10 May 2026 · MoveAdvisor
5.0 out of 55.0
We had two movers tell us that shipping from Florida to St. Thomas was basically the same as a domestic move. It is not, and Nobel was the only company we spoke to who was straightforward about that from the start. The USVI is outside the US customs territory, which means AES export filing, BIR excise tax assessment, and a whole set of compliance steps that a regular domestic mover is completely unprepared for.
Nobel's coordinator explained the excise tax situation clearly — because we had lived outside the USVI for more than a year, we qualified for the personal effects exemption, but the documentation had to be right. She walked us through exactly what the BIR needed and prepared everything through their local St. Thomas agent.
We also had a lot of questions about hurricane season timing — we were moving in September, right in the middle of peak season. Nobel was honest that there is always some weather risk during that window but helped us select a sailing with the best available forecast window and strongly recommended comprehensive All Risk insurance, which we took. Fortunately the transit was uneventful.
Our goods arrived at Charlotte Amalie, cleared BIR with the exemption applied, and were delivered to our home in St. Thomas within 4 weeks of leaving Florida. Everything was intact. The Lift Van made a real difference — our furniture was perfectly protected despite the humidity and the handling at the island terminal.
If you are relocating to St. Thomas, St. Croix, or St. John, please do not assume this is a simple domestic shipment. Use a company that actually understands the USVI corridor. Nobel does.
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