Moving from United Kingdom to Vietnam
A practical guide to long haul sea freight, clearing Vietnamese customs against your residence status, and settling into life in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
Moving from the United Kingdom to Vietnam, the honest summary.
A move from the United Kingdom to Vietnam is a long haul container voyage from a British port, around Asia, to Hai Phong serving the north and Hanoi, or to Cat Lai in Ho Chi Minh City serving the south. For a typical two to three bedroom home in 2026, budget roughly £3,500 to £11,000 door to door, with container size and your delivery city the main variables.
The point that catches people out is that Vietnam ties the import of used household goods to your immigration status. You generally cannot clear personal effects without a valid work permit and a temporary residence card, and the import is often allowed once per assignment. That makes sequencing critical: your visa status needs to be sorted before, or in step with, your shipment arriving.
Plan on seven to eleven weeks door to door once the vessel sails. This is one of the longer lanes, so it rewards early booking, a careful inventory, and getting your residence paperwork in motion before the container leaves Britain.
What it costs in 2026, by home size and method.
These are indicative 2026 ranges in pounds for the United Kingdom to Vietnam lane, door to door. Container size, season, and whether you deliver to the north or south drive the figure.
A shared container suits small loads but consolidates slowly on this long lane. A full container is sealed at your door and clears as one unit, which simplifies the Vietnamese paperwork. Summer is peak and prices rise.
- +Lowest cost for studios and boxes
- +Pay for the space you use
- −Slow consolidation on a long lane
- −More handling and clearance steps
- +Sole use and sealed at origin
- +Right for a one to two bed home
- +Cleaner clearance against your permit
- −Some spare space for small loads
- +Fits a three to four bed household
- +Best value per cubic metre
- −Too big below a two bed volume
- +Arrives in days
- +Good for a first essentials box
- −Costly for full homes
- −Strict weight limits
Get moving quotes for United Kingdom to Vietnam.
Tell us your home size, your UK location, and your timing. We pass it to vetted movers who run the United Kingdom to Vietnam lane and understand the work permit linked clearance. You compare real quotes, with no obligation.
A realistic schedule for this route.
A realistic schedule from booking to delivery on the United Kingdom to Vietnam route. This is a long lane, so start early and keep your residence paperwork ahead of the shipment.
Quote and book
Get a binding pre move survey and book your sailing. Long haul space and summer slots fill early.
Status and documents
Confirm your work permit and temporary residence card are in progress, prepare a valued inventory, and gather the documents Vietnamese customs will want for clearance.
Pack and load
Packers wrap, inventory, and load the container at your home and seal it. You keep the signed inventory.
Ocean transit
The container sails the long route to Hai Phong or Cat Lai, typically four to seven weeks port to port depending on routing and transshipment.
Customs and delivery
A local agent clears your goods against your residence status. With the permit in order this proceeds, then the mover delivers and unpacks.
Bringing used household goods into Vietnam.
Vietnam permits foreigners on assignment to import used household goods, but the right to clear them is tied to your immigration status. In practice you need a valid work permit and a temporary residence card, and the personal effects import is generally allowed once for the duration of your stay. Without that status, your container can be held while paperwork is resolved.
Expect to provide your passport, work permit, temporary residence card, a detailed and valued packing list, and the bill of lading, usually through a local clearance agent. Customs scrutinise quantities and new items closely, since goods that look commercial attract duty and questions. A clear, itemised inventory of genuine used effects is the best way to keep clearance smooth.
Restricted and prohibited items are taken seriously: certain electronics, used items in large quantities, firearms, some printed and recorded media, plants, and specific foods can be controlled or barred. Vehicles face heavy taxes and are rarely worth importing. Pets enter under Vietnam veterinary rules with vaccination records and an import permit, so arrange the animal paperwork separately and early.
The routes in for this corridor.
Most people moving from the United Kingdom to Vietnam do so for work, and the routes below are the common ones. Each is summarised briefly. This is not immigration advice, so verify with official Vietnamese sources.
Foreign employees need a work permit sponsored by a Vietnamese employer, which then supports a temporary residence card allowing a longer stay. The permit also underpins your household goods import.
People investing in or owning a stake in a Vietnamese business can apply for an investor visa, with the category and length scaled to the size of the investment.
Spouses and children of work permit holders and of Vietnamese citizens can apply for dependant status linked to the main holder or to the family relationship.
A business visa suits shorter assignments and setup phases, though it is more limited than a full work permit and residence card for a long term move.
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.
Begin with FIDI or IAM membership and proven experience on the United Kingdom to Vietnam lane. An experienced operator understands the work permit linked clearance, whether Hai Phong or Cat Lai suits your address, and how to keep a long haul shipment on track.
Insist on a binding pre move survey by video and a quote that lists every component: export packing, ocean freight, destination port and agent fees, customs clearance, delivery, and unpacking. On long haul lanes the destination charges and clearance fees are where vague quotes hide cost.
Check marine insurance cover and the claims process, read reviews from customers who shipped to Vietnam specifically, and confirm which local agent handles clearance and delivery. Then use the form above to gather comparable quotes from movers who run this route.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from the United Kingdom to Vietnam?
As an indicative 2026 range, a one bedroom home costs roughly £2,000 to £7,000 and a two to three bedroom home roughly £3,500 to £11,000 door to door, depending on shared versus full container and whether you deliver to the north or south.
How long does shipping take from the United Kingdom to Vietnam?
Plan on seven to eleven weeks door to door for a full container once it sails, with ocean transit of four to seven weeks to Hai Phong or Cat Lai plus packing, customs, and delivery. Shared loads take longer while they consolidate.
Do I pay duty on my furniture moving to Vietnam?
Used household goods can be imported by foreigners on assignment, but clearance is tied to your work permit and temporary residence card and is generally allowed once for your stay. Get your status sorted before the container arrives to avoid holds and charges.
Which port will my shipment arrive at?
Shipments to northern Vietnam and Hanoi usually arrive at Hai Phong, while those for Ho Chi Minh City and the south arrive at Cat Lai. Your mover chooses based on your delivery address.
Do I need a work permit before I ship?
In practice yes. Vietnam ties the import of personal effects to a valid work permit and residence card, so your immigration status should be in progress before, or in step with, your shipment arriving.
Can I bring my car to Vietnam?
You can in principle, but Vietnam taxes vehicle imports heavily and the process is complex, so for most movers it is not worth it. Treat a vehicle as a separate specialist project.
Last reviewed: 30 May 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.