Shipping from Australia to Ireland (2026): The Cheapest Way to Send a Bag, Box or Full Move, With Real Prices

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Heading home to Ireland, or moving to Australia with more than a suitcase? This is the guide I send people when the shipping question comes up in the groups, which is most days. Two companies have done the job reliably for Irish Around Oz readers since 2014, and both give you a discount for coming through here. I’ve also priced Australia Post and the airlines, so you can see what’s actually cheapest.

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What’s the cheapest way to ship to Ireland from Australia?

For one box up to 20 kg that you don’t need for months, Australia Post Economy Sea is cheapest: $93.35 for 5 kg from Sydney, taking two to three months. For a full suitcase you need quickly, Send My Bag wins: $266 for up to 20 kg plus a fuel surcharge, door to door in 2 to 3 working days. Paying Emirates or Qatar Airways for extra kilos is the dearest by a distance. Bigger moves need a MoveCube or a container.

Option	What it costs and how long (when we checked in October 2026)
Australia Post Economy Sea (2 to 20 kg per parcel)	5 kg $93.35, 10 kg $153.90, 20 kg $275.00. Two to three months. Tracked.
Australia Post Standard (air, up to 20 kg)	5 kg $132.00, 10 kg $221.15, 20 kg $399.45. 7 to 12 business days.
Send My Bag (suitcase or box, door to door)	Up to 15 kg $231, 20 kg $266, 25 kg $315, 30 kg $364 per item. 2 to 3 working days. Plus a fuel surcharge at checkout and a €20 clearance fee for personal effects in Ireland.
Emirates extra baggage	USD 50 per kg at the airport, Australia to Europe, so USD 1,000 for an extra 20 kg. Up to 45% less bought online beforehand, in 5 kg blocks.
Qatar Airways extra baggage	USD 60 per kg at the airport, Australasia to Europe, so USD 1,200 for 20 kg. Cheaper bought online in advance, but that price isn’t published.
Seven Seas boxes and bags	Quote only. About 143 days by sea or 21 days by air. Maximum 30 kg per box.
Seven Seas MoveCube	Quote only, no published price. About 141 days by sea. Three sizes.
20ft container	$11,000 to $12,700 Sydney to Ireland, a Sirelo estimate from June 2026 quoted in our container shipping guide.

Prices in Australian dollars unless marked USD, from the Australia Post postage calculator (Sydney to Ireland), Send My Bag’s quote page, and the Emirates and Qatar Airways baggage pages.

Which one do you need?

Should you ship it or sell it?

Most people asking this have been in Australia one to four years and own more than they expected. My rule of thumb: sell the big cheap stuff (beds, couches, the $40 Kmart shelves) and ship the things that are expensive to replace or impossible to, like tools, sports gear, kitchen kit you actually like and anything sentimental. Post the rest in the Irish Around groups, it goes fast.

Rough guide to what makes sense:

• One box under 20 kg, no rush: Australia Post Economy Sea.
• Up to 30 kg, needed quickly: Send My Bag. It beats paying Emirates or Qatar for extra kilos.
• 30 to 150 kg: Send My Bag if you want it in days, or a Seven Seas boxes quote by sea if you can wait.
• More than that, or any furniture: Seven Seas MoveCube.

There is always an alternative to shipping. Don’t be this guy.

How the Seven Seas MoveCube works

They bring the MoveCube to your door, you load it, they collect it and ship it to Ireland. At the other end it’s delivered to the new address, as long as the driver can park within 20 metres of the door. If not, it’s a depot collection, so mention tricky access when you book. Seven Seas handles the customs clearance and gives you two weeks of free storage at each end. The videos below show the process.

Customs and tax when it lands in Ireland

Moving home for good: Transfer of Residence relief

If you’re moving back to live in Ireland, your own used belongings can come in free of customs duty and VAT under Transfer of Residence relief. Revenue’s rules:

• You’ve lived outside the EU for at least 12 months in a row.
• You’ve owned and used the goods for at least six months.
• They arrive within six months before, or 12 months after, the date you move home.
• You don’t sell, lend or hire them out within 12 months, or you pay the import charges.

