Hi Andy, I have had some limited experience shipping pianos
internationally. The process is complicated and the permits
costly, as are the shipping costs. If this piano is valuable
or a rare collectors piece it is probably worth it.
A few things you will have to consider. You will need to research
the CITES treaty and get the permits for shipping and transport of
the ivory keys. (To get around this you could strip the ivories and
replace them with plastic.)
For me it took about a year of paperwork to arrange the permits for
shipping my Steinway from the USA to Canada. One hurdle may be the
difficulty in _proving_ that the piano is pre-treaty and therefore
exempt from the treaty. In my case the serial number and listing in
the Pierce Piano Atlas were not sufficient proof (though I am told
that the level of proof required differs from inspector to inspector).
I must sign off now but feel free to contact me. Once I am home
I can elaborate more on the hurdles I had to jump for my piano.
Regards,
Alan Turner
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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