Moving From Ireland to Dubai: Container or Groupage?

Moving from Ireland to Dubai? We ship household goods to Dubai by full container or by groupage, and the right one for you comes down to three things: how much you are sending, what you want to spend and when you need it there. This guide walks through each one, so you can come to us knowing which way you lean.

We are the Hanway family, and we have been moving Dublin homes since 1982. Shipping abroad is part of that work, and Dubai is one of the places we ship containers to.

Full container or groupage: what the words mean

Before you weigh anything up, it helps to be clear on the two options.

• Full container. You have a container to yourself. Your furniture and boxes are the only things in it.
• Groupage. Your goods travel in a container shared with other people’s. You use part of the space, not all of it. Some firms call this a part load or a shared load.

We offer both on the Dubai route. That matters, because a firm that only does one has a reason to push it. We don’t. Our job is to match the option to your move.

Volume: count what is really going

Volume is where every Dubai move should start. It is easy to guess. It is better to look.

Go room by room and sort things into three piles in your head: going to Dubai, staying in Ireland, and going for good. Be strict. A sofa that suits a Dublin semi may not suit a new apartment, and you may decide it isn’t worth the trip.

Once you know what is going, the choice often makes itself:

• A whole household, with beds, wardrobes and a dining set, points towards a container of your own.
• A smaller load of boxes, clothes, books and a few good pieces points towards groupage.

If you land somewhere in the middle, don’t worry. When you ask us for a quote, tell us what is going and we will look at it with you.

Budget: put both options side by side

The second question is what you want to spend. We can’t give you a set price for Dubai here, because no two moves are the same. What we can do is price your move both ways.

Ask us to quote for a full container and for groupage, and you can compare the two for your own load. Our quotes are clear, with no hidden fees, so what you see is what you are comparing.

Your budget is also a good reason to cut down. Everything you leave behind is something you are not paying to ship. That is why sorting the volume first pays off twice.

Timing: work back from the day you need your things

The third question is time. Start from your own dates, not ours.

• When do you fly?
• When does your new job start?
• Where will you live for the first few weeks, and is it furnished?
• When could you take delivery of your things in Dubai?

Tell us these dates when you ask for a quote. We will talk through the timing of each option for your move before you decide. We would rather give you an honest answer than a date that sounds good on the phone.

What isn’t going to Dubai

If you aren’t sure yet how long you will stay in Dubai, it is hard to decide what to do with the things that don’t travel.

You don’t have to decide everything now. We have our own storage, on site, for the short or long term, and you can get to your things by booking. You can read more on our storage page.

For the things you no longer want, we can clear them through our house clearance service. Usable furniture from our clearances goes to Restore. The rest is disposed of legally under our waste collection permit, NWCPO-25-13139-01, which covers all 26 counties.

So the shipping, the storing and the clearing can all be done by one family firm.

Packing for the journey

Dubai is a long way from Dublin, so the packing has to be right.

Our packing service can take the whole house off your hands. That leaves you free for the visas, the job and the goodbyes.

Our customers have told us how this went on their own moves abroad. Michal Bierestowski (December 2023) moved from Ireland to Germany with our full packing service, with no delays and no damage. Mary Kelly (September 2024) had her belongings packed in Ireland and shipped to two different US addresses, and everything arrived in perfect condition. Neither was a Dubai move, but it is the same packing service.

Who is handling your move

You are trusting a firm with most of what you own, so check who they are.

• We are members of the International Association of Movers (IAM), FEDEMAC (the Federation of European Movers Associations) and the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA).
• We hold an International Road Haulage Licence.
• We are licensed, and we carry goods in transit insurance and public liability insurance.
• Three generations of the Hanway family have run the business, and we have looked after more than 12,000 customers.
• On Google we have 4.8 stars from 42 reviews (October 2026).

Visas, residency and the paperwork on the Dubai side are a matter for you, your employer and the UAE authorities. We look after your belongings.

You can see the other places we ship to on our international removals page, from the UK and Europe to the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Questions people ask

Do you ship to Dubai by full container and by groupage?

Yes, we ship to Dubai by full container and by groupage, so you can pick the one that suits your load, budget and dates.

How much does it cost to move from Ireland to Dubai?

It depends on how much you are sending and which option you choose, so we price each Dubai move by quote. Ask us to price both options and compare them. Our quotes are clear, with no hidden fees.

Can you store the things we aren’t taking to Dubai?

Yes, we can store the things you aren’t taking to Dubai in our own storage, on site, for the short or long term. You can get to them by booking.

Get a free quote

If you are moving from Ireland to Dubai, tell us what is going and when you need it, and we will price it both ways. Get a free quote or ring us on +353 85 194 9801, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm.