A complete relocation hub for anyone moving to United States — whether you are relocating for work, joining family, retiring or moving a household internationally for the first time. Costs, shipping, visas, customs, housing, schools, pets and vehicles in one place.
The US admits used household goods duty-free when you have owned and used them for at least a year, declared on CBP Form 3299. There is no federal import VAT — but agriculture screening of food, plants and soil is among the strictest anywhere.
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Quick facts
Indicative planning benchmarks for an international household move — not a quotation.
Typical moving cost
from $2,700
Door-to-door benchmark, 20ft container entry point
Typical transit time
3–5 weeks
Ocean freight 12–24 days to New York/New Jersey, Savannah or Los Angeles/Long Beach
Cost of living
$$$
New York is the highest-cost hub
Key visa routes
Employment-based visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1) · Family & spouse sponsorship
Student visas (F-1 / J-1) · Diversity Visa (Green Card) programme · Investor visas (EB-5)
Customs difficulty
Complex
United States applies strict eligibility tests and restricted-goods rules; plan filings well before sailing.
Major arrival cities
New York · Los Angeles · Miami
New York JFK (JFK) · Los Angeles (LAX) · Miami (MIA) · San Francisco (SFO)
Plan
Overview
How households actually arrive in United States: where they move from, how their goods travel, and what customs and tax treatment to expect.
Customs treatment depends on your origin as much as on United States — see the origin selector below.
| Household | Volume | Usual shipping option |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / partial load | 3–5 CBM | LCL groupage or luggage express |
| 1-bedroom apartment | 8–12 CBM | LCL consolidated groupage |
| 2-bedroom home | 18–22 CBM | 20ft sole-use container |
| 3-bedroom home | 28–32 CBM | 20ft high-cube or 40ft container |
| 4+ bedroom home | 45–60 CBM | 40ft high-cube container |
United States applies strict eligibility tests and restricted-goods rules; plan filings well before sailing. Required registration: Social Security Number (SSN) + CBP Form 3299.
United States does not levy a national import VAT on household goods. Duty-free entry of personal effects (CBP Form 3299) covers the admission of used household effects, declared to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). New purchases, goods owned for less than the qualifying period, alcohol and vehicles are assessed separately, and any state or local taxes are confirmed by your customs broker.
A move within the United States is a domestic relocation: no customs entry, no CBP Form 3299 — Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles filing and no import formalities apply. Interstate moves are priced by distance and volume rather than freight mode — request quotes for an exact figure.
| Shipping option | Typical volume | Indicative cost | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean LCL (shared container)Partial household moves and apartment shipments | Under 14 CBM | $35 – $90 / CBM ($1,500 minimum) | 3 – 8 weeks |
| Ocean FCL — 20ft container1–3 bedroom full household moves | 14 – 33 CBM | $2,500 – $13,000 per container | 3 – 8 weeks (EU) / 6 – 10 weeks (Oceania) |
| Ocean FCL — 40ft container3–5 bedroom moves plus vehicle transport | 33 – 67 CBM | $4,000 – $19,000 per container | 3 – 8 weeks (EU) / 6 – 10 weeks (Oceania) |
| Air freight (expedited)High-value gear and time-critical relocations | Any — charged by weight | $2.50 – $8.50 / kg | 3 – 7 days |
| Cross-border FTL / LTL (ground)Direct surface moves to Mexico and Canada | Full or partial trailer | $1,200 – $5,500 per trailer | 1 – 5 days |
Price
Households typically budget from $2,700 door-to-door for a container move, with the final figure set by volume, service level and season. Use the estimator for a route-specific range.
Volume in cubic metres is the single largest driver — decluttering before survey is the cheapest saving available.
Port-to-port, partial pack and full door-to-door packing differ by thousands on the same load.
Narrow streets, stairs and permit parking in New York can require a shuttle vehicle and extra crew.
May to September sailings and vans book out first and price highest; shoulder months are materially cheaper.
Terminal handling, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection, quarantine and storage are billed to you and are usually excluded from headline freight rates.
We're building detailed benchmarks for the world's most-used relocation corridors, so you get your move size, recommended shipping method and a realistic door-to-door cost before you request quotes. If your route isn't benchmarked yet, we'll help you with a manual estimate.
Estimated moving cost range
A realistic low-to-high bracket for your route
Recommended shipping method
Shared container, full container or air freight
Typical transit time
How long your belongings are likely to travel
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This is an estimated relocation cost for planning purposes, not a binding quote. Final pricing is confirmed by a vetted international moving partner after a survey.
