UK - Dubai removals. How long does your stuff take to arrive? | ExpatWoman.com
 

UK - Dubai removals. How long does your stuff take to arrive?

562
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 18:14

Hi ladies,

Can't seem to find the answer to this one.

How long does it take for your stuff to get from the UK to Dubai, door to door, for a full container or a shared container?
Probably a "how long is a piece of string" question, especially for shared containers, but just wondered what your experience has been ladies.
We havent had our quotes done yet so dont know which type of container it will be. But as we're leaving most of our furniture in the UK for our summer visits I think shared is the most likely, unfortunately. Can you pay extra and have a small container shipped on its own? Husband's company did mention this, so perhaps they would pay the extra.

The first removals company (unheard of company called Interdean chosen by employer) is coming to quote next week, but on the phone said even your own container would take 6 weeks!
Is this accurate, and how on earth do you manage for weeks/months without all your stuff?? Husband coming earlier and using up the month in a furnished appartment, so thats not an option. Nor is shipping out our stuff earlier and staying with family/friends for weeks as we have cats to accomodate.

562
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 April 2012 - 23:22
Thats really helpful, thanks ladies. Looks like the surveyor is totally out saying we need to pack up the container in May to get it there by September! Thank goodness. Panic over!
300
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 16 April 2012 - 22:11
Our container also arrived during Ramadan. It took about a week to get our stuff delivered.
260
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 16 April 2012 - 20:45
Hi ladies, just to update this thread, we have now been told (by the same company) that Ramadan is likely to cause a long delay. The surveyor said that in her experience customs pretty much comes to a standstill during Ramadan and then they are dealing with the backlog once it ends. She thinks it will add another 5 weeks to our schedule! Unfortunately we cannot avoid Ramadan. The other company quoting is far more upbeat (1 week extra). I would like to know who is right (to the extent that you can foresee) as it will affect when we ship our belongings. Has anyone actually had experience of shipping during Ramadan, ie having a container arriving at the port in Dubai during Ramadan who can shed some light on the likely delay? Hi, our container arrived in the 1st week of ramadan and it didn't delay ours at all. We used allied pickfords and it took just over 4 weeks from door to door which was really good for the time of year it arrived. HTH
562
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 April 2012 - 20:33
Hi ladies, just to update this thread, we have now been told (by the same company) that Ramadan is likely to cause a long delay. The surveyor said that in her experience customs pretty much comes to a standstill during Ramadan and then they are dealing with the backlog once it ends. She thinks it will add another 5 weeks to our schedule! Unfortunately we cannot avoid Ramadan. The other company quoting is far more upbeat (1 week extra). I would like to know who is right (to the extent that you can foresee) as it will affect when we ship our belongings. Has anyone actually had experience of shipping during Ramadan, ie having a container arriving at the port in Dubai during Ramadan who can shed some light on the likely delay?
2958
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 22:55
We were quoted 6 weeks from Geneva, and that's about the time it took. Bear in mind that you (the working partner/sponsor) must have a valid work contract/labour card and residence visa in place before you can sign a contract for a villa. Serviced apartments would be the best idea for the interim - are there no quarantine regulations for bringing cats into the UAE? I mean, wouldn't the cats be kept somewhere anyway before you could pick them up to move them into your home in Dubai? No - as long as your cats have their pet passports and all vaccinations etc are up to date and they have had the rabies jab and test then you can pick your cat up at the airport and bring her straight to your villa.
100
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 21:47
Hi, we used a company called compare cargo rates.com they picked our 2 pallet boxes up from teesside then a couple of days later it was on ship at southampton...took 17 days to reach jebel ali port and upto a week from there for us to receive our cargo..hope this is helpful. :-)
5400
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 19:57
We were quoted 6 weeks from Geneva, and that's about the time it took. Bear in mind that you (the working partner/sponsor) must have a valid work contract/labour card and residence visa in place before you can sign a contract for a villa. Serviced apartments would be the best idea for the interim - are there no quarantine regulations for bringing cats into the UAE? I mean, wouldn't the cats be kept somewhere anyway before you could pick them up to move them into your home in Dubai?
