International Moving
Packing up a house is stressful enough. Packing up a house and shipping it across an ocean, through two sets of customs, and into a country where you don’t yet know the rules? That’s a different challenge entirely, and it’s exactly the kind of move our international movers handle every week.
Coast Valley Moving & Storage has been based in San Clemente for more than four decades, and in that time we’ve built our international division around one idea: the paperwork and logistics should be our headache, not yours. As an agent for Wheaton World Wide Moving, one of the most established van lines in the country, we bring the backing of a global network to every overseas relocation while still giving you a local point of contact who actually picks up the phone.
Whether you’re relocating for a job transfer, retiring abroad, returning to your home country, or sending a family member overseas for school, our team plans the move around your timeline, your budget, and the specific import rules of your destination country.
Your world is bigger than one country.
Let’s get you there — call now or grab a free quote in minutes.
What Our International Moving Team Handles
A move across borders touches a lot more than boxes and a truck. Here’s what falls under our scope:
- Full-service packing and crating using export-grade materials built to survive weeks at sea
- Specialty item handling for pianos, fine art, wine collections, antiques, and delicate electronics
- Ocean freight and air freight coordination, including full container (FCL) and shared container (LCL) options
- Short- and long-term storage, in case your new home isn't ready the day your shipment lands
- Customs documentation support, so your paperwork matches what the receiving country actually requires
- Door-to-door delivery, including coordination with our destination agent network overseas
Because we’re not brokering your shipment out to a stranger, you get one crew, one point of accountability, and one company that stands behind the job from your driveway to your new front door.
Customs and Documentation: What's Required Right Now
Import rules change more often than people expect, and 2026 has brought a fresh round of updates on both sides of the process — tighter biosecurity screening in several countries, expanded digital filing requirements, and adjusted duty thresholds across parts of Europe. Here’s a current rundown of what most households need to prepare.
The core paperwork almost every country asks for:
- A valid passport and visa, work permit, or residency approval for your destination
- A detailed, itemized inventory (often called a valued inventory) listing everything in your shipment
- A Bill of Lading or Air Waybill issued by the carrier
- A signed customs declaration confirming the goods are used personal effects, not items brought in for resale
- Proof that you've genuinely lived abroad or are relocating your primary residence — utility bills, a lease, or bank statements are commonly accepted
- A Transfer of Residence (ToR) application, required by many countries to waive duty on used household goods
A few things that trip people up in 2026:
- Many countries now expect these documents submitted digitally before the shipment even leaves port, not handed over on arrival
- Biosecurity checks have tightened almost everywhere — untreated wood items, straw packing material, seeds, soil, and even some lithium-ion batteries can trigger a hold or an outright refusal
- Vehicles typically require separate import permits, emissions documentation, and in many cases a longer clearance window than household goods
- Duty-free eligibility almost always depends on how long you've lived outside the destination — commonly six months to a year — so timing your move against your residency status matters
None of this is meant to scare you off; it’s meant to save you from a shipment sitting in a bonded warehouse while someone tracks down a missing form. Our international movers prepare and review this paperwork with you well before your container is packed, which is where most delays actually get prevented.
Don't let a missing form hold your life hostage at the port
Talk to us before you pack a single box.
Why Families and Businesses Choose Coast Valley
Trust matters more on an international move than almost any other kind, because you often won’t see your belongings again until they’re halfway around the world. A few things worth knowing about us:
- Licensed and bonded — U.S. DOT No. 70719 | MC 87113
- 40+ years in business, based right here in San Clemente, California
- Wheaton World Wide Moving agent, giving you access to an established international network and destination agents in dozens of countries
- Real reviews from real customers — you can read them directly on our Reviews page rather than take our word for it
- A dedicated claims process if anything ever needs attention after delivery
- Local ownership, not a call center — when you call, you're reaching people who know the San Clemente and Newport Beach offices personally
Our international movers aren’t a side offering bolted onto a local moving company — it’s a core part of what we do, backed by decades of relationships with freight carriers, customs brokers, and destination agents around the world.
Ready to Start Planning Your Overseas Move?
Every country has its own rules, its own timeline, and its own paperwork, and trying to piece that together from forum posts and outdated blog articles is how shipments end up stuck at port. Talk to our team early, even if your move date is still months out — the earlier we’re involved, the fewer surprises you’ll run into at customs.
A good starting point is a virtual or in-home survey, where one of our estimators walks through your belongings, flags anything that might need special crating or extra documentation, and puts together a realistic timeline based on your destination. From there, we build out a packing schedule, confirm freight availability, and start assembling the paperwork your destination country will actually ask for — not a generic checklist pulled from a template. If your move includes a vehicle, a wine collection, or anything else with its own import rules, we’ll flag that early too, since those items tend to need lead time that regular household goods don’t.
We also stay in touch throughout transit. Ocean freight can take anywhere from two to eight weeks depending on the route, and it’s normal to want an update along the way. You’ll have a direct line to your coordinator rather than a rotating call center, which tends to matter most right around the time your shipment reaches the destination port.
Your move deserves more than guesswork.
Get real answers from real international movers, today.
FAQs
How far in advance should I schedule an international move?
Most families start the process 8 to 12 weeks before their target move date. That gives enough runway for a survey, a firm quote, packing, and — most importantly — enough time to get customs paperwork submitted before your shipment date, rather than scrambling at the last minute. Tighter timelines are possible, but they narrow your options for ocean freight sailing dates.
What items typically can't be shipped internationally?
Aerosols, propane tanks, firearms and ammunition, perishable food, and most plants or seeds are off the table almost everywhere. Certain electronics with lithium batteries need special handling or documentation rather than an outright ban. Your estimator will walk through a restricted-items list specific to your destination during the survey, since rules do vary.
Do you handle the customs paperwork for me, or do I need a separate broker?
We prepare and review the core shipper-side documentation with you — inventory, declarations, and the forms tied to your specific destination — and coordinate directly with customs brokers and our destination agents on the receiving end. You’re not left to figure out a foreign country’s import forms on your own.
Is my shipment insured while it's in transit?
Yes. We offer valuation coverage options for ocean and air freight shipments, and we’ll walk you through the difference between basic carrier liability and full-value protection so you can pick what makes sense for what you’re shipping.
Can I pack some of my own boxes to save money?
In many cases, yes, for boxes that don’t require special crating. That said, some destination countries and carriers require professional packing for the entire shipment to qualify for certain insurance or customs treatment, so it’s worth confirming during your quote rather than assuming either way.
What happens if my new home isn't ready when my shipment arrives?
This comes up more often than you’d think. We offer short- and long-term storage at both our San Clemente and Newport Beach facilities, so your belongings have somewhere secure to wait if there’s a gap between your shipment’s arrival and your move-in date.
How do I get an accurate cost estimate?
The most accurate quotes come from an in-home or virtual survey rather than a phone estimate based on square footage. Our team walks through your home, notes anything that needs special handling, and gives you a written quote tied to what’s actually going into the container — not a rough guess that changes later.