If you’re moving a household from the UK to Egypt, there’s a good chance you’ll need a full container. Containers are the standard way to ship large volumes of household goods internationally, and the UK-to-Egypt route (usually ending at Alexandria port) runs regularly.
The question everyone asks first is how much it costs. It depends on several things, but this guide gives you realistic price ranges for 2026, explains what changes the price, and helps you work out whether a container is actually the right option for your move.
20ft vs 40ft containers
Shipping containers come in two standard sizes. Which one you need depends on how much you’re moving.
A 20ft container has an internal volume of roughly 30 to 33 cubic metres. That’s enough for a 1 to 2 bedroom flat, or the contents of a small house if you’ve decluttered. Most people moving from the UK to Egypt use a 20ft container.
A 40ft container has an internal volume of roughly 60 to 67 cubic metres. That’s a 3 to 4 bedroom house with furniture, appliances, and all the usual household items. You only need a 40ft if you’re shipping a large home.
There are also 40ft high-cube containers with about 76 cubic metres of space, useful if you have tall furniture or large awkward items that don’t stack well.
For context, a typical 3-seater sofa takes up about 2 to 3 cubic metres. A double bed with mattress is around 3 cubic metres. A washing machine is about 0.5 cubic metres. These add up faster than most people expect.
What containers cost in 2026
Freight rates change with fuel prices, container availability, and demand on the route. These are typical ranges for UK-to-Egypt container shipping in 2026.
20ft container: £2,500 to £4,500 for freight only (port-to-port). A full door-to-door service including UK collection, export packing, UK customs, sea freight, Egypt customs clearance, and delivery to your Egyptian address typically costs between £4,000 and £7,000 depending on the level of service and your specific addresses at both ends.
40ft container: £3,500 to £6,500 for freight only. Door-to-door with full service typically costs between £6,000 and £10,000.
40ft high-cube: Usually £300 to £600 more than a standard 40ft.
These are ranges, not fixed prices. The actual cost for your move depends on the factors below.
If you’re curious about how these prices compare to other Middle East routes, here’s what a 20ft container to Dubai costs. Egypt is generally cheaper because Alexandria is a closer port than Jebel Ali.
What changes the price
Origin and destination. Collection from central London costs more than collection from a suburb with easy parking. Delivery within Alexandria is cheaper than onward delivery to Cairo, Hurghada, or Upper Egypt. The further your goods need to travel on either end, the more it costs.
Packing. If the shipping company packs your goods using export-grade materials (bubble wrap, tissue paper, custom crating for fragile items), that’s an additional cost on top of the container freight. Professional packing for a 20ft container typically adds £500 to £1,200 depending on how many fragile or awkward items you have. Self-packing saves money but means you’re responsible for any damage.
Insurance. Marine cargo insurance costs around 3% to 4% of the declared value of your goods. On a shipment worth £15,000, that’s £450 to £600. It covers loss or damage during transit.
Customs clearance. UK export clearance and Egypt import clearance are separate processes. A door-to-door container shipping to Egypt service includes both. If you book freight-only, you’ll need to arrange and pay for customs clearance separately at both ends. Egypt customs clearance alone can cost £200 to £500 in agent fees, plus whatever import duties are assessed.
Import duties. Egyptian customs charges import duty on household goods based on the type and declared value of items. This is separate from shipping costs and varies by shipment. Your shipping company should estimate this before you book.
Time of year. Summer is peak season for Middle East routes. Rates can be 10% to 20% higher between June and September compared to winter.
Do you actually need a full container?
This is worth thinking about before you request quotes, because a full container isn’t always the most cost-effective option.
A 20ft container holds 30+ cubic metres. If your shipment is under 15 cubic metres, you’re paying for space you don’t use. In that case, groupage (sharing a container with other shipments to Egypt) will almost certainly be cheaper. For a full comparison of all shipping methods and their costs, see our guide to shipping to Egypt from the UK.
Here’s a practical way to decide:
Groupage makes more sense if you’re shipping the contents of a studio or 1-bed flat, you have fewer than 30 to 40 boxes plus a few furniture items, or your total volume is under 12 to 15 cubic metres. Groupage charges per cubic metre, so you pay only for what you use.
A 20ft container makes more sense if you’re shipping a 2-bed flat or small house, your volume is between 15 and 30 cubic metres, or you need your shipment to leave on a specific date rather than waiting for the next grouped departure. At around 15 cubic metres, the groupage cost per cubic metre starts approaching the flat rate for a 20ft container, and you get a dedicated container that ships on your timeline.
A 40ft container makes more sense if you’re shipping a 3-bed house or larger. If you’re significantly over 33 cubic metres, a 40ft is cheaper than booking two 20ft containers and avoids the hassle of coordinating two separate shipments through Egyptian customs.
The crossover point varies by company and by current rates. The best approach is to get quotes for both groupage and a full container, and compare the total door-to-door price.
How long does a container to Egypt take?
The sailing time from a UK port to Alexandria is typically 2 to 3 weeks. But the door-to-door timeline is longer than that.
Before sailing, your container needs to be loaded and transported to the departure port. For a full container, this usually happens within a few days of collection. The total time from collection to arrival at Alexandria is typically 3 to 4 weeks.
After arrival, your container enters Egyptian customs. Clearance takes 1 to 2 weeks if your documents are in order. If there are problems with paperwork or if your shipment arrives during a holiday period, add more time.
Total door-to-door: 4 to 6 weeks for a full container. Groupage takes longer (6 to 8 weeks) because the container waits at the UK depot until it’s full before departing.
Getting an accurate quote
Online price calculators give rough estimates at best. For an accurate quote, you need to give the shipping company a proper inventory.
Go room by room and list everything you plan to ship. Include furniture dimensions where possible. Note any items that are especially heavy (pianos, safes, gym equipment), fragile (mirrors, artwork, glass furniture), or awkward (grandfather clocks, large TVs, chandeliers). These items may need special crating.
Provide your full UK address, your full Egypt address including floor number and whether there’s a lift, and your preferred timeline. Ask the company to quote door-to-door with packing, insurance, UK and Egypt customs clearance, and delivery included, so you’re comparing like with like when you get multiple quotes.
If a quote seems unusually cheap, check what’s excluded. A price that doesn’t include Egypt customs clearance, import duties, or delivery from the port to your address isn’t a complete price.
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