158
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 19:47
We lived out of suitcases, blow up beds and borrowed kitchen kit from our friends until it was time for us to leave the UK. As mentioned it's not the actual container journey that takes the bulk of the time. Didn't see mention of what time of year your move was planned but if container arrives during Ramadan it could take a bit longer for the formalities on the Dubai end. We thought it was well worth being without the stuff in the UK (where we could borrow what we needed) than moving to an empty place here. It's nice to have familiar surroundings in an unfamiliar place.
144
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 19:41
Interdean are as good as any. It's really all down to how well things are packed and in the UK it is usually pretty good whoever does it. Crown are good too. The smallest container you can ship is a 20 ft, which holds 30 cubic metres, but you don't have to fill it, just book and pay for sole use. If it is sole use, the container should be brought to your house (provided there is space for parking) on the last day of packing and loaded directly. Your effects will remain in the same container until they are delivered to your door in Dubai. Groupage usually takes from 8 to 10 weeks, depending on how busy they are and LCL slightly longer. It can be quicker in the summer (June/July/August) when more people are relocating.
562
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 19:12
Kaydee - yes Santa Fe are our relocation agent, and that is where the referal comes from. Is Interdean/Santa Fe any good for removals as far as you know? They were pretty impressive for our look-see. The other option is Crown. Have seen lots of recommendations for them on EW. Thanks for all the quick answers ladies - all very helpful. Good to know the 6 weeks is a worst case estimate, but that it could be significantly quicker. Unfortunately we can't rent another serviced apartment (good idea though) because of our pets, nor can we stay elsewhere in the UK. But we do have a week's holiday booked in August, so maybe we should get our stuff shipped out just before then and live in a half emply house in the UK for a week or 2 on return. Better than living in a totally empty villa in Dubai, and easier to borrow stuff temporarily from friends and neighbours. Then hopefully we will only have a couple of weeks eating off paper plates and sitting on the floor like Goldeelocks! What about shared containers - would anyone who's used this option care to share the bad news on what I imagine might well be months of waiting? And does anyone know if you can pay the extra cost and have a small shipment shipped separately rathern than bundled with others in a shared container?
144
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 18:35
Shipping time of 6 weeks is a door to door time and is always an estimate. The ship takes between 12 and 18 days approx from UK port to Dubai port. You then need to add packing days at origin, transport to port and waiting time for loading and departure. On arrival the ship needs to be unloaded and then the container customs cleared, which can take one to two weeks, depending if your paperwork is correct. For a shared container, it depends if the company uses groupage, which means they fill the container with an assortment of packages - always household goods and personal effects, or if they use LCL, which means your effects are crated in lift vans and the shipping line consolidates the container. Usually both are quite quick for Dubai, as there are a lot of folk shipping here. Interdean are a well known company in Europe and probably use Santa Fe to clear and deliver at this end.
27
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 18:25
we used pickfords last year for a full container - they quoted 6 weeks but it took just over 3 which seemed very quick!
24
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 18:23
Yes 6 weeks is about correct, we had our container packed end Nov, moved into a friend's for 2 weeks. Then took a holiday for 3 weeks to the US. We got to Dubai in Jan and two days after we arrived the container was able to unload. Hubby stayed in a furnished apartment, as he came over earlier too. Havn't heard of Interdean, we used Sterling and pleased to report didn't have a broken item :)
1566
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 18:22
When we came, Crown and Allied Pickford both quoted 6 weeks, in reality it took 4 weeks. As soon as the stuff was packed up, we lived out of a suitcase and stayed with friends for 2 weeks, DH came out before us and stayed in a hotel. When we arrived the whole family moved into a serviced apartment until the shipment arrived. We looked for rental accommodation with a start date co-inciding with the container arrival, give or take a week. Believed shared container takes longer as it depends when the container is fully loaded up. HTH.
240
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 March 2012 - 18:16
6 weeks sounds about right for a full container...we ate out a lot, used paper plates for eating in and made our own entertainment ;-)
 
 

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