The Ultimate Moving Abroad Checklist

Moving is one thing, but moving overseas is a completely different experience on it’s own. Moving overseas means new environments, new people, new career opportunities, new cultures … The list just goes on.

To make sure you are prepared for the big move, we’ve compiled an extensive list of tips, tricks and things to remember to ensure your international move goes as smoothly as possible. This will also aid as a timeline guide to ensure you move without any stress or anxiety.

moving checklist

Six Months Before The Big Move

1. Visit and research your new home

When deciding it’s time for a change, moving overseas will definitely present you with the opportunity to change and spice up your life. However, moving overseas is a momentous commitment that should be researched thoroughly before making the final decision. Take the time to visit the city or country you would like to move to and see whether moving into a completely new culture, or world, is possible for you.

Some people have thought about the idea for years and know exactly where they would like to move to. Visiting a foreign country will give you the opportunity to confirm that this is exactly what you want and need. While you’re there, take a local tour around the city to familiarise yourself with a whole new environment, it’s culture and its people. If you return home with a bigger smile than when you left, then you have your confirmation.

This is also the chance you get to choose your new home. How exciting! Becoming a new home owner, especially overseas, is a very exciting opportunity. Depending on how many members your family has, you’ll need to look at different sizes and make sure your new home fits into your budget. Take the time to view each and every home and make a list of what each home can bring to the table. Once you’ve seen a home you love and can’t forget, call the real estate agent and make your purchase agreement. Congratulations, you’ve just bought a home overseas.

2. Find an immigration consultant

Now that you know what your future looks like, it’s time to set your plan in action. The first and most important step when deciding to move overseas is looking into hiring an immigration consultant. An immigration consultant will be your guide to switching between countries as smoothly as possible.

An immigration consultant is there to help you understand all of the legal requirements that need to be met before moving overseas. Things like immigration laws, legal time frames, visa requirements and importing household goods will be thoroughly explained to you to make sure you understand all that’s necessary to make the big transition. Once you’ve had time to understand the legal aspects of moving overseas, you’re ready to start planning the big move.

3. Create your moving timeline

You’ve bought your home, and met with your immigration consultant. Everything is moving in the right direction. Now, you’ll need to plan your moving timeline. It’s good to start as early as possible. You’ll need to make a lot of decisions and arrangements to get everything in order for the day of your big move. Make sure to create a detailed timeline of what needs to be done when to ensure your move goes as smoothly as possible.

You’ve bought your home, and met with your immigration consultant. Everything is moving in the right direction. Now, you’ll need to plan your moving timeline. It’s good to start as early as possible. You’ll need to make a lot of decisions and arrangements to get everything in order for the day of your big move. Make sure to create a detailed timeline of what needs to be done when to ensure your move goes as smoothly as possible.

Three Months Before The Big Move

1. Make traveling arrangements

Now that you’ve chosen your home, and created a moving timeline, it’s time to start planning. The first step is to book and secure all of your traveling arrangements. This will include all airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations. Depending on how your move is planned, you will need to arrange for a car to use while you’re still settling in your new environment. Also, consider booking a hotel room for the first day or two after you arrive at the new location. This will give you time to rest up and make sure your things arrive safely at your new home, before you can start settling in.

Moving from one home to another means moving all of your belongings with you. This means you’ll need to hire the help of a professional company to ensure your furniture and personal belongings are moved as safely as possible. Contact all of the moving companies located in your new home town overseas or contact any relatable international moving companies. You will need to communicate with them the following:
  • Where your new home is located
  • How much furniture you want moved to your new home
  • When you plan on flying over to your new home
  • When you plan on moving into your new home

All of this information will help international relocation companies to create a detailed plan on how they will be getting your furniture from your old home into your new one. Make sure to contact more than one company, as different companies cater to different movers, and as a result will create different quotes. You’ll want to use a company that’s reliable and will offer a quote that will fit into your moving budget.

3. Create an inventory list of all of your belongings

As discussed previously, when deciding to move abroad, you’ll need to move your belongings with you. This is where a detailed inventory list is needed to ensure all of your belongings are ensured to move with you. Take the time to walk through your home and make a list of everything you have, categorised by each room. This is also the perfect time to determine what will be moved with you and what will be left behind. Mark down everything that is important enough to be packed and moved by the international movers, and remember to send this list to the moving companies to ensure you get accurate quotes based on the amount of things you’ll need to move.

