The document serves as a comprehensive guide for individuals planning to move to Australia, covering essential topics such as shipping logistics, customs regulations, and personal preparations needed for relocation. Key considerations include visa requirements, financial arrangements, healthcare, and item restrictions by the Australian quarantine inspection service (AQIS). Additionally, it offers insights into Australian culture and lifestyle, alongside tips for packing and minimizing costs during the move.

1. UPakWeShip
Tips on moving to Australia
Great Rates & A Ship Load Of Know How

2. Crikey I’m moving to Oz
The following pages are a useful guide for anyone moving to
Australia and cover issues like documentation, AQIS, what not to
pack, what to expect as well as some fun facts about life down
under! Before we go there, let us quickly introduce ourselves. We
are UPakWeShip.
UPakWeShip is the self packing division of The EUROGROUP
We ship to Australia from all over the USA, Canada, Europe and
of course the UK.
We can collect your things from your residence or you can drop off
at one of our terminals.
UPakWeShip has various cardboard and wooden crates that you
can load your things into or you can just ship your cardboard
boxes, trunks or suitcases.
Every couple of weeks we load up shipping containers full of
everyone's belongings and ship to the main ports like
Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.
After that we clear your shipment through Australian Customs and
AQIS.
We then arrange delivery of your contents to your residence.
All for an all inclusive great price.
Would you like to know more?
Join us on Face Book Click Here

3. What Now Mate?
Well obviously you need to decide what area you want to move to, get a
visa, get a job, somewhere to stay, buy an airline ticket, have a leaving
party, say good bye to all your friends and family.
Here are some other things you need to think about.
Your Car: sell it, store it or give it to a family member to look after. Can you
transfer your insurance policy overseas?
Bank accounts: Will I have to open a new one or can I transfer my existing
bank account? Maintain at least one bank account in the country you‟re
leaving, because its tough to open accounts when you‟re „abroad‟ and at some
point you will need to deposit a refund or Grannies birthday present check.
Health care and life insurance: Can you transfer your policy? Contact your
broker to discuss what‟s covered, where, under what circumstances and for how
long?
Debts: Do you have outstanding ones you should take care of before you leave
(including credit card balances and mortgages)?
Living will and testament: Do you need to update it, copy it, or take out one for
the first time?
Money: Will you have enough with you, and in the proper currency and notify
your credit card company you are moving overseas!
Paperwork: Obtain medical and dental records, x-rays and prescription histories
to take with you . Also keep a digital scan of all your important documents.
Pets: If you plan on bringing yours, will they be allowed where you‟re staying?
Does your pet have the proper shots and paperwork?
Sort Out: International relocation is the ultimate excuse to have a brutal clear-
out. Give away, donate, sell or recycle everything that that you haven‟t used or
appreciated in the past year.
Schooling: Have you conducted enough research concerning your children‟s
education and day care?
Vaccinations: Have you had all the appropriate ones?

4. To ship or not to ship, that is
the question
Practically everyone who arrives at the other end of the world miles away from
what they are used to is going to be home sick. Its not perfect but lest face
it, some pictures up on the wall from your old pad, ornaments, music, DVD‟s
and may be your guitar, kitchenware, bedding, hobby stuff, extra clothes etc.
(you get the picture) will definitely help you settle in so at the very least take
some personal items with you.
Think how much it will cost to buy new in Australia, look at prices
online, Australia is not cheap!
If you have kids then add a huge amount of boxes for
toys so the only other question is do I take some
furniture? That is really up to you and depends on
many factors but here are some quick tips that might
help you.
If you are going to ship some furniture pieces you
might as well ship the lot. The most expensive way to
move is, for example, a bunch of boxes plus a sofa, or
a bed.
As much as you will be paying more to ship everything, your per item cost will be
a lot less if you ship all your furniture and big stuff in a shipping container.
If you are going to be in furnished property then don‟t ship furniture but 95% of
house rentals in Australia do not contain anything but may be a dishwasher!
If you do decide to ship furniture save money by packing and loading your own
20 foot shipping container, Click here to get a quote

5. AQIS
The biggest difference between shipping to Australia compared with other
countries is, its strongly enforced import regulations to prevent disease and
unwanted pests that might destroy crops, land and endangered species.
Ever shipment that arrives in Australia has to first clear through customs and
then through AQIS.
There are charges connected to the AQIS inspection and as these depend on
the length of time involved at the inspection it is impossible to pre pay this
charge. After the inspection we will let you know the charges which do have to
be paid locally in Australia before delivery. On a small shipment it can be about
AUS$150 but on a 20 foot container it can be about AUS$600
AQIS agents will normally first inspect the packing list and then choose certain
boxes or pieces to be inspected. Quite often we will also have looked at the
packing list and grouped together items that we think will be of particular
interest to AQIS.
One of the warehouses we use in Australia Christmas decorations pulled out to be destroyed That nose will find it!

