UPakWeShipTips on moving to Australia

Great Rates & A Ship Load Of Know How

Crikey I’m moving to OzThe following pages are a useful guide for anyone moving to Australia and cover issues like documentation, AQIS, what not to pack, what to expect as well as some fun facts about life down under! Before we go there, let us quickly introduce ourselves. We are UPakWeShip.

UPakWeShip is the self packing division of The EUROGROUP

We ship to Australia from all over the USA, Canada, Europe and of course the UK.

We can collect your things from your residence or you can drop off at one of our terminals.

UPakWeShip has various cardboard and wooden crates that you can load your things into or you can just ship your cardboard boxes, trunks or suitcases.

Every couple of weeks we load up shipping containers full of everyone's belongings and ship to the main ports like Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.

After that we clear your shipment through Australian Customs and AQIS.

We then arrange delivery of your contents to your residence.

All for an all inclusive great price.

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What Now Mate?Well obviously you need to decide what area you want to move to, get a visa, get a job, somewhere to stay, buy an airline ticket, have a leaving party, say good bye to all your friends and family.

Here are some other things you need to think about.

Your Car: sell it, store it or give it to a family member to look after. Can you transfer your insurance policy overseas?

Bank accounts: Will I have to open a new one or can I transfer my existing bank account? Maintain at least one bank account in the country you’re leaving, because its tough to open accounts when you’re ‘abroad’ and at some point you will need to deposit a refund or Grannies birthday present check.

Health care and life insurance: Can you transfer your policy? Contact your broker to discuss what’s covered, where, under what circumstances and for how long?

Debts: Do you have outstanding ones you should take care of before you leave (including credit card balances and mortgages)?

Living will and testament: Do you need to update it, copy it, or take out one for the first time?

Money: Will you have enough with you, and in the proper currency and notify your credit card company you are moving overseas!

Paperwork: Obtain medical and dental records, x-rays and prescription histories to take with you . Also keep a digital scan of all your important documents.

Pets: If you plan on bringing yours, will they be allowed where you’re staying? Does your pet have the proper shots and paperwork?

Sort Out: International relocation is the ultimate excuse to have a brutal clear-out. Give away, donate, sell or recycle everything that that you haven’t used or appreciated in the past year.

Schooling: Have you conducted enough research concerning your children’s education and day care?

Vaccinations: Have you had all the appropriate ones?

To ship or not to ship, that is the question

Practically everyone who arrives at the other end of the world miles away from what they are used to is going to be home sick. Its not perfect but lest face it, some pictures up on the wall from your old pad, ornaments, music, DVD’s and may be your guitar, kitchenware, bedding, hobby stuff, extra clothes etc. (you get the picture) will definitely help you settle in so at the very least take some personal items with you.

Think how much it will cost to buy new in Australia, look at prices online, Australia is not cheap!

If you have kids then add a huge amount of boxes for toys so the only other question is do I take some furniture? That is really up to you and depends on many factors but here are some quick tips that might help you. If you are going to ship some furniture pieces you might as well ship the lot. The most expensive way to move is, for example, a bunch of boxes plus a sofa, or a bed.

As much as you will be paying more to ship everything, your per item cost will be a lot less if you ship all your furniture and big stuff in a shipping container.

If you are going to be in furnished property then don’t ship furniture but 95% of house rentals in Australia do not contain anything but may be a dishwasher!If you do decide to ship furniture save money by packing and loading your own 20 foot shipping container, Click here to get a quote

AQISThe biggest difference between shipping to Australia compared with other countries is, its strongly enforced import regulations to prevent disease and unwanted pests that might destroy crops, land and endangered species.

Ever shipment that arrives in Australia has to first clear through customs and then through AQIS.

There are charges connected to the AQIS inspection and as these depend on the length of time involved at the inspection it is impossible to pre pay this charge. After the inspection we will let you know the charges which do have to be paid locally in Australia before delivery. On a small shipment it can be about AUS$150 but on a 20 foot container it can be about AUS$600

AQIS agents will normally first inspect the packing list and then choose certain boxes or pieces to be inspected. Quite often we will also have looked at the packing list and grouped together items that we think will be of particular interest to AQIS.