4. Gather all important documents

Unfortunately, moving abroad means a lot of paperwork. And by a lot, we mean an endless amount of documents and certificates. But, all of that is necessary to ensure you move into your new home as smoothly, and as legally, as possible.

Take the time to get the original documents, or copies thereof, including:

  • Birth certificates
  • Marriage certificate
  • Identity documents
  • Driver’s licenses
  • School records
  • Medical documentation

Getting all of these documents in order and storing them safely in a binder will help you to get your documents in order for the day of the big move.

5. Update passport and obtain visa

The most important documents needed to move overseas will include your updated passport and visa. If you notice that your passport is near it’s expiration date, make sure to go to your local government agency and update your passport. You’ll need a valid passport in order to travel safely to your new country. Also, make sure you’ve done your visa application. Without a visa, you’re going nowhere. You’re immigration consultant will inform you of all that is needed to apply for your moving visa, whether it be for personal or work-related purposes.

6. Get into contact with the embassy

To learn more about what’s needed to enter your new country, you’ll need to get into contact with your local embassy. The embassy will inform you about the different requirements that need to be met in order to move overseas. They will inform you about the different customs forms and the forms needed to import all of your goods.

7. Look into insurance options

Insurance is a common thing for everyone, whether you’re staying in your home country or moving to your dream destination. Once you’ve established where you’re moving to, take the time to contact the local insurance providers in your new area. They will be able to help you look for affordable insurance options and packages, such as house insurance, medical insurance or life insurance. These plans will help you to deal with any emergencies that might arise in your new home.

8. Look up new schools

If you have little ones running around, you’ll need to research some local schools available in your new city. Take the time to do your research about any unique and reliable schools accepting new or late students. Make sure to include your kids in the research and final decision, as they’ll need the perfect school, welcoming and friendly, to help them adjust to their new life. If you and your kids found a school that peaks your interest, make sure to get into contact with them to start the transferring process.

9. Confirm with landlord that you will be moving

A crucial thing to remember is that you’ll need to inform your landlord that you’ll be moving, if you are currently renting a home or apartment. You will need to discuss moving dates with him/her to ensure that your lease agreement comes to an end on the correct date. This will ensure that you and the landlord will have an agreement over any outstanding payments and contracts that will need termination.

Two Months Before The Move

1. Get necessary vaccines

Many countries expect any new immigrants to be fully vaccinated for various medical reasons before they are allowed to enter the country. To ensure your smooth entry into your new home, make sure to get yourself and your family members fully vaccinated. Your immigration consultant would have informed you of all the required vaccinations to enter the country. Remember to collect your vaccination certificates or records to add to your list of important documents for the big day.

2. Book an international moving company

After doing hours of research of all of the available international moving companies, it’s time to pick your preferred company and start booking your move. After careful consideration of each quote, you will be able to choose a company that fits with your needs and budget. It’s important to book an international moving company in advance to ensure your belongings arrive on time.

3. Look into storage options

Depending on your moving timeline, your furniture might arrive at your new home before you do. If so, it’s important to look at different storage options where you can safely store away your belongings until you and your family arrive at your new home. Make sure to contact different companies to see how much it will cost to store your items for a few days while you and your family make the transition.

4. Declutter any remaining belongings

After having gone through all the items you want to move into your new home, it’s time to declutter your current home. If there are any old furniture or appliances that you know won’t be moving with you, decide whether you want to sell these items or give them away. Having any unnecessary items removed from your current home will clear some space and give you a better idea of what needs to be packed and sorted for when the moving company comes to pick up and move your belongings.

5. Get into contact with potential banks

Moving to a completely new location means using a completely new set of services. This will include changing your banking services as well. Do some research on any local banks that are situated in your new area and see which company fits your needs. Make sure to get into contact with them to start planning your new accounts and what documents will be needed to open these accounts.

6. Research tax laws

Taxes, unfortunately, are everywhere. If you think you can avoid them by moving to a new country, think again. When deciding to move to a whole new location, it’s important to do some research to understand how their tax system works. You’ll want to be clued up on anything related to taxes and their laws to ensure you won’t get any unpleasant surprises when moving to your new home.

