Get a quote for sending your extra luggage and unaccompanied baggage from the UK.

Get a quick quote in 60 seconds

If you are travelling with more luggage than your airline allows, our excess baggage service might be just what you are looking for.

PSS has been the UK’s first choice for sending excess baggage overseas for over 40 years, thanks to our ability to provide swift and economical luggage shipping solutions to clients worldwide.

There are two transit methods available for moving excess baggage and luggage from the UK, each with its own advantages:

  • Sea Freight is the slowest of the two transport methods, although it provides a reliable and cheap excess baggage service.
  • Standard Air Freight is the advised transit mode if you require your luggage promptly. It is more expensive to send excess baggage via air freight; however, your goods will reach you within a matter of days.
  • Express Air Freight is our premium service if you need your belongings to arrive in the fastest time possible.

Due to our many years in the industry, we are well acquainted with sending excess baggage abroad in all load sizes, meaning we are qualified to recommend the method of transport best suited to your requirements. Some of the most popular destinations for excess luggage shipping include Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE, South Africa and Europe.

Our standing as a leading baggage shipping company is reinforced by our accreditations from FAIM Quality Standard and the FIDI Global Alliance. What’s more, clients can have full confidence and reassurance when employing us to ship excess baggage to Australia from the UK, due to our backing from the British Association of Removers and the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee Scheme.

For a fast excess baggage quote, please fill in the enquiry form below. Alternatively, you can reach us on 0800 998 3711 and we will be happy to assist.

Shipping your luggage and baggage is easy with PSS


STEP 1
Get a quote online

Choose the size and quantity of cartons required & get an online quote in 60 seconds.

STEP 2
We deliver cartons and packing materials

We deliver export-strength cartons & packing materials to your home.

STEP 3
We collect packed boxes/bags from your home


When you’re ready, we collect your packed boxes or bags and any unused cartons.


STEP 4
We ship and deliver to your new home, handling all customs clearance


Our door-to-door service takes care of everything for you.

How can we help? Call 0800 988 3711

Our friendly team are on hand to answer any questions.

Door to Door luggage shipping service

We like to make overseas baggage shipping as simple as possible, helping make your move abroad run smoothly. Therefore, when you put our reliable staff in charge of shipping your bags or boxes from the United Kingdom, we take care of everything from door to door.

We provide packaging materials, cartons and can send your personal effects in secure tea cartons, ensuring safe delivery. When you select PSS to ship boxes and suitcases, we will handle custom clearance agreements and we will personally deliver your removals to the required address.

Should I send my items in bags/suitcases or do you provide boxes?

You are free to choose whether to send your belongings in your own suitcases or bags, but we highly recommend you pack your items in the specially designed shipping boxes we provide.

This has a number of advantages – they are double-walled for extra strength and durability when being transported overseas. They are also less likely to be damaged and take up less space and are less heavy than your own luggage which can make your quote cheaper.

Not only that, we provide them and other packing materials for free!

“Why choose PSS International in 2024?”

  • Free home survey
  • Family run business for over 40 years
  • We only handle Overseas Removals
  • Members of BAR Overseas Group
  • BAR Advance Payment Guarantee Scheme
  • FIDI Global Alliance (Worldwide Moving Association)
  • FAIM Accredited (Removal Quality Assurance Standard)

Luggage Shipping Reviews

Excess Baggage Shipping Cost Calculator

Want to know how it will cost to send extra luggage and unaccompanied baggage abroad? Our free online Cost Calculator will help you estimate the cost.

International Shipping cost calculator

How much are you shipping?