One of the warehouses we use in Australia Christmas decorations pulled out to be destroyed That nose will find it!

What Happens during the inspection

After your shipment has passed through customs, we will book an appointment with AQIS to come and inspect your shipment. Once the appointment time is agreed we will have the shipment unloaded from its crate or pallet if applicable and have it staged ready for inspection. Sometimes AQIS will let us know what item numbers they wish to inspect in advance after looking at the packing list. Other times it will be random or we will see items that we think AQIS will want to look at. You can also mark boxes that you think would be useful for the AQIS inspectors. Here are some pictures of shipments ready for inspection and items that AQIS have held for further questions, treatment or to be destroyed.

What Happens if they find questionable things?

Certain items like bark and pine cones would get immediately destroyed and charges for termination will be billed to you.

Some items after inspection might require extra treatment like fumigation before being allowed into Australia. For example a pair of shoes that has some dirt on them could be held by AQIS and you will be offered a choice of fumigation treatment or have the shoes destroyed. Treatment can often start at about $500 so unless the items are worth a lot it is normally cheaper to authorize destruction. Make sure all items like shoes, golf clubs, soccer balls, camping gear, back packs, garden tools, lawn mowers and bike tires are spotless! Otherwise you could be in for a lot of extra charges.

Things to leave behindAs a general rule, foodstuffs including herbs should be avoided if possible but if you do plan to take food with you take it on the plane and check the government web site here to see if its allowed.

Alcohol is generally expensive to ship due to high customs duty and taxes in Australia. If you do plan to take alcohol, we will require a list of each bottle including details such as % alcohol volume. We will provide an Alcohol Declaration form for you to complete.

Untreated wood items should not be included in your shipment. Paint or varnish any untreated wood before shipping or do not bring the items with you.

Any medications should be taken with you on the plane.

The basic rule is do not take anything that used to be alive.

Things to leave behind continued…….

The following is a partial list of suggested things to be left behind. It is possible some things could be let through after further inspection and possible treatment but treatment and extra inspection costs are normally more than the item is worth!

No animal or tree products, pine cones, furs, shells, feathers, beeswax, coral including jewelry, wooden articles and carvings including painted or lacquered items, bark, artefacts, handicrafts and curios made from plant material, mats, bags and other items made from plant material, straw products and packaging, bamboo, cane or rattan basket ware and furnishings, potpourri and coconut shells, goods containing cereal grain, corn husks or filled with seeds, Christmas decorations, wreaths and ornaments, dried flowers and arrangements, items that have been in contact with animals such as a horse saddles or tackle, hair brushes and your dogs bed. You can get more information by clicking here

Things to put together for AQISPut all your shoes together in boxes and also outdoor items like balls, kites, bats, camping gear together. Make sure these things are clearly marked on your packing list and the number corresponds correctly with the box or item number. Also do not alarm AQIS over something that is obviously not a problem. For example do not list your kids beanie baby as a stuffed animal! Also as everything will have to come out of the crate, pallet or U Box do make sure all items are clearly marked with your name and the item number that corresponds with your packing list.

Our Personal Packing TipsAll of your outdoor items must be prepared prior to moving to Australia. Any item which has been in contact with the outdoors / mud / dirt, must be spotlessly clean before shipping. This applies to items such as bikes, garden tools, golf clubs, sports equipment, garden furniture and children’s outdoor play equipment among others.We recommend firstly washing the items with a pressure washer to remove visible dirt and then disinfecting the items with a cleaning product.Your shoes and in particular the soles of your shoes must also be cleaned. A good tip is to use an old toothbrush and a cleaning product to clean the soles.

Our Personal Packing Tips continued

It is possible to include gardening equipment but it must be cleaned and disinfected as above. Lawn Mowers must be drained of fuel before shipping and thoroughly cleaned with a pressure washer also.We also advise not to ship candles as beeswax is a prohibited / restricted item and therefore AQIS officers will want to inspect candles, possibly resulting in a longer quarantine inspection and additional charges for your shipment.

In addition, candles are at risk of melting during transit due to the fact that the vessel will cross the equator on the journey to Australia.

Sunscreen and sunglasses are not optional

You can legally consume alcohol at age 18 not 21 as it is in the USA.

