Best app for a moving abroad inventory and customs list

We make BoxTrack. It doesn't fill in, file or translate official forms: you or your mover copy the list onto the form.

Rules differ from country to country and change over time, so ask your mover or customs broker for their format before you pack. The lists they ask for usually have:

• A number for every box, on the box and on the list.
• What's inside, item by item. "6 dinner plates, 4 bowls, kettle", not "kitchen".
• A used value for each item. What it would sell for now, second-hand, not what it cost new.
• Make, model and serial number for electronics and appliances.
• A note on anything new, with receipts. Recently bought things can be treated differently from things you've owned and used.

Two examples of how destinations differ. Canada asks people settling there for a list in duplicate, split into goods they bring and goods to follow, declared on the BSF186 when they arrive; goods to follow that aren't on the list may lose their duty-free treatment. For Spain, brokers ask for a valued inventory in Spanish, signed by the person moving. Your destination may want something else, so check its official customs site.

Most home inventory apps are built for insurance, which uses replacement value: the cost to buy new. Customs usually wants used value. For a customs list you want an app that keeps used value, or a spreadsheet where you type it in. BoxTrack keeps both a used and a replacement value for every item, so the same list works for customs and for insuring the shipment. For the other apps below, we couldn't confirm a separate used-value field.

BoxTrack: best for building the list as you pack. Snap what goes in each box and AI lists it, with quantities and values; check the used values yourself. Tag each thing Ship, Sell, Store, Donate or Toss, and export only what's shipping to Excel, box by box with totals. Track box weights against your mover's or airline's limit, and nest boxes (cubes in a suitcase in a crate). On Plus and Unlimited, add your own field for which shipment each box is in. Excel export is on Plus and Unlimited, and on your free box. Weak spots: it's new, it's a web app with no app-store download, it can't import from other apps, and the free plan is 1 box with up to 5 items. A whole move needs a paid plan, with a 72-hour free trial. It doesn't translate; its Excel file is easy to hand to whoever does.

The free customs list template: best if you'll type it anyway. Our customs inventory list template in Excel has the columns most brokers ask for. It's a starting point, not an official form.

Box Radar: best iPhone app for box-by-box structure. A QR label, shelf, status and notes for each box, with CSV, PDF and JSON export. You type the items and would add value columns in the spreadsheet afterwards.

Sortly: best if a business is moving too. Its PDF, CSV and Excel exports are organized by folder and location, which maps onto boxes. It's built for business stock, not household customs lists.

• Ask for the format first. If your mover sends their own spreadsheet, fill in theirs.
• Start early. List each box as you pack it, not the night before pickup.
• Keep it honest. Customs uses the list to check the shipment against what you declared.

What is a customs inventory list?

A list of the household goods in your shipment, usually box by box, with what's in each box and roughly what it's worth. Movers and brokers also call it a packing list or a valued inventory.

How do I value used household goods for customs?

Use what each thing would sell for now, second-hand, not what it cost new. Group small things sensibly ("24 paperback books") and keep receipts for anything expensive or recent.

Can I make my customs list in Excel?

Yes, and it's usually the easiest format to send a mover and copy onto an official form. Our moving abroad customs guide walks through it, and an app vs a spreadsheet covers the trade-offs.