Moving From Ireland to Canada: Shipping Your Household

Moving from Ireland to Canada means getting a whole household across the Atlantic. The safest way to do it is with one removals firm that packs your things, ships them and stands over the job, rather than piecing the move together yourself. We ship household goods to Canada by full container or by groupage, and we are members of the International Association of Movers (IAM).

We are the Hanway family, and we have been running removals out of Dublin since 1982. Here is why we think handing the whole move to one firm is the better bet for Canada, and what to ask before you trust anyone with it.

Why piecing it together is the risky option

Some people heading to Canada try to save money by arranging each part of the move on their own. They buy boxes and pack the house over a few weekends. They hire a van for the day. Then they look for a way to get it all shipped.

On paper, that can look cheaper. In practice, it means several people each doing one part of the job, and nobody looking after the whole thing.

That matters most when something goes wrong. Say a box turns up broken at the far end. Who packed it? Who loaded it? Whose insurance covers it? With three or four different parties, you can spend a long time chasing an answer. When one firm packs, loads and ships your things, those questions have one answer, and one phone number.

Two ways we ship to Canada

On the Canada route we offer two options.

A full container. The whole container is for your household. Nothing belonging to anyone else travels with it.

Groupage. Your belongings go in a shared container alongside other people’s goods. You only use, and pay for, part of the space. Some firms call it a part load or a shared load.

Which suits you comes down to how much you are bringing and when you need it. A house full of furniture is a different job from a few boxes, a bike and a couple of good chairs. Tell us your dates and what is going when you ask for a quote. We will go through both options with you and explain the timing for each, rather than guess at a date now. You can read more about the route on our Dublin to Canada removals page.

Packing for a long crossing

Your things will be on the move for a long time, so how they are packed matters. Our packing service can take the whole house off your hands, which leaves you free for everything else in the last few weeks before you fly.

Our customers have written about how this went on other long-distance moves. Mary Kelly (September 2024) had her belongings packed in Ireland and shipped to two different US addresses, and everything arrived in perfect condition. Michal Bierestowski (December 2023) moved from Ireland to Germany with our full packing service, with no delays and no damage. Neither was a Canada move, but both were long trips, and both show how our packing holds up.

What to ask any firm before you book

You are trusting someone with most of what you own, for a journey of thousands of kilometres. Whoever you choose, ask them two things and get the answers in writing.

Which trade bodies are you a member of? We belong to the International Association of Movers (IAM), FEDEMAC (the Federation of European Movers Associations) and the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA). We also hold an International Road Haulage Licence.

What insurance do you carry? We are licensed, and we carry goods in transit insurance and public liability insurance.

A firm that does international moves every day should answer both without hesitating. If the answers are vague, take that as your cue to keep looking.

For a bit more about us: three generations of the Hanway family have run this business, and we have moved more than 12,000 customers. On Google we have 4.8 stars from 42 reviews (as of October 2026).

The things that aren’t going to Canada

Most people don’t bring everything. Some things you want to keep but can’t take yet. Other things you are glad to be rid of.

For the first lot, we have our own storage. It is all ours and on site, for household or business goods, short term or long term, and you can get to your things by booking. That can be handy if you plan to send for more once you are settled.

For the second lot, we can clear them. Usable furniture from our house clearances is donated to Restore. Everything else is disposed of legally under our waste collection permit, NWCPO-25-13139-01, which is valid in all 26 counties.

So you can ship, store and clear with one firm. That is the same argument again: fewer people involved, and one firm answerable for the lot. If you are still weighing up what to bring at all, our guide to moving abroad from Ireland covers deciding what to ship, store or sell.

We cover more routes than Canada too. Our international removals page lists the others.

Questions about moving from Ireland to Canada

Can we send only part of our house to Canada?

You can send only part of your house to Canada by groupage, where your belongings share a container and you use part of the space. It suits moves where you aren’t bringing a full house of furniture.

How much does moving from Ireland to Canada cost?

It depends on how much you are bringing and whether you go with a full container or groupage, so we price every Canada move by quote. Our quotes are clear, with no hidden fees.

Can you keep the things we leave behind in Ireland?

We can keep the things you leave behind in Ireland in our own storage, on site, for as long or as short a time as you need. You can get to them by booking.

Get a free quote

If you are moving from Ireland to Canada, let one firm look after the whole move. Get a free quote or ring us on +353 85 194 9801. During business hours, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm, we reply to quote requests within one hour.