Packers and Movers in Lakshadweep
Shifting to or from the Lakshadweep islands, off the Kerala coast, where everything arrives by sea and a permit comes before any sailing. The moves are small, ships are few, and the packing has to cope with salt air and a hand transfer onto boats.
- Moves by sea and air
- Survey on a video call
- Written quote before packing
Tell us about your Lakshadweep move
One call about this move. We do not pass your number on.
Shifting homes across Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep is a chain of coral islands in the Arabian Sea, some 200 to 440 km west of the Kerala coast, and only ten of its 36 islands are inhabited. Kavaratti is the capital, and Agatti, Minicoy, Amini, Andrott and Kalpeni are among the other inhabited islands. Each is small, often only a few kilometres long, with a lagoon on one side and houses set among coconut palms. There are few cars and the roads are short.
Most people who move here are on a posting or are islanders coming home. The administration, the police, the Coast Guard, the navy, schools, hospitals, banks and the power and shipping departments bring officers from the mainland for a set term. Islanders go to Kochi, Kozhikode and Mangaluru for college, hospitals and work, and return. Tourists visit a few islands, but tourism is limited and controlled.
A move here is a road leg to the mainland port, a sea crossing and a boat transfer at the far end. Passenger ships sail from Kochi, and cargo also goes from Kochi, from Beypore near Kozhikode and from Mangaluru. Several islands have no berth for a large ship, so it anchors off the reef and goods are shifted into smaller boats, taken across the lagoon and unloaded by hand. That last step decides how everything should be packed.
Lakshadweep 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 Lakshadweep
- 01
Homes and buildings
Island houses are low, mostly single storey, built of concrete blocks or coral stone with tiled or concrete roofs, and set in compounds among coconut palms. Kavaratti and the larger islands have government quarters for officers and staff, and it is worth asking what a quarter already has before shipping a whole household. Lanes are narrow and sandy and distances are short, so goods usually go from the jetty or beach to the house on a small vehicle or a handcart. Large wardrobes and long sofas are hard to land and hard to fit into small rooms.
- 02
Between cities
There are no highways on the islands, only short roads and lanes, so the routes that matter are at sea. Ships run by the administration link Kochi with the islands, often calling at several on one voyage, and the passage to Kavaratti is an overnight one. Cargo vessels sail from Kochi, Beypore and Mangaluru. Agatti has the only airstrip, with small aircraft from Kochi that carry little baggage, and helicopters and inter-island boats connect some islands. Moving between islands means another sailing.
- 03
Moving into or out of Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep is a restricted territory. Anyone who is not a native islander needs an entry permit from the Lakshadweep Administration, applied for online with identity proof and a police clearance certificate, and for government staff the posting order is the starting point for it. Household goods move with an itemised packing list, the owner's declaration and a copy of the permit or posting order, and used personal effects normally sit outside the e-way bill rules. Alcohol is not allowed on the inhabited islands, so none should be packed. A car is rarely worth shipping, and one that stays past 12 months needs local registration.
- 04
Weather and the months to plan around
The south-west monsoon, from about late May to September, brings rough seas, and ship services to the islands are cut back sharply in those months, with cargo sailings hit hardest. October to mid-May is the fair season, and the calm months from November to March are the easiest time to ship a household. The islands are hot and humid all year, around 25 to 33°C, and salt air rusts metal and marks wood, so packing is built for a damp, salty crossing and a wet transfer across the lagoon.
Worth reading before a move in Lakshadweep: Packers and movers, Porter or NoBroker: which is better? and Who are the top 3 movers and packers in India?
Moving in Lakshadweep: your questions
If your question is not on this list, ring us. The person who answers books these moves.
Do I need a permit before my goods are shipped?
In practice, yes. The person receiving the goods has to be allowed on the island, so apply for the entry permit first and keep a copy with the packing list. Government staff should ask their department, which knows the process for postings. Islanders returning home do not need a permit.
How long do household goods take to reach Kavaratti?
Several weeks, as a rule. The road leg to Kochi or Mangaluru depends on where you are moving from, the goods then wait for a cargo sailing with space, the crossing is overnight, and the boat transfer and last stretch follow. In the monsoon it takes longer. You get a consignment number and updates as the goods move, and the written quote sets out each stage.
What can go by air to Agatti?
Only a little. Flights from Kochi to Agatti use small aircraft with tight baggage limits, and Agatti is a boat or helicopter ride from Kavaratti and the other islands. Keep the flight for yourself, your documents and a few essentials, and send the rest by sea.
How should goods be packed for the boat transfer?
In pieces that two or three people can lift into a small boat. Wardrobes and beds are taken apart, cartons are kept to a moderate weight and taped shut on all sides, and furniture goes into bubble wrap and stretch film against spray. Glassware, crockery and electronics are safest in wooden crates, which are an extra charge. Mark every piece with your name and island.
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.
Moving house in Lakshadweep?
Tell us where you are moving from and to, and roughly what is in the house. You get a figure in writing today.