Plan
High-level educational overview of the residence routes most relocating households use. This is not legal or immigration advice.
Most commonly used by: Professionals, Families, Students, Entrepreneurs, Retirees.
Educational information, not legal advice. Immigration rules, thresholds and processing times change frequently and depend on your nationality and circumstances. Confirm current requirements with the United States immigration authority or a qualified adviser before you commit to a moving date.
Execute
Most households arriving in United States book temporary accommodation for four to eight weeks: long leases usually need a local bank account, proof of income and often a registered address, all of which take time to arrange. Serviced apartments bridge the gap between landing and the container clearing customs.
Find furnished temporary housing through our AltoVita partnership.
MyExpatGo helps connect you with temporary housing options. Availability is subject to AltoVita and provider inventory — MyExpatGo does not guarantee or book accommodation.
| City | Profile | Cost index |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Largest international arrival hub; building move-in rules and certificates of insurance are standard | $$$$ |
| Los Angeles | Sprawling, car-dependent metro with the busiest container port complex in the country | $$$$ |
| Miami | Gateway to Latin America, strong Spanish-language services, seasonal demand peaks | $$$ |
| San Francisco | Tech salaries, compact housing stock, steep-street deliveries need planning | $$$$ |
| Boston | Universities and biotech corridor, older buildings with narrow access | $$$ |
| Chicago | Central logistics hub, larger housing stock, plan around winter moves | $$ |
| Washington, DC | Government, NGO and diplomatic community with a transient rental market | $$$ |
| Austin | Fast-growing tech and creative city, strong value on space | $$ |
Plan
Schooling in United States is delivered in English, so most relocating families use the local state or independent system. Places are commonly tied to your residential address, so confirm catchment before signing a lease.
Working language: English. Apply to schools before you ship — admission dates rarely align with container transit.
Plan
Pet import rules for United States are set by the national veterinary authority and typically involve microchipping, rabies vaccination and an official health certificate issued close to travel.
Execute
Imported vehicles must meet EPA emissions and DOT safety standards; cars 25 years or older are exempt from both. Conforming a modern foreign-spec car is expensive, so most movers sell before shipping and buy stateside.
Calculate landed vehicle taxesExecute
Traffic drives on the right in United States.
Public transport is strong in a handful of cities — New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington, DC and San Francisco have extensive rail networks — but most US metro areas are built around the car. Choose your city and neighbourhood with commuting in mind. Main international gateways: New York JFK, Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), San Francisco (SFO).
Whether you can drive on your existing licence, for how long, and whether it can be exchanged rather than re-tested depends on the country that issued it and on your residence status in United States. Check the national licensing authority before your current entitlement runs out.
Execute
The Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles is filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the first port of arrival, supported by your itemised inventory. Your forwarder or broker normally files it under a power of attorney you sign at origin.
Personal effects and household goods you have owned and used abroad for at least 12 months generally enter duty-free. Newer purchases are assessed duty by classification, so keep receipts for anything recent.
Food, plants, seeds and soil are controlled by USDA and CBP agriculture inspection; alcohol is subject to state rules that vary widely; firearms need ATF permits arranged before shipping. Clean outdoor equipment and bikes before they are packed.
Customs treatment depends on the goods, your origin and your circumstances — including your visa category. Shipments that arrive long after you do can attract extra questions, so coordinate timing with your mover.
Prove continuous residence outside the destination country for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before the move.
Every shipped item must have been owned and personally used for at least 6 consecutive months before departure. Newly purchased goods are valued and taxed normally.
Goods must arrive within 12 months of the formal residency transfer, and cannot be sold, rented, pledged or transferred for 12 months after import.
Execute
The first-30-days sequence specific to United States, in the order most households need it.
Complete local registration
Register your address as required in United States — Social Security Number (SSN) + CBP Form 3299.
Confirm customs clearance status
Your mover or broker lodges the import declaration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); keep the cleared declaration.
Open a local bank account
Needed for a long-term lease, utilities and salary payments.
Register for healthcare
Enrol in United States's health system or activate private cover from day one.
Arrange utilities and connectivity
Electricity, water, internet and a local mobile number for delivery coordination.
Sort driving entitlement
Scale of the job market, English-language environment, leading universities and large established diaspora communities.
Book school places
International and bilingual schools in the main cities admit on waiting lists.
Schedule delivery and unpack
Confirm access, parking and lift booking before the container is released.
