Your Essential Moving Guide for Relocating to a New Country

Deciding to make a new start in a new neighborhood will always be difficult. However, you can be comforted by the fact that someplace familiar is just a long drive away. However, moving to a new country is a whole different matter from moving across states.

Immigrating to a New Country

Unlike moving from state to state which takes at most three months of preparations, you need to allocate over half a year for your international moving plans. This amount of time isn’t an exaggeration since you’ll need to account for numerous logistical tasks, not to mention booking your plane ticket for a bargain. For this reason, you have to make specific moving tasks in advance.

Before you book your trip to relocate to a new country, use these five markers as your step-by-step guide:

Six to Five Months Before Your Move

First and foremost, it’s vital to confirm your ticket’s departure and arrival dates to plot the rest of your moving preparations. You’ll have to prepare a detailed calendar listing all the requirements you need to settle, from closing bills to buying packing equipment. 

Since moving countries is a heavy commitment, it’s essential to make these preparations in advance. This also gives you enough time to do your moving bit by bit, preventing you from rushing and making mistakes.

Five to Four Months Before Your Move

Confirm with your landlord and utilities about your decision to move. Most property managers will find it easier to look for a replacement tenant. This makes it easier to close your leasing contract without experiencing emergency conflicts or delays. 

Don’t worry about doing everything in one week, especially since hearing back from utility companies and your landlord may take a while. This is why you have plenty of time to work out these tasks by spacing them out evenly.

Four to Three Months Before Your Move

Now that you’re about three months to your moving date, you can proceed with traditional moving duties, like ordering shipping boxes and rearranging your furniture. If you have items you can’t bring with you abroad, make a list of valuables you plan to gift, donate, or sell to different parties. 

In this period, it’s also important to make copies of all your important documents, from passports to driver’s licenses. Although you’ll need to get new IDs in your new country of residence, having duplicates of your proof of identification will always come in handy.

Three to Two Months Before Your Move

You can now start packing your belongings in order, from items you plan to keep and the ones you want to give away. Your home will look pretty much like a box factory, so you might want to separate several boxes containing essentials, like clothes and dining ware. For the rest, make sure they’re up and ready for packing.

Two to One Month Before Your Move

With just a month before your moving day, it’s time to ship your valuables to the country you’re moving in. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment in having a more spacious room, but it’s also time to get up and do some cleaning and repairs to avoid paying additional fees to your landlord. Afterward, you’ll just need to count the days before your flight.

Conclusion

While it’s important to travel side-by-side with your furniture and other belongings when moving from state to state, it’s generally easier to make your transition to a new country by shipping your personal items first. Since there’s a whole process of customs in the US and abroad, receiving your packages may take a while. For this reason, you should work with a packaging and shipping company to oversee your valuables’ travel itinerary.

1 Stop Pack n Ship is an international shipping company that can accommodate your needs for a seamless trip abroad. Since 1984, we’ve performed domestic and international shipping services for international and local clients. Contact us today at 877-762-3715 for our service packages!