Packers and Movers in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Shifting to or from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where household goods cross the Bay of Bengal by ship from Chennai, Kolkata or Visakhapatnam. There is no road link, so the sailing schedule, the sea and the packing decide how the move goes.
- Moves by sea and air
- Survey on a video call
- Written quote before packing
Moving in Andaman and Nicobar Islands? Get the price in writing
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Shifting homes across Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The islands lie more than 1,000 km out in the Bay of Bengal, and most people live on South Andaman around Sri Vijaya Puram, the capital, which was called Port Blair until 2024. Others live across Middle and North Andaman, reached by the Andaman Trunk Road and ferries, and on islands such as Swaraj Dweep and Shaheed Dweep, the former Havelock and Neil, which are reached only by boat. The Nicobar group to the south is largely tribal land, and outsiders need permission to go there.
Most people who move here come on a posting. The islands have the Andaman and Nicobar Command, India's only tri-service theatre command, along with the Coast Guard, the police, the administration, banks, schools, colleges, the port and the airport. Tourism brings hotel and dive staff to Swaraj Dweep and Sri Vijaya Puram. Postings usually last a few years, so families arrive with a household and leave with one, often for Chennai, Kolkata or wherever the next posting is.
A move here has three stages. The goods are packed at the old home and driven to a mainland port, usually Chennai, which has the most regular sailings, or else Kolkata or Visakhapatnam. They wait for a ship with cargo space, cross the sea in about three days, and are unloaded at the wharf in Sri Vijaya Puram before the last stretch by road. The whole move takes weeks, and the sailing dates set the pace.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands at a glance
- Survey
- On a video call
- Local move, 2 BHK
- ₹12,000 to ₹16,500
- Quote
- Written, every charge listed
Before you move in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- 01
Homes and buildings
Housing on the islands is low-rise and modest. Sri Vijaya Puram has government quarters for the administration, the armed forces and the police, one and two storey independent houses, and small apartment blocks, many of them on the hills around the town with steep approach roads and steps. Outside the capital, houses are often raised off the ground or built partly of timber, with tin or tiled roofs. Space is limited and furniture costs more on the islands, so families think hard about what to ship and what to buy there.
- 02
Between cities
No road connects the islands with the mainland, so the sea routes are what matter. Passenger ships run by the islands' Directorate of Shipping Services sail from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam, and cargo also travels on container and general cargo vessels, mostly from Chennai. On the islands, the Andaman Trunk Road runs north from Sri Vijaya Puram towards Rangat, Mayabunder and Diglipur, and the stretch through the Jarawa reserve is driven in convoys at set times. Swaraj Dweep and Shaheed Dweep depend on ferries, some of which carry vehicles and goods.
- 03
Moving into or out of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Indian citizens need no permit to live in or visit Sri Vijaya Puram and the main Andaman islands, but the Nicobar group and the tribal reserves are closed without permission. For the goods, the shipping line or its agent asks for an itemised packing list, identity proof and the addresses at both ends, and used household goods move on that list and a declaration, with no e-way bill in the usual case. A car or motorcycle is shipped separately. If it stays more than 12 months, it is re-registered with the islands' transport department using a no objection certificate from the RTO it came from, unless it has a BH series plate.
- 04
Weather and the months to plan around
The islands are warm and humid all year, with heavy rain from the south-west monsoon between May and September and more from the north-east monsoon until December. Rough seas in those months delay or cancel sailings, and cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, mostly in April and May or from October to December, can hold ships in port. Humidity and salt air are hard on wood, metal and electronics, so goods are packed for a long, damp transit. January to April has the calmest seas and is the easiest time to ship a household.
Worth reading before a move in Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Who is the best packers and movers in India? and Cheapest way to transfer household goods to another state.
Moving in Andaman and Nicobar Islands: your questions
Still unsure about something? Call and we will talk it through before you commit to a date.
How long does it take to move household goods to Sri Vijaya Puram?
Plan on several weeks. Packing and the road leg to the port take a few days, the goods then wait for a sailing with cargo space, the crossing from Chennai takes around three days, and unloading and the last stretch follow. Sailings thin out in the monsoon. The written quote sets out each stage, and a consignment number lets you follow the goods.
Should anything go by air?
A small part of it. Air cargo suits documents, clothes, a laptop, kitchen basics and anything you need in the first weeks. Flights link Sri Vijaya Puram with Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and air freight is charged by weight, so it is expensive for furniture. A common split is to fly a few cartons and ship the rest.
How should goods be packed for the sea crossing?
For a long, damp transit with several rounds of handling. Furniture is wrapped in bubble wrap and corrugated sheet, cartons are sealed on every seam and kept to a weight two people can lift, and fragile items and electronics can travel in wooden crates, charged separately. Keep documents, jewellery and medicines with you.
Can I take my car to the islands?
Yes. Your car or motorcycle is taken by carrier to the port and shipped, separately from the household, and it arrives on its own schedule. If it will stay beyond 12 months it needs island registration, unless it has BH plates. Roads outside the capital are narrow and hilly, so a small car is easier to live with.
Related services
- Packing and UnpackingBubble wrap, corrugated sheets and wooden crates chosen for every item.
- Local ShiftingQuick moves within your city, with a clear quote before moving day.
- Long-Distance and Interstate MovingMoves to another city or state, door to door, with the right paperwork and status updates.
- Bike TransportationLayered bike packing and secure carriers for city and interstate moves.
Planning a move in Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
Give us the two addresses and an item list, and the written quote reaches you before the day is out.