Moving to Australia: Calculate Costs and Plan Safely
An intercontinental overseas move to Australia requires coordinated logistical preparation. In addition to the long transport route across the world’s oceans, complex import processes, entry requirements, and country-specific logistics at the destination need to be considered early. As your experienced moving company for Australia, DACHSER & KOLB supports you throughout all logistical steps of your relocation.
Transparent moving costs to Australia in three short steps: Simply use our online moving cost calculator to quickly and easily calculate your non-binding price for orientation.
Calculate Australia moving costs in just a few minutes – how the moving cost calculator works
The total cost of a move to Australia mainly depends on the actual moving volume, the pickup and destination locations, the selected type of transport, and the desired packing and additional services. With our moving cost calculator, you receive a non-binding price based on the first information you provide.
To give you a fair quote for your move overseas, we need a few key details. In the first step, our digital cost calculator asks for only the three most important pricing factors: your current home size, the number of people in your household, and your exact transport route from Austria to Australia.
For your personal price and secure access to your calculation, we then need your contact details. After that, you can flexibly add to and refine your information in your personal dashboard. The price shown serves as a first guide for your budget planning, while the final detailed coordination takes place with your personal contact.
Your benefits in our personal dashboard at a glance:
- Non-binding price:
You receive a transparent first price for your international move within just a few minutes of entering your details.
- Protected dashboard access:
We use your personal data to create your protected profile so your calculations remain securely stored.
- Flexible refinement:
Add your exact furniture list afterward, completely relaxed, with just a few clicks.
- Request additional services:
Flexibly add options such as your preferred packing service or furniture assembly.
- Direct contact:
Use the direct line to your personal moving expert to fine-tune your quote.
Using the moving cost calculator is free and non-binding and gives you an initial financial orientation for your budget planning.
Your moving company for Australia: DACHSER & KOLB services
Whether you are moving for professional or personal reasons to economic centers such as Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, planning a fresh start in Perth or Adelaide, or relocating your life to Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, or Darwin, a private move to Australia comes with specific requirements due to the long transport routes, large inland distances, and strict import requirements. For your furniture transport to Australia, DACHSER & KOLB offers a modular service portfolio that can be tailored exactly to your needs:
- Flexible & precise survey:
Free assessment of your household goods on site or a simple digital video survey to determine the exact moving volume.
- Overseas packing suitable for transport:
Professional packing of your belongings by trained staff using special overseas packing materials for the sea route.
- Support with customs-related documents:
Assistance in compiling the required transport-related freight and customs documents for export and import.
- Sea and air freight:
Flexible transport by ship for complete household moves, as well as optional air freight for urgently needed goods.
- Global partner network:
Coordinated handling in the destination country through direct access to DACHSER’s global logistics infrastructure.
- Onward transport in Australia:
Coordination of transport and unloading from the respective arrival location to your new address, including areas outside the major metropolitan regions.
- Optional assembly services:
Professional dismantling of your furniture in Austria as well as additional skilled trade services at the Australian destination by individual arrangement.
Transport solutions for your Australia move: sea freight and air freight
For household goods transport across the world’s oceans, we use standardized sea freight containers for transport to Australia as well as specialized air freight solutions. Depending on the size of your moving goods, your timeline, and your budget, you can choose between two proven logistics options, which can also be combined:
- Sea freight (FCL and LCL) – the central transport route:
For complete household moves to Australia, sea freight is often an economically sensible solution. Larger volumes are transported exclusively in a dedicated container (FCL – Full Container Load). This keeps your moving goods clearly assigned, and the container is not shared with third-party part loads. For smaller quantities, we pack your goods in robust overseas crates and ship them as LCL sea freight in shared container space in order to split costs.
- Air freight – for urgently needed items:
If certain items such as work materials, clothing, or important documents need to be available directly after your arrival in Australia, air transport is a suitable option. Air freight moves urgent items within short time frames and is especially useful as a supplement to sea freight.
| Transport solution |
Suitable for
|
Special feature
|
|---|---|---|
| FCL sea freight | Larger household volumes; extensive moving goods | Dedicated container without third-party part loads |
| LCL sea freight | Smaller moving volumes; individual pieces of furniture | Shared container space, part load to Australia |
| Air freight | Urgently needed items; documents | Short transport time by air |
| Combination | Household goods plus starter setup | Combine sea and air freight |
Your Australia move process: 6 steps to your new home
To ensure your household goods arrive safely at your new home, every intercontinental international move follows a structured and proven logistics process for overseas shipping:
Calculate Australia moving costs:
You start directly online in our three-step moving cost calculator, enter your key details, and receive your non-binding price for first orientation within just a few minutes.
Record moving volume:
In the unlocked dashboard, you can refine your information afterward at your own pace or use our digital volume consultation to determine your household goods precisely.
Select transport solution:
Together with our international moving experts, you choose the right type of transport, such as an exclusive sea container, partial sea freight, or a combination with fast air freight.
Coordinate quote and dates:
You receive your binding fixed-price quote. We then coordinate the planned dates for pickup, shipment, and delivery with you.
Packing, transport, and customs preparation:
Our team packs your moving goods for overseas transport, prepares the shipment for the selected type of transport, and supports you with the transport-related documents for export from Austria and import into Australia.
Delivery in Australia:
Once customs and biosecurity clearance has been completed at the Australian arrival location, our network coordinates onward transport and unloading at your new address.
