Moving Company from Dubai to Cape Town, Door to Door
Door to door from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Cape Town: free home survey, export packing, the DA 304 and P1.160 forms, shipping, clearance and delivery to your new home.
- 22 years moving households & cargo
- 1,213+ moves delivered door to door
- 4.9 on Google from 12 reviews
- One coordinator from quote to delivery
Your international movers to Cape Town
Removals to Cape Town start here in the UAE, with the survey, export packing, the South African customs paperwork and loading, weeks before your container reaches the Cape. Seemleius is the moving company that does that work, with trained crews, and our destination partner clears and delivers your goods in Cape Town, with one coordinator throughout.
We are based in Dubai Investment Park and collect from homes across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Whether you are heading for a flat in Sea Point or a family house in Constantia, the delivery is planned before your container sails, not after it lands.
Home removals to Cape Town: what is included
Your fixed, itemised quote sets out each part of the move:
- A free in-home or video survey in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.
- Export packing by trained crews, crates for art, mirrors and glass, and furniture dismantled and reassembled.
- Export documents prepared in Dubai, and the inventory, DA 304 and P1.160 prepared for you to check and sign.
- Sea freight in a full or shared container, depending on volume, and air freight for the essentials you need first.
- Customs clearance in South Africa with our destination partner.
- Delivery, placement room by room and unpacking.
- Transit insurance available (terms confirmed with your quote).
- Storage in Dubai, short or long term: see household goods storage.
Smaller furniture removals to Cape Town, a few pieces rather than a whole home, can travel in a shared container rather than a full one.
South African customs for your household goods
Household furniture and effects imported by someone changing residence to South Africa, and by their family, enter without customs duty or VAT under SARS rebate item 407.06. Returning residents qualify after six months or more abroad.
- DA 304: your declaration on change of residence, with an inventory of all household goods, your permit number or, for returning residents, how long you have been away, and an undertaking to pay duty if anything is sold within six months.
- P1.160: the declaration for unaccompanied manifested effects, where you mark any restricted items.
- Inventory and SAD 500: the goods list, drawn up as we pack, and the customs declaration for the entry.
We prepare the documents for you to check; you sign the declarations and give us your permit number or dates abroad. Nothing entered under the rebate may be disposed of within six months of entry, and motor vehicles, alcoholic drinks and tobacco are excluded.
Meat, dairy, honey, eggs and other animal products, live animals, fresh produce, seeds and wood need a Department of Agriculture permit. Firearms need permits and herbal products a Department of Health permit, while narcotics, military weapons, explosives, fireworks and counterfeit goods are prohibited. Your coordinator points out anything affected at the survey.
Getting your container to Cape Town in 2026
Since 28 February 2026 the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to commercial shipping. Containers from the UAE currently go by road to a port outside the strait, such as Khor Fakkan or Fujairah on the east coast or Sohar in Oman, and schedules are longer and less predictable than before.
Cape Town is one of Transnet's commercial ports, alongside Durban, Ngqura and Port Elizabeth. Maersk's published UAE route list has no direct southbound service to Cape Town, so your coordinator confirms the routing, including any transhipment, when the sailing is booked. Durban, South Africa's main container port, is a hub for Middle East cargo.
We confirm the dates at your survey rather than quote pre-2026 Jebel Ali transit times, and keep you updated until the container is delivered.
How your Cape Town move runs
- Survey: your coordinator goes through every room with you and notes what goes by sea, what goes by air and what needs a permit.
- Quote: a fixed, itemised quote with the current routing.
- Paperwork: the inventory, DA 304 and P1.160 are prepared for your signature.
- Packing day: trained crews pack, crate and load, and dismantle furniture where needed.
- Departure: export documents are completed in Dubai and the container goes by road to the departure port.
- Arrival and clearance: our destination partner lodges the entry and clears your goods under the rebate.
- Delivery: the partner crew delivers, reassembles and unpacks.
