Professional Movers
Moving to Puerto Rico: The Real-World Checklist for a Smooth Move
On paper, moving to Puerto Rico from the mainland looks simple:
- No passport if you’re a U.S. citizen
- Same currency (U.S. dollar)
- Same federal system in a lot of ways
But when it comes to shipping your household goods, Puerto Rico plays by its own rules:
- You’re not dealing with U.S. Customs…
- You’re dealing with Puerto Rico’s Departamento de Hacienda
- You’re planning around ocean freight, weekly sailings, excise/use tax, and specific paperwork
If you don’t plan for that, you can get hit with delays, surprise taxes, and a lot more stress than you signed up for.
This guide walks you through:
- What’s different about moving to Puerto Rico
- The step-by-step checklist before you book anything
- How Hercules Moving Solutions can make your move calmer, cleaner, and more predictable
Why Moving to Puerto Rico Is Not Just “Another State Move”
1. It’s domestic—but not customs-free in the way you expect
Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so your shipment technically isn’t “international.”
But you still don’t just roll off the boat and drive away.
Instead of U.S. Customs, Puerto Rico has its own entry tax and clearance system run by Departamento de Hacienda (the Treasury).
Key points:
- You usually don’t pay U.S. import duties on used household goods if you’re relocating.
- You may owe excise/use tax (IVU) on certain items—especially new or non-essential goods. Rates commonly referenced are around 11.5% for many goods and about 6.6% for some household items like new appliances, luxury items, and certain electronics, depending on classification.
So it’s “domestic,” but:
You still have to declare your shipment and clear it with Hacienda before you can get your stuff.
2. You need to register in SURI and prepare your documents
Before your shipment is cleared, individuals importing household goods are expected to register electronically in Puerto Rico’s SURI system (Hacienda’s online portal).
Movers and freight companies highlight that Hacienda typically expects:
- Valid ID (driver’s license or passport)
- Social Security number or EIN
- Bill of lading
- Packing list / inventory
- Values or invoices for new items
Get this wrong, and your shipment can sit until the paperwork matches what Hacienda expects.
3. EEI (Electronic Export Information) can be required
Because you’re shipping from a U.S. port to Puerto Rico, your move can trigger Electronic Export Information (EEI) filing if the value of your personal items under a Schedule B number is over $2,500.
Some moving/DIY services will file EEI for you—but they need accurate inventory and values to do it.
4. Ocean freight + Jones Act = shipping is a real cost driver
Most household shipments to Puerto Rico go by ocean freight, often in containers from Florida or East Coast ports. Transit between Jacksonville/Miami and San Juan can be as little as 3–7 days of sailing time, but that doesn’t include cutoff dates, port handling, or final delivery.
And because of the Jones Act (requiring U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged vessels for domestic routes), multiple studies and analyses argue that shipping between U.S. ports and Puerto Rico is more expensive than it would be with an open carrier market—feeding into higher product and logistics costs overall.
So:
What you decide to ship vs. buy on island can swing your cost a lot.
Moving to Puerto Rico Checklist
Step-by-Step Checklist for Moving to Puerto Rico
Step 1: Decide what’s actually worth shipping
Because of excise/use tax and shipping cost, you don’t want to blindly ship everything.
Ask yourself:
- Which furniture and items are high quality or expensive to replace?
- Which things are cheap, bulky, or worn out that you could sell/donate and rebuy in Puerto Rico?
- Are you bringing many brand-new items (appliances, electronics, luxury goods) that might trigger more IVU/excise tax?
Hercules tip:
We go through your inventory and highlight what’s likely to drive freight and tax costs—so you’re not paying container rates and excise tax on stuff you don’t really care about.
Step 2: Register in SURI and prep your Hacienda documentation
Before your shipment can be released, you should be ready to deal with Hacienda.
In practice, that usually means:
- Registering in SURI (Hacienda’s online system)
- Having your ID + Social Security number/EIN ready
- A clear packing list / inventory with approximate values
- Invoices/proof of purchase for new items
- Bill of lading details from your mover/carrier
Hercules advantage:
We walk you through the SURI/clearance side, what info Hacienda will need, and the typical documents to have ready—so your shipment isn’t stuck over a missing number or mismatched value.
