International Moving Companies in Dakar: What to Know

Moving from Dakar to Paris, Brussels, Montreal or New York comes down to three decisions: full container or shared groupage, port to port or door to door, and how early you book. Get those right and the customs paperwork becomes routine.

Full container or groupage

Volume decides, not preference. A studio in Point E fits into a few cubic metres, a furnished Almadies villa easily fills twenty or more.

• 20ft container: roughly 28 to 33 usable cubic metres, about a two or three bedroom home, appliances and books included.
• 40ft container: around 58 to 67 cubic metres, for a large house in Mermoz or Sacre Coeur, or two families sharing the box.
• Groupage (LCL): you pay only for your own volume, usually from 2 or 3 cubic metres up. Perfect for a student leaving Liberte 6 or a couple in Ngor. Fixed handling fees make very small shipments proportionally expensive.
• Air freight: documents, laptops and anything urgent. Expensive per kilo, delivered within days.

Below 10 cubic metres, groupage almost always wins. Above 15, a dedicated container becomes competitive again and your belongings are handled far less.

The steps, in order

1. Book a home survey. A technician measures your volume on site, in Ouakam, Yoff or Rufisque, usually free. The whole quote flows from that figure.
2. Compare three written quotes. Check packing materials, wooden crates for fragile items, dismantling beds and wardrobes, carrying, insurance.
3. Pick your incoterm. Door to door is simpler; port to port is cheaper but you handle clearance and final delivery.
4. Prepare the packing list. A numbered, valued inventory, ideally bilingual. Customs read it before anything else.
5. Loading and sealing. The container is stuffed in front of you and sealed. Note the seal number and ask for the bill of lading to track the vessel.

Customs, documents and budget

On the Senegalese side, exporting used personal effects needs a clean file: passport, proof of residence, a detailed inventory and an export declaration lodged by your freight forwarder. Artworks may need specific clearance, so allow several extra weeks.

Arrival is where the rules bite. In the EU and in Canada, used personal effects owned for more than six months normally enter duty free when you transfer your residence, provided you can document the move. Alcohol, tobacco and plants are excluded. Vehicles follow a separate process, covered in our article on importing a car.

As a budget guide: roughly 400,000 to 900,000 FCFA for a small groupage shipment of a few cubic metres to Europe, and 2 to 4 million FCFA for a 20ft container door to door, depending on season and packing level. Insurance typically runs at 1 to 3 percent of the declared value.

Transit times, seasons and traps

From the port of Dakar, expect 10 to 18 days at sea to Le Havre, Antwerp or Algeciras, and 20 to 35 days to Montreal, New York or Baltimore, usually with a transhipment. Add one to two weeks upstream while a groupage box fills, plus a few days of clearance on arrival.

June to September is the busy window, when families and expatriates all move at once. The rainy season also complicates access on some streets in Guediawaye, Keur Massar and Parcelles Assainies. Book six to eight weeks ahead for a summer departure, and watch for three classic traps: a flat quote with no survey, a cash deposit with no contract, supermarket boxes used for crockery. Check access too: a broken lift on the Plateau, a narrow lane in Pikine.

Recommended addresses on SeneFinder

• AERO Services : Almadies
• AZ MOVE & EXPRESS : Almadies
• Colimex Sénégal : Mermoz
• Dioum Transport Et Déménagement : Dakar
• Global African Movers : Dakar
• GTB Sénégal - Déménagement-Transport-Prestations de service-Manutention- Conciergerie d’entreprise. : Pikine

More logistics providers in Dakar are listed here: see all addresses.

Useful tools

• Route planner to check access and travel time to the port.
• Currency converter to compare a quote in FCFA, euros or dollars.
• Practical guide: emergency numbers (17, 18, 1515) and admin basics.
• Moving within the city? See moving companies in Dakar. Arriving rather than leaving? Start with settling in Dakar.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a container take from Dakar to Europe?

Plan on 10 to 18 days of sailing time to the main European ports, plus consolidation before departure and customs clearance on arrival. Door to door, one month is a realistic estimate.

Is groupage cheaper than a full container?

Below roughly ten cubic metres, yes, because you only pay for the space you use. Above that, a dedicated container is often cheaper per cubic metre and your goods are handled less.

Will I pay duty on my personal belongings on arrival?

In most European countries and in North America, used personal effects owned for over six months enter duty free when you transfer your residence, with supporting documents. Vehicles, alcohol and tobacco are treated separately.