Moving Back to India from the USA or Canada: How Do You Ship Your Belongings Home?

Method	Best for	Notes
LCL (shared container)	Up to about 13 CBM, such as a studio or 1-bed	Adds roughly two to four weeks
20ft container	From about 14 CBM, holding about 25–28 CBM of household goods	Most 2-3 bedroom homes fit
40ft container	Large houses, about 40–55 CBM	Pikkol’s figure for a 4-bed or larger
Air freight	Essentials, about 200–300 kg	Fastest, and the most expensive per kg
Extra suitcases	A few boxes	Beyond about 8–10 bags, freight is usually better

Home size	Method	Indicative cost
Studio / 1-bed (≈8–12 CBM)	LCL shared	US$3,000–5,500
2-bed (≈16–20 CBM)	20ft FCL	US$6,000–9,500
3-bed (≈25–30 CBM)	20ft full load	US$7,000–10,500
4-bed+ (≈40–55 CBM)	40ft FCL	US$9,500–14,500
Air, essentials (≈200–300 kg)	Air	US$2,000–3,500

Home size	Method	Indicative cost
Studio / 1-bed (≈8–12 CBM)	LCL shared	CA$4,000–7,500
2-bed (≈16–20 CBM)	20ft FCL	CA$8,000–13,000
3-bed (≈25–30 CBM)	20ft full load	CA$9,500–14,500
4-bed+ (≈40–55 CBM)	40ft FCL	CA$13,000–19,500
Air, essentials (≈200–300 kg)	Air	CA$2,800–4,800

From Canada (CA$)

Included: packing and export handling in the USA or Canada, ocean or air freight, Indian customs clearance, and delivery to your Indian address. Inland delivery to cities such as Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune adds a rail or truck leg.

Compare carefully. Published freight-only quotes can look cheaper because they often exclude packing, Indian clearance and inland delivery. Compare quotes only on equal CBM and included lines. Our guide to comparing international moving quotes shows how.

How long does it take?

Route	Door to door (FCL)	Door to door (LCL)	Air
USA to India	45–75 days	60–95 days	7–14 days
Canada to India	50–80 days	65–100 days	7–14 days

Stage by stage, Pikkol’s guide gives:

Stage	Typical time
Survey, quote and booking	1–3 weeks before packing
Packing and loading	1–3 days
Port handling or rail/truck to port	3–12 days
Ocean voyage	30–50 days (about 30–45 from the US East Coast, 35–50 from the West Coast)
Indian customs clearance (TR)	3–10 days after arrival
Inland delivery	3–10 days

What is the Transfer of Residence (TR) allowance?

TR is the customs concession for people returning to India after living abroad. Under the Baggage Rules, 2026 (Notification 14/2026-Customs (N.T.), in force from 2 February 2026), which replaced the 2016 rules, Pikkol’s pages give:

Time abroad	Duty-free TR value	Key condition
Under 3 months	No TR, only the general ₹75,000 allowance	n/a
3–12 months	₹1,500,000	No TR claim in the prior 3 years
At least 1 year in the last 2	₹3,00,000	No TR claim in the prior 3 years
2 years or more	₹7,50,000	Short India visits in the prior 2 years total six months or less, and no TR claim in the prior 3 years

Who is eligible: Indian passport holders, OCI cardholders and foreign nationals on non-tourist Indian visas.
What counts: used personal and household goods, one unit each of the listed appliances (a second unit is dutiable), jewellery within limits if you’ve been abroad over a year, and one new laptop per adult.
What doesn’t count as TR: firearms, excess tobacco and alcohol, gold or silver other than ornaments, and cars or motorcycles.
The allowance is per eligible passenger. How it applies to a family shipment depends on the names on the bill of lading and the inventory.
Excess value is charged duty, so declare accurately.

Rules change and customs officers decide at clearance. Your customs broker should confirm the current rules and the unaccompanied-baggage list at your clearing port. Read our customs, visa and documentation guide.

What is the shipment window?

Goods can land up to 2 months before your arrival and must be dispatched within 1 month after you arrive. Customs can grant an extension of up to 1 year in special cases, such as illness or transport disruption.

What documents do you need?

Document	Who provides it
Passport (stay and arrival pages), and OCI card or visa	You
Proof of residence abroad and of your move	You
Detailed inventory with values, in English	Pikkol, on packing day
Unaccompanied baggage declaration (Form CBD-II)	You, with the customs broker
Bill of lading or air waybill	The shipping line or airline
Authority letter for the broker, and your PAN copy if you have one	You
Invoices for newer, high-value items	You
Pet NOC and endorsed health certificate	You, with the pet team

What should you ship, sell or leave?

Category	Usual advice
Furniture, books, kitchenware, art, tools, bicycles, instruments, sentimental items	Often worth shipping
TVs, consoles, solid wood furniture, mattresses	Check first
Large kitchen appliances, washers, dryers, ACs	Usually sell. They are built for 120V/60Hz, while India runs on 230V/50Hz with Type C, D and M plugs.
Cheap flat-pack furniture	Usually sell
Laptops, phones and most chargers	Usually dual-voltage and fine
Motors, compressors and heating appliances	Usually need a transformer

Pikkol’s advice is to spend your allowance on items India doesn’t sell well, and ship only essentials by air.