6. What Happens during the
inspection
After your shipment has passed through customs, we will
book an appointment with AQIS to come and inspect your
shipment. Once the appointment time is agreed we will have
the shipment unloaded from its crate or pallet if applicable
and have it staged ready for inspection. Sometimes AQIS will
let us know what item numbers they wish to inspect in
advance after looking at the packing list. Other times it will be
random or we will see items that we think AQIS will want to
look at. You can also mark boxes that you think would be
useful for the AQIS inspectors. Here are some pictures of
shipments ready for inspection and items that AQIS have
held for further questions, treatment or to be destroyed.

7. What Happens if they find
questionable things?
Certain items like bark and pine cones would get immediately
destroyed and charges for termination will be billed to you.
Some items after inspection might require extra treatment
like fumigation before being allowed into Australia. For
example a pair of shoes that has some dirt on them could be
held by AQIS and you will be offered a choice of fumigation
treatment or have the shoes destroyed. Treatment can often
start at about $500 so unless the items are worth a lot it is
normally cheaper to authorize destruction. Make sure all
items like shoes, golf clubs, soccer balls, camping gear, back
packs, garden tools, lawn mowers and bike tires are
spotless! Otherwise you could be in for a lot of extra charges.

8. Things to leave behind
As a general rule, foodstuffs including herbs should be
avoided if possible but if you do plan to take food with
you take it on the plane and check the government web
site here to see if its allowed.
Alcohol is generally expensive to ship due to high
customs duty and taxes in Australia. If you do plan to
take alcohol, we will require a list of each bottle
including details such as % alcohol volume. We will
provide an Alcohol Declaration form for you to complete.
Untreated wood items should not be included in your
shipment. Paint or varnish any untreated wood before
shipping or do not bring the items with you.
Any medications should be taken with you on the plane.
The basic rule is do not take anything that used to be
alive.

9. Things to leave behind
continued…….
The following is a partial list of suggested things to be left
behind. It is possible some things could be let through after
further inspection and possible treatment but treatment
and extra inspection costs are normally more than the item
is worth!
No animal or tree products, pine
cones, furs, shells, feathers, beeswax, coral including
jewelry, wooden articles and carvings including painted or
lacquered items, bark, artefacts, handicrafts and curios
made from plant material, mats, bags and other items
made from plant material, straw products and
packaging, bamboo, cane or rattan basket ware and
furnishings, potpourri and coconut shells, goods containing
cereal grain, corn husks or filled with seeds, Christmas
decorations, wreaths and ornaments, dried flowers and
arrangements, items that have been in contact with
animals such as a horse saddles or tackle, hair brushes
and your dogs bed. You can get more information by
clicking here

10. Things to put together for AQIS
Put all your shoes together in
boxes and also outdoor items like
balls, kites, bats, camping gear
together. Make sure these things
are clearly marked on your
packing list and the number
corresponds correctly with the box
or item number. Also do not
alarm AQIS over something that is
obviously not a problem. For
example do not list your kids
beanie baby as a stuffed animal!
Also as everything will have to
come out of the crate, pallet or U
Box do make sure all items are
clearly marked with your name
and the item number that
corresponds with your packing list.

11. Our Personal Packing Tips
All of your outdoor items must be prepared prior to moving
to Australia. Any item which has been in contact with the
outdoors / mud / dirt, must be spotlessly clean before
shipping. This applies to items such as bikes, garden
tools, golf clubs, sports equipment, garden furniture and
children‟s outdoor play equipment among others.
We recommend firstly washing the items with a pressure
washer to remove visible dirt and then disinfecting the
items with a cleaning product.
Your shoes and in particular the soles of your shoes must
also be cleaned. A good tip is to use an old toothbrush and
a cleaning product to clean the soles.

12. Our Personal Packing Tips continued
It is possible to include gardening equipment but it must be
cleaned and disinfected as above. Lawn Mowers must be
drained of fuel before shipping and thoroughly cleaned with
a pressure washer also.
We also advise not to ship candles as beeswax is a
prohibited / restricted item and therefore AQIS officers will
want to inspect candles, possibly resulting in a longer
quarantine inspection and additional charges for your
shipment.
In addition, candles are at risk of melting during transit due
to the fact that the vessel will cross the equator on the
journey to Australia.

