Ever since the pandemic started in late 2019, and China instituted the first entry ban on March 28, 2020, several foreigners have left and found themselves stuck outside the country. Some have managed to come back when the entry ban was eased, while others have given up on returning and are looking for ways to get their belongings shipped back to their home countries.
This article will introduce the three most commonly used ways of shipping your belongings from China.
By China Post
China Post offers the option of sending packages of up to 20 kg by air or sea.
Shipping by sea will be cheaper and could take between 3 and 6 months depending on your destination; however, sending two packages of 10 kg by sea might be as costly as sending one box of 20 kg by air because the price per kilo goes down as the weight goes up.
Please note that China Post does not ship items such as liquids or electronics, but the package may still stop at the destination by customs.
By international courier
Services like DHL, UPS, and FedEx will allow you to send more than 20 kg and they may be faster than China Post. If you put your destination, weight, and dimensions on www.tiptrans.com, you will get an approximate cost and arrival time for each of the courier services.
Some might be cheaper than China Post, while others might be more expensive.
As with China Post, there is still the possibility of having your goods stopped at customs in the destination country. Customs will contact you rather than the courier company, and you may have to pay an extra fee.
By international removal company
Moving companies provide door-to-door relocation services and guide dealing with customs, which can help you send a large amount that includes furniture. They will tell you whether you need to provide a certificate from your embassy in Beijing to show that your shipment is for personal reasons rather than for import/export, which is necessary in some cases to avoid tax. They should also handle the customs clearance for you. Several Foreigners have recommended the following four moving services:
Note: I am not endorsing, nor am I affiliated with, those moving services, so please do your diligence when selecting one of the services above.