7. Transfer children’s school records

After doing some thorough research, it’s time to pick a new school. You’ve chatted with the administrators and the principal, and the transfer has been approved. Fantastic. Take the time to get ahold of all of your kids’ school records from their old schools to ensure these documents are transferred to the new school. Transferring the children’s’ records ahead of time will ensure that they are enrolled and welcomed into the new school with no fault.

One Month Before The Big Move

1. Confirm details with movers

After you’ve accepted a quote from your preferred moving company and have gone through all of the arrangements to ensure your belongings will be moved on a specific date, it’s necessary to check up every once in a while to ensure all of your arrangements are secured and understood. Make sure to get into contact with your chosen moving company a month before the big day to ensure all arrangements are still the same as previously discussed.

2. Purchase travel guides

Now comes the fun part. Purchasing some traveling guides to help you and your family to explore your new city. A whole new location, in a whole new country, means a lot of opportunities for adventures and sightseeing. Researching about the place and seeing what local tour guides have to offer will give you a great feel for what is installed for you and what type of activities you and your family can participate in once you guys have settled in.

3. Get medications refilled and obtain prescription documents

It’s easy to forget how simple it is to get your prescriptions refilled when you’ve lived in the same area for years on end. Now, you’ll be moving to a whole different country where getting your prescriptions refilled won’t be as easy as it is now. If you have any prescribed medications needing a refill soon, take the time to go to your local pharmacy and get them stocked up. Once you’re there, ask your pharmacist for a copy of your prescription documents. You will need a copy of these documents to ensure you can get the same medicine once you’ve moved into your new home.

4. Notify utility companies about the big move

One thing to avoid is still receiving some utility bills, even after moving thousands of kilometres away. When moving to a new location, it’s important to contact all of your utility companies and inform them of the plan to move. This way, you can sort out any outstanding bills and ensure your utilities will be switched off and cancelled by the time you board the flight.

5. Start to order new furniture for your new home

After having gone through the trouble of noting what you will be moving to your new home, you may start to realise you might need some new furniture or appliances to compliment your new home. Which means it’s time to do some online shopping. Here you can see if there is anything that’s still needed to fit into your new home. Most companies offer delivery services straight to your door. If you found a few pieces of furniture you love, make sure to have the furniture company deliver the furniture after you’ve arrived at your new home.

Two Weeks Before The Big Move

1. Buy any necessary products not available in your new country

Each country has its own unique products that can’t be bought anywhere else in the world. If you are aware of this, make sure to stock up on some items you’ll want to ship off with you to your new home. Whether it’s clothes or skin care products, you’ll want to buy some essential products to take with you to help you settle into your new environment.

2. Start sorting personal belongings

You’ve sorted your furniture, now it’s time to sort the rest of your personal belongings. Your old home will be filled with various personal items and memorabilia that need to be sorted, either be packed or let go before the big moving day. Go through each and every room and start sorting through your belongings. Again, if you can declutter any items you don’t need, you will have the space to pack your things more effectively and you’ll start to see the bigger picture of what still needs to be done.

3. Begin to pack any furniture or belongings your packing yourself

Some people like the idea of packing ahead of time, weeks before the movers are even scheduled to come. If you’re someone who likes to pack and organise everything yourself, now is the time. After you’ve decluttered your furniture and personal belongings, you can start packing up the things you’re certain are most important to you. Take the time to label boxes into various categories, such as bedroom or kitchen, and make sure to pack your things in their respective categories. This will ensure that when you unpack your things, it will be much easier to place everything where they belong.

4. Transfer bank accounts

You’ve spoken with various banks in your new neighbourhood, and now it’s time to transfer your accounts. Make sure to do this at least two weeks before you move to ensure all necessary forms, documents and cash are registered, recognised and transferred into your new bank account.

5. Take care of any remaining bills

You’ve spoken to your respective utility companies about canceling your bills and accounts, but there may be some outstanding bills that are due to be paid. You might even have some outstanding bills for clothes you bought on credit. Make sure to go through your statements and pay off each and every bill or account to ensure you don’t travel with any debt to your name.

6. Clean house thoroughly or hire cleaners

When moving to a new home, you’re going to need to clean your current home to ensure the new tenants don’t move into a dirty home. Take the time to thoroughly clean every single nook and cranny of your home, by wiping everything down and vacuuming every open space in your home. This way you’ll have a clean conscious (and a clean home) when moving abroad.

