- 22 years moving households & cargo
- 1,213+ moves delivered door to door
- 4.8 / 5 200 client-feedback responses
- One coordinator from quote to delivery
A Manila-bound shipment from Nhava Sheva sails on a Thursday rotation, calls Singapore for transhipment, and lands at MICT 12 to 16 days later. We can confirm the vessel, the booking reference and the projected ETA the day after your survey. That is the standard the India–Philippines corridor has run on for 22 years.
Some 1,213 moves later, the route still carries the same mix — a Filipino software architect returning from a Bengaluru technology role to Quezon City, an Indian executive on posting to a Makati office, an OFW family consolidating out of Pune, a Mumbai pharmaceutical exporter feeding a PEZA-registered Cebu facility. The customs file at each end is exacting; planned properly, the route runs smoothly.
ICEGATE filed before the box moves
Indian export turns on a clean shipping bill lodged on ICEGATE against your AD code at Nhava Sheva, Mundra or Chennai. We prepare the file in the week before stuffing so the container clears the gate without a query.
Balikbayan and TOR understood
Returning Filipinos use the BOC framework in CAO 06-2016 and the Balikbayan box rules; Indian nationals on long-term posting clear under Transfer of Residence. We confirm which file fits before the vessel sails.
Typhoon-aware scheduling
Between May and November we cross-check PAGASA bulletins against vessel ETAs and pull delivery slots forward where a storm signal is likely to close the port. Quiet contingency rather than late surprises.
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India survey and brief
In-person walk-through at your home or office in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru or Chennai, or a video survey where timing is tight. Volume measured in cubic metres, sea against air costed to your start date in Manila or Cebu.
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Documentation before stuffing
AD code confirmed, ICEGATE shipping bill drafted, EPCG or DGFT references attached for capital goods, FEMA declaration where required. Philippine-side: Balikbayan or TOR pack assembled with passport, visa and proof of residency abroad.
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Export pack and dispatch
Export-grade pack from your Indian origin, ISPM-15 treated timber where crating is involved, photographic inventory matched to the shipping bill. Booked rotation out of Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Chennai (Ennore), or air from BOM, DEL or BLR.
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BOC clearance and delivery
E2M lodgement at the Port of Manila, MICT or Cebu, Balikbayan or TOR relief applied, container devanned and trucked to your address. DPWH road permits where the truck profile demands it; inter-island leg where the destination sits off Luzon.
The India–Philippines corridor in detail
Sea and air routes
Nhava Sheva (JNPT) carries most volume out of western India; Mundra runs a parallel service with strong Singapore and Port Klang connections; Chennai and Ennore cover southern shippers via Singapore or Tanjung Pelepas. Port-to-port to Manila South Harbour or MICT sits in the 12 to 16 day band on faster rotations, with 18 to 22 days on slower transhipment combinations. Cebu (CIP) is served by a feeder from Manila or, on selected services, a direct call. Air from BOM, DEL or BLR lands at MNL or CEB in 5 to 7 days door-to-door.
Indian export: ICEGATE, AD code, EPCG and FEMA
The Indian export file is built around ICEGATE. The shipping bill is lodged electronically against the AD code at the loading port; the packing list and commercial invoice attach to it, and an EPCG licence reference under DGFT is cited where capital goods are in scope. FEMA declarations apply to high-value consignments above the threshold. For returning Filipinos, we file a personal-effects shipping bill with an inventory that matches the Philippine arrival documents line for line; mismatch between the two ends is the most common reason a box is held.
Philippine import: BOC E2M, Balikbayan, TOR
The Bureau of Customs runs E2M as its electronic clearance platform. Returning Filipinos clear under the Balikbayan framework set in CAO 06-2016 read with Republic Act 10863; the regime distinguishes the Balikbayan box (three per year up to PHP 150,000 combined, duty and tax free) from a full household consignment, assessed on length of stay abroad and consignee status. Indian nationals clear under Transfer of Residence on a 13(g) or 47(a)(2) visa. Restricted items follow BOC and BAI: firearms need a PNP-FEO permit, drones above set weight bands need CAAP coordination, right-hand-drive vehicles cannot be registered, plant material needs a BPI import permit against an Indian phytosanitary certificate.
Typhoons, pets, electrical and vehicles
Typhoon season runs May to November with August to October the peak; we track PAGASA bulletins from the week before berthing and pull delivery forward where a cyclone signal is firming over Luzon. DPWH permits and building-management lift slots in Makati, BGC and Ortigas are arranged ahead of the truck. Pets clear via DAH&D at the Indian end and a BAI import permit at the Philippine end, with an ISO 11784/11785 microchip and a rabies vaccination 30 days to 12 months before travel. Indian 230V 50Hz appliances mostly tolerate the Philippine 220V 60Hz supply, but motor-driven items can run hot or slow. Used vehicle imports are restricted under Bureau of Import Services rules. Every quote itemises freight, Indian export, BOC duties, haulage and packing.