Suitcase Carton
46 x 46 x 46 cm Quantity
-+
Tea Carton
46 x 46 x 51cm Quantity
-+
Book Carton
46 x 46 x 31 cm Quantity
-+
Large Suitcase
  Quantity
-+
Medium Suitcase
  Quantity
-+
Small Suitcase
  Quantity
-+
Bike Carton
148 x 22 x 96 cm Quantity
-+

Popular Items

Guitar
Quantity
-+
Skis
Quantity
-+
Snowboard
Quantity
-+
Monitor
Quantity
-+
Surfboard
Quantity
-+
Golf Clubs
Quantity
-+
Tool Box
Quantity
-+
Picture / Mirrors
Quantity
-+

Customised Package(s)

Packages
++
Weight (kg)
Length
Width
Height
Units
Packages
-+
Weight (kg)
Length
Width
Height
Units
Packages
-+
Weight (kg)
Length
Width
Height
Units
Packages
-+
Weight (kg)
Length
Width
Height
Units
Packages
-+
Weight (kg)
Length
Width
Height
Units

sc

How to ship excess baggage,luggage and boxes overseas from the UK – our FAQ Guide

What is best way to ship excess baggage?

The best and cheapest way to ship your extra suitcases overseas and personal belongings is via a Personal Shipping Service like that provided by PSS.

With the help of our experienced team, shipping your unaccompanied luggage to worldwide destinations is a straightforward process.

It all starts with a quote. We assess your consignment and determine what items you would like to ship. We recommend our cartons/boxes but you can use your own bags and suitcases.

After this, you choose which luggage shipping method will work best for you, your time-scale and your budget; air freight or sea freight. Air freight shipping will get your baggage there faster, but at a bigger price. Sea freight is the cheaper bag shipping method, but it will take much longer to arrive.

There are three excess baggage services for shipping your luggage. The method you choose depends on costs and urgency.

  1. Sea Freight: your suitcases and boxes are sent in a shared shipping container with other peoples boxes and belongings moving abroad. This is the cheapest, but the slowest method.
  2. Standard Air Freight: If you need your excess baggage to arrive sooner then air freight can be a good option.
  3. Express Air Freight: If your extra bags are needed very urgently then express air freight is the best option, however, this will be more expensive.

Thanks to over three decades in the industry, we know how to ship baggage internationally from the UK with ease. This means we can handle everything from packing, handling customs, shipping and delivering, all on a door-to-door basis. Our experts will instruct you on what customs forms and documentation needs to be completed when sending luggage and we will handle the rest upon arrival.

The whole process is very easy and hassle-free!

 

Excess Baggage Shipping '

What is excess baggage or unaccompanied baggage?

When flying abroad, your airline will allocate a set baggage allowance for your luggage; however, this is often exceeded. When travelling for a prolonged period of time, the average 20kg allowance just doesn’t suffice.

Any further belongings you wish to take that do not fit within the agreed allowance is then classed as excess baggage. This can be anything from a further suitcase of clothes, a box of treasured possessions, bulky items, musical instruments, surfboard… anything!

Unaccompanied baggage or luggage is where you send your suitcases and other household belongings to Australia by air or sea freight but you travel separately.

What is an excess baggage embargo or size and weight limits for luggage?

Some airlines have very limited capacity for sending excess baggage or extra suitcases.

In such cases, they may impose an excess baggage embargo, where extra bags are allowed or alternative very strict excess baggage limits.

For airline excess baggage you are often limited to 23kg per bag and the price per bag increases as quantity increases.

There are also strict limits to the size of bags and items you can send. Large or heavy items need to be sent by expensive oversized luggage services.

PSS offers a very cost-effective alternative to excess baggage fees – and volume discounts apply if you have more to ship.

What is the cost of airline excess baggage?

Similar to the allowed baggage weight, charges for excess baggage are set and charged at the airline’s discretion. Occasionally, you can pay a fixed fee for secondary suitcases prior to flying, although this is not always allowed and the weight of this case is also limited.

Any additional bags that are not paid for in advance or where the luggage exceeds the permitted weight, charges apply for every extra kilogram of weight, and the charges can often be extortionate.

Using our excess baggage services will enable you to take all of your worldly possessions with you on your trips, and then some… all for a fraction of the airline price!

To get a cost for sending your excess baggage overseas use the cost calculator on this page for a quick quote – you will be pleasantly surprised how much you can save.

How much does it cost to ship luggage overseas from the UK?

Shipping baggage doesn’t have to break the bank. Sending bags with PSS means you get a quality shipping service at an affordable price. How high your luggage shipping rates are will depend on a couple of variables.

