Moving from The US to Hong Kong

Planning a move from the West Coast to Hong Kong? Chipman Relocation is the full-service partner for the job. Since 1939, we've helped families and executives relocate across the country and across the Pacific, and Hong Kong is one of the most demanding destinations on the map. Whether you're heading to a Mid-Levels flat, a Peak villa, or a village house in Sai Kung, Chipman builds a coordinated origin-to-destination plan so your first days in the SAR are spent settling in, not chasing paperwork.

Whether you're leaving California, Oregon, or Washington, our crews handle every step. Request a residential quote to get started.

Why Choose Chipman for Your Move to Hong Kong?

• History of Success: dependable moving services since 1939.

• Licensed Mover in CA, OR, & WA: moving families since 1927, with the resources and coverage of the most trusted networks in North American relocation.

• FIDI-Accredited International Partner Network: through our FIDI membership, we work with vetted Hong Kong destination agents who handle port clearance at Kwai Tsing, building-management liaison, and inside delivery on tight high-rise streets.

• Award-Winning Customer Service Coordination: a personal move coordinator arranging every detail from West Coast origin through SAR delivery.

• Qualified and Safe Crews: every crew member is background checked, drug screened, and health checked prior to every move.

Your Trusted Movers for Hong Kong Relocations

A move to Hong Kong is not a domestic long-distance job with a longer drive. It involves ocean freight, a container port at Kwai Tsing, apartment blocks with strict lift-booking rules, and a customs process on its own timeline. As a FIDI-accredited mover and an authorized agent for Mayflower and United Van Lines, Chipman ties West Coast origin service to a Hong Kong destination partner so the whole move is one project.

Our local service centers handle origin work directly, so the crew who packs your home anywhere on the west coast is our trusted teammember, not a subcontractor. From there we coordinate the ocean leg through Long Beach or the Port of Oakland to Kwai Tsing Container Terminals, work with our Hong Kong FIDI partner on customs clearance and building logistics, and deliver into your flat. Transit runs about two to four weeks for a dedicated 20 or 40 foot container, and three to five weeks for less-than-container-load shipments, plus destination clearance.

Where Our Customers Are Moving in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is small in area and enormous in variety. The neighborhood changes almost everything about the move: the truck that can reach the building, the lift-reservation window building management will grant, and the furniture that will fit through the door.

The Peak. The classic expat address above Central, with detached houses and low-rise blocks, cooler temperatures, and space that feels almost un-Hong Kong. Access roads are narrow and delivery windows often run early morning.

Mid-Levels (Central, West, and East). The workhorse expat neighborhood on the hillside above Central and Sheung Wan. Tall residential towers, tight lift dimensions, and mandatory move-in bookings with building management. Central Mid-Levels puts you on the Mid-Levels Escalator, Mid-Levels West trends younger and more affordable, and Mid-Levels East runs toward Happy Valley.

Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay. South-side beach communities with larger apartments and easy access to international schools. Popular with families who want space without leaving Hong Kong Island.

Stanley. A village-scale south-side community with low-rise flats and townhouses, a small-boat harbor, and a walkable feel that appeals to Napa and Sonoma transplants.

Discovery Bay. A car-free community on Lantau Island, reached by ferry from Central. Larger flats and international-school proximity make it a family favorite, though ferry logistics factor into every delivery.

Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay. The New Territories coast, with village houses and waterfront apartments that draw Bay Area outdoor types. Delivery often involves narrow lanes and shuttle vehicles.

Hong Kong flats run smaller, and priced higher per square foot, than almost anywhere Chipman customers ship from. A three-bedroom West Coast home rarely fits into a three-bedroom Hong Kong flat as-is. Our coordinators walk through your inventory and flag items that will not clear a lift door or a hallway turn, so downsizing happens at origin instead of at the curb in Central.

What to Know Before Moving From The US to Hong Kong

Ocean freight is the standard. Full-container shipments run about two to four weeks in transit from the West Coast, and less-than-container-load shipments run three to five weeks. Air freight moves small shipments in under a week but costs several times more per pound, so most families ship by sea and fly with essentials.

