Ship boxes from United Kingdom to United States
1 to 10 boxes, collected from your door in United Kingdom and delivered to the door in United States. Price up front, customs paperwork prepared for you.
- Typical transit
- 3–5 business days
- Duty-free up to
- There is no general duty-free limit anymore
United Kingdom → United States
Enter a weight to see your price.
Who ships on this route
- Expats and people relocating for work
- Students heading to or home from university
- Households moving a few boxes, not a whole home
Expats, students, relocations.
Leaving United Kingdom
Sending boxes out of United Kingdom
Sending your own belongings out of the UK is straightforward for everyday things. The courier prepares the export paperwork from your packing list. The UK rules that matter most are export licenses for antiques and art, and the import rules where the boxes land.
Documents
- Itemized packing list with a fair value for each item, marked as used personal effects or gift
- Sender's passport or ID
- The receiver's tax or ID number if the destination requires one
- A UK export license from Arts Council England for any object of cultural interest that needs one; a digital copy is attached to the export declaration
Can't leave United Kingdom
- Objects of cultural interest, such as antiques and artworks, need a UK export license to leave Great Britain for any destination outside the UK. Arts Council England runs licensing, including an Open General Export Licence, and can confirm whether an item needs its own license.
- From Northern Ireland, cultural objects going directly to non-EU countries need an EU export license, and those going to the EU need a UK license. Arts Council England issues both.
- Medicines containing controlled drugs: other countries have their own import laws, so check with the destination's embassy before sending any.
- Items made from protected species (CITES), such as exotic leather, furs, or some wooden instruments, may need permits. Check with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) before you ship.
- Couriers won't carry cash, weapons, or dangerous goods.
Arriving in United States
United States customs, in short
- Duty-free threshold
- There is no general duty-free limit anymore. The $800 de minimis exemption has been suspended for shipments from every country, by every mode, since August 29, 2025, and a 2025 law repeals it from July 1, 2027. Bona fide gifts from a person abroad to a person in the US stay free of duty when everything one person receives on one day is worth $100 or less ($200 if sent from the US Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa). Alcohol and tobacco never qualify, and a gift worth more than the limit pays duty on its full value.
- Import tax
- The US has no national VAT, GST, or sales tax on imports. The receiver pays customs duty, set by each item's tariff classification and country of origin, plus any additional duties in force. Since July 24, 2026, Section 301 duties of 10% or 12.5% apply to goods made in 60 economies, including China, the UK, India, Canada, and Mexico. Goods from the EU are topped up to a combined rate of 10%, and goods from Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland to 12.5%, where their normal rate is lower. Canadian and Mexican goods that enter duty-free under USMCA, and informational materials such as books and photos, are exempt. Alcohol and tobacco also carry federal excise tax.
- Who pays
- Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
- Moving there?
- People moving to the US and US residents returning from abroad can bring used belongings in free of duty. Household effects such as furniture, carpets, paintings, tableware, and books qualify under HTSUS 9804.00.05 if you or your family household used them abroad for at least one year and they are not for anyone else or for sale; the year need not be continuous or recent. Returning residents bring back everything they took abroad free under 9804.00.45. Nonresidents moving to the US can bring their own clothing, jewelry, toiletries, and similar personal effects free under 9804.00.20. Boxes that don't travel with you are claimed on CBP Form 3299. CBP says the 2026 Section 301 duties don't apply to goods properly claimed under these Chapter 98 provisions.
Not allowed into United States
- Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
- Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
- Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
- Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
- Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
- Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
- Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
- Counterfeit and pirated goods (the traveler's one-item exemption does not apply to shipments)
United Kingdom to United States: questions
How long does it take to ship boxes from United Kingdom to United States?
Typically 3 to 5 business days door to door after pickup, plus any time customs in United States takes to clear the shipment.
Do I pay duty on used belongings sent to United States?
There is no general duty-free limit anymore. The $800 de minimis exemption has been suspended for shipments from every country, by every mode, since August 29, 2025, and a 2025 law repeals it from July 1, 2027. Bona fide gifts from a person abroad to a person in the US stay free of duty when everything one person receives on one day is worth $100 or less ($200 if sent from the US Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa). Alcohol and tobacco never qualify, and a gift worth more than the limit pays duty on its full value. Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
What paperwork do I need to send boxes from United Kingdom?
A commercial invoice listing what's in each box and what it's worth today. Onvoyo prepares it from your contents list for you to review and approve. Sending your own belongings out of the UK is straightforward for everyday things. The courier prepares the export paperwork from your packing list. The UK rules that matter most are export licenses for antiques and art, and the import rules where the boxes land.
Is there still an $800 duty-free limit for packages to the US?
No. The $800 de minimis exemption has been suspended for every country since August 29, 2025, and a 2025 law ends it permanently on July 1, 2027. Most boxes now need a customs entry and may owe duty. Genuine gifts up to $100 and qualifying used personal effects are still duty-free.
Can I send a gift to someone in the US without duty?
Yes, if it is a genuine gift from a person abroad and everything the receiver gets that day is worth $100 or less ($200 from the US Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa). Mark the box as a gift. Alcohol and tobacco never qualify, and a gift over the limit pays duty on its full value.
Do the new US tariffs apply to my used belongings?
Not if they qualify as your personal or household effects and you claim them on CBP Form 3299. CBP says the Section 301 duties in force since July 24, 2026 don't apply to goods properly claimed under Chapter 98, which covers these effects. Boxes that don't qualify pay normal duty plus any extra duty for the goods' country of origin.
Official sources
Export rules for United Kingdom and import rules for United States, checked against these official pages. Customs makes the final decision on every shipment.
- 1.Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Animal and Plant Health Agency, and Border Force · Bringing food into Great Britain (opens in a new tab)
- 2.Home Office · Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs (opens in a new tab)
- 3.Department for Culture, Media and Sport · Exporting or importing objects of cultural interest (opens in a new tab)
- 4.U.S. Customs and Border Protection · E-Commerce Frequently Asked Questions (opens in a new tab)
- 5.U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Federal Register, 91 FR 37789) · Indefinite Suspension of the De Minimis Exemption for Merchandise Arriving Through All Modes Other Than the International Postal Network (opens in a new tab)
- 6.U.S. Customs and Border Protection · CSMS # 69326983 - GUIDANCE: Section 301 Forced Labor Import Duties (opens in a new tab)
- 7.Office of the Federal Register (eCFR) · 19 CFR Chapter I -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Department of the Treasury (opens in a new tab)
- 8.U.S. Customs and Border Protection · Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles (CBP Form 3299) (opens in a new tab)
- 9.U.S. Customs and Border Protection · Prohibited and Restricted Items (opens in a new tab)
- 10.USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) · Shipping Plants, Food, and Other Ag Items via Express Courier (opens in a new tab)
Going the other way? Ship boxes from United States to United Kingdom