Freshness note: US customs rules, forms and thresholds change. Every figure below is drawn from an official source and linked inline, but always confirm the specific detail that applies to your shipment before you book.

Shipping to the USA: Sea Freight vs Air Freight (2026)

This guide explains how a European resident’s household belongings actually travel across the Atlantic to the United States: when a sea container makes sense, when air freight is worth the premium, realistic transit windows to the East and West coasts, and the US customs paperwork that governs both. It is written for an international move to (or back from) the USA, not domestic US removals. Every rule, form, fee and threshold is taken from official government sources — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), USDA APHIS, TTB and FinCEN — and linked so you can verify it.

Key takeaways

• Nearly all household moves to the USA go by sea freight; air freight is reserved for small, urgent, or high-value loads because it typically costs several times more per kilo. Both routes clear US customs under the same rules and forms (CBP Form 3299).
• Used household goods can enter the USA duty-free if they were owned and used abroad for at least one year and are not for resale, declared on CBP Form 3299 under 19 CFR Part 148, Subpart D.
• Any wooden packing material (crates, pallets, lift vans) must be ISPM 15 heat-treated or fumigated and stamped — non-compliant wood is refused entry by CBP (USDA APHIS).
• Sea shipments require an Importer Security Filing ("ISF 10+2") transmitted to CBP at least 24 hours before the container is loaded on the vessel in Europe (CBP: Importer Security Filing "10+2").
• Newly purchased goods you carry with you as a returning resident fall under the traveller’s $800 personal exemption; items that don’t qualify for the used-household-effects relief and arrive in your unaccompanied shipment are generally dutiable at standard rates (19 CFR 148.33).
• Carrying or shipping more than $10,000 in cash or monetary instruments must be reported to CBP on FinCEN Form 105.
• Alcohol, firearms and food are restricted or regulated in a household shipment — see the sections below (TTB, CBP prohibited & restricted items).

1. The two ways your belongings cross the Atlantic

An international move offers two physical routes, and the choice is almost always driven by volume, budget and urgency rather than preference.

Sea freight carries the overwhelming majority of household relocations. Your goods are export-packed, loaded into (or consolidated toward) a container at a European port, sailed across the Atlantic, cleared at a US port of entry, and trucked to your new home. It is slower but dramatically cheaper per cubic metre, which is why a three-bedroom home almost always sails.

Air freight flies palletised or crated cargo from a European airport to a US gateway airport. It is fast and secure but priced by chargeable weight (the greater of actual or volumetric weight), so it only makes economic sense for small or urgent consignments — a few boxes of essentials, professional equipment you need on day one, or high-value items you’d rather not have at sea for weeks.

Both routes are subject to identical US customs treatment: the same duty-free household-effects rules, the same CBP Form 3299, and the same inspection powers.

2. Sea freight options: FCL, LCL and lift vans

Full Container Load (FCL). You have exclusive use of a container — commonly a 20ft (roughly 33 m³ usable) or 40ft (roughly 67 m³ usable) unit. FCL is the norm for a full house because the container is sealed at origin, moves as one unit, and isn’t waiting to be consolidated with other people’s goods. A 20ft container suits a modest two-bedroom home; a 40ft suits a larger family home with a garage’s worth of extras.

Less than Container Load (LCL / groupage). Your goods share a container with other shipments and are billed by volume (per cubic metre). LCL is the right choice for part-loads — a studio, a one-bedroom flat, or a few dozen boxes — but it adds handling: your consignment is consolidated at origin and de-consolidated at destination, which lengthens the timeline and slightly raises the risk of handling damage compared with a sealed FCL.

Lift vans. For smaller or high-value moves, professional international movers often build a purpose-made plywood lift van (a large wooden crate) around your belongings and load these into a shared container. Because these are wooden, the ISPM 15 treatment rule in Section 9 applies.

3. Realistic sea transit windows: US East vs West coast

Sea transit is measured port-to-port, and you must then add first-mile collection and export handling in Europe, US customs clearance, and last-mile delivery. Treat the figures below as realistic planning ranges, not guarantees — schedule reliability across the industry has been well under 100% and geopolitical rerouting continues to add days.

• Northern Europe to US East Coast (e.g. Rotterdam, Hamburg, Felixstowe or Antwerp to New York/New Jersey, Norfolk, Savannah or Charleston): typically 10–20 days port-to-port for a direct FCL service.
• Europe to US West Coast (Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle-Tacoma): substantially longer — commonly 30–40 days, because the vessel routes via the Panama Canal (or, on some services, further afield).
• LCL/groupage adds consolidation and de-consolidation time at both ends; door-to-door commonly lands around 6–10 weeks depending on schedules and inland distance.

Door-to-door, a realistic expectation for a European-to-US-East-Coast FCL move is roughly 5–8 weeks once packing, sailing, clearance and delivery are stacked; West Coast and inland destinations sit at the longer end.