Destination regions and inland transport in Australia
When moving to Australia, planning does not end when the container arrives at an Australian port. Due to the great distances and regionally varying transport conditions, delivery planning in Australia is especially relevant. What matters is how far your new address is from the suitable arrival point and what inland transport is then required. A move to Sydney or Melbourne is planned differently from delivery to Perth, Darwin, Tasmania, or smaller towns and remote regions.
Important planning factors for your inland transport:
- Long distances between the east and west coasts as well as possible additional transport routes to regional or remote areas.
- Seasonal conditions such as extreme heat, heavy rain, flooding, or regional road closures.
- Type of residence on site, such as apartment, detached house, apartment complex, or gated residential community.
- Specified move-in and delivery times as well as the availability of elevators on site.
- Access options for larger transport vehicles in narrow streets or residential areas.
- Need for additional handling, temporary storage, or smaller delivery vehicles.
Customs clearance when moving to Australia: UPE and Form B534
When moving from Austria to Australia, both export from the customs territory of the European Union and import into Australia must be prepared. Separately arriving personal household goods are treated in Australia as “Unaccompanied Personal Effects,” or UPE. For customs and biosecurity clearance, traceable documentation of the entire shipment is generally required.
The key documents include the “Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement” – Form B534 –, a detailed packing list, and the respective freight documents. The B534 is a legally binding declaration to the Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Which additional documents are required depends on the shipment, the type of items, and your personal entry situation.
For certain items, minimum periods apply regarding personal ownership and previous use. If these requirements are not met, the items must be declared accordingly and duties may apply. DACHSER & KOLB supports you within the agreed scope of services in preparing the transport-related documents and coordinates the process with the international partner network.
Personal support with customs preparation:
If you have questions about the transport-related documents and preparing your shipment, your personal contact will support you within the agreed scope of services.
Biosecurity: Protecting the environment and agriculture
Personal household goods in Australia are also subject to strict biosecurity requirements. The responsible authority reviews the B534 form and the packing list for potentially risk-relevant items and may order an inspection of the shipment.
Items that have come into contact with soil, plants, animals, water, or food should be completely emptied, carefully cleaned, and dried before packing. These include in particular:
- garden tools and equipment
- bicycles, sports equipment, and camping gear
- hiking and work shoes
- pet accessories and pet transport containers
- outdoor furniture
- items made of wood or other natural materials
Wooden items should also be checked for bore holes, wood dust, and other signs of pest infestation. Depending on the official decision, insufficiently prepared or rejected items may be treated, re-exported, or destroyed at the owner’s expense.
Important planning note:
Create the packing list in as much detail as possible and clearly assign the contents to the numbered boxes or packages. Material details such as “wooden chair” or “rattan basket” make biosecurity assessment easier.
Perfectly prepared: Important checklists for moving abroad
In addition to transporting your household goods, starting fresh overseas requires early organization of official, financial, and family-related matters. Because regulations in the destination country can change at short notice, our expert guide supports you with the first steps:
- Moving to Australia:
Initial information on regional differences, cost of living, climate, health, and everyday life can be found in the country profile Moving to Australia.
- Moving with pets:
Information on quarantine regulations, tests, vaccinations, and health certificates for dogs or cats can be found directly in the section Moving to Australia with pets.
Calculate your price now
Plan your move to Australia with an initial financial orientation. Use our online calculator to determine your non-binding price in just a few minutes and unlock your personal dashboard for detailed transport planning.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Your Australia Move
How much does it cost to move from Austria to Australia?
The total cost of an intercontinental overseas move mainly depends on the exact transport volume in cubic meters, the selected transport route, whether sea or air freight, and the distance to the final Australian destination. After the detailed volume check and service coordination, you receive your binding fixed-price quote.
How long does furniture transport by sea container to Australia take?
The exact transport duration depends heavily on the selected destination port, the official customs processes, and the subsequent inland transport. Shipping by sea freight requires significantly more lead time than air freight, but for larger household volumes it is often an economically sensible solution. We coordinate the specific time frame for your route with you individually as part of the detailed transport planning.
Do I have to declare my household goods to customs in Australia?
Yes. Separately arriving personal household goods are generally cleared in Australia as “Unaccompanied Personal Effects.” This usually requires Form B534, a detailed packing list, and the respective freight documents. Which additional evidence or duties apply depends, among other things, on the type, purpose, ownership period, and previous use of the items. Australian biosecurity requirements also apply.
What does biosecurity mean when moving to Australia?
Biosecurity refers to official measures to protect Australia’s environment, agriculture, and animal and plant life from introduced pests and diseases. Items such as garden tools, bicycles, shoes, camping equipment, or wooden furniture should therefore be carefully cleaned, dried, and listed in detail on the packing list before shipping.
Can DACHSER & KOLB also organize my return move from Australia?
A return move from Australia to Austria can also be individually planned and coordinated through our international partner network. Contact us so we can review the transport-related requirements for your return move.
Is the calculation in the moving cost calculator free and non-binding?
Yes. Using the moving cost calculator is free and non-binding. It is designed to provide a non-binding price for your budget planning in just a few steps, without first having to arrange a personal consultation appointment.
How does the online price become a binding fixed-price quote?
Directly after your online entry, you receive access to your personal dashboard. There, you can add to your information, enter your furniture list, and request desired additional services. After the detailed volume check and service coordination, your personal contact prepares your binding fixed-price quote.
Calculate costs for your Australia move online now
Plan your relocation to Australia with an initial financial orientation. Use our online calculator to determine your non-binding price in just a few steps and unlock your personal dashboard.
Your personal contact for moving to Australia
Do you have questions about the exact process, need support with container planning, or want to request personal advice? Our air and sea freight specialist is here to support you with expertise and practical assistance:
