International removals from West London to India
India moves out of West London are often homecomings — families who have spent years in Ealing, Southall or Acton returning to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore or Kerala, sometimes after a career, sometimes to be near ageing parents. The shipment tends to be a real household: furniture worth keeping, kitchen equipment, books, and the things that make a house feel like home again.
Sea freight
Container to Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), Chennai or Kolkata, then inland by road.
Air freight
For a faster, smaller consignment where the timing matters more than the volume.
Storage in between
Not ready at the far end? We can hold your things in secure storage at our West London base and ship when the timing works.
Most of it goes by sea, into Nhava Sheva for Mumbai, Chennai for the south, or Kolkata for the east, then inland by road. The part that rewards getting right is India’s Transfer of Residence (TR) scheme, which gives returning residents relief on used household goods — but only if you meet the conditions and file it properly.
Transfer of Residence — the rule that saves you money
India’s Transfer of Residence scheme lets people who have lived abroad long enough bring their used household and personal effects back with concessional or nil duty. There are conditions — how long you were overseas, how long you have owned the goods, and a minimum stay abroad — and the paperwork has to be right, with your passport showing the relevant stamps.
We are not a customs broker and we will not pretend to give you a legal ruling, but we will build the detailed inventory the scheme needs, prepare the export documents, and work with a clearing agent in India who lives and breathes TR. Getting the declaration right is the difference between a smooth clearance and a container sitting at the port.
- Detailed, TR-ready inventory prepared as part of the move
- Sea freight to Nhava Sheva, Chennai or Kolkata; air where speed matters
- A clearing agent in India who handles the port and TR formalities
- Restricted items (certain electronics quantities, etc.) flagged early
The route and the ports
We collect across west London — Ealing, Southall, Acton, Hounslow — consolidate at our Acton base, and sail the container to the Indian port nearest your destination. Nhava Sheva serves Mumbai and much of the west and centre; Chennai serves Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the south; Kolkata the east. From the port the shipment runs inland by road to your city.
India’s ports and roads move at their own pace, and monsoon season affects timing. We are honest about that rather than promising a date we cannot control — your written quote sets out the process and what affects the schedule.
Packing for the heat and the handling
A container to India crosses the tropics and is handled firmly at the port, so we export-wrap furniture, protect against heat and humidity, and box fragile items properly. Electronics get particular care — India’s customs can be specific about quantities of new electronic items, so if you are taking new TVs or laptops, tell us and we will make sure they are declared correctly rather than swept into "used effects".
We collect right across west London — Acton, Chiswick, Ealing, Shepherd’s Bush and out to Brentford — as well as the wider west, south-west and north-west London catchment. Everything is packed and consolidated at our Acton base before it leaves the country.
Moving from West London to India
What is Transfer of Residence and do I qualify?
Transfer of Residence (TR) is an Indian customs scheme giving returning residents concessional or nil duty on used household and personal effects, subject to conditions on how long you lived abroad and owned the goods. Whether you qualify depends on your circumstances and passport record. We build the inventory and documents TR needs and work with an Indian agent who handles the ruling.
Which Indian port will my shipment go to?
Nhava Sheva (Mumbai) for the west and centre, Chennai for the south including Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Kolkata for the east. From the port your goods travel inland by road to your city. Your destination sets the routing.
Can I send new electronics like a TV or laptop?
You can, but Indian customs can be specific about quantities and duty on new electronic items, and they sit outside the used-effects story. Tell us what is new and we will make sure it is declared correctly rather than risk the whole shipment being questioned.
Sea or air freight for India?
Sea for a full household — it is the sensible way to move furniture and boxes. Air for a smaller, time-sensitive consignment where you need it sooner and volume is low. Many returning families do the bulk by sea and a small allowance by air.
How does the monsoon affect my move?
Monsoon season can affect port handling and inland transport timing. We do not promise dates we cannot control; instead we explain the process and what affects the schedule in your written quote, and plan sensibly around the season.
Other destinations we run from West London
Get a quote for your move to India
Tell us what you’re moving and where from and to. We’ll come back with a written quote and the paperwork it needs — no obligation.