The ULTIMATE Moving Abroad Checklist

Congratulations on your decision to move abroad! One of the most frequently asked questions I see from fellow expats is asking for a moving abroad checklist. You’ll find others online, but not as detailed as what I’m providing to you below.

1. Decide When You Are Moving Abroad

The first step is to decide on a timeline. If you’re moving your family or loved ones overseas, it’s important to decide when everyone is moving. You will want to consider not only your budget but also everyone’s schedules to determine if it makes sense to move everyone at the same time or to move it stages, with some family members moving at different times than others. You may need to move ahead of your family to get familiar with your new neighborhood, start a new job, or everyone’s schedule may not allow for the change at the same time.

2. Gather Important Documents

Start gathering original documents (and copies) of the items listed below. This is an important step you will need to take ahead of your move. Store the documents in a secure place organized for easy access to pull out when you need them. We invested in one of these document bags and love it. It holds a ton of documents and is fire proof, water resistant, and easily portable compared to a hard safe. I also bought some basic clear sheet protectors and a binder to keep everything protected and organized. It has made it so easy to find things and make sure they are easily accessible when we need them.

• Passports (make sure they don’t expire soon. If they do, get them renewed at least 6 months prior to moving)
• Marriage Certificate
• Driver’s Licenses
• Social Security Cards
• Birth Certificates
• Child Custody Paperwork
• Divorce Decree
• Adoption Papers
• “No-Claims Bonus” (NCB) Record. Reach out to your car insurance provider and request this document. This is a document you can provide to your car insurance company in your new home country, that can result in a discount for making no claims on your car insurance. Make sure you have this document on hand if you plan to drive in your new location so you can prove you have a claims-free record and can receive a discount on your car insurance.
• Medical and Dental Records (including insurance cards and prescriptions). Gather copies of your health records, including your medical history, immunization records, insurance cards for your medical, dental, eye and/or disability insurance. Also, make sure you have copies of your prescriptions for your medication and disability records.
• School/University Records. If you or your family members will attend school overseas, make sure you bring copies of school records, including school transcripts and/or a homeschool portfolio and grade reports.
• Other insurance policies and legal documents. This includes any legal documents, such as power of attorney, will, trust, health power of attorney, medical consent forms, life insurance policies, and any other important notarized or legal documents.
• Financial records. Make sure to bring copies of your bank statements if you don’t have access to them online to prove your income, you will need this for your visa application for your move overseas. Also, have copies of other important financial records, such as your income tax statements and financial statements for any business you may own.
• Other travel documents. TSA precheck, passport card, pet health certificates, work permits, customs forms or any other important travel documents you may need.

3. Research Visa Requirements

Visa requirements will vary from country to country and even sometimes consular office to office somewhat. Find your nearest consular office and see what the requirements are. If you are moving to Spain, like we are, here is the list of Spanish Consulates in the US and the states they cover.

• Gather the required documents. Start gathering your documents early. You may need to have some documents translated by a certified translator or even apostilled. Each consular office typically has a list of recommended translators. To get your documents apostilled, you will typically have to send your documents (and any fees) to the state capitol of wherever the document was issued. Apostilles can take weeks, so plan ahead. There are also service providers that get the apostille process expedited for you for a fee. If you need something expedited you could use one of these services.
• Apply for your visa. You can easily apply for a visa yourself, submit the required documents, and schedule any appointments needed to secure it. The time it takes to get a visa approved varies from consular office to office. If you have a complicated case or simply feel more secure hiring a legal representative to do it for you, there are plenty that will provide this service.

4. Find Housing

• Research the cost of living in your new country. Cost of living can vary from area to area. Make sure you choose a location based on your needs and budget accordingly.
• Decide if you will buy or rent. Depending on whether this is a short-term, long term, or permanent move overseas
• Research and book temporary housing. You may need some extra time to settle in your new home overseas before your belongings arrive. So, make sure to research short-term rentals and book early so you don’t risk losing out on a deal or having anywhere to stay.
• Secure property insurance for your new home. If you are purchasing a home overseas, it’s important to buy property insurance. Also, consider getting rental insurance to ensure your belongings in the home are covered from damage if you’re renting your home.

