Moving within the city, city-to-city, and state-to-state are already daunting challenges. Placing physical, mental, and emotional stress on the involved parties. International moves pile additional hurdles never seen in domestic moving due to incorporating different laws and cultures. It’s easy to overwhelm yourself during an international move, so follow these handy do’s and do not’s of international travel for stress-free results.
Do:
- Research the country beforehand. Research grounds the rose-colored experience with real knowledge. Examples of common information to research are traditions, holidays, customs, city laws, and driving rules. It goes a long way toward embracing a different country’s culture and lifestyle.
- Obtain a correct up-to-date visa. Visas are the key to a foreign country for foreigners, and certain countries have several visa types based on the reason for the visit. Instead of filling out the paperwork manually, contact an immigration lawyer, an embassy, or a visa agency for assistance. These professionals can assist in teaching you the visa rules and country laws along with filing paperwork correctly.
- Carry sensitive documentation with you. Examples include social security number, birth certificate, driver/motorcycle license, medical records, marriage certificate, immunization records, and financial information. Back up the information in the cloud, on a flash drive, or data CD/DVD.
- Notify the government. International moving is the government’s business. Local and national government officials who know the current address – insurance, post office, customs/revenue, and tax offices – need to know. Fill out the paperwork to avoid battling the government for outstanding taxes later on.
- Contact professional movers who offer international moving or specialize in international moving. It’s best to compare prices and benefits from 3 to 4 movers to decide which companies offer good benefits at a good price. Additionally, choose autumn, winter, or spring, less stressful times, to move abroad
Do Not:
- Choose a country with a language barrier. It’s better to go with a country who speaks the same language as you because that eliminates a challenging hurdle of learning the language. The days of learning a language as you go along are prehistoric thinking. A trusted translator will assist with language barriers, yet you can learn a different language free online if you like a challenge.
- Move your pet abroad through the moving company. You can move your pet abroad, but there are specific procedures for doing it. A pet relocation company for international travel can arrange the best course of action. A DIY pet move requires knowledge of country customs and entry laws for pet travel. Depending on the country, expect pet quarantine and/or a pet passport before permanent entry.
- Move everything you own overseas. Declutter first. Without decluttering, movers will have to pay more cash for shipping. A good purging separates the wanted items from unwanted items. Fewer items mean more savings in your pocket.
Never move overseas on a whim. Let these do’s and do not’s open your eyes and encourage you to plan accordingly. Like any move, planning makes international moving a smooth journey. Foreign travelers can now focus on the destination and all it has to offer.
