Relocating abroad or bringing household goods from overseas to Kolkata? Complete door-to-door international moving — professional packing, customs clearance, sea or air freight, destination delivery and unpacking.
International relocation involves a completely different set of processes compared to domestic moving. Beyond packing and transport, there are customs regulations, country-specific restrictions on personal goods, quarantine requirements for wooden items, documentation for currency-equivalent items like gold jewellery, consolidation with other shipments to control cost, ocean freight scheduling that runs weekly or fortnightly, and destination agent coordination in the other country.
DSR Logistics provides complete international moving services from Kolkata to major destinations worldwide — USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, and most OECD countries. We also handle inbound moves — bringing household goods from overseas to Kolkata for returning NRI families. Our international division operates through a global network of partners (IAM — International Association of Movers — member firms) and uses established ocean and air freight carriers.
Outbound from Kolkata: Individuals and families moving to take up jobs abroad, students going for higher studies, NRI families shifting permanently, retirees moving to join children overseas, government/corporate assignments. Most common destinations for Kolkata-origin clients: USA (California, Texas, New Jersey), Canada (Toronto, Vancouver), UK (London, Birmingham), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne), and UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi).
Inbound to Kolkata: Returning Indians bringing their household goods back. Increasingly common in last 5 years — Bengali families returning from Middle East after 10-20 years, professionals returning from USA/UK after assignments, retirees coming back to West Bengal roots. Kolkata Port (Haldia) and Kolkata Airport handle all arrivals.
For full household moves above 25-30 cubic metres of goods — roughly equivalent to a 3-4 BHK home contents — a dedicated 20-foot or 40-foot container makes economic sense. The container is loaded at your Kolkata residence, sealed in your presence, transported to Haldia or Kolkata Port, shipped to destination port, customs cleared, and delivered to your new home abroad. Transit time: 30-45 days for USA, 25-35 days for UK, 20-30 days for UAE.
For smaller shipments (below 20 cubic metres), your goods are consolidated with other clients' shipments into a shared container. More economical than FCL but transit time is 10-15 days longer due to consolidation and deconsolidation. Best for individuals, young professionals, or those with minimal possessions.
For urgent moves or small-volume essentials, air freight gets your goods to destination in 5-10 days. Significantly more expensive — roughly 10-12 times the per-kg cost of sea freight. Typically used for important documents, electronics, seasonal clothing, specific professional equipment, or to have essentials arrive while the main sea shipment is in transit.
This is our standard offering. We handle every step end-to-end:
For clients who want to save cost or have specific arrangements, we offer partial services — packing and delivering to destination port (you handle destination clearance), or port-to-port (you handle both ends), or port-to-door (inbound only). Full transparency on which steps are in scope and out of scope.
We do not transport pets directly but coordinate with specialist pet-relocation agencies that handle IATA-compliant crates, import permits, health certificates, quarantine (where applicable), and airline booking. Common for families moving with dogs and cats to USA/UK/Canada/Australia.
Cars, bikes, boats — we coordinate international vehicle shipping for clients. Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) for cars, containerised shipping for bikes, specialised for boats. Includes export documentation, import duty estimate, and destination delivery.
First, a 30-45 minute consultation — usually over WhatsApp video — where our international moves consultant walks through your current home, understands what you plan to take, advises on what should be left/sold/donated, and explains country-specific restrictions (e.g., some countries restrict wooden items, Australia is strict on food and plant material, Middle East restricts alcohol and certain books). Based on this, a quote is prepared within 3-5 business days with FCL, LCL, and air freight options.
Once the quote is accepted, you sign a booking contract. We collect: your passport, visa or work permit for destination country, PAN card, detailed inventory form (to be filled by you or jointly with our team), packing preference, preferred move dates. For Indian customs, we prepare the "Transfer of Residence" (TR) application — a critical document that allows you to move your household without paying import duty in the destination country (conditions apply per country).
On the scheduled day, our international moves crew (separate from domestic crews, more experienced, better-trained) arrives with export-grade materials. Every item is wrapped individually. Books and documents get special moisture barriers. Electronics get anti-static wrap plus original boxes where available. Fragile items get double-wall cartons. Clothing in wardrobe boxes. Each carton is numbered, barcoded, and linked to the master inventory. Typical packing time: 1.5 days for 2BHK, 2-3 days for 3BHK, 3-4 days for 4BHK+.
Sealed container is transported to Kolkata Port or Haldia. We file shipping bill with Indian customs. Customs officer may inspect the container randomly — if so, our CHA (Customs House Agent) handles the inspection. Once cleared, the container boards the vessel. Your move is now in international transit.
GPS-based vessel tracking. You receive weekly updates with vessel location. For air freight, same-day tracking. Transit times are standard and rarely delayed beyond 5-7 days even in worst weather conditions.
Our partner at destination takes over. They file import declaration, present your TR documents, and clear customs. In countries like USA, UK, Canada — this is usually smooth with TR provisions. In some countries — Middle East, some African — process may take 5-10 days. Once cleared, delivery scheduled to your new home. Our partner's crew unpacks, assembles furniture, places items per your preference, removes all packing material and debris.
USA: Strict on wooden items — all wood must be ISPM-15 certified (heat-treated, stamped). Food, plant material, seeds, beverages are prohibited. Transfer of Residence provisions available for genuine relocations. Transit 30-45 days.
UK: Similar to USA on wooden items. Alcohol allowed with duty. Gold jewellery must be declared. Transit 25-35 days.
Canada: B-4 form for Transfer of Residence. Personal effects generally duty-free after 6+ months of ownership. Transit 35-45 days.
Australia: Very strict — fumigation required for all moves, no food, no plant material, no wooden items without ISPM-15. Customs inspection almost guaranteed. Transit 30-40 days.
UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi): Alcohol strictly prohibited in personal imports. Books and religious items scrutinised. Transfer of Residence needs sponsor letter. Transit 15-25 days.
Singapore: Tropical climate — pest control critical. GST on certain items. Transit 10-15 days.
International moves pricing varies hugely by volume, destination, and freight type. Rough indicative ranges:
Prices include: origin packing, transport to port, Indian customs, ocean/air freight, destination customs, destination delivery and unpacking. Does not include: destination import duties (country-specific, your responsibility), insurance (optional, ~2-3% of declared value), customs duty at destination if you do not qualify for TR provisions.
We have been doing international moves since 2020 — primarily through our IAM-network partner firms. Our international division is small, focused, and handled by senior team members. Every international move gets a dedicated project manager. Transparent pricing with no hidden charges. Weekly vessel/shipment updates. Professional destination partners we have vetted personally. End-to-end accountability — single point of contact from your Kolkata home to your new residence abroad.
Whatever you're moving — home, office, bike, or into storage — we handle it end-to-end.
60 seconds · No obligation · Response within 2 business hours
Fill in your details. We'll revert within 2 business hours with a customised quote.