One Week Before The Big Move

1. Finish packing

Packing takes time. We all know that. A week before you and your family take off to your dream destination, take the time to pack the last of your belongings, to ensure everything will be loaded and ready to move by the professionals.

2. Arrange for any deliveries to be stopped

If you have any monthly subscriptions or packages that are regularly delivered to your current address, make sure to cancel all of your deliveries a week before you take off. You don’t want the new tenants getting any surprise presents that are actually meant for you.

3. Confirm all necessary documents have been received

You know how we spoke about that important file containing all of your necessary documents to ensure a smooth transition to your new home? Well, now is the perfect time to make sure everything is accounted for and filed in a safe binder or file. If you notice any documents still missing, you do have the time to acquire them before you take off to your new home.

4. Plan for food and necessities

For the remaining week before your flight, you’ll need to have some necessities to live off of while you’re still residing in your current home. Because most of your things are already packed, take the time to purchase small amounts of food and necessities, such as toiletries, to last you for the few remaining days. Make sure to buy a few easy or ready made meals to have on hand, that don’t take a lot of cooking utensils or supplies to make. It’s not a home cooked meal, but it will keep you going until your flight takes off.

Two Days Before The Big Move

1. Do a final cleaning session of your home

After having that massive spring cleaning session, you still lived in your home for a few days. Enough to maybe make a mess or spill something on the counter. Take a day to do a final cleaning by lightly wiping down the surfaces or mopping the floors. This will also give you the chance to clean up any remaining packing supplies laying around.

2. Say goodbye to friends and family

Saying goodbye to friends and family is probably going to be the hardest part or moving abroad. A few days before the move, take the time to meet up with those closest to you to spend some quality time before you’re off to a new and faraway land. This day will stay with you for quite some time, so make sure to book off a whole day dedicated to your loved ones.

3. Pack and file all necessary documents

Two days before you board your flight, it’s time to pack your bags. This is where you will be packing the necessities that will be carried with you during and after your flight. Make sure to pack comfortable clothes that will keep you warm or cool, depending on where you’re traveling to. Anything that you don’t pack, make sure to either throw it away, or pack it up to be moved by the professionals with the remainder of your belongings

Moving Day!

1. Check that all rooms and storage areas are empty

The day has finally arrived. You’re all packed and ready to head off to the airport. Before you even think about leaving your old home, make sure to have a final walkthrough to ensure everything is clean and tidy. But most importantly, make sure none of your belongings are left behind.

2. Turn off all power and water supplies

When leaving your home, make sure to turn off any utilities still present in your home. Turn off your main water valve and make sure to switch off your main power source. Check that all of the windows and blinds are closed, before locking the front door and gate. Remember to hand off the keys to your landlord or the respective estate agent handling the switch in owners.

3. Verify all delivery plans when moving companies arrived

On the day of the move, you will have the chance to do a final check-up with your chosen international moving company. Here, you can walk through all of the moving details to ensure everything is as planned. Pick up points, delivery times etc. This will give you peace of mind that your belongings are on their way to their new home.

Here are some extra tips on what to do after you’ve landed in your new home country:

  • After arriving at your destination, going through all of the security checks and collecting your bags, head on over to your new home or to the hotel you reserved. You’ll need to rest for the ample amount of unpacking you’ll need to do.
  • When you have the chance, call your chosen moving company and confirm that your things have either already arrived, have been secured in their storage units or that they are on their way.
  • After receiving your furniture and belongings from the moving company, go through your initial inventory checklist to ensure all of your items and belongings have arrived safely and in one piece.
  • Once you’ve arrived at your new home, make sure to let your friends and family know that you’re safe and sound. Remember to update them on your current address as well.
  • Take the time to explore your new area to familiarize yourself with your new normal environment.
  • When you’ve settled into your new home, locate the nearest embassy. Knowing where the closest embassy is will help you feel more reassured if an emergency ever arises.
  • And lastly, make sure to go on as many adventures as possible.

Congratulations! You’ve officially conquered your plans to move overseas. You’re on your way to the airport, ready to start a new life in a new destination. You will experience many new opportunities and challenges while settling into your new home.