Not one Nuclear weapon Down Under

Australia is expensive

Australia is very expensive. In recent years, Sydney has held a spot among the top “most expensive cities to live in” in the world, ranked near Paris, Zurich, Oslo, Tokyo and Frankfurt

If you smoke be prepared to pay $18 – $22 a box. Hardly anyone smokes in Australia.

You probably won’t be killed by the wildlife

People actually eat kangaroo

You drive on the left

Once here I am , you are, we are Australian.

What you need to know about Australia

What you need to know about Australia continued……..

Australia’s K-mart is like our Target. Conversely, Australia’s Target is like our K-mart. Australia’s Gloria Jean’s is like a Starbucks. Australia’s Pie Face is also kind of like a Starbucks. Sydney does actually have at least one real Starbucks. Australia’s Hungry Jack’s is like a Burger King. Australia’s Tim Tam is like [insert favorite candy bar here]. Australia’s Sumo Salad is like a mix between a Panera and something healthier. Sydney’s Market Street and surrounding area is like New York’s Saks Fifth Avenue or Boston’s Newbury Street as the city’s central shopping area. Australia’s Dick Smith is like a Best Buy

You will be saying no worries 10 times a day.A Buddy is a small Coke bottle and not your mate. It is the 6th largest country in the world.25% of Australians are born in another country.It has the highest rate of gambling in the world with over 80 percent of Australian adults engaging in gambling of some kind. Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital of Australia.Melbourne topped 140 rivals to be crowned the world's most livable city 2 years in a row since 2011.Australia has over 750 different reptile species, more than any other country in the world.There are 3.3 times more sheep than humans in Australia.The Australian Alps receives more snow than Switzerland.

Fun Facts about Australia

No Worries, you probably won’t be killed by the wildlife!

Another thing Australians enjoy promoting is their wildlife. Much of Australia’s wildlife is unique to Australia, so it is indeed something to boast about, but many Australians also seem to delight in striking fear into foreign visitors with stories of sharks, funnelweb spiders, snakes, blue-ring octopus, jellyfish, and even a few less likely sounding creatures such as drop-bears and hoop-snakes.The reality is that most people live in urban areas and do not come into contact with any of these creatures frequently.

Phew!

I don’t like spiders & snakes

Spider in UPakWeShip colors!

Australians don’t tip. If you are the sort of person who panics about leaving a ‘fair’ tip then this will be a huge relief to you. However the unfortunate result in Australia is that customer service more often than not is not so good, as there is no incentive to provide good service.For those of you sitting on the edge debating whether to go or not to Australia. Just do it, what is the worst that could happen? You might as well experience it while you can. And “No Worries” we can always move you back home again if needed

Stuff you need to know

Permitted blood alcohol limits are lower than in many other countries and a system of double demerits applies to the accrual of driving offences on public holiday periods (meaning if you are caught speeding for example you get double the negative points on your licenseWhen Aussies move apartments, they move their large appliances, too. It’s typical in Oz for appliances to stay with the owner (even renters), including refrigerators, washers and dryers They refer to their downtown as “CBD” (central business district) Leave your guns at home. Australia does not have a gun cultureWith the internet today, there are no products that are not available online so if something is not stocked in Australia, you can buy it from Europe, Canada or USA and have it sent over. There are restrictions. You cannot import weapons, plants or many food items but apart from that you are fineNo one says Y'all

Stuff you don’t really need to know but interesting anyway

Whatever and wherever you are moving, UPakWeShip has the experience, best rates, professionalism and know how to get your stuff there with no worries!For a quick quote click here:UK & EuropeUSA & CanadaTake a look at our How to Pack like a pro presentationLook at our 5 star reviews posted by our customersWhy use UPakWeShip? Answers are here!Click here for a guide to our services.

www.upakweship.com Ship More For Less!

No Worries with UPakWeShip

So now you hopefully know a little bit more about moving to Australia and what to expect when you get there. We all hope you enjoyed this presentation and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about international moving.

Learn more by watching UPak TV click here

To print labels, get packing tips, ask a question, read the blog, see other moving options, see reviews, look at pictures, see other peoples moving pictures, use our estimating tool, use our feet to metric conversion tool, customs information, insurance, see our price guarantee, click here.

www.upakweship.com

The End.