Considering a Move to the Cayman Islands?

Moving to the Cayman Islands 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 the Cayman Islands. That covers full house moves and smaller partloads alike.

People move to the Cayman Islands for many reasons. The territory has the highest standard of living in the Caribbean. That alone is enough of a draw for plenty of people considering the move.

The Cayman Islands: Geography

The Cayman Islands consist of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.

Tax and Financial Services

There’s no income tax, capital gains tax, or corporation tax in the Cayman Islands. This tax status, alongside political stability, has made the islands one of the world’s leading offshore financial centres.

The banking sector has changed considerably over the past decade. As of late 2025, 79 banks hold licences with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. That’s down substantially from the hundreds licensed before the post-2008 wave of international regulation and consolidation. The territory still ranks among the top 20 jurisdictions globally by cross-border banking assets, at around $306 billion. The financial sector is large relative to the small resident population. Because of that, many foreign nationals hold valid work permits here, especially in financial services.

Tourism and Things to Do

Tourism centres around Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. Stingray City, nearby, draws divers and snorkellers from all over the world. Also worth visiting: the Ironshore landscape known as Hell, and Boatswain’s Beach, a marine theme park.

Planning Your Move

Talk to a specialist international removal company before you move overseas. 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. They’ll discuss your requirements, answer any questions about the process, and assess the items you’re packing. They’ll also 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 and organisation of your move.

Export Packing

Export packing is essential for your belongings when you move to the Cayman Islands. 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 the Cayman Islands 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.

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

All three Cayman Islands have airports, though only two serve international flights. Grand Cayman is home to the main hub, Owen Roberts International Airport. Cayman Brac has the second international airport, Gerrard Smith International Airport. Little Cayman has a smaller airfield, Edward Bodden Airfield, which isn’t classed as an international airport.

Sea transit typically takes around 7 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 Cayman Islands security and customs checks before delivery.

See more on airfreight shipments.

Customs Information

Import and export rules govern personal items and household goods entering the Cayman Islands. 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 the Cayman Islands 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 to the Cayman Islands typically takes 28 to 34 days by sea. Vessels depart the UK weekly to George Town. Door to door, allow around 7 weeks, depending on weather, strikes, re-routing, vessel availability and customs inspections.

Read more about shipping options when moving abroad.