The cost will depend on the volume of boxes/bags you are shipping and whether you are using sea or air freight.

To get an initial price we recommend using our free online cost calculator available on this page for a quick quote. Our Move Managers will also be able to tailor your quote to meet your personal requirements.

But you can be assured that PSS is widely regarded as the cheapest and best company for shipping your items. We are confident that we can give you a very good quote without compromising on service.

Please note that sea freight costs are based on volume whereas air freight rates are calculated by volumetric weight – a combination of weight and volume.

What is the cheapest way to ship unaccompanied luggage?

The cheapest way to send your extra bags and other items is by sea freight using our personal shipping service.

We transport your possessions in a shared shipping container together with other customers belongings bound to the same country so that everyone saves money. This is known as a ‘groupage service’ and is much cheaper than excess baggage and courier services.

As PSS are one of the leading UK excess baggage shipping companies, we can get the best sea freight rates due to the high volumes we ship and so are able to offer cheap prices to our customers.

Are there any additional charges e.g. customs fees?

Our quote is for a full door to door collection and delivery service to your address in your destination country.

There may, however, be additional customs charges e.g. customs duty, GST, inspection and quarantine fees.

These will need to be paid when your shipment arrives.

NB: Customs Duty and GST are not usually charged for returning citizens and migrants with permanent resident visas who have been away for over 12 months.

But different rules apply for different countries so please check for your chosen country.

How to send your suitcases and luggage via Air Freight or by our Express Service?

The fastest way to send your excess baggage and boxes overseas is to fly them by air freight or our express courier service.

This is more expensive than our sea freight service, but still much cheaper than airline excess baggage rates.

Air freight prices are calculated by volumetric weight – a combination of volume and weight in kilograms.

Many customers choose to send the bulk of their goods by sea and then ask us to fly the possessions they need more urgently.

Don’t forget that this is a door to door service which will save you time and hassle at both your departure and destination airports.

We offer two options to fly your excess luggage – Standard Air Freight and Express Air Freight which is a fastrack courier service.

What size suitcases and bags can you send as excess baggage?

You can ship any size of suitcase or bag but it should weigh less than 25kg for health and safety reasons.

Also, luggage that is overfilled and too heavy is more liable to split which is why we recommend our heavy duty shipping boxes.

We offer you export quality boxes/cartons and other packing materials which are a better alternative to buying new suitcases.

When calculating the size of your suitcases you may need to convert their volume in litres to cubic feet which is the measure used by international shipping companies.

1 litre is about 0.035 cubic feet – but you will need to allow extra if the size in litres is for the internal capacity rather than the size of the suitcase. The table below is a rough guide:

Luggage Size Litres Cubic Feet
Small (S) 20 – 49 1 – 1.7
Medium (M) 50 – 69 1.7 – 2.5
Large (L) 70 – 89 2.5 – 3.2
Extra Large (XL) 90 – 120 3.2 – 4.2
Extra Extra Large (XXL) 120+ 4.2+

What size of boxes do you provide for international shipping?

If possible we recommend sending your personal possessions in boxes rather than bags or suitcases.

We provide a variety of different cartons, including small and large boxes, as part of your quote. All our cartons are of high quality and designed specifically for international box shipping.

Economy Carton

Size:       46 x 46 x 46cm

Description: Standard size box that is suitable for most items.

Tea Carton (Tea Chest)

Size:       46 x 46 x 51cm

Description: Large box that is suitable for bigger and bulkier items such as clothes and bedding. This is about the size and volume of the traditional tea chest.

Book Carton

Size:       46 x 46 x 31cm

Description: Smaller box that is suitable for books, paperwork and heavier items.

Bike Carton

Size:       148 x 22 x 96cm

Description: Specialist box specifically designed for transporting cycles/bicycles.

Custom Packages

You can also enter the dimensions and weight of customs packages on our cost calculator to get a price estimate.

Can I ship oversized luggage overseas?

If you have an oversized suitcase that is very large or weighs over 25kg, we can help you ship it using our oversized baggage service. Please speak to our team for more details.

For large items such as furniture which require more than one person to lift, we provide an international removal service.