Step 3: Understand how your shipment will actually travel
Most household moves to Puerto Rico use:
- Full container (FCL) – Your own 20′ or 40′ container
- Shared / LCL – Your goods in lift vans or crates consolidated with others in a container
Typical reality:
- Weekly or bi-weekly sailings from key ports (Miami/Jacksonville, etc.)
- 3–14 days of ocean transit depending on origin and vessel type
- A few extra days each side for cutoff, port handling, and delivery
Door-to-door, a realistic expectation is often 10–20+ days from East/Southeast origins—longer if you’re shipping from further inland.
Hercules advantage:
We build your plan around actual sailing schedules and realistic door-to-door windows, not fantasy timelines.
Step 4: Figure out your “life while you wait”
Even with a well-planned move, there will be a stretch where your container is in motion and you’re not.
Plan to:
- Keep essentials (clothes, work gear, kids’ stuff, meds, documents) with you, not in the container.
- Decide if you’ll land in a furnished rental or bring enough basics to live light until your goods arrive.
- Have a backup plan if the ship is a few days later than hoped (very normal).
Step 5: Know your main cost drivers (and where you can save)
Your quote will typically reflect:
- Volume & weight – the big lever you control
- Service level – full-service vs. you doing more packing/labor
- Port & terminal fees – handling, storage if things sit too long
- IVU / excise tax – especially on new/non-essential items and certain categories of goods
Hercules advantage:
We don’t just throw out a number—we explain why it costs what it costs and show you levers to pull (decluttering, timing, service mix) to keep it under control.
Step 6: Get clear on EEI and legal requirements
If the value of your personal items under a Schedule B code is over $2,500, you may need an EEI filing through the Automated Export System (AES) for the move to Puerto Rico.
Some carriers/moving companies will handle the EEI filing for you—but they’ll need:
- Accurate inventory
- True values
- Your ID details
With Hercules, we coordinate with our partners to make sure EEI is filed correctly when required, so you’re not dealing with export-law headaches on top of everything else.
Step 7: Think about Puerto Rico’s climate, housing, and infrastructure
Relocation consultants in Puerto Rico point out that what works in, say, Miami or Dallas, doesn’t always work on the island.
You’re dealing with:
- Humidity, salt air, and tropical storms
- Different housing stock (concrete, smaller rooms, less storage)
- Different availability/prices for certain furnishings
That affects:
- Whether your current furniture fits and survives long-term
- How much you truly want to ship vs. buy locally once you see your place
Hercules tip:
If you already have an address/neighborhood picked out, we’ll talk through what typically makes sense to bring vs. source on island.
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Why Work With Hercules Moving Solutions for Your Puerto Rico Move?
When you combine Hacienda rules, SURI, IVU, EEI, ocean freight, and weekly sailings, moving to Puerto Rico is not the move you want to figure out alone or with a random “we do all states” mover.
With Hercules Moving Solutions, you get:
- Puerto Rico–specific planning
We plan your move around real sailing schedules, Puerto Rico port handling, SURI/Hacienda requirements, and realistic door-to-door timing. - End-to-end coordination
From your mainland home, to the port, across the ocean, through Hacienda clearance, and into your new place in Puerto Rico—so you’re not juggling three companies and hoping they sync. - Help with paperwork & tax expectations
We’ll walk you through SURI registration, basic documentation for Hacienda, and where IVU/excise tax is likely to show up so you’re not surprised at the port. - Honest advice on what to ship
We use your inventory + real freight/tax realities to help you decide what’s worth putting in a container versus replacing once you’re settled. - Licensed, experienced, and reviewable
Hercules is a licensed, insured mover with years of long-distance moving experience and a public review trail on platforms like Google Reviews and industry directories—so you can check us out before you commit.
Ready to Start Planning Your Move to Puerto Rico?
If Puerto Rico is calling, your smartest next step isn’t a random ballpark quote—it’s a clear plan that accounts for:
- What you’re shipping
- How it’ll travel
- Hacienda / IVU realities
- Realistic timeframes and costs
You’ll get:
- A route and timeline tailored to your origin and Puerto Rico destination
- A breakdown of expected costs (including where tax may apply)
- Concrete advice on what to ship, what to leave, and how to keep your move under control
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