Customs step
Your moving company or licensed broker lodges the import declaration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Customs step
Ports of entry commonly used: New York / New Jersey, Savannah, Houston, Los Angeles / Long Beach, Seattle–Tacoma.
Plan
The United States has no universal public health system. Most residents are covered through private health insurance, often arranged by an employer, with public programmes limited to specific groups such as seniors (Medicare) and low-income households (Medicaid). New arrivals should arrange appropriate health coverage from day one — medical treatment without insurance is expensive — and check any employer plan for waiting periods. Many households keep international or travel medical cover in place for the gap between departure and enrolment. This is general information, not medical or insurance advice — confirm cover for your own circumstances before you move.
Moving to United States? Before you leave, review how you'll handle healthcare and international coverage in your new country — and make sure you understand what is and isn't covered for your situation. SafetyWing offers two Nomad Insurance options to explore; check current pricing, eligibility and full policy details directly with SafetyWing.
Coverage, eligibility, pricing and exclusions vary. Review the current policy details before purchasing.
Partner recommendation · MYEXPATGO may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Compare
Accredited international moving companies in our network with proven capability on this destination. MyExpatGo is an independent platform — we are not a moving company.
🇺🇸 Miami Gardens, FL, United States · since 2004
Family-run, FAIM-certified US mover with East Coast hubs in Miami, Atlanta and Maryland.
🇭🇰 Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR · since 1968
Asia's leading relocation group with 14 country offices across the region's primary commercial centres.
🇦🇪 Dubai, United Arab Emirates · since 2011
UAE-based international removals specialist serving the GCC and worldwide destinations.
🇮🇳 Chennai, India · since 2010
India-based global relocation specialist offering fine art and pet relocation services.
🇮🇳 Bangalore, India · since 1971
India's longest-established international mover, with a door-to-door network spanning 180+ countries.
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · since 1996
Malaysia corporate-relocation specialist and UniGroup Worldwide UTS partner with a 1,200-office network.
Partner availability on any specific corridor is confirmed when you request quotes. How we vet our partners.
Plan
Small things that make the first months easier — and the ones people most often leave too late.
Resources
There is no single country-wide price: the cost depends on where you are moving from, how much you ship, the service level and the season. Households moving a container from Europe to the US typically budget from $2,700 door-to-door as a planning benchmark, with transpacific routes higher. Use the MyExpatGo estimator for a route-specific range, or request quotes from vetted movers for a real price.
Plan for around 3–5 weeks door-to-door on a typical transatlantic lane; transpacific routes run longer. Customs examination, agriculture screening and delivery access all sit on top of the sailing time, so confirm the schedule with your mover for your specific route.
Generally yes: personal effects and household goods you have owned and used abroad for at least 12 months are normally admitted duty-free, declared on CBP Form 3299. There is no federal import VAT. New purchases, alcohol, firearms and vehicles are assessed separately — check the current rules with U.S. Customs and Border Protection before you pack.
Yes — the US has no general residence visa. Common routes include employment-based visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1), family and spouse sponsorship, student visas (F-1 / J-1), investor visas (EB-5) and the annual Diversity Visa programme. Requirements depend on your nationality and circumstances and change frequently; confirm them on the official US government sites travel.state.gov and uscis.gov before you commit to a moving date.
New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Washington, DC and Austin are the main arrival cities for international households. Most people rent first — often in temporary or serviced accommodation for the first weeks — while they build a US credit history and wait for their shipment to clear.
No. The US has no universal public health system; most residents rely on private insurance, usually through an employer. New arrivals should arrange appropriate coverage from day one and check employer plans for waiting periods. Treatment without insurance can be very expensive.
Imported vehicles must meet EPA emissions and DOT safety standards, which usually means costly conformity work on a modern foreign-spec car. Vehicles 25 years or older are exempt from both. Most movers find it simpler to sell before departure and buy or lease stateside.
Confirm your visa route first — processing times are the longest lead item — then get a moving cost benchmark, compare quotes from accredited movers, prepare your CBP customs paperwork, arrange health insurance and temporary accommodation, and plan pets, vehicles and school places well ahead of your shipping date.
Start with an independent cost benchmark for your route, then compare quotes from vetted movers who work this destination.
This United States guide is published for general education and planning. It is not legal, tax, immigration or customs advice, and it is not a quotation. Always confirm current requirements with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), your visa authority or a qualified professional before shipping. Costs and transit times are indicative benchmarks.
Regulatory and customs content last reviewed 2 September 2026.
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