What can’t you bring?

E-cigarettes and vapes
Foreign-made drones (largely prohibited since February 2022)
Firearms without an Indian licence
Gold or silver bars and coins
Meat, seeds, plants and soil
Hazardous items such as aerosols, propane, paint, loose lithium batteries and pool chemicals
Trade or bulk goods
Indian currency above ₹25,000, and foreign currency above US10,000 in total, must be declared

Can you bring your car?

Generally not. India accepts only right-hand-drive used cars, generally no more than 3 years old, with a km/h speedometer. US and Canadian cars are left-hand drive. Eligible cars need homologation (ARAI, ICAT or VRDE), full duty, and usually can’t be sold for 2 years. Pikkol recommends selling before you fly. Once you’re in India, Pikkol can move your car or bike between cities. See vehicle shifting.

Can you bring your pet?

Yes, with preparation. For a permanent move after 2 or more years abroad, you can bring up to two dogs or cats as baggage with an AQCS No Objection Certificate, applied for at least 7 days before the flight.

Microchip: ISO-compliant, placed before the rabies vaccine
Rabies vaccine: 1–12 months before travel
Health certificate: from the USDA-accredited vet, endorsed by USDA APHIS (USA), or endorsed by CFIA (Canada)
Entry airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru or Hyderabad
Quarantine: a pet that fails inspection can be held for up to 15 days
Three or more pets, or a non-permanent move, need a DGFT import licence (about a month)

See Pikkol’s pet relocation page, and our guide on moving abroad with a pet and household goods.

What if your Indian home isn’t ready?

Pikkol can clear your goods through customs and hold them in managed household storage, which avoids port demurrage. Demand is highest in Bengaluru and Delhi NCR. See storage, with city pages for Bengaluru, Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai.

How should you time it?

When	What to do
8–12 weeks before you fly	Get quotes, book a video survey, check your TR slab
6–8 weeks before	Book your mover, decide what to sell, donate or ship
4 weeks before	Gather documents, arrange pet paperwork, plan storage if needed
1–3 weeks before	Packing in the USA or Canada
On arrival	Your customs broker files Form CBD-II and clears the goods
After clearance	Delivery, unpacking and debris removal

If you need a few things quickly, ship essentials by air, or use extra checked bags for a few boxes.

What else might you need?

A local move in India after delivery: house shifting and packers and movers
Storing goods before you move in: storage facility
Art and valuables: the high-value move guide
Insurance and risk: the risk guide
Settling in: the settling-in guide and settling-in services. Pikkol’s support covers home and school search, PAN and banking, a local SIM and orientation for your family.
A few boxes the other way: international parcel service, which is for India-to-abroad shipments only
Moving abroad again later: India to the USA and India to Canada
Employer-funded repatriation: corporate relocation
Other relocation pages: international relocations, USA and Canada

Pikkol’s take

Returning home is easier when you choose your TR slab, name the shipment correctly and decide early what to ship. Ask each mover to put the survey, inventory, inclusions and customs support in writing, then compare. Learn more about Pikkol, browse the FAQs or contact us. Pikkol has completed more than 1,00,000 moves since 2015 and delivers across 15,000+ PIN codes in India.

Frequently asked questions

How do I ship my belongings from the USA or Canada to India?
Book a video survey, get a written quote, pack with an inventory, and have the mover handle freight, Indian customs clearance and delivery.

How much does it cost to ship household goods to India?
On Pikkol’s indicative figures, about US4,000–19,500 from Canada, depending on home size and method. Duty, storage, port charges and insurance are extra.

How long does it take?
About 45–100 days door to door by sea, depending on the route and method, and 7–14 days by air.

What is the Transfer of Residence?
It’s the customs concession for returning residents. The duty-free value depends on how long you lived abroad, from ₹1,50,000 to ₹7,50,000.

Do I pay duty on my household goods?
Duty applies to value above your allowance. Declare accurately, and confirm with your customs broker.

Can OCI cardholders use the TR allowance?
Pikkol’s pages say OCI cardholders are eligible, and foreign nationals on non-tourist visas can be too. Confirm your case with your broker.

When should my goods arrive?
Goods can land up to 2 months before you arrive and must be dispatched within 1 month after. Extensions are possible in special cases.

Should I ship my appliances?
Usually not, because of the voltage and plug differences. Sell large appliances, and carry dual-voltage electronics.

Can I bring my car?
Generally not. Sell it before you fly.

Can I bring my dog or cat?
Yes, with an AQCS NOC, microchip, rabies vaccination and an endorsed health certificate.

What if my home isn’t ready?
Use storage after customs clearance.

How early should I book?
Pikkol recommends 8–12 weeks before you fly.

Get your free quote

Tell us your city abroad, your Indian city, home size and target date. Get a free quote from the USA, get a free quote from Canada, or chat on WhatsApp.

Moving Back to India from the USA or Canada: How Do You Ship Your Belongings Home?

How does shipping your belongings to India work?

Which shipping method should you choose?

How much does it cost?

From the USA (US$)