Moving Abroad

You are standing in front of a pile of half-empty moving boxes thinking what to bring, what to leave – does this sound familiar? Moving abroad, especially for a longer period of time, is never an easy feat. The InterNations expat guide helps you prepare for this endeavor.

Most people want to bring everything they own to their new home abroad. Not only is it a reminder of home, but it creates comfort and helps you to get accustomed to the new situation. However, it can easily turn into chaos.

Articles about Moving Abroad

Moving Abroad Prepare for Moving Abroad Have you decided to haul your family, pets, and personal belongings overseas – at least for the next few years? Congratulations! You …
1. Moving Overseas: The Next Steps
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Moving Abroad Move Abroad with Your Family A move abroad is a big decision, even if you are solely responsible for yourself. Taking your entire family with you, however, can make it even more stressful. But don’t get frustrated! Here are a few tips on how to …Read more
Moving Abroad Moving to Another Country: Final To-Dos You have a job in your new destination and handled all the paperwork that comes with moving to another country? Well done! But you …
1. Moving to a Foreign Country: Last Steps
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Member-Contributed Article Expat Pets - Relocating with your Best Friend When planning a move to another country sorting out whether and how to bring along your four-legged best friend can be stressful. This …
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Member-Contributed Article How to Effectively Manage and Thrive Through Transitions There are many types of transitions in life, from the smallest to the most significant. Moving abroad is one such significant change which brings with it multiple levels of stress, fears and worries. The way we manage …Read more
Member-Contributed Article How to Organize Your Overseas Move Moving homes is never an easy task but moving overseas is even tougher! In this article I will share some of my key learning from our preparations for our overseas move from California to Shanghai.Read more
Member-Contributed Article How to Survive Your Visa Interview Obtaining a visa is often the biggest hurdle expats have to take before moving abroad. And the visa interview can be particularly …
1. The Visa Interview – Be Prepared
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Member-Contributed Article Feeling at Home in a Foreign Land Moving to a different country is an exciting adventure for many. But when the excitement fades, what is left is often loneliness and feeling out of place. InterNations member Maggie knows these feelings all too well and …Read more
Member-Contributed Article Seven Fundamental Steps of Becoming an Expat So you’ve decided to move abroad and live in a culture other than your own. Maybe you’ve landed a job in the country of your dreams or you’ve fallen in love and can’t wait to live with your significant other. Whatever …Read more

Preparations for Your Move

Moving abroad with your family may add additional stress to your preparations. We have come up with several checklists to help you prepare your move abroad and make final arrangements before the actual moving day. Things that may appear trivial at first, such as canceling a magazine subscription or getting the right packaging material, may be lifesavers at the end if done properly. The more crucial steps such as getting the proper visas and insurances, may prove to be more complicated than originally expected. Some countries take a long time to complete the approval process for a visa, which may ultimately conflict with your moving date. Therefore it is very important that you keep close tabs and tick off all the steps on your checklist for moving abroad in order.

Moving Abroad with Your Family

In order to make the expat experience a success for everyone in your family, be sure to include your partner and children in the process. Organizing an international move is a complicated prospect, which may be especially difficult for children to understand. Therefore it is important that you work as a team. It is also possible that even if you are looking forward to moving abroad, your family may not be, which will require more emotional support and perhaps a bit of coaxing. Keeping in touch with friends and family from home after your move is not only comforting for your children and partner, but also for yourself! As a big move is always a difficult feat at first, try to go easy on yourself and your loved ones by following some simple tips we have provided for you.