You have two quotes for your move abroad. One is noticeably cheaper. Read the small print and you find two words that were not on the other: “door to port”.
It sounds like a technicality. It is not. It decides who takes your belongings off the ship, who deals with customs in the destination country, who pays the port’s charges, and who delivers everything to your new home. With a door-to-port quote, the answer to most of those questions is: you.
This guide explains what each type of quote covers, stage by stage, so you can compare them properly and decide which one is right for your move.
Quick answer: a door-to-door quote covers your move from your UK home to your new home abroad, including destination port handling, import customs clearance and delivery. A door-to-port quote stops when your belongings reach the destination port; clearance, port charges, delivery and unpacking are then yours to arrange and pay for. Door to door still usually excludes duties and taxes, government inspection fees and some access charges, so check those on any quote.
What do the terms mean?
- Port to port. The company carries your belongings from a UK port to a destination port. You get them to the UK port and collect them at the other end. Rare for household moves; more common in business freight.
- Door to port. The company packs and collects from your home, handles UK export, and ships to the destination port. It stops there.
- Door to door. The company handles the whole journey to your new home, including the destination side: port handling, import customs clearance and delivery.
- Door to door with unpacking. As above, plus unpacking, furniture assembly and taking away the packing materials on delivery day.
A note on two terms you will meet: terminal handling charges are what the destination port or container terminal charges to unload and release a container. Import customs clearance is the process of declaring your belongings to the destination country’s customs and getting them released; it is normally done by a licensed customs broker or the remover’s destination partner.
Who does what under each type of quote?
| Stage | Door to port | Door to door | Who you deal with (door to door, with Gerson Moving Services) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey and quote | Remover | Remover | Surveyor, then your move manager |
| Packing and collection in the UK | Remover | Remover | Packing crew; your move manager |
| UK export paperwork | Remover | Remover | Your move manager |
| Sea freight to the destination port | Remover | Remover | Your move manager (sailing and arrival updates) |
| Destination terminal handling charges | You | Remover (check the quote) | Your move manager |
| Import customs clearance | You (you appoint a broker) | Remover’s destination partner | Your move manager, with our partner |
| Customs or biosecurity inspection, if selected | You arrange and pay | Remover arranges; the fee is usually passed on | Your move manager tells you what is happening |
| Storage at the port if delayed | You | Depends on the cause; check the quote | Your move manager |
| Delivery to your new home | You arrange | Remover’s destination partner | Your move manager books the date with you |
| Unpacking and debris removal | You | Only if included | Your move manager |
The table is the honest answer to “why is one quote cheaper?” The door-to-port price is for the top half of the table. The bottom half still has to happen.
What does door to door still leave out?
A door-to-door quote is the more complete one, but no removal quote covers everything. These are the items that are usually charged separately, or depend on your situation:
- Duties and taxes. Most countries let used household goods in free of duty if you qualify for their relief scheme. New items, alcohol and some vehicles can be charged. These are set by the destination government, not the remover.
- Government inspection fees. If customs or a biosecurity authority selects your container for inspection (Australia and New Zealand inspect for biosecurity, for example), the inspection fee is normally passed on to you.
- Access at delivery. If the delivery vehicle cannot reach your door (a narrow street, a long carry, a high floor with no lift), a smaller shuttle vehicle or extra crew may be needed. A survey that asks about your new address catches most of these. Our guide to covers what to check.
- Storage. If you are not ready to take delivery, storage at the destination is charged.
None of these should be a surprise. A good quote names each one and says whether it is included. Our guide to hidden charges in removal quotes has the full checklist, and the cost guide shows how prices change by route.
Comparing A Door-To-Port Quote With A Door-To-Door One?
Send us the quote you have. Your move manager will show you which stages it leaves out and what they are likely to cost at your destination, so you can compare like with like..
When does door to port make sense?
Door to port is not a trick. For some moves it is the right choice:
- Your employer has a destination provider. Some relocation packages appoint a company in the destination country to clear and deliver. In that case, door to port in the UK plus their service at the other end avoids paying twice. Check your relocation package for who is doing what.
- You have reliable help on the ground. If you are moving somewhere you already know well, with family or a trusted local broker, arranging the destination side yourself can save money.
- You are moving a small amount by shared container to a country with a simple import process, and you are happy to collect from the depot.
For most families moving for the first time, door to door is simpler and often not much more expensive once the destination charges are added to the cheaper quote. The real cost of door to port is not only money. It is the arrival notice in your inbox, in a language you may not read, from a terminal you have never heard of, at the point where you are also starting a job, finding schools and living out of a suitcase.
Who is your contact once your belongings land?
This is the question that matters most, and it is the one quotes rarely answer.
With a door-to-port quote, your UK remover’s job ends at the port. If something is held, inspected or delayed after that, you deal with the terminal and your broker yourself.
With a door-to-door quote, a partner company in the destination country usually does the clearance and delivery. That is normal across the industry, including at Gerson Moving Services. What differs is who you talk to. Some companies hand you over to the destination partner. With us, your dedicated move manager stays your primary contact throughout: they brief our partner before your belongings arrive, follow customs clearance, and book your delivery date with you. If your belongings are held at customs, your move manager tells you why and what happens next.
What to ask before you choose
- Does this quote end at the destination port, or at my front door?
- Are destination terminal handling charges included?
- Who clears my belongings through customs at the destination, and is that included?
- If my container is inspected, who arranges it and who pays the fee?
- Is delivery into my home included, and on which floor? What about unpacking and taking away the materials?
- Who is my contact after my belongings leave the UK?
If a quote cannot answer these clearly, it is not ready to be compared with one that can.
Accredited and accountable
Gerson Moving Services is a member of the British Association of Removers, with the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee protecting money you pay in advance. We are IAM accredited, hold FIDI FAIM, the international quality standard for removal companies, and are part of the AGM Group. Cover for loss or damage across the whole journey is available through MoveProtect, our move liability cover, with no excess, and your move manager handles any claim with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does door to port mean in international removals?
It means the removal company packs and collects your belongings from your home and ships them to the destination port, but its service ends there. Port charges, import customs clearance and delivery to your new home are left for you to arrange and pay for.
Is door to door cheaper overall than door to port?
Often it is close, once you add the destination charges a door-to-port quote leaves out. Door to port can be cheaper if someone at the destination (an employer’s provider, or a broker you already use) is handling the other end. Compare the total cost of the whole journey, not the two headline prices.
Does door to door include customs duty?
Usually not. Door to door normally includes the work of clearing customs, but not duties or taxes the destination government charges. Most countries let used household goods in duty-free if you qualify for their relief scheme, so for many movers there is no duty to pay.
Who pays if my container is inspected at the destination?
The inspection fee is set by the destination authority and is normally passed on to you, whichever type of quote you have. With door to door, the remover arranges the inspection and tells you what is happening; with door to port, you arrange it yourself.
Can I collect my belongings from the port myself?
In some countries, yes, but you will usually need a customs broker to clear them first, and you will need a suitable vehicle and help to load. For a full household, it is rarely practical. Small shared-container moves are sometimes collected from a depot.
Does Gerson Moving Services offer door-to-port moves?
No. Every Gerson Moving Services quote is door to door, because that is how we manage the whole move for you, including clearance and delivery at the destination. If your employer or a relocation provider is also involved at the destination end, tell your move manager at the survey so everyone knows who is doing what.
Related Topics
Get a quote that covers the whole journey
Your move manager will give you a door-to-door price that says what is included at both ends, what depends on the destination, and who you will deal with at every stage.