Delivering in Cape Town: neighbourhoods and access
We deliver to homes across Cape Town, including Sea Point, Green Point, Camps Bay, Claremont, Constantia and Durbanville.
Before delivery day, your coordinator goes through access with you: security at your complex or estate, where the truck can park, any lift booking in an apartment block, and steep or narrow driveways. The delivery date is agreed with you once your goods are cleared.
Moving somewhere else in South Africa? See our page for Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria.
Pets and vehicles
Pets travel as a separate service: see pet relocation. A car is not covered by the household rebate: it needs a DA 304A under rebate item 407.04 and an ITAC import permit, and a left-hand-drive car cannot be registered in South Africa unless it was registered there before 23 July 2004. If yours qualifies, ask about vehicle shipping.
Book your free in-home survey
Quotes from removal companies in Cape Town and the UAE are only comparable when they are based on a proper look at your home. Our survey is 100% free, with no obligation: a coordinator visits, goes through every room and the SARS forms, and sends you a fixed, itemised quote.
Use the quote form on this page or our quote page, or call or WhatsApp +971 56 899 2011. Tell us your moving date and your Cape Town suburb.
What people say once they’ve moved with us
“Superb packaging and customer care. On time delivery. Excellent service. Highly recommended!!”
“Miza coordinated the job so well and I appreciate her for giving me a pleasant experience with Seemleius”
“Great service! They did a great job packing all my…”Read the full review on Google
“I recently used their door to door cargo service to Jeddah from JVC, Dubai. I am extremely satisfied. The team came to my home, did excellent packing, and collection was hassle free. They are professionals and communication was very clear. Delivery to my…”Read the full review on Google
“Very smooth process throughout and importantly well updated throughout the process. I moved my home cargo from Dubai to Muscat. Seemlieus team was very professional at both the locations and I definitely recommend this”
“I'm very impressed with the level of service I received. Miza Sabroso was attentive, knowledgeable, and efficient. You can tell they truly care about their customers. Highly recommend!”Read the full review on Google
“PROFESSIONAL AND RESPECTFUL COMPANY”
Questions about moving to Cape Town from Dubai
Anything specific to your situation? A specialist for this corridor is happy to help.
Contact usDo you use one of the moving companies in Cape Town for delivery?
Yes. Delivery, placement and unpacking in Cape Town are done by our destination partner's crew, working to the plan your Seemleius coordinator agreed with you. You never have to manage two companies.
Which port will my goods arrive at?
It depends on the sailing. Cape Town is one of Transnet's commercial ports, but Maersk's published UAE route list has no direct southbound service to it, so the arrival port and any transhipment are confirmed when we book.
Do I pay duty on my household goods?
Not if you qualify for rebate item 407.06, which lets someone changing residence to South Africa bring household goods in without customs duty or VAT. You need the DA 304, the P1.160, an inventory and the SAD 500, and you must not dispose of the goods within six months of entry.
Can I ship my car to Cape Town?
Only through a separate process: a DA 304A under rebate item 407.04 and an ITAC import permit. A left-hand-drive car cannot be registered unless it was registered in South Africa before 23 July 2004, and returning residents may not send a used car ahead of their own permanent return.
What can't I pack?
Animal products such as meat, dairy, honey and eggs, fresh produce, seeds and wood need a Department of Agriculture permit, and firearms need permits. Narcotics, military weapons, explosives, fireworks and counterfeit goods are prohibited. Alcohol and tobacco are not covered by the rebate.
How much does a move from Dubai to Cape Town cost?
It depends on the volume, whether your goods fill a container or share one, packing and crating, access at both homes, any air shipment or storage and the transit insurance you choose. The free survey covers all of it, and your fixed, itemised quote follows with no obligation.
How long will my shipment take?
Since 28 February 2026, containers from the UAE have gone by road to ports outside the strait, such as Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar, rather than sailing from Jebel Ali, and schedules are less predictable. We confirm routing and dates at your survey and update you as the sailing progresses.