4. Choosing your US port of entry

Your port of entry is the point where the goods are discharged and cleared by CBP, and it shapes both timeline and inland cost. Broadly:

• Moving to the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic or Southeast, expect entry through East Coast ports (New York/New Jersey, Norfolk, Savannah, Charleston, Miami).
• Moving to the West Coast or the Southwest, entry is usually Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland or Seattle.
• Moving to an inland city (Chicago, Denver, Dallas), the container is typically railed or trucked from the nearest coastal gateway, adding days and inland-haulage cost.

Choosing a port close to your final address usually reduces inland trucking, which is one of the larger controllable cost drivers.

5. When air freight is the right call

Air freight from Europe to the USA is fast: flight time to gateways such as JFK, Chicago or LAX is a matter of hours, and door-to-door delivery commonly runs about 5–10 days including collection, export handling, US clearance and final trucking. Air customs clearance is generally quicker than ocean because transit is short and documentation tends to be cleaner.

Air makes sense when:

• You need a small "essentials" consignment to bridge the weeks your sea container is at sea.
• You’re moving a studio or a handful of boxes where the price gap versus LCL narrows.
• The cargo is time-critical, fragile or high-value (musical instruments, professional gear, a small art collection).

Because air is priced on chargeable weight, bulky-but-light items (bedding, lampshades, plastic storage) are expensive to fly. Send the dense, urgent, valuable things by air and let everything else sail.

6. Cost drivers you can actually control

Neither route has a single "list price" — quotes swing with fuel, capacity, season and route. Rather than invent numbers, understand the levers:

• Volume/weight. Sea FCL is priced per container, LCL and air per volume/weight. Ruthless decluttering is the single biggest saving.
• Route and coast. West Coast and inland destinations cost more than a direct East Coast port.
• Season and capacity. Transatlantic container rates are volatile; booking ahead of peak helps.
• Access and services. Long carries, stairs, shuttle vehicles for narrow streets, and full export packing/unpacking all add cost.
• Customs and handling. Clean paperwork avoids exam fees, demurrage and storage. A shipment held for inspection accrues port storage while it waits.

7. Marine transit insurance

Standard carrier liability is minimal and usually calculated by weight, not the value of your goods — it will not make you whole if a container is lost or damaged. For an international move you should arrange all-risks marine transit insurance based on a valued inventory (a replacement-value list of what’s in the shipment). This is a commercial product rather than a government requirement, so terms vary by insurer; check the deductible, whether it covers pairs and sets, any mould/mildew exclusions for long sea transits, and whether items packed by the owner (rather than the mover) are covered. Insure to full replacement value and keep photos and receipts for high-value pieces.

8. The US customs paperwork (identical for sea and air)

CBP Form 3299 — Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles. This is the core document for a household shipment that arrives separately from you. The current form is revision 05/24 (CBP Form 3299 PDF), and CBP’s process page confirms it is how you declare used household goods and personal effects for entry (CBP: moving household goods).

The one-year, duty-free rule. Under 19 CFR Part 148, Subpart D, returning residents and immigrants can bring used household and personal effects in free of duty provided the items were owned and used abroad — for household effects, used in a household of which you were a resident for at least one year (the year need not be continuous or immediately before importation). Items are subject to CBP inspection, must be for personal use, and not for sale.

Newly bought or under-a-year items. The traveller’s $800 personal exemption (19 CFR 148.33) applies to articles that accompany a returning resident. Goods that don’t meet the used-abroad test and arrive in your unaccompanied sea or air shipment are generally dutiable at standard rates rather than covered by that accompanying-baggage allowance. Tools of trade owned and used abroad have their own exemption under 19 CFR 148.53.

Detailed inventory. CBP treats your packing inventory as the declaration and can request it at entry, so a complete, valued list is not optional — it’s the document that clears your goods.

Currency reporting. If you carry or ship more than $10,000 in cash or monetary instruments into or out of the USA, you must report it on FinCEN Form 105; failure to report can lead to seizure (CBP: money & monetary instruments).

Importer Security Filing (sea only). For any ocean shipment, an ISF "10+2" must be transmitted to CBP at least 24 hours before the cargo is loaded on the vessel bound for the USA; late, inaccurate or missing filings can draw liquidated damages and "Do Not Load" holds (CBP: Importer Security Filing "10+2"). Your mover or customs broker files it on your behalf.

9. Wood packaging, and restricted goods that trip people up

ISPM 15 wood packaging. Every crate, pallet or lift van made of solid wood must be heat-treated or fumigated and stamped with the ISPM 15 (IPPC) mark. CBP refuses entry to non-compliant wood packaging and can assess penalties, so this is a hard requirement, not a formality (USDA APHIS: importing WPM).