5. Decide What You Will Do With Your Belongings

• Think about your current housing. Consider how long you will be at the new location and decide whether or not it is best to continue to rent your current home, sell it or cancel your apartment lease.
• Sort and donate. Sort through any clothes, art, shoes and any other belongings you have and decide what you’re bringing with you. Anything you plan to leave behind or don’t need should be stored, sold or donated. Start early.
• Make arrangements for storing, selling or shipping your belongings. You can sell your belongings using an Estate Service, on FB Marketplace and other sites like Poshmark, and Ebay.
• Decide what to do with vehicle(s). If you have vehicles, boats, or any other large items to decide on, start thinking through whether it makes sense for you to ship your vehicle to your new country.

6. Secure Health Insurance

Part of your visa requirements may include securing private health insurance, but even if it doesn’t you will need medical insurance. Think through your current healthcare needs, any pre-existing medical conditions, and whether you will need private medical insurance coverage. There are many companies where you can purchase international private medical health insurance to cover you and your family such as Adesla, Cigna, and Allianz, amongst others.

7. Learn The Language

Learn some basic words and sentences to be able to communicate when you arrive in your new country. You can use services like DuoLingo, Mango, or other online service to learn some basics, but I strongly recommend you follow it up with some in person classes when you arrival in your new home country. Not only will it accelerate your learning, but will also provide you with a way to meet others.

Moving to Spain? here are 103 basic Spanish phrases to help you get started and more helpful resources for starting to learn the language.

8. Plan for Education

• Research schools and education models. If you’re planning to attend school or have school-aged children, research schools and education models available in your new home abroad. Start by finding out the country’s requirements for education so you can ensure you’re in compliance. Also verify that your location has reliable Internet service if you’re planning to attend an online school.

9. Plan For Your Pets Travel

• Verify requirements. Before you head overseas, make sure you verify the new country’s requirements for moving your pets. Make sure your pet is allowed to come into the country. Some countries, have breed restrictions or restrictions of certain pets, such as birds, ferrets and other animals. Also, some countries require immunizations and clearance within a certain time frame before your pet is allowed to enter the country. Your pet may require quarantine depending on the country you move to and its live animal importation laws.
• Determine how you will move your pets. There are a lot of options for moving overseas with pets. Depending on the type of animal, their size and breed, they could travel in cabin with you, in the hold, on a cargo plane, a shared charter flight, and even via a transatlantic cruise aboard the Queen Mary 2.
• Immunization records. Gather all of your pet’s shot records together before your international move. You’ll need it to prove your pet’s immunization history. Make copies for any international pet transport companies that will coordinate your pet’s overseas move.
• Health certificate. Your veterinarian can provide you with a veterinarian international health certificate.
• Get a pet carrier. Whether your pet is traveling by air or sea, you will likely need a proper pet carrier to transport your furry friend. Check with your airline’s restrictions and requirements well in advance. Also, pick up one that’s IATA-approved so you can avoid possible delays.

10. Notify Others About Your Move

• Think about your mail. If you still need to be able to receive mail in the US, consider using a virtual mailbox service. You could ask a family member or relative to use their mailing address. However be careful that this does not result in you establishing residency in another state that may impact your tax obligations.
• Setup Mail forwarding and change addresses before you leave. Setup mail forwarding at least a few weeks before your move and change your address with anywhere you are still planning to keep or need to continue receiving mail. You will need to update a few organizations or people before you move. Here are some common ones to consider:
  • U.S. Postal Service
  • Banking Institutions
  • United States Embassy
  • Utilities companies (Electric, Gas, Waste Management)
  • Social Security Administration
  • Tax Agencies
  • Insurance providers

