The question that saves thousands of euros (and nobody asks out loud)
When someone decides to leave Spain for another country, the automatic reflex is to search "international removals" on Google. Up come large companies with quotes of €3,000–8,000, shared sea containers, teams of packers and endless forms.
And then the doubt sets in: do I really need a full move? Or does what I have fit in boxes, arrive cheaper, faster and with less red tape?
In most cases we see in Barcelona, the answer is to ship boxes, not a full move. This guide helps you decide based on your real situation, not on what the first company you call wants to sell you.
The two options, in one sentence each
A full international move. A company packs your entire home (furniture, appliances, decor, crockery), puts it in a container or lorry, and delivers it to you at the destination so you can live just as you lived here. It's what you need if you're moving with your family to stay for many years.
Shipping boxes (cargo). You prepare boxes with what you really want to take (clothing, books, personal items, gifts for family), you bring them to an agency like Acacia or have them collected, and they're shipped as air or sea freight. It's what you need if you're moving with little, if you're moving temporarily, or if you're going to buy the bulky things new at the destination.
The key question isn't "which is better?" but "what kind of move is yours?".
When a full international move makes sense
There are 4 scenarios in which a full move is the right choice:
1. You're taking furniture and appliances
If you have a sofa that cost €1,500, a custom-made table, almost-new appliances and a collection of things worth moving as a set. Buying them new at the destination would be more expensive than the move.
2. You're moving with family for the long term
A partner + children, a planned stay of 5+ years, a firm employment or residence contract. You need to rebuild a whole home on the other side.
3. You have large irreplaceable items
An upright piano, a library of 2,000 books, an art collection. Things whose emotional or financial value justifies moving the lot.
4. The company relocating you is paying
If your employer covers the cost of the international move as part of the relocation package, do it properly. That coverage is one of the great benefits of corporate relocations.
For these cases, a company specialised in international moves (with a sea container, corporate customs clearance, in-house packers) is the right choice. Acacia Cargo does not operate that service; it's not our focus, and we'd recommend a specialist provider if you ask us.
When shipping boxes makes sense (most cases)
In reality, most international moves today are box shipments, not traditional moves. These are the typical scenarios:
1. A move for work, single or as a couple with no furniture
You're going to Berlin, Dubai, Manila or Buenos Aires for work for 2–5 years. You're renting a furnished flat or going to buy local furniture. All you need to take is your clothing, computers, books, keepsakes, personal electronics. That's 3–10 boxes. It's not a move, it's a shipment.
2. A student or trainee going to live abroad
You're going away for 1-2 years to study. The material things you need fit in boxes. The furniture you'll rent furnished or IKEA-style at the destination.
3. A reverse move: collecting what you have there and bringing it here
Filipino families who have spent years in Barcelona and are bringing belongings stored at relatives' homes in Manila. They come with no furniture or appliances, just clothing, personal items and keepsakes.
4. A move in stages: the big things later, the personal things now
Some families first ship boxes with the essentials (to start living at the destination as soon as possible) and plan the full move of furniture months later, once the contract or residence is confirmed.
5. You're moving to a country where European furniture doesn't fit
The US uses different plugs and voltage. In the Philippines the climate ruins European furniture within a few years. In Latin America local furniture is half the price. In these cases, buying local is the smart financial move.
6. Things you send over years, not all at once
Most of the balikbayan boxes we send to the Philippines are exactly this: clothing, food, gifts. Continuous moves in small doses. If your life fits into that, you don't need a container.
Real cost: a full move vs shipping boxes
A comparison for a destination like the Philippines or the US from Barcelona in 2026:
| Item | Full move | Shipping boxes (10 boxes, ~250 kg) |
| Packing | Included (professional) | You (with our materials) |
| Transport | Sea container (40 days) | Sea (45–60 days) or air (5–10 days) |
| Customs at destination | Professional clearance | Professional clearance included |
| Estimated total cost | €3,500–7,000 | Fixed price over WhatsApp in under 2 h |
| Total time | 1–3 months | 1–2 weeks (air) or 2 months (sea) |
| Suitable for | A whole home | The personal and irreplaceable |
The figures for the full move are indicative market rates, not Acacia rates. For shipping boxes we don't publish a fixed price: it depends on the weight, the destination and the mode (air or sea), and we confirm it for you over WhatsApp in under 2 hours.
The difference isn't just price; it's also flexibility. A full move is a single movement: once it's gone, it's gone. Boxes can be sent progressively, as you need things at the destination.
