For Turkish families relocating to the United States on a green card, H-1B, L-1 or F-1 visa, or through family reunification, the journey of their household goods works differently than it does for Europe: there is no road route, so your belongings cross the ocean by sea in a container. Planned properly, the process is both economical and predictable, and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) treats the used household goods of people transferring their residence to the USA as exempt from customs duty. In this guide we cover FCL and LCL container options, hiring a 20' or 40' container, customs forms such as the ISF and CBP Form 3299, transit times, prohibited items and door-to-door delivery.
Sea Freight Options: FCL or LCL?
| FCL (full container) | LCL (shared container) | |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable volume | 20': ~28 m³ (2- or 3-bedroom home); 40': ~58 m³ (large home + car) | 1-15 m³ (studio / 1-bedroom flat, partial move) |
| Pricing | Fixed price per container | Per m³ |
| Handling | Loaded at your door, unloaded at your door in the USA | Consolidated at the warehouse, deconsolidated at a warehouse in the USA |
| Transit | Istanbul/Mersin – New York/Newark: 25-35 days | 35-50 days (including consolidation) |
| Customs | Per container | Each shipment declared separately |
For a 3-bedroom home or larger, a 20' container is usually the most efficient option; if a car is going too, a 40' container is required. For smaller volumes, LCL lets you pay by volume without hiring a whole container.
Container Hire and Loading
- Container type: 20' DC (dry), 40' DC or 40' HC (high cube, taller); for household goods the HC offers a useful volume advantage.
- Loading: with FCL the container is brought to your address (city-centre access and a parking permit are required) or your goods are loaded at our Istanbul warehouse. During loading the cargo is secured inside the container (lashing, air bags); it will be exposed to the ship's motion for around 30 days.
- Seal: the container is sealed at the end of loading and the seal number is recorded on the bill of lading (B/L).
- Moisture: to counter condensation during the ocean crossing we use desiccant bags, and vacuum bags for textiles.
- Ports: Ambarlı, Mersin and Izmir in Turkey; New York/Newark, Baltimore, Savannah, Houston and Los Angeles/Long Beach in the USA.
US Customs Forms and Duty-Free Entry Conditions
Duty-free entry (HTSUS 9804)
Household and personal effects that have been used for at least 1 year by people taking up residence in the USA are exempt from customs duty. There is no separate advance application for "transfer of residence" in the USA; the exemption is claimed on the customs entry. The goods should arrive within a reasonable period of your own arrival in the USA (generally 6 months to 1 year), and the owner must already have entered the country.
Mandatory forms
- CBP Form 3299 (Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles): the exemption declaration for used goods, signed by the owner.
- Supplemental Declaration: an additional declaration for household goods shipments.
- ISF (10+2): electronic advance filing with US customs at least 24 hours before the vessel is loaded; penalties apply if it is missing.
- Bill of lading (B/L), inventory list (in English, with values), copies of passport and visa/green card, and proof of your US address.
- Power of Attorney: so that our US customs broker can file the entry on your behalf.
- EPA/DOT forms: if a vehicle is being shipped (separate procedure; compliance requirements apply to vehicles under 25 years old).
US customs carries out X-ray and random physical examinations on household goods containers, and the examination fees are charged to the shipper. A detailed, accurate inventory reduces both the likelihood and the duration of an examination.
The Process Step by Step
- Survey and quotation: the volume is determined; FCL/LCL and the container type are chosen.
- Document preparation: English inventory list, CBP 3299, POA, ISF details.
- Packing and loading: export-standard packing for sea freight (double-wall cartons, moisture protection, wooden crates); container loading and sealing.
- Turkish export customs and loading onto the vessel; ISF filing.
- Ocean transit: 25-35 days (depending on the transhipment port).
- US customs: entry filed before arrival; release in 2-7 days; extra time if an examination is ordered.
- Delivery: by truck from the port to your address; with FCL the container is unloaded at your door, with LCL delivery is by truck from the warehouse; assembly included.
Total door-to-door time is 5-7 weeks for FCL and 6-9 weeks for LCL.
Prohibited and Restricted Items for the USA
- Prohibited: meat and dairy products, fresh food, plants/soil/seeds, firearms (separate ATF procedure), certain wood products (a Lacey Act declaration is required), counterfeit branded goods.
- Restricted: alcohol (varies by state; outside the exemption), tobacco, medicines (FDA; with prescription, 90-day supply), dry food in limited quantities and properly labelled.
- Electricity: the USA runs on 120V/60Hz; Turkish white goods and 230V appliances will not work or will need a converter. Taking a fridge, washing machine or oven is generally not worthwhile; TVs and computers are mostly dual-voltage.
- Wooden packaging: ISPM-15 stamp is mandatory.
What Determines the Cost?
- FCL/LCL choice and container type; volume (m³)
- Port of loading and port of arrival; trucking distance within the USA (East Coast / West Coast)
- Packing and securing inside the container
- Customs services: Turkish export, ISF, US customs brokerage; possible examination fees
- Port charges (THC), container demurrage/detention periods
- Marine cargo insurance (all-risk, declared value)
Example Scenario: A 3-Bedroom Home from Istanbul to New Jersey
A family moving to New Jersey on an H-1B visa is taking the contents of their 3-bedroom home in Istanbul; they sell their white goods because of the voltage difference. The volume is 24 m³, so a 20' container is used. The container is loaded and sealed at our Istanbul warehouse, and the ISF is filed 48 hours before the vessel loads. The ship reaches Newark in 28 days; our US customs broker has already filed the entry with CBP 3299 and the POA, and the container is released 3 days after an X-ray scan. A truck brings the container to the house in Jersey City, where our team unloads and reassembles the furniture. Total time: 6 weeks; customs duty: zero.
Why REG Transport?
- For sea-freight household moves we manage the ISF, CBP 3299 and POA processes together with our partner customs broker in the USA.
- Sea-freight-standard packing and container loading at our Istanbul and Gaziantep warehouses.
- Transparent quotation (port charges and possible examination fees stated clearly), with an all-risk marine insurance option.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to ship household goods from Turkey to the USA?
5-7 weeks for FCL and 6-9 weeks for LCL, door to door.
Can you bring the container to my house?
Yes, if street access and a parking permit allow it; otherwise we load at our Istanbul warehouse.
Do I need to apply in advance for duty-free entry?
No. The exemption is claimed on the customs entry using CBP 3299. It is enough that you have entered the USA and that the goods have been used for 1 year.
Should I take my white goods?
Generally no, because the USA runs on 120V/60Hz; we recommend selling them to reduce volume and cost.
Can I ship my car as well?
Yes, either together with your household goods in a 40' container or separately. Vehicles under 25 years old must meet EPA/DOT compliance; we assess this during the survey.
Let's Plan Your Move to the USA
Send us your inventory list and US address and receive a written quote the same day comparing FCL and LCL options. For urgent items, see our article on air freight from Turkey to the USA, and for the general rules visit our complete guide to moving household goods abroad.