11. Secure Your Finances

• Start Saving Early. If you haven’t already, start setting aside extra funds for your international move. It can serve as an emergency fund should you need to take care of any last-minute expenses.
• Review tax obligations. Just because you move across international borders doesn’t mean you’re removed from your tax obligations. If you are a United States citizen or permanent resident, you are expected to pay taxes no matter what country you move to or work in. The good news is that there may be provisions to help lower your tax liabilities. For example, you may be eligible to deduct some of your income under the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion tax deduction. There are also tax provisions for homes you own or rent overseas, too. Make sure you make an appointment with your tax professional to consider your tax obligations before you go overseas.
• Don’t overlook additional insurance. Think about other insurance, such as travel insurance and life insurance, so you can ensure you’re covered on all ends.
• Cancel contracts you have in place. Especially anything you have direct debited from your account.
  • Streaming Services (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+)
  • Amazon Prime
  • Gym memberships
  • Car insurance
• Close any unnecessary accounts. If you plan to keep a bank account in the US be aware that some banks do not allow you to have an account if you are no longer living in the country. There are some financial institutions that are expat friendly. My favorites for international banking, transfers, and international debit card usage are CapitalOne360, Charles Schwab Investor Checking, and Citibank (perfect if you can open a Citibank account in your new country).
• Make any changes to 2-factor authorization. If your phone number is currently tied to accounts for two factor authentication, try to change it to authentication via email or in App.
• Search for and claim any unclaimed funds or property before you go. Currently, states, federal agencies and other organizations collectively hold more than $58 billion  in unclaimed cash and benefits. You can visit the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators website to search for lost funds. This is a legitimate site created by state officials to help people search for funds that may belong to you or your relatives.

12. Decide What To Do About Phone Services

• If you will be keeping your US phone number, port your US phone number to a VoIP Service such as Google Voice, Skype, or other service. Do not do this until the day before you leave so you don’t lose service.
• Unlock your mobile phone. Consider unlocking your cell phone and get a new SIM card when you arrive in your new country for cheaper rates.

13. Complete Medical Appointments

• Schedule your insurance and appointments. Book any medical or dental checkups you or your family needs now. Also, set up your insurance coverage once you select what you need. Some insurance plans require you make your selection before a certain date in the month so that it’s valid for when you need it. So, make sure you verify cut-off times and procedures.
• Plan your visit. If you have the time and budget, schedule your flights for a pre-move visit. This makes it easy for you to scout schools and a place to live in person.
• Set up an in-home survey with your mover. Reputable international moving companies will review the moving process with you and determine what they can and cannot move from your home. They may also be able to spot items that require moving, such as items in your garage or basement.

14. Prepare To Ship Your Belongings

• Research International Moving Companies. Before you make your big move, it’s important to enlist the help of professional international moving companies that have experience with the moving process and regulations for the country you plan to reside in. That’s because laws are different for each country. It’s critical to research the international companies you plan to use before you make a commitment. Here are some tips for selecting an international mover who is right for you:
  • Compare three or more moving companies. Compare quotes from at least three overseas moving companies. Determine the packing materials they use and what their full-package services cover.
  • Look at their licenses. A reputable international mover isn’t afraid to show you their license. Consider using international moving companies that have a license to transport your belonging across seas with the Federal Maritime Commission or a FIDI license.
  • Find out who moves your items. Knowing who will be moving your property is important. You don’t want to work with a company with a poor history of theft from subcontractors. Ask about their vetting process for contractors to move your valuables, including whether or not it requires any background checks.
  • Consider storage. If you need storage, find out if the moving companies you’re considering offer this service and their costs for storage.
  • Select your mover. After conducting thorough research of the overseas moving companies, pick the international mover that best meets your needs. Make sure to do this at least three months in advance. Overseas moving companies can book quickly, especially during high-season summer months.
• On Moving Day. It’s finally time to move, so it’s important to know what to expect on your moving day. You should also know what to check for, too. Handle these tasks, and you’ll be on your way to a smooth moving day:
  • Check for your international movers. Your international movers should have an easily identifiable vehicle, so make sure to check for IDs, company logos and licenses to make sure you are working with the right people.
  • Know what you shouldn’t have your international movers pack. If you have any hazardous materials, moving day is not the day to tell your international movers. Packing of these materials should always be arranged in advance to ensure proper shipping and handling. Also, avoid having your international movers pack your perfume, jewelry, food, money or medication to avoid any potential issues.
  • Sign on the dotted line. Review the fine print of any documents before signing them.

How To Use This Moving Abroad Checklist

Make sure you take the time to map out a timeline for completing each task, including considering the length of time you will need to complete the task. For example, you may need more time than you think for the approval process for moving your pets, so budget your time wisely.