How to prepare to move overseas

Taking the step to move abroad is one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking decisions to make. You know where you’re going, you’ve told everyone that you know about your big move. But now, you’re overwhelmed with the prospect of moving forward and where to even begin with your preparation.

We’ve prepared a guide to help you – this is going to be a daunting time for you and we want you to be able to hold onto the excitement. Let us help you out!

1. Save as much money as possible

Despite the fact that you have most likely worked out how you’re going to earn money in your new home, there are plenty of costs that are involved beforehand for plane tickets, your housing, your visa and any other emergencies that may arise. The age-old advice of moving overseas states that you should have at least six months’ worth of savings behind you to give yourself some financial security.

Among your research, you should look into the exchange rate for your new currency and bear that in mind when thinking about how much you should save up. You should also look into the cost of living in your new house, food prices and other household bills. Create a budget plan for yourself to ensure that you are as financially prepared as you can possibly be.

2. Check that everything with your passport is sorted

Before you even think about applying for a visa, you need to ensure that your passport is still valid and that everything is covered. There are some countries that have a requirement for your passport to be valid for the past six months before your moving date. With your move, your plane ticket is most likely one-way so if your passport expires while you are in your new home and you’re planning a trip to the old, find out where your nearest passport office is.

3. Apply for a visa

Once everything with your passport has been sorted and it is has been validated, you can begin applying for your visa. There are many elements that you need to consider before you apply – you need to find out what type of visa it is that you require for your new life and what documents you need to send off for the application. Leave plenty of time for this as the applications can take a long time to go through the process. They may also require documents that you will have to request from other providers so ensure that you make this a priority in your preparation.

4. Keep healthcare in mind

In the UK, we are very blessed with free healthcare. However, this may not be the case for other countries as every country has a different attitude towards their healthcare. Even if you are completely fit and healthy, this is still something important to bear in mind when preparing for your move. If you are already on medication, you should also check beforehand that you are allowed to bring them with you to your new country as they may not be permitted.

5. Keep researching

No amount of research is too much research. The research that you would complete for a visit to your chosen country is very different from the research that you need for moving to said country. Elements that you need to consider are:

A. Transportation
B. Culture
C. Laws

Tell your bank and phone provider

In your research, you should look into what the local banks are in your new home and what they can offer you. If you decide that you will be opening a new bank account then make sure that you sort everything out with your current bank account to clear up all your loose ends. If your bank is happy with you banking internationally and you decide to stay with them then ensure that you have updated all of your details with them before your move. You should also do this with whoever you have a phone contract with.

Make sure that you have a copy of every important document you need

You never know what documents you may need so ensure that you have copies of all of your important documents such as your birth certificate and passport. It may also be worth keeping a digital copy of it to ensure that you are covered for any losses.

So, how can we help with your big move? Paylessforstorage.co.uk provide secure storage, free van collection, container storage and a guide on their website which will help you to choose which storage size you need for shifting everything you need for your move. You can find all the information you need on our website or by giving the friendly team a phone call.