Claim on Revenue’s Declaration form for transfer of residence, C&E 1076, emailed with your supporting documents to the Revenue office at the port or airport where your goods land, two weeks before they arrive. Revenue wants proof (receipts, lease or job documents) that you lived abroad, are moving here, and owned the goods. Trade tools, commercial vehicles and alcohol or tobacco over the normal allowances aren’t covered.

Seven Seas includes the form in its MoveCube paperwork. Posting boxes instead? Check with Revenue first: An Post stopped handling these applications on 1 January 2024. Our moving back to Ireland guide has more, including bringing a car home.

Gifts and ordinary parcels

A parcel from family in Australia comes in free under gift relief if the goods are worth €45 or less (postage doesn’t count), it’s an occasional gift between private people, and nobody paid for it. Over €45, VAT is charged on the whole parcel, and gift parcels up to €700 can get a flat 2.5% duty rate. Alcohol, tobacco and perfume aren’t exempt from VAT or excise. Mark the form as a gift and add the 10-digit HS tariff number Irish customs now need.

Things you buy online from Australian shops pay VAT at the Irish rate and, since 1 July 2026, a €3 customs duty per item on parcels worth €150 or less, collected on delivery if the shop didn’t. Belongings that don’t qualify for Transfer of Residence relief can be charged duty and VAT too.

Shipping to Australia: moving out the other way

The cheapest published price we found for sending luggage to Australia from Ireland is Send My Bag’s Standard service: $190 for up to 15 kg, $228 for 20 kg and $304 for 30 kg, in 5 to 6 working days when we checked in October 2026. Express takes 3 to 4 working days, from $231. It’s two bags or boxes per order to Australia, but you can place several orders. Seven Seas has depots in Ireland and will deliver the MoveCube to your door there: about 140 days by sea, or 135 for boxes. Same discounts apply (5% at Send My Bag, 10% at Seven Seas), just quote from the Irish side.

• Customs: belongings arriving separately from you are cleared with the B534 Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement. Australian Border Force lets them in free of duty and GST if you’re 18 or over and you’ve owned and used your personal effects, furniture and household goods for 12 months before you leave for Australia. It can ask for receipts or photos as proof, and newer things may be charged duty and GST. Arrange the shipping before you arrive. Alcohol and tobacco aren’t covered.
• Biosecurity: everything is assessed by the Department of Agriculture. Declare risk items on the B534: not declaring them can lead to prosecution. Clean soil, plant material and insects off boots, bikes, camping gear, sporting gear and garden tools before you pack. Anything that can’t be cleaned or treated may be destroyed or sent back at your expense.

Your packing list should say what things are made of, like “wooden chair”, and don’t reuse old fruit and veg boxes. For posting Irish food out, see our Irish food in Australia guide.

What you can’t send

Each carrier has its own list, and they’re stricter than you’d think. The ones that catch people out, as of October 2026:

• Send My Bag: to or from Australia, no device with a battery of any kind, so no phone, laptop or tablet, and no loose batteries or power banks. No liquids, pastes or gels of any type, shampoo and toothpaste included. Also banned: aerosols, perfume, nail varnish, food and drink (chocolate, protein powder, wine and beer included), medicines, knives, AirTags, tobacco and vapes, and plastic bags or boxes. Electricals, glass and porcelain go at your own risk (full list).
• Seven Seas: its prohibited goods list bans alcohol, food and drink (tea, coffee and chocolate included), tobacco, cash, plants and soil on every international service. By air, no aerosols, perfume, batteries or knives either. By sea, aerosols (500 ml max) and perfume (150 ml max, original packaging) are allowed, two of each per box, as are batteries built into small electronics. Into Australia, no Christmas decorations made with natural material or wheat heat bags.
• Australia Post: perfume, nail polish and aerosols count as dangerous goods, so leave them out. Lithium batteries can only go overseas installed in the device, two batteries or four cells at most. Its Ireland guide lists dairy produce, eggs and honey among goods Ireland won’t let in.

