Considering a Move to Malaysia?

Moving to Malaysia from the UK

Abels Moving Services has provided discreet export packing and shipping for over 50 years. We work with discerning families and professionals moving to Malaysia.

Malaysia: Peninsular and East Malaysia

Malaysia consists of two separate areas of land. Peninsular Malaysia, in the west, borders Thailand and shares maritime borders with Singapore. East Malaysia is made up of Sabah and Sarawak. It sits on the island of Borneo, shared with Brunei and Indonesia.

The two areas sit over 640 miles apart across the South China Sea. It’s worth weighing up what each region offers before deciding where to move.

Malaysia covers 127,355 square miles in total. The country divides into 13 states and three federal territories.

The Malaysian Economy

Malaysia is the world’s largest producer of computer disc drives. It’s also a major exporter of palm oil, rubber and timber. With oil and gas reserves declining, the country continues to grow its tourism industry to diversify the economy.

Population and Climate

Malaysia’s population sits at around 34.4 million people. Kuala Lumpur, the capital, has a population of around 2.1 million. Johor Bahru, the second-largest city, has grown to around 1.8 million.

Temperatures in Malaysia typically range from 21 to 32 degrees Celsius. April, May and October tend to be the wettest months on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The northeast monsoon brings heavy rain from November to February.

Islands and Places to Visit

Malaysia has several tropical islands, some voted among the most beautiful in the world. Many visitors fall for the islands first and consider moving to Malaysia afterwards. Worth exploring: Redang Island, Tenggol Island, and Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. Also on the list are Perhentian Islands, Kapas Island, Lang Tengah Island, Rantau Abang Beach, and Tioman Island.

Other spots are worth visiting too once you’ve settled in. These include the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, the Petronas Twin Towers, and the National Zoo of Malaysia.

Planning Your Move

Talk to a specialist international removal company before you move to Malaysia. The process has its own pitfalls, and a domestic mover won’t be familiar with them.

Before you call, think about whether you want to send everything you own or just a select few personal effects. Call our head office on +44 1842 816600 or email [email protected]. We’ll be in touch shortly to discuss your move.

For full house moves or large volumes, we recommend a home survey. One of our International Customer Service Managers will visit your home to discuss your requirements and answer any questions about the process. They’ll assess the items you’re packing, explain how best to protect them in transit, and confirm access for a larger removal vehicle or shipping container. Our colleague draws up a full list of items to take during the visit. Once we’ve collated all the costs (origin, freight, destination services), we’ll send you a detailed door-to-door removal proposal.

For smaller volumes, you can discuss your move over the phone, by email, or through our online service. We’ll assess your volume, access, packing requirements and shipping method from the information you give us. We’ll then send a detailed door-to-door proposal for you to consider.

Once you book with Abels, you’ll meet your Customer Liaison Move Coordinator. They work alongside your Customer Service Manager to manage the booking, organisation and day-to-day details of your move to Malaysia.

Export Packing

Export packing is essential for your belongings when moving to Malaysia. It protects your items in transit. We use either a 6-ply paper blanket with a wax inner and water-resistant outer. Or a tough bubble blanket with a soft cloth inner and robust outer that keeps corners protected. Certain items need an extra layer of card, cartoning, or wrap for additional protection. This includes polished furniture, antiques, delicate legs, and mirrored or glass-fronted units.

A domestic move by road needs less protection. A journey of thousands of miles in a 20ft or 40ft container needs far more. Your items get handled multiple times on that journey. They’re wrapped, loaded, and driven to port. They’re then lifted on and off the stack, and loaded onto the vessel. The same happens again in reverse at the other end. Robust export packing matters throughout.

We use the highest quality export materials throughout. We choose these to withstand a long export journey, not just a short domestic one. Containers stack up to two metres high in transit. Cartons at the bottom need to hold their shape and protect their contents for the whole journey.

Fine Art & Specialist Packing Services

Fine art needs particular care. Shipments to Malaysia involving valuable or delicate pieces call for enhanced export packing and careful handling throughout. This includes paintings, grandfather clocks, barometers, and chandeliers. In many cases, we build bespoke cases specifically for the item. Find out more about moving antiques, fine art and valuables.

How we dismantle these items before shipping matters as much as how we pack them. Grandfather clocks need their main components taken apart and weights removed before casing. Barometers need specialist handling too, since we bung the tube to prevent the mercury inside from spilling.

Thorough training is what keeps our packing teams versed in the right handling and packing techniques for items like these. Find out more in our moving advice.

Airfreight

Malaysia has eight international airports. Five sit on the peninsular: Malacca (MKZ), Penang (PEN), Langkawi (LGK), Senai (JHB), and Kuala Lumpur International (KUL). The other three sit on East Malaysia: Kota Kinabalu (BKI), Kuching (KCH), and Miri (MYY).

Sea transit typically takes 7 to 10 weeks door to door, so consider airfreight for anything you need sooner. Security restrictions mean airfreighted goods need professional packing rather than owner-packed cartons. We load them into heat-treated modules of various sizes, with waterproof covering for extra protection. Allow around 2 weeks door to door for airfreight. This accounts for UK and Malaysian security and customs checks before delivery.

See more on airfreight shipments.

Customs Information

Import and export rules govern personal items and household goods entering Malaysia. Your Abels Move Manager will give you tailored guidance through this part of the process.

You’ll need specific documentation for customs clearance. The exact requirements depend on your personal circumstances, and our team will talk you through these ahead of your move. Explore the FIDI Customs Guide for Malaysia for further background before your move consultation with the Abels team.

Shipping Services

We ship larger volumes and full house moves in a 20ft or 40ft container. Where access allows, we load the container outside your residence, so you can see our team’s care and skill first-hand. We seal the container with our uniquely numbered bolt seals. Where access doesn’t suit a container of this size, we load goods at our warehouse instead (you’re welcome to attend). Or we use a shuttle truck between your home and the container.

Some shipping lines offer low-cost freight at the expense of container quality and transit time. Abels sources containers through an organisation that secures A1-class containers on our behalf. These arrive without fractures, dry, clean, odour-free, and with a reliably consistent transit time. An odour in the container will transfer to your goods, and any fractures risk water damage.

Smaller volumes travel as LCL (less than container load). We take these to our warehouse and load them into heat-treated wooden crates for shipping.

Transit from port to port in Malaysia typically takes 26 to 48 days by sea, depending on destination. Vessels depart the UK weekly to a range of Malaysian ports. These include Bintulu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Miri, Pasir Gudang, Penang, Port Kelang, Sibu, and Tanjung Pelepas. Door to door, allow around 7 to 10 weeks, depending on weather, strikes, re-routing, vessel availability and customs inspections.

Read more about shipping options when moving abroad.

Destination Services

We choose our destination partners for their accreditations. Most hold the FIDI-FAIM quality award. That means the standard you experience with Abels continues right through customs clearance and delivery in Malaysia.

We notify our destination partner as soon as your container departs the UK. They’ll contact you as delivery approaches and manage customs clearance on your behalf. Once cleared, they’ll arrange your delivery date. This normally includes delivery, unpacking, and set-up of standard furniture (excluding flat-pack items unless agreed). It also covers removal of packaging waste and return of the container to the wharf. Talk to your Abels Customer Service Manager or Customer Liaison if you’d like additional services. This includes a put-away service, cleaning, or settling-in support.

Our destination agents bring local knowledge of import documents, customs clearance and delivery. This keeps your arrival in Malaysia as smooth as possible.

Wherever your move takes you, we’d like to be the removal company you think of. That means this move, and the next one. If you’re moving to Malaysia, or anywhere else in the world, get in touch for a removal quotation.