Shipping in the Covid Era — Expats in Ho Chi Minh City

This content is provided by MyStorage

During these pandemic times many people are looking into options for sending belongings overseas. Some, for example, are stuck outside of Vietnam and can’t get back to collect their belongings. Others, have decided they want to move to a new city and need their (stored) items shipped to them.

Now if your requirements are more traditional, such as relocation to a new city with all of your belongings, there are some great experts in town who can get the job done for you. They’ll come in, pack everything up to handle the rigors of international shipping, take care of customs clearance and unpack everything for you at the other end. One example of a company that specializes in this is Asian Tigers. But if you just need to send a few boxes either domestically or abroad, we’ve got some great tips and advice that you might find helpful.

Domestic Shipping

Let’s start with domestic shipping, since that’s a lot easier. And a lot cheaper as well! The first piece of advice here: pack things well, use quality boxes and don’t skimp on bubble wrap. Unfortunately often the sent boxes look like they’d been tossed around and handled without care. You also have various options here – ranging from the traditional post office to private courier services such as Kerry Express. What is very convenient is the fact they they’ll even pick everything up from your home or office, which make it all quite simple. Plan on paying only a few hundred thousand VND to get six or eight boxes shipped to Hanoi.

International Shipping

Now international shipping is an entirely different animal. There are all kinds of restrictions when it comes to what you can actually ship. From a safety perspective, for example, no batteries or liquids are allowed. Even cosmetics are a no-go due to the various chemicals they contain. And the list of prohibited items is even more extensive, covering everything from credit cards and coins to furs through to alcohol or tobacco. If you’ve got some artwork or jewelry, be prepared to show receipts. If you’ve got valuables such as a watch or laptop, be willing to purchase additional insurance coverage.

It is advisable to work with shipping agents who specialize in international shipping, as they’ve got the experience to guide you through the process (e.g. GTA Express or PTN Express) Just like the domestic shipping companies, they’ll pick up at your door. But then they also check to ensure you’ve got no prohibited items, they’ll pack and secure your belongings as necessary and put together the packing list for customs clearance at both ends. You can rest assured that the bureaucratic hurdles are handled properly and everything get to its destination without delays or damage.

Unfortunately, unlike domestic shipping, international is significantly more expensive and there’s just no way to get around it. With travel severely curtailed during the pandemic, asking a relative to take your laptop to a friend back home just isn’t an option right now. To give you an idea, a few suitcases shipped to Kuala Lumpur cost around $350 and four larger bags to Florida just over $1,000.

We wish your boxes or bags a safe journey – wherever their journey may take them.