International Removals
to the USA
What are you moving?
International Removals to the USA
Moving from the UK to the United States is a major undertaking. Whether you are heading to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, or beyond, Anglo Pacific manages the entire removal from your UK home to your American address. We handle packing, container loading, sea freight, US customs clearance, and final delivery, so you can concentrate on the move itself rather than the logistics behind it.
With over 40 years of experience in international removals, we have helped thousands of people make the journey from the UK to the USA for work, family, or a fresh start. We are members of the British Association of Removers (BAR) and FIDI FAIM accredited, which means every stage of your move is carried out to internationally recognised quality standards.
Removals Options for Your Move to the USA
We offer three main container options for UK to USA removals. The right choice depends on the volume of your goods, your destination state, and whether you need a fixed departure date.
Shared Container (Groupage)
A shared container, also known as groupage, means your belongings share a standard 20ft shipping container with goods from other customers moving to the same US port. You pay only for the space your shipment occupies. This is the most affordable option when your move does not fill a full container, and is a practical choice for one and two-bedroom moves or partial household relocations.
Exclusive 20ft Container
An exclusive 20ft container is loaded solely with your goods and departs without waiting for consolidation. It is suited to one and two-bedroom properties and smaller household moves. Because the container is yours alone, departure is faster once loading is complete.
Exclusive 40ft Container
A 40ft exclusive container accommodates the full contents of most three and four-bedroom homes, including large furniture, white goods, and personal vehicles shipped alongside household goods. This is the standard container for full family relocations to the USA.
Air Freight
Air freight to the USA is available for smaller consignments or for priority items you need at your destination ahead of the main shipment. The cost per kilogram is significantly higher than sea freight, so air is best reserved for urgent or essential items such as documents, valuables, or work equipment.
Estimated Transit Times: UK to the USA
The distances involved in the USA mean that delivery to inland states such as Texas, Illinois, and Colorado involves additional road haulage from the arrival port. Your dedicated account manager will factor this into your timeline at the survey stage.
US Customs Clearance for UK Removals
Importing personal effects and household goods into the United States requires clearance through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Most used household goods and personal effects owned and used for at least 12 months are eligible for duty-free import under CBP regulations, provided they are for personal use and not for sale. New items, commercial goods, and gifts may attract duty.
Anglo Pacific manages the customs documentation process as part of your removal service. The key document for duty-free entry of household goods is CBP Form 3299 (Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles), which we prepare and submit on your behalf. Our team guides you through what to declare and how to classify items so your shipment clears CBP without unnecessary delay.
Anglo Pacific provides an end-to-end removal service. This means we handle every stage of your move, from packing at your UK home through to final delivery and unpacking at your USA address.
- Professional packing at your UK home using specialist materials, with a full itemised inventory
- Collection from anywhere in the UK including Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
- Sea freight to your chosen US port via the most appropriate East, Gulf, or West Coast routing
- US customs clearance documentation (CBP Form 3299 and supporting paperwork)
- Port handling and inland haulage to your US delivery address
- Delivery and unpacking at your new home, with removal of packing materials
State-Specific Considerations
While US federal customs clearance applies to all imports, some states have additional requirements. California, for example, has strict vehicle emissions standards that affect imported cars and certain other motor vehicles. If you are moving to California with a vehicle, our team will advise you on compliance requirements at the survey stage. For all destinations, we recommend declaring all items fully on your CBP documentation to avoid delays at port.
Anglo Pacific handles removals in both directions, from the USA back to the UK as well as the outbound journey. Whether you are a returning British expat, an American moving to the UK, or relocating family members, the service mirrors our UK to USA offering with the key customs differences reversed.
Transfer of Residence Relief
If you are returning to the UK after a period of residence abroad, you may be entitled to Transfer of Residence (ToR) Relief, which allows you to import your personal belongings to the UK free of UK customs duty and VAT, subject to HMRC eligibility criteria. This applies to people who have been habitually resident outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months and are returning to the UK to take up normal residence. Our team can advise on the documentation required, and we recommend consulting HMRC guidance or a UK customs specialist to confirm eligibility before your shipment departs.
Transit Times: USA to UK
Sea freight from the US East Coast to the UK typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. From the West Coast, transit is 4 to 6 weeks depending on routing. We use UK ports including Tilbury and Felixstowe as primary arrival points for US-origin shipments.
Over 40 Years of International Removals Experience
Anglo Pacific has been handling UK to USA removals since the 1980s. The transatlantic route is one of our most established, and our team has deep knowledge of US port procedures, CBP documentation requirements, and the practical realities of moving belongings across the Atlantic, from routing decisions at sea to final-mile delivery in states across the country.
BAR and FIDI FAIM Accredited
We are members of the British Association of Removers (BAR) and hold FIDI FAIM accreditation, the international quality standard for the global moving industry. These accreditations require us to meet rigorous criteria for packing, documentation, and customer service at every stage of a removal. As a BAR member, your advance payments are also protected by the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee.
Dedicated USA Removals Team
Your move is managed by a dedicated account manager with specialist knowledge of the USA route. You receive regular shipping updates throughout the journey and have a named point of contact for any questions from the day of survey through to delivery confirmation.