Alcohol. Wine and spirits in a household shipment are regulated. There is no single federal quantity limit for personal importation, but the CBP Port Director decides whether a quantity looks personal or commercial, and state rules and taxes may apply (TTB: personal importation of alcohol). Declare it, and expect duty/tax above the personal allowance.

Firearms. A returning resident shipping firearms should have proof they were in their possession before leaving the USA — for example a CBP Form 4457 registration, receipt or insurance paperwork — and other imports generally must go through a licensed importer. Arrange this with the port in advance (CBP: moving with restricted goods/firearms).

Food, plants and other restricted items. Many agricultural products, plants and certain goods are prohibited or restricted; review CBP’s list before packing (CBP: prohibited & restricted items).

10. Moving back from the USA to Europe

The same physical choice — sea vs air — applies in reverse, but the customs regime flips to your destination country’s rules. Each EU member state applies the EU’s transfer of residence (ToR) relief, which generally allows used personal property owned and used for a qualifying period to enter free of import duty and VAT, subject to an application and evidence that you’re transferring your normal residence. Because the procedure, evidence and thresholds are set nationally, confirm the exact requirements with your destination country’s customs authority before booking. The freight mechanics (FCL/LCL/air, transit windows, ISPM 15 for wood packaging) are unchanged.

How Flyto handles this

Flyto runs Europe–USA relocations as a single door-to-door Platinum service — for overseas moves, Platinum is the only tier, because an intercontinental shipment needs everything handled by one accountable team. That means professional export packing in Europe, building compliant (ISPM 15) crates and lift vans, choosing the right mode and container (FCL, LCL or air) for your volume and timeline, preparing the CBP Form 3299 and inventory, filing the ISF 10+2, arranging sea or air freight, clearing US customs at your port of entry, and delivering and unpacking at your new home. The service is fully bidirectional — the same single point of contact whether you’re moving to or from the USA. You get one plan, one price, and one team that owns the shipment from your old front door to your new one.

Frequently asked questions

Should I ship to the USA by sea or air?
Sea for anything more than a few boxes — it’s far cheaper per cubic metre and is how nearly every household move travels. Air only for small, urgent or high-value consignments, because it’s priced on weight and costs several times more.

How long does sea freight from Europe to the USA take?
Plan on roughly 10–20 days port-to-port to the US East Coast and 30–40 days to the West Coast, plus collection, US customs clearance and final delivery — realistically about 5–8 weeks door-to-door to the East Coast, longer for the West Coast, inland cities and LCL. These are planning ranges, not guarantees.

Will I pay US import duty on my household goods?
Not on used personal and household effects that you owned and used abroad (household effects: used in your household for at least a year), declared on CBP Form 3299 under 19 CFR Part 148 Subpart D. Newly bought items you carry with you fall under the $800 accompanying-baggage exemption; non-qualifying goods that arrive in your unaccompanied shipment are generally dutiable at standard rates.

What is ISF 10+2 and do I need it?
For any sea shipment, yes. The Importer Security Filing must reach CBP at least 24 hours before your cargo is loaded on the vessel in Europe (CBP: Importer Security Filing "10+2"). Your mover/broker files it; late or missing filings can cause "Do Not Load" holds and penalties.

Can I ship alcohol and firearms in my container?
Alcohol can be shipped but is regulated and taxed above your allowance, with the Port Director judging personal vs commercial quantity. Firearms need pre-arrangement and proof of prior possession such as a CBP Form 4457 (CBP guidance).

Do I need special packing crates?
Any solid-wood crate, pallet or lift van must be ISPM 15 treated and stamped, or CBP will refuse it (USDA APHIS). A professional international mover uses compliant materials by default.

Is my shipment insured while at sea?
Only to the extent you arrange it. Carrier liability is minimal and weight-based, so take out all-risks marine transit insurance valued to full replacement cost, and check the mould and pairs-and-sets terms for long sea voyages.

Do I have to declare money I’m bringing over?
Yes if it exceeds $10,000 in cash or monetary instruments, carried or shipped, using FinCEN Form 105 — non-declaration risks seizure (CBP).

Sources

• CBP — Moving used household goods and personal effects into the US (Form 3299 process)
• CBP Form 3299 (rev. 05/24) — Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles (PDF)
• 19 CFR Part 148, Subpart D — Exemptions for Returning Residents (eCFR)
• 19 CFR § 148.33 — $800 personal exemption
• 19 CFR § 148.53 — Tools of trade exemption
• USDA APHIS — Importing ISPM 15 wood packaging material into the US
• CBP — Importer Security Filing "10+2"
• CBP — Money and Monetary Instruments (currency reporting)
• FinCEN Form 105 — Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments (PDF)
• TTB — Personal Importation of Beverage Alcohol Products
• CBP — Moving to the US: prohibited/restricted goods and firearms
• CBP — Prohibited and Restricted Items