<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-01-22</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001124827</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>UTi WORLDWIDE INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>UTIW</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001071953</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>LANGLEY C JOHN JR</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O UTI, SERVICES, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>100 OCEANGATE, SUITE 1500</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LONG BEACH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>90802</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Ordinary Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-01-22</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>56615</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>7.10</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, dated as October 9, 2015 (the &quot;Merger Agreement&quot;), by and among UTi Worldwide Inc. (the &quot;Issuer&quot;), DSV A/S (&quot;Parent&quot;) and Louvre Acquisitionco, Inc. (&quot;Merger Sub&quot;), on January 22, 2016 (the &quot;Effective Time&quot;), Merger Sub merged with and into the Issuer (the &quot;Merger&quot;), and as a result these securities of the Issuer were automatically cancelled and converted into the right to receive $7.10 per share in cash.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Stephen D. Cooke, Attorney-in-Fact for C. John Langley, Jr.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-01-25</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