Packing and paperwork tips that save money

• Weigh everything. They all charge by weight and size. A $20 luggage scale pays for itself.
• Use proper boxes. Double-walled cardboard, strong tape, bubble wrap around anything that rattles. Send My Bag only takes sturdy double-walled boxes, and sells them.
• Label inside and out. Put your name, phone and destination address on a sheet inside each box in case the outer label goes.
• Write an inventory as you pack. Seven Seas needs an inventory packing list for customs, numbered to match the boxes. Seven Seas and Australian biosecurity both warn against vague labels like “stuff”.
• Keep receipts and photograph damage. Seven Seas asks for photos of the damage and the outside of the box with a claim, so keep the item and packaging. Send My Bag needs damage reported in writing within 7 days of delivery, with proof of purchase.
• Do the customs form properly. “Used personal effects” is the phrase you want. Both companies walk you through it online.
• Book early. Sea freight in particular books out before Christmas.

Shipping questions people ask in the groups

What’s the cheapest way to send a suitcase from Australia to Ireland?

Over 20 kg, Send My Bag: $364 for up to 30 kg, collected from your door. Up to 20 kg it’s close: Send My Bag is $266 plus the fuel surcharge and €20 clearance fee, Australia Post Economy Sea is $275 but takes two to three months. Australia Post also caps parcels at 105 cm long and 140 cm girth.

How much does it cost to ship a box to Ireland?

From Sydney with Australia Post: $93.35 by sea or $132 by air for 5 kg, and $275 or $399.45 for 20 kg. Send My Bag starts at $231 for up to 15 kg.

How long does shipping from Australia to Ireland take?

Send My Bag: 2 to 3 working days. Australia Post: 5 to 10 business days by Express, 7 to 12 by Standard, two to three months by Economy Sea. Seven Seas: about 141 to 143 days by sea, or about 21 days for boxes by air. Book the MoveCube at least a month before you fly.

Can I post a parcel to Ireland with Australia Post?

Yes, up to 20 kg per parcel. Fill in the customs form online or at the Post Office, with the 10-digit HS tariff number. For the cheapest option, ask for International Economy Sea at the counter.

Do I pay tax on things I ship home to Ireland?

Not if you qualify for Transfer of Residence relief: 12 months living outside the EU, goods owned and used for six months, claimed on form C&E 1076. Gifts up to €45 are free too. Otherwise expect VAT, and possibly customs duty.

Is Send My Bag legit?

Yes. Thousands from the Irish Around Oz groups have used it since 2014, and its site showed a 4.7 out of 5 rating from more than 113,000 reviews in October 2026. I have never had a member email me a horror story about either company. Compare that with Gumtree “man with a van” shipping offers, which I would not touch.

What about the UK or the rest of Europe?

Send My Bag ships to over 100 countries, so a bag to London, Berlin or Lisbon works exactly the same way and the 5% discount still applies. I once sent a bag home from Nicaragua with them and it turned up.

Is my stuff insured?

Send My Bag includes some free cover and sells more at checkout. Seven Seas offers optional insurance. It is not a substitute for travel insurance on yourself. If you are arriving in Australia, sort True Traveller or Go Insurance before the bags do.

Is unaccompanied baggage the same thing?

Yes. Unaccompanied baggage just means luggage that travels separately from you, which is exactly what Send My Bag and Seven Seas do. It is usually much cheaper than paying an airline for extra kilos (see the table above), so compare the two before you fly.

Can I ship a full container from Australia to Ireland?

You can, but for most people moving home after a working holiday it is overkill. A container is for a whole house of furniture: see our container shipping guide for 2026 prices and transit times. Get at least three quotes from international removalists, and ask whether they handle the Transfer of Residence paperwork. For a room or two of stuff, a Seven Seas MoveCube or a few boxes is usually far cheaper.

Sorting the rest of the move

• Leaving Australia? Use our leaving Australia checklist, then grab a seat from the flight deals to Ireland.
• Money going home? Don’t use the bank. Read the money transfer guide or go straight to Wise. For a house sale sized amount use TorFX.
• Leaving for good? Join Irish Expats Returning to Ireland for the superannuation, tax and shipping questions everyone has.
• Just landing? Get travel insurance sorted before the bags arrive, and read the complete moving guide.

Best of luck with the move, whichever direction it’s in.

Stephen Palmer

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