Mastering the Art of Moving Abroad in 2-3 Months: A Step-by-Step Guide

Do you only have a few months to pack up and move abroad?  Are you worried and stressed out?  Does it seem like there are a million things to do but you’re not sure where to begin?  

Trust me, I’ve been there. I know exactly how you feel!  

Before I moved to Hong Kong from NYC, I only had 3 months to get everything ready.  In between those 3 months, I had a 2 week holiday planned to Europe during Thanksgiving and then it was Christmas & New Year!  So I really only had a little more than 2 months.  INTENSE!  

If you’re on a pressed timeline like me, I hope this will help you stay organised and on pace.  

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3 months before your moving day

With only 3 months, I assume you already know where you are moving to, so we will skip over the consideration and research phase.  

Make it REAL!

Start telling your friends & family about your plan.  Socialising your plans not only holds you accountable for your actions, but you’ll find the support from your friends and family is the encouragement you need to push for it.

Save and budget

It never hurts to save more than what you think you'll need. Additional fees and costs might start appearing without notice (i.e. application fees, brokerage fees, add-ons with shipping, medical accidents, etc.)

Start learning the basics of the local language

• If you're moving to a country where English is not its first language (i.e. France, China, Germany, etc.), it will be slightly easier to communicate or ask for help if you know a little bit of the language.

• There are heaps of language apps that can help you get started - DuoLingo, Memrise, and MosaLingua to name a few.

• Google Translate will be one of your most useful and likely most go-to app, but I wouldn't rely on that completely when you're there. I mean, then what's the point in moving to another place if you're not trying to immerse yourself into something new and different, right?

Start cleaning out and sorting out your things

• Your goal is to minimise your belongings so that when you move, there isn't a lot to pack and ship. Less to worry about!

• Sell things that you no longer need (ie. handbags, furniture*, old electronics, etc.) 

• Donate them if you can 

*Tip - when it comes to furniture, you may think "But Crys, I'm going to need a couch and bed anyway, why spend extra money to buy it again?" - well, yes and no. Depending on where you're moving to, your furniture might not fit. For example, in Hong Kong, flats (aka apartments) are extremely small, so furniture sold there will be tailored to their norm (e.g. US standard queen-size mattress is 80" long, but a queen-size in HK is 75" long.) Alternatively, if in Dubai, then apartments and houses are spacious, so our US furniture sizes may likely fit. This is why it's important to research the country and city you plan to move to.

Get shipping quotes and arrange for pick-up

• Shop around first, you'll be surprised by the price differences between companies.

• Make sure you are clear with your timeline as this will be a factor between air freight or ground/sea shipping. Needless to say, the prices will be drastic too.

• You'd want to be in your new place when the shipping arrives, so make sure you backtrack the dates when arranging for pick-up.

Make sure all your documents are up-to-date

• Passport: needs to be valid for at least 6 months 

• Driver’s license: check the expiration date and renew if possible.  Also, do you need an international driver’s license where you are going

Consider your furry friend 

• What’s life going to be like for your pet?  (For example, in Hong Kong, due to the small space and amount of people, you may need to consider how your pet will be able to adapt to the loss of a backyard, or can they handle crowds?) 

• What are the travel requirements for your pet? Every country has their requirements and it can be a very complex process.

• Make sure all their vaccinations and paperwork are up to date.

Get all your medical check-ups done

It's better to get these done in your home country with doctors you're familiar with. Depending on the country you're moving to, their healthcare might not be as seamless as the US.

Store or sell your automobile

If you have a car, scooter, and/or motorcycle and don't plan to ship it abroad (which is not recommended!), now would be a good time to list it or find somewhere you can store it.

2 months before your moving day

That month flew by, didn't it? Now it's time to start wrapping up the admin stuff.

Book your flight

Yes, it's real now!! It's happening!! Be excited!

Book your temporary accommodations

• If you don't already have a rental ready when you arrive, book a hotel or Airbnb until you lock down a place

• Depending on your new location, the rental market may be very fast. If that's the case, I'd recommend booking your temporary housing for 2 weeks first and extending if needed

Apply for Insurance

I can’t stress the insurance part enough, this is extremely important if you plan to move without a job and health insurance. You might not need a comprehensive package, but make sure you're at least covered in case of any emergencies/accidents.