Transport modes: air, sea, mixed
If you opt for shipping boxes, there are two main modes:
Air (5–10 days from Barcelona)
- Timeline: fast
- Price: expensive per kg
- Practical cap: up to 100–150 kg is worthwhile
- Ideal for: the essentials at the start of the move, things you need now
Sea (45–60 days from Barcelona)
- Timeline: slow, but economical
- Price: cheap per kg
- Practical cap: from 100 kg upwards
- Ideal for: what you can wait two months for, bulky things but not whole pieces of furniture
Mixed (the smart move)
You send by air what you need the following week (3-4 boxes with clothing, computer, papers, medication), and by sea the rest (books, decor, crockery, things that can wait).
It's what we do for clients moving to the Philippines or Latin America: they make the most of the air timeline to get going and save money with sea for the bulk.
Documentation and customs: the differences that hurt
A full move requires different documentation from a box shipment, and that affects complexity and timelines.
For a full move
- A detailed inventory (it can run to 50–200 pages)
- A residence certificate or long-term visa
- A valued list of goods
- Corporate customs clearance
- Some tax exemptions if "change of residence" conditions are met
For shipping boxes (personal use)
- A packing list per box
- Sender and recipient ID
- A symbolic value declaration
- Standard customs clearance
- The balikbayan exemption applies for the Philippines (more detail in this customs guide)
In short: shipping boxes is simpler at the paperwork level. A full move demands more red tape, which translates into lost hours and possible customs holds if any document is missing.
Services included in each case
So you can see what you pay for in each model:
A full move (specialist company)
- A prior visit for a quote
- Professional packing materials
- Packers at the origin
- Loading the container
- Sea or air transport
- Customs clearance
- Unpacking at the destination (sometimes)
- Premium insurance
Shipping boxes with Acacia
- Advice on how much / how to pack
- Materials (you can buy them at the office or bring your own)
- Pick-up in Barcelona or drop-off at the office
- Labelling and customs documentation
- Air or sea transport, as you choose
- Customs clearance at the destination
- Door-to-door tracking
- Included coverage (extendable)
We quote the price of shipping boxes to routes like the Philippines, the US or Latin America case by case, depending on weight, destination and transport mode. We give it to you as a fixed price over WhatsApp in under 2 hours, with no surprises.
How to know what's right for you in 5 minutes
Ask yourself this:
1. Am I taking furniture, appliances or things that take up real volume?
- Yes → a full move
- No → boxes
2. How long am I going to be away?
- 5+ years → consider a full move
- <5 years or indefinite → boxes
3. Who's paying?
- A company with relocation → a full move
- You → boxes (almost always)
4. At the destination, am I going to rent furnished or buy?
- Rent furnished → boxes
- Buy from scratch → boxes
- Take my own things → a full move
If most of your answers point to boxes, don't pay for a full move. If they point to a full move, look for companies specialised in international relocation.
Frequently asked questions about moving vs boxes
How many boxes do people moving on their own usually need?
The average we see at the office: 5–12 boxes of a standard size (roughly 50×40×40 cm, 20–30 kg each) for a single person moving with personal items.
Can I ship large electronics (PC, monitors) by cargo?
Yes, but watch out for the voltage and plugs of the destination country. A European computer in the US needs an adapter and sometimes a transformer. For the Philippines it works directly with an adapter (the same 220V voltage).
And winter clothing if I'm moving to a tropical country?
It's a serious question. If you're moving to the Philippines, Singapore or Dubai, are you really going to use your down coat? Many clients end up leaving winter clothing at relatives' homes in Spain rather than sending it. You send what you're going to use.
What about plants, perishable food or pets?
Plants have strict phytosanitary restrictions (they almost never get through). Perishable food: not shipped by international cargo. Pets: they require a specialist animal transport service; that's not cargo.
And "essential" furniture like a bed or a desk?
Look at the cost of buying the equivalent at the destination versus what you pay to transport your own. In most urban destinations (Manila, Buenos Aires, Lima, Houston) you buy a decent desk for €80–150. Sending one from Barcelona via a full move costs €400+ in its proportional share.
Does Acacia do full moves?
No. We focus on cargo (boxes, documents, parcels). If your case requires a full move with furniture and packers, we recommend specialist companies. If your case fits a box shipment, we're your option.
And if I want to combine: do a full move with furniture and separately send boxes with urgent things?
It works very well. Many clients hire a full-move company for the furniture (which takes 2-3 months by sea) and hire us for the urgent air shipment of 3-4 boxes with what they need in their first week at the destination.
In short: for most people, boxes
If this guide has helped you realise that your case is shipping boxes, not a full move, you've probably saved between €2,000 and €5,000. That's how much the difference weighs.
If you want specific guidance for your route (the Philippines, the US, the UK, Latin America), or to know how many boxes and which mode is the better deal for you, we'll work it out at no obligation. You can see how our shipping of boxes and suitcases abroad works before you message us:
- Request a quote for your shipment
- WhatsApp: +34 626 78 54 28
- Office: Carrer de Pelai 9, 08001 Barcelona
We assist you in Spanish, English and Filipino.
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