Moving from the UK to the USA
The United States is the second most searched-for long-haul destination for British movers, and the one with the widest spread of prices — because "the USA" is a continent. A container to New York is a different job from a container to Los Angeles, and the customs process depends on a visa you must already hold before anything can clear.
This guide covers what a UK to USA household move costs door to door, how the coasts differ, how long it takes, and the CBP paperwork that decides whether your goods clear duty-free.
How Much Does It Cost to Move from the UK to the USA?
International removals are priced on cubic metres, and on this route on which coast the container lands.
| Home size | Typical volume | Shared container (groupage) | Sole-use container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed | 10 – 20 m³ | £2,200 – £4,200 | — |
| 2-bed | 20 – 32 m³ | £3,500 – £6,000 | £4,800 – £8,000 (20ft) |
| 3-bed | 32 – 50 m³ | £5,500 – £8,500 | £6,500 – £10,500 (20ft / 40ft) |
| 4+ bed | 50 – 65 m³ | — | £8,000 – £13,500 (40ft) |
Indicative 2026 door-to-door figures from a UK mainland address to the East Coast (New York, New Jersey, Boston, the Carolinas, Florida), including export packing, sea freight, US customs clearance and delivery to room.
West Coast destinations (California, Washington, Oregon) typically cost £1,000–£2,500 more for a full container, because the ship either transits the Panama Canal or the container travels by rail from an East Coast port. Texas and the Gulf ports sit between the two. Inland destinations — Denver, Chicago, Atlanta — add rail or road haulage from the nearest port.
Get quotes for your move to the USA from removal companies that run this route.
What the Price Should Include
Confirm every quote is door to door and covers:
- Export packing in the UK by the mover's crew
- Sea freight, UK port charges and the shipping line's fuel and security surcharges
- US terminal handling and port fees, billed in dollars
- Customs clearance by a licensed US customs broker, including the Importer Security Filing (the "10+2") that must be lodged before the ship leaves the UK
- Delivery to room, with unpacking and debris removal if you want it
Budget separately for marine insurance (2.5–3.5% of declared value), any customs examination — US Customs can order an X-ray or full physical exam of a container, and the cost of the exam and the resulting storage is passed to you, typically $300–$1,500 — plus storage at either end and duty on anything that does not qualify as used household effects.
How Long Does Shipping to the USA Take?
| Destination | Sole-use container | Shared container |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast | 4 – 7 weeks door to door | 6 – 10 weeks |
| Gulf / Texas | 5 – 8 weeks | 7 – 11 weeks |
| West Coast | 7 – 10 weeks | 9 – 13 weeks |
| Inland (Chicago, Denver) | 6 – 9 weeks | 8 – 12 weeks |
The Atlantic crossing itself is only 8–14 days. The rest is port dwell, customs and the wait for a shared container to fill. Air freight for a few boxes of essentials arrives in one to two weeks and is priced by weight.
Customs: CBP Form 3299
Household goods enter the US under CBP Form 3299 — Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles. Used household effects and personal belongings you have owned and used abroad for at least one year are admitted free of duty, provided they are for your continued personal use and not for sale.
You will also need:
- A copy of your passport and the visa under which you are taking up residence — a tourist visa or ESTA does not entitle you to import household goods duty-free
- A detailed inventory in English, listing every carton and its contents
- A power of attorney allowing the customs broker to act for you
- Your US address and a US contact number
Customs clearance generally cannot begin until you are in the country on the qualifying visa, so plan for your shipment to land after you do. New items under a year old, and anything still in its retail packaging, are dutiable at the standard US rate for that product — keep receipts and declare them.
What You Cannot (or Should Not) Import
- Alcohol is regulated state by state. Some states prohibit personal imports entirely; others require a licence or charge state excise on top of federal duty. Most movers refuse to ship it. Check your destination state before packing a single bottle.
- Firearms and ammunition require ATF approval and are not something a household mover will handle.
- Plants, seeds, soil and most food are prohibited or need USDA permits.
- Ivory, tortoiseshell, certain furs and hardwoods fall under CITES and are seized.
- Medicines should travel with you, in original packaging, with a prescription.
Cars, Pets and Electrical Goods
Cars are the item most people regret shipping. A UK car must meet US EPA emissions and DOT safety standards, which in practice means most vehicles under 25 years old cannot be imported permanently without expensive conversion. Classic cars over 25 years are exempt from the standards but still pay duty. For an ordinary car, sell in the UK.
Pets need a microchip and a current rabies vaccination; dogs also need a CDC Dog Import Form and, for dogs arriving from the UK, proof of rabies vaccination in the US-approved format. There is no quarantine for UK pets meeting the rules.
Electrical goods work on 120V / 60Hz in the US against 230V / 50Hz in the UK. Anything with a motor or a heating element — kettles, hair dryers, washing machines, most kitchen appliances — will not work properly or at all. Laptops, phones and most TVs are dual voltage and only need a plug adapter. Sell the white goods.
Saving Money on This Route
- Ship to the East Coast if you have any choice in where the container lands — the difference to the West Coast is often more than £1,500.
- Share a container under 25 m³. The saving typically outweighs a few weeks' delay.
- Leave the white goods and the car. Neither works in the US and both cost hundreds of pounds per cubic metre to ship.
- Get three like-for-like quotes. Movers use different shipping lines and US agents, and prices on this route vary by 30–40% for identical inventories.
- Time the arrival for after your visa is active to avoid bonded-warehouse storage while the paperwork catches up.
Next Steps
Get quotes for your move to the USA from international movers who run this route, or read our international moving costs guide for how container pricing works in general.