Pune to Quezon City after a tech posting
A Filipino software architect closing six years at a Pune product company, household built up plus a young child's room to bring home. The coordinator costed two Balikbayan boxes flown ahead, then a 20-foot container out of Nhava Sheva on a Singapore transhipment for the rest. CAO 06-2016 file lodged with the Manila consulate documents; cleared MICT inside 14 days quay-to-door.
Mumbai to Makati on a 13(g) visa
A senior banker on a three-year posting at a Makati regional office, January start anchored to a Salcedo Village serviced apartment then a permanent flat from March. The coordinator split the move — priority air out of BOM for the working set, sea from Nhava Sheva for the rest — on a single inventory. TOR file lodged at MICT against the 13(g) visa; both legs cleared on one umbrella reference.
Chennai engineering consignment to Cebu
A manufacturer feeding a PEZA-registered facility in the Mactan Economic Zone, oversized test rig plus spares. The coordinator coordinated the EPCG-referenced shipping bill at Ennore, ISPM-15 crating and a direct rotation to Cebu rather than a Manila transhipment. PEZA admission and BOC clearance ran together at the zone gate; the rig was on the production floor the working day after devanning.
Eleven years of life in a Bengaluru house into a Quezon City flat that was, honestly, smaller. The coordinator told us in the survey what was not worth shipping and she was right. Container reached MICT on day 14 from Nhava Sheva; the team was unpacking in QC the Friday before my son's school started. Balikbayan paperwork sorted weeks ahead, no last-minute scramble at the wharf.
Three-year posting from Mumbai to Makati for a regional banking team. The coordinator split the consignment into an air leg for the working set and a sea container for the household, on one inventory. TOR file at MICT cleared cleanly against the 13(g) visa. Communication was steady — updates when there was something to say, not noise.
A direct Chennai to Cebu rotation got pulled to a Manila transhipment late in the booking week because of a vessel reshuffle, adding four days. The coordinator warned us the moment the line moved and rebuilt the Mactan zone gate slot around the new ETA. Frank when something shifted, which is what I judge a mover on.
Frequently asked questions — Philippines corridor
How long does the sea move take?
Port-to-port Nhava Sheva to Manila runs 12 to 16 days on faster rotations and 18 to 22 days on slower transhipment combinations through Singapore or Port Klang. Add three to five days for BOC clearance and one to two days for road delivery in Metro Manila, longer for the Visayas or Mindanao.
What is ICEGATE clearance, and do I need an AD code?
ICEGATE is Indian Customs' electronic gateway. The export shipping bill is filed on it against your AD code — the authorised dealer bank code registered at the loading port against your IEC. Most personal exporters do not have one set up; we arrange the registration at Nhava Sheva, Mundra or Chennai and draft the bill with EPCG or DGFT references where capital goods are in scope.
How does the Balikbayan box rule work?
Under CAO 06-2016, qualified Filipinos abroad may send up to three Balikbayan boxes per calendar year with a combined value not exceeding PHP 150,000, duty and tax free. A full household consignment is a separate filing under the same framework, assessed on length of stay abroad and consignee status.
How long does BOC E2M clearance take?
For a properly prepared file at the Port of Manila or MICT, three to five working days from vessel discharge is realistic. Air at Ninoy Aquino International typically clears in a working day. Where a document is queried — usually an inventory mismatch — the clock pauses until it is reconciled.
Sea or air?
Sea suits a full household and any move where the arrival window allows 12 to 22 days at sea plus clearance. Air suits priority items or a tight corporate start. A split shipment under one inventory often works best for executive moves.
Pets and vehicles?
Pets clear via DAH&D at the Indian end and a BAI import permit at the Philippine end, with an ISO 11784/11785 microchip and a rabies vaccination 30 days to 12 months before travel. Used vehicle imports are restricted: right-hand-drive cars cannot be registered, and left-hand-drive used cars are constrained under Bureau of Import Services rules.
Should I avoid typhoon season?
Not necessarily. May to November is the active window, August to October the peak. We track PAGASA bulletins from the week before berthing and, where a cyclone signal is firming over Luzon, pull the delivery forward or push to a quieter window.
What does not ship?
Firearms without a PNP-FEO permit; right-hand-drive vehicles; plant material without a BPI import permit; alcohol above personal quantities; drones above set weight bands without CAAP coordination.
Who handles each end?
India is run by our Mumbai coordination team — the coordinator, the coordinator and the coordinator split the load by corridor. The Philippine end runs through our Manila partner desk with bonded-warehouse access at MICT and South Harbour, and a Cebu desk for direct Visayas calls. You speak to one named coordinator across the move.
Ready to plan your Philippines move?
Tell us when, what, and where — One of our team will come back to you within a working day, usually much sooner.
Your move to Philippines, your way
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