What items can I send as unaccompanied baggage?

Our excess baggage shipping service is suitable for sending all manner of household items and personal effects.

This can include clothing, shoes, books, souvenirs, toys, small items of furniture

In fact, any of your personal possessions and goods can be boxed and shipped abroad as long as they meet customs requirements.

Our shipping company is used by thousands of migrants, families, expats, students and also Australians returning home from the UK to ship all their boxes of goods.

Popular items that can be shipped via our box/baggage shipping service include:

  • Suitcases and luggage
  • Guitars (use a hard case)
  • TVs
  • Computers & monitors
  • Golf clubs and bags
  • Skis and ski bags
  • Surfboards
  • Snowboards
  • Other sports gear and equipment
  • Tool boxes / tool bags
  • Pictures/mirrors
  • Vinyl Records / LPs

For larger items and furniture you will likely need to use our international removals service.

What can’t I ship as excess baggage?

Most countries have a list of restricted or prohibited items that you cannot take with you when entering or relocating. It is important therefore that you make sure you check the listings for prohibited or restricted items and take action accordingly.

Many are items you might expect but some countries have more unusual restrictions.

Please see our FIDI Customs Information Guides for more details.

You may also wish to check the local government website for the latest information on importing goods.
Examples of restricted imports that require pre-approval are:
  • Antibiotics, medicines & therapeutic drugs
  • Erasers (novelty) resembling food in scent or appearance
  • Some types of cosmetics
  • Endangered animal fur, skins, tusks, ivory etc. (With CITES certificate)
  • Firearms, ammunition and accessories
  • Knives and daggers (even for sport)
  • Martial art swords or weapons
  • Bamboo, wicker or cane items
Examples of prohibited import are:
  • Seeds, plants and dried floral arrangements
  • Original pine cones or any plant matter used for Christmas decorations or wreaths.
  • Raw untreated wood or bark
  • Food and meats
  • Endangered animal fur, skins, tusks or ivory (Without CITES certificate)

Air Freight Prohibited and Restricted Items

In addition, if you shipping your luggage, boxes and other belongings by air, you need to comply by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Failure to comply can lead to your shipment being rejected by the airline. For more details please check our guide Air Freight Prohibited Items.

Prohibited items when sending luggage via air freight include:

  • Fireworks, ammunition, firearms or explosives
  • Cylinders of compressed air, oxygen or liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
  • Any type of aerosol can (e.g. deodorant, shaving cream, hair spray, paint etc
  • Camping stoves, cigarette/pipe lighters or cigarette lighter refills
  • Cosmetics (e.g. nail polish, colognes, perfumes, nail polish remover)
  • Paint, fuel or paint thinners
  • Matches
  • Dry Ice, specimens or samples
  • Detergents, bleaches, drain or oven cleaners
  • Fibreglass repair kits, adhesives and puncture repair kits
  • Medicines of any type
  • Any type of chemical, pesticides, herbicides etc
  • Camping equipment (e.g. gas stoves, gas cylinders)
  • Diving equipment (e.g. air tanks)
  • Batteries of any type
  • Machinery with internal combustion engines such as chainsaws, lawnmowers or garden trimmers
  • Printer ink cartridges of any type
  • Food of any type

NB: The above is not intended as a comprehensive list, but as examples of the kind of items that are prohibited/restricted. If you are at all unsure please check with your Move Manager.

Do I need marine insurance or shipment protection cover for my belongings?

At PSS we do our very best to take great care of your belongings and unaccompanied baggage, so whilst we are confident that your goods are in safe hands, unfortunately, accidents do happen that are beyond our control.

So, in the same way, you have car insurance, travel insurance and home contents insurance to protect you as well as your belongings in the unlikely event that you should need to claim, we recommend for peace of mind, that you take out shipment protection cover.

We offer a flexible and independent shipment protection cover through Basil Fry & Company – the UK’s leading insurance broker for international removals and shipping.

The most popular comprehensive cover (Standard Liability including damage) is calculated at 5% of the total value you declare.

Your Move Manager will be able to give you more details.

Moving overseas News Articles