# Shipping from the UK to Cairo



## LionUK (Feb 20, 2013)

Hi 

I'm looking to relocate to Cairo soon from the UK and want to ship our personal belongings - can anyone advise me of any good/reputable shipping companies based on their own personal experience.

Any help appreciated

Thanks


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## Biffy (May 22, 2012)

Hi
the only advice aI can give you is don't do it - unless you will have tax free status here in Egypt (oil and gas sector, diplomatic).
On arrival they are not gentle with your things, items may go missing, and the customs will treat all of your items (especially furniture and white goods if any) as new - which means that the tax they will charge you is as if the items were new.

It just isn't worth it!

There are already a number of threads on expatforum with the same advice to the people (and I think it was on here - or another forum I am on - where a guys whole container went missing).

If you haven;t rented somewhere to live yet - rent somewhere that is furnished or semifurnished that way ypou won't need all your things - put them in storage.

I don't know of any expats who actually shipped their house contents because of this tax issue - they all bought when they got here.
When you leave you can always sell the furniture and make some of the money back!


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## LionUK (Feb 20, 2013)

Thanks for the advice Biffy

I remember reading the same warnings about shipping furniture/white goods that's why I've managed to sell all of it and am looking to rent furnished accommodation.

We'll be flying by Egypt Air to make use of their 46 kg baggage allowance. However, the only problem is that I/my family have some personal belongings that are in excess of this e.g. clothes, books, audio etc.

Could look at getting some of my friends & family to bring some of it with them when they hopefully come to visit?

Any other suggestions more than welcome

Thanks


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## Homeless (Jul 31, 2012)

LionUK said:


> Thanks for the advice Biffy
> 
> I remember reading the same warnings about shipping furniture/white goods that's why I've managed to sell all of it and am looking to rent furnished accommodation.
> 
> ...



I air freighted a crate weighing 350 KG from Canada to Cairo and back to Canada when I returned and it was quite worth it.
The freight charges were about 1300 dollars and the cost of duty, taxes and agent fees did not exceed the 4000LE. It was a one cubic meter crate so no furniture were included. I had a blender a juicer some closet organizers, RO water purifier, roller blades, diving equipment (not tanks), kitchen items, two guitars, amplifier, processor, clothes, camping equipment and much more. I was throwing stuff in to fill in the crate. When the crate arrived it was open in my presence and they went through the entire content and made estimate as to the worth of each item. It is arbitrary and in that case it was to my advantage. The agent kept arguing with the official and brought the cost down a bit.
On the way back the freight cost a bit less, I think about a 1000 dollars but I could not put everything in a crate because unlike Canada Egyptian customs did not use luggage scanner, no they dumped everything out and put it back in in the presence of a representative of the freight company. for that reason I put everything in suitcases and duffel bags and did had very few breakable items wrapped well and of course they were unwrapped and put back in quickly and got broken on the way. Only one valuable such item got a way.

All in all it very much worth it as much of what I took there was not available in Egypt, very very expensive and had I bought them there I wouldn't have been able to sell them before I left for anywhere near what they cost me. At the matter of fact the appliances and furniture I bought there which was very expensive even by Canadian standards was either given away for free or sold for less than quarter the price.


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## hurghadapat (Mar 26, 2010)

LionUK said:


> Thanks for the advice Biffy
> 
> I remember reading the same warnings about shipping furniture/white goods that's why I've managed to sell all of it and am looking to rent furnished accommodation.
> 
> ...


As you are flying with Egyptair why not have a look at their excess baggage charges.

EGYPTAIR Travel Agent - Excess Baggages


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## Biffy (May 22, 2012)

fly BA the basic bagge allowance isn't massive - but the charge for extra bags above and beyond the first bag is really good - it was something like 30 sterling for eery 30kg and you can book quite a number of bags
worth a look


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## emmab73 (Feb 10, 2009)

Hi I realise this is an older thread but I'm in the same position here, 46kg's will cover my clothes bags and shoes, but nothing else like books, photos and other personal items that I really want to bring, does anyone know of a reasonable way to ship this over. No furniture just bits and pieces really.


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