Students Moving Abroad: Sending Your Things

How it works

1. Sign up for a free India Rabbit address before you leave.
2. Your family packs what you could not carry and hands it to us, or we collect it anywhere in Kerala; the domestic leg is charged at cost and we tell you first. From elsewhere in India, it comes to our warehouse by any domestic courier.
3. We open, photograph and list everything, so you know exactly what is in the box.
4. When you have your new address abroad, ask us to ship. It can wait free for 30 days.

Duty on used belongings, by country

• UK. Transfer of residence relief normally needs a ToR1 form, but full-time students do not need one; the import is entered under a specific procedure, and you need evidence of your period of study.
• Canada. CBSA treats students as temporary residents. Non-consumable goods do not have to arrive with you, and can come in under tariff item 9803.00.00 for the length of your studies; a form and a security deposit may be asked for.
• Australia. The Border Force says unaccompanied personal effects may attract duty and tax unless you have both owned and used them for 12 months or more.
• USA. Household effects used abroad for at least a year can enter free if they are not for sale or for someone else; CBP Form 3299 is generally required.

These rules have conditions and change; check your country's official page before you ship.

What to send, and what not

• Send: used clothes, books, bedding, kitchen basics, sealed packaged food within your country's rules.
• Do not send: phones and laptops (we cannot ship them), real gold or silver jewellery, perfume, or anything on the prohibited items list.
• Keep with you: documents, medicines you need on arrival, and anything you cannot be without for a week.

What it costs

Clothes and bedding are light but bulky, so they are priced on volume. Vacuum bags make a real difference. Books are heavy but compact. One larger box usually costs less than several small ones. The calculator shows the price to your country.