Hong Kong is a free port. According to the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, personal effects clear under the same procedures as general cargo, and Hong Kong levies excise duties on only a short list of goods: liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil, and methyl alcohol. That makes a household shipment relatively straightforward compared with duty regimes in Europe or Australia. Wine, spirits, and tobacco do need to be declared, and duties apply.

Work permits drive the timeline. Most Chipman customers arrive on a General Employment Policy visa sponsored by a Hong Kong employer, and a growing share arrive on the Top Talent Pass Scheme. Shipment timing usually keys off the visa approval date, since housing and school placements cascade from there.

Pets need advance planning. Dogs and cats from the continental United States fall under Group II of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department's Import of Dogs and Cats rules. A Special Permit must be obtained from AFCD before travel, along with rabies vaccination in the correct window and a USDA health certificate. Start the pet paperwork the same week you start the visa paperwork.

The car usually stays behind. Hong Kong charges a First Registration Tax that can run up to 132 percent of taxable value on the higher tiers of the private car schedule, per the government's Motor Vehicle First Registration Tax page. Combined with limited parking, right-hand drive, and one of the world's best transit systems, most Chipman customers sell the car at origin and ride the MTR.

Long Distance and International Moving Services

From wherever you start on the West Coast to wherever you land in Hong Kong, Chipman provides complete international relocation services. Since every move is unique, we'll build a free quote that details every leg so you know what to expect.

Set Your Pickup and Container Loading Dates

With our full-service containers, you decide when your shipment is loaded and when it sails. Schedule pickup around a lease end, a home closing, or a visa arrival date.

Origin Storage Without Added Handling

If your Hong Kong housing is not ready when you leave the West Coast, we can hold your shipment in origin storage with minimal fees. Your belongings stay in the sealed container, so less handling means fewer chances for damage.

Your Belongings, Safe and Secure

You have exclusive use of your container. It is loaded and sealed at origin and not opened again until Hong Kong Customs clears the shipment and our destination partner delivers.

Packing and Unpacking

Our crews handle full-service export packing built for multi-week ocean transit. At destination, our Hong Kong partner can unpack, position furniture, and remove packing debris.

Full-Value Shipment Protection

Chipman offers a Full-Value Protection Plan on international shipments, covering your belongings from the West Coast pack-out to final placement in Hong Kong.

Full-Service International Moves

Chipman is more than a team of heavy lifters. A short list of what our crews can handle on a West Coast to Hong Kong job:

• Appliance Disconnect at Origin: professional disconnection of washers, dryers, and refrigerators. Hong Kong runs on 220 volt, 50 Hz power with UK-style three-pin plugs, so most US appliances stay behind.

• Export-Grade Specialty Crating: crating for artwork, glass tops, chandeliers, and mirrors that need extra protection through weeks of ocean transit.

• TV and Electronics Disconnect: removal of wall-mounted televisions and disassembly of home entertainment systems at origin.

• Destination Unpacking Through Our FIDI Partner: full unpack, furniture positioning, and debris removal handled by our Hong Kong destination agent.

• Move-Out Cleaning: professional cleaning at your West Coast origin through our insured cleaning partners.

• Auto Transport (Optional): door-to-door vehicle shipping if a customer decides the car is coming after all.

International Moves Since 1939

Since 1939, Chipman Relocation has been the trusted moving partner for US families relocating across the country and across the Pacific. Our Hong Kong moves have delivered families to Mid-Levels towers above Central, houses on The Peak, apartments in Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay, ferry-served flats in Discovery Bay, village houses in Sai Kung, and townhouses in Stanley. Every move is different, and we plan every one from the ground up. If you're planning a move to Hong Kong, contact Chipman today, and we'll build a plan around your West Coast origin, your Hong Kong district, and your visa timeline.

Ready to Plan Your Move to Hong Kong?

The right partner turns a West Coast to Hong Kong move from a paperwork gauntlet into an organized handoff. Chipman Relocation & Logistics has been helping West Coast families relocate since 1939, with the FIDI network and destination expertise your Hong Kong move deserves. When you're ready, request a residential quote and we'll build your plan around your origin city and your Hong Kong address.