, and high value items such as electronics, cameras, and jewellery should show makes, models, and serial numbers. The Canada Border Services Agency uses these lists to release your container without duty when it arrives, so a complete, honest list made before shipping is the single most important document on this move.
Some goods are controlled or restricted, including firearms, certain foods, plants, and items made from protected species, and alcohol and tobacco above personal allowances can attract duty and provincial charges. Pets enter under Canadian import rules with up to date rabies documentation. A vehicle can be imported but must meet Canadian safety and emissions standards through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles, which adds cost and admin, so check whether your model is admissible before shipping it.
How Britons actually move to Canada.
British citizens can visit Canada with an electronic travel authorisation, but living and working there needs the right immigration status arranged before you go. These are the routes most movers from the United Kingdom use.
The federal system that ranks skilled workers for permanent residence across the Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience, and trades streams. You build a profile and receive invitations based on your points score.
- Basis
- Skills and points
- Status
- Permanent residence
- Work
- Open
- Family
- Included
Provinces nominate workers who fit their labour needs, which can boost an Express Entry profile or run as a separate stream. Useful if your occupation is in demand in a particular province.
- Basis
- Provincial demand
- Status
- Path to residence
- Work
- Permitted
- Path
- To permanent
An employer specific permit, often supported by a labour market assessment, or an open permit in some cases. A common first step that can lead to permanent residence later.
- Basis
- Job offer
- Status
- Temporary
- Work
- Tied or open
- Path
- Can extend
A spouse, partner, or eligible relative who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident can sponsor you for permanent residence, subject to the relationship and support conditions.
- Basis
- Family in Canada
- Status
- Permanent residence
- Work
- Permitted
- Path
- To citizenship
How to choose a mover for this route, with no names attached.
This site never names, ranks, or recommends a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that separates a safe international mover from a risky one. Apply it to every quote you receive on the United Kingdom to Canada lane.
Get Moving Quotes for United Kingdom to Canada.
One short form reaches vetted international movers who run this exact route. No obligation, and no moving company is shown or ranked on this page. You receive quotes to compare on your own terms.
Plan the move with a clear head.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from the United Kingdom to Canada?
As indicative ranges for 2026, a 2 to 3 bedroom move runs roughly 4,500 to 8,000 US dollars by shared container and 8,000 to 11,500 US dollars for a sole use container to eastern Canada, before packing, insurance, and delivery beyond the port. Vancouver and inland cities cost more. Get a binding quote from a survey.
How long does shipping from the United Kingdom to Canada take?
To Halifax or Montreal, a shared container is usually five to nine weeks door to door including the sailing and customs clearance. Vancouver and inland destinations run longer, often seven to twelve weeks, because of the extra sailing or overland leg. Summer is the busy season, so book early.
Do I pay duty on my belongings moving to Canada?
Usually not. People settling in Canada can import used personal and household goods as settler's effects free of duty and tax, provided you owned and used them before arriving and declare them on the BSF186 forms. Alcohol, tobacco, and certain controlled goods are treated differently. Verify the current rules with the Canada Border Services Agency.
What are the goods to follow lists?
They are part of the settler's effects declaration. You give the Canada Border Services Agency an itemised, valued list of goods arriving with you and a separate goods to follow list for anything shipped later, such as a sea container. The container is released against that list when it lands, so prepare it carefully before you ship.
What visa do Britons need to move to Canada?
Living and working in Canada needs immigration status arranged before you go. Common routes are Express Entry for skilled workers, the Provincial Nominee Program, an employer led work permit, and family sponsorship. This is not immigration advice, so confirm current requirements with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Can I bring my car from the United Kingdom to Canada?
Sometimes, but a British car must meet Canadian safety and emissions standards through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles, and right hand drive rules vary by province. Many models are not admissible or need costly modification, so check admissibility before shipping and compare against buying locally.