UK-Wide Collection
We collect from homes across the whole of the UK. Whether you are moving from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol, or Belfast, we carry out a pre-move survey in person or by video call, assess your volume accurately, and arrange a collection at a date that fits your timeline.
Get your online international removals to USA quote
in a few easy steps.
Anglo Pacific is equipped to handle the full range of household and personal goods for your removal to the USA. Whether you are shipping a partial load or the entire contents of a family home, we adapt the service to your needs.
Household Furniture and Effects
Sofas, beds, wardrobes, dining sets, kitchen appliances, and white goods can all be shipped by sea freight in a shared or exclusive container. We use specialist packing materials for fragile items and custom-built crates for valuable or oversized pieces.
Vehicles
Cars and motorcycles can be shipped to the USA in an exclusive container alongside household goods, or separately via our vehicle shipping service. Note that vehicles imported into the USA must comply with US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and EPA emissions standards, and may require modification. California has additional state-level emissions rules. We advise on vehicle compliance requirements at the survey stage.
Valuables and Fine Art
Antiques, paintings, musical instruments, and high-value jewellery require specialist packing and, in many cases, separate insurance arrangements. Our pre-move survey identifies these items so we can plan appropriate protection before packing begins.
Personal Effects and Smaller Shipments
If you are moving a smaller quantity of personal effects, excess baggage, or student belongings rather than a full household, our baggage shipping service to the USA may be a more cost-effective option than a full removal. Boxes and suitcases can be shipped by sea at fixed prices. Visit our baggage shipping to the USA page for more information.
Popular Destinations for USA Removals
With bases in London, Manchester and Glasgow, removals to USA from the UK are simple. As one of the UK’s frontrunner removal companies to USA, no corner of the country is off limits.
Although we deliver consignments to all areas of USA, some of the most popular removals destinations are:
Check out our country guides
Interested in anything else?
Reviews
International removals from the UK to USA have never been as reliable as with Anglo Pacific. We have experience, commitment and the success to match, but don’t just take our word for it, see if our customers agree to in our removals to USA reviews.
To receive your free online removals to USA estimate, book your remote video survey where a specialist removals team member will assess your shipment and provide you with a no-obligation quote, online.
- Book a remote video survey
- Show us your items
- Get your quote
The cost of a UK to USA removal depends on the volume of your belongings, the container type you choose (shared or exclusive), your collection address in the UK, and your delivery state in America. Shared containers are the most affordable option for partial loads, while an exclusive container suits full household moves. Delivery to inland states such as Texas, Colorado, or Illinois involves additional haulage costs from the nearest US port. We provide itemised, transparent quotes following a pre-move survey. Request a free quote online or call our USA removals team to discuss your requirements.
Sea freight from the UK to the US East Coast (New York, Miami, Boston) takes approximately 3 to 5 weeks for a shared container and 3 to 4 weeks for an exclusive container. To the West Coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle), allow 5 to 7 weeks by shared container and 4 to 6 weeks by exclusive. Inland states add a further 1 to 2 weeks for road haulage from the port. Air freight to the USA is available for priority items and delivers within 5 to 10 days, though at significantly higher cost.
Most personal effects and household goods that are used and have been owned for at least 12 months can enter the USA duty-free under US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations, provided they are for personal use and not for resale. New items, gifts, and commercial goods may attract duty or taxes. The primary customs document for duty-free import of household goods is CBP Form 3299 (Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles). Anglo Pacific manages this documentation as part of the removal service.
Yes. We collect from homes throughout the UK, including all regions of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. On the US side, we can deliver to any state. Destinations on the East Coast, Gulf Coast, and West Coast each have their own primary ports, and inland states are served by road haulage from the nearest arrival port. Our team will map the optimal routing for your collection and delivery addresses at the survey stage.
Yes. New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas are among the most common US destinations we serve. New York shipments typically arrive through the Port of New York and New Jersey. Los Angeles shipments arrive through the Port of Los Angeles or Long Beach. Dallas is an inland destination served by road haulage from the Port of Houston or other Gulf Coast ports. We cover all three cities and all other major US metropolitan areas as standard.
A shared container, sometimes called groupage, means your belongings share a standard 20ft shipping container with goods from other customers moving to the same US port. You pay only for the space your shipment occupies, making it the most cost-effective option when your move does not fill a full container. It suits one and two-bedroom moves and partial household relocations. If you need a fixed, guaranteed departure date, or if your belongings fill a full container, an exclusive container is the better choice.
Yes. Anglo Pacific provides removals from the USA to the UK as well as the outbound journey. Whether you are a returning British expat or relocating from the USA to the UK for any reason, we handle collection, sea freight, UK customs clearance, and delivery to your UK address. If you are returning to the UK after residing abroad for 12 or more months, you may be entitled to Transfer of Residence (ToR) Relief on your personal goods, allowing import free of UK customs duty and VAT subject to HMRC eligibility. Our team can advise on the documentation required.
Yes, we can ship a car or motorcycle to the USA alongside your household goods in an exclusive container, or separately via our dedicated vehicle shipping service. Vehicles imported into the USA must comply with US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and EPA emissions standards. If you are moving to California, additional state-level emissions regulations apply. Some vehicles may require modification before they can be legally registered in the USA. Our team advises on vehicle compliance requirements at the survey stage.