13. Sunscreen and sunglasses are not optional
You can legally consume alcohol at age 18 not 21 as it is
in the USA.
Not one Nuclear weapon Down Under
Australia is expensive
Australia is very expensive. In recent years, Sydney has
held a spot among the top “most expensive cities to live
in” in the world, ranked near Paris, Zurich, Oslo, Tokyo
and Frankfurt
If you smoke be prepared to pay $18 – $22 a box. Hardly
anyone smokes in Australia.
You probably won‟t be killed by the wildlife
People actually eat kangaroo
You drive on the left
Once here I am , you are, we are Australian.
What you need to know
about Australia

14. What you need to know
about Australia continued……..
Australia‟s K-mart is like our Target. Conversely, Australia‟s
Target is like our K-mart.
Australia‟s Gloria Jean‟s is like a Starbucks.
Australia‟s Pie Face is also kind of like a Starbucks.
Sydney does actually have at least one real Starbucks.
Australia‟s Hungry Jack‟s is like a Burger King.
Australia‟s Tim Tam is like [insert favorite candy bar here].
Australia‟s Sumo Salad is like a mix between a Panera and
something healthier.
Sydney‟s Market Street and surrounding area is like New
York‟s Saks Fifth Avenue or Boston‟s Newbury Street as the
city‟s central shopping area.
Australia‟s Dick Smith is like a Best Buy

15. You will be saying no worries 10 times a day.
A Buddy is a small Coke bottle and not your mate.
It is the 6th largest country in the world.
25% of Australians are born in another country.
It has the highest rate of gambling in the world with over 80
percent of Australian adults engaging in gambling of some kind.
Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and
Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital
of Australia.
Melbourne topped 140 rivals to be crowned the world's most
livable city 2 years in a row since 2011.
Australia has over 750 different reptile species, more than any
other country in the world.
There are 3.3 times more sheep than humans in Australia.
The Australian Alps receives more snow than Switzerland.
Fun Facts about Australia

16. No Worries, you probably won’t be killed by the
wildlife!
Another thing Australians enjoy promoting is their
wildlife. Much of Australia’s wildlife is unique to
Australia, so it is indeed something to boast about, but
many Australians also seem to delight in striking fear
into foreign visitors with stories of sharks, funnelweb
spiders, snakes, blue-ring octopus, jellyfish, and even a
few less likely sounding creatures such as drop-bears
and hoop-snakes.
The reality is that most people live in urban areas and
do not come into contact with any of these creatures
frequently.
Phew!
I don’t like spiders & snakes
Spider in UPakWeShip colors!

17. Australians don’t tip. If you are the sort of person who
panics about leaving a ‘fair’ tip then this will be a huge
relief to you. However the unfortunate result in
Australia is that customer service more often than not
is not so good, as there is no incentive to provide good
service.
For those of you sitting on the edge debating whether
to go or not to Australia. Just do it, what is the worst
that could happen? You might as well experience it
while you can. And “No Worries” we can always move
you back home again if needed 
Stuff you need to know

18. Permitted blood alcohol limits are lower than in many other
countries and a system of double demerits applies to the accrual
of driving offences on public holiday periods (meaning if you are
caught speeding for example you get double the negative points
on your license
When Aussies move apartments, they move their large
appliances, too. It’s typical in Oz for appliances to stay with the
owner (even renters), including refrigerators, washers and dryers
They refer to their downtown as “CBD” (central business district)
Leave your guns at home. Australia does not have a gun culture
With the internet today, there are no products that are not
available online so if something is not stocked in Australia, you
can buy it from Europe, Canada or USA and have it sent over.
There are restrictions. You cannot import weapons, plants or
many food items but apart from that you are fine
No one says Y'all 
Stuff you don’t really need to
know but interesting anyway

19. Whatever and wherever you are moving, UPakWeShip has the
experience, best rates, professionalism and know how to get
your stuff there with no worries!
For a quick quote click here:
UK & Europe
USA & Canada
Take a look at our How to Pack like a pro presentation
Look at our 5 star reviews posted by our customers
Why use UPakWeShip? Answers are here!
Click here for a guide to our services.
www.upakweship.com Ship More For Less!
No Worries with UPakWeShip

20. So now you hopefully know a little bit more about moving
to Australia and what to expect when you get there. We
all hope you enjoyed this presentation and please do not
hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about
international moving.
Learn more by watching UPak TV click here
To print labels, get packing tips, ask a question, read the
blog, see other moving options, see reviews, look at
pictures, see other peoples moving pictures, use our
estimating tool, use our feet to metric conversion
tool, customs information, insurance, see our price
guarantee, click here.
www.upakweship.com
The End.