• Insured Nomads - offers standard travel insurance but it's their long-term traveller coverage that's most appealing, especially for expats and digital nomads. It can cover emergency and routine care, options for family and couple plans, telemedicine, and mental health coverage. They also have optional coverages for vision, dental, vaccinations, and prescriptions. [sign up here] 

Apply to open any bank accounts and/or credit cards

Below are a few that I have found to be extremely handy even when just living and travelling internationally -

• Charles Schwab checking account — it ties in with their Charles Schwab brokerage account, but even if you don't invest or use another brokerage platform, I highly recommend opening an account just to get their checking account. It has no monthly service fees or account minimums. Waives all ATM fees and has no foreign transaction fees.  [sign up here]

• Revolut - a prepaid account where you can transfer your home currency in and out of and use the card anywhere like a debit card

• Wise (formally known as Transferwise) - great service if you need to transfer money from your new country back home.  The transaction/transfer fee is less than if you were to do it within the same bank and much less than wire transfers. It's also all done via an app

• Any credit card with no transaction fees - you'll likely end up getting a local credit card once you're settled in your new country, but until then, have your home country credit card handy

Research the tax regulations

• As a US citizen, we have to pay double tax - meaning we need to file taxes in the US even if we don't physically live/work there and pay taxes to the country we moved to. Depending on your salary and # of calendar days you worked in the new country, you might not need to pay US taxes (but you will still need to file it). It is important to find out what the tax rates are for each country relative to your pay

• I opted for the easy way and got a CPA, who has been my go-to person ever since

• If you don't have a CPA, spend some time researching online

Backup all your important documents

Backup backup backup! Upload all your important documents securely to the cloud or a hard drive

Make sure your mobile phone is unlocked

• Some of our phones are locked, per the carrier that we use, so make sure that you can unlock it so it can be used internationally when you sign up for your new mobile carrier

• If it is locked, call your mobile carrier or go to the store and ask for it to be unlocked. You may need to pay a fee or charge, this is dependent on the carrier

Hand in your resignation (if applicable)

This is depending on your notice period as it can be from 2 weeks to months. Check with your HR and/or employment contract

1 month before your move day

It's going to get a little more real now... time to start closing and cancelling things...

Cancel your subscriptions that are not available abroad

• Gym/fitness memberships - if you have Classpass, you can keep that as it's used internationally where available

• Shopping clubs (i.e. Costco, BJs, Sams Clubs, etc.)

Cancel utility accounts

• Gas

• Water

• Cable

• Wi-fi

• Electric, etc.

Cancel insurance(s)

• Medical insurance (i.e. health, vision, dental, etc.)

• Car insurance

• Home/Rental insurance

Pack your belongings

• Tip: categorise boxes/suitcases with things that you need immediately and things that you won’t need until you’re settled in

• If you're using a moving/shipping company, it would be cheaper to include your "nice to haves" than to lug it in your carry-on suitcases. Adding additional carry-on suitcases to your flight is not only costly but also a big hassle for you to carry yourself

Finalise the logistics with your shipping company

• Have an itemised list of all the things you plan to ship, this will be needed not just for your reference but also for insurance purposes in case anything arrives damaged or missing

• Finalise and confirm the date and time they will come to get your things

Close and readdress your bank account(s) or notify them of your move

• If you have more than 1 bank account, you want to consider consolidating it into 1 account and keeping that one open

• Change the address to your accounts to someone you trust (parents, family, best friend, etc.)

Purchase any last minutes items 

• You can purchase all the essentials in your new country, but any items that you know you can only get in your home country or that might be cheaper there, you want to consider stocking up on those

Redirect your mail

• If you have another physical place to send your mail, you can do it on USPS.com

• If you don’t, you can use a virtual post service and they will scan your mail and send it to you electronically, but this is in the US only

Start subscribing to social media expat groups

• Facebook has group communities dedicated to expats or apartment listings. Reddit will have the same. Discord is another good social platform

• Social media groups can be one of your biggest resources when finding social activities, apartments, marketplace, etc.

1 week before your moving day

Cancel your mobile service

If you want to keep your number, Google Voice allows you to port your number for a one-time fee

Go sightseeing

You may be thinking this is silly as you've been living there already and know it, but you'll be surprised how different you will view the city/town when you know you're leaving it. The sense of appreciation will be overwhelming. You might even cry a bit - I sure did!

Catch-up with friends and family

• With social media and WhatsApp, it's easy to stay "in touch" with people. But take this moment to spend time with them - grab a coffee, go sightseeing with them! Reality is, you might not physically see them for a while and you might not even have time to phone them or text them whilst you're trying to settle down and get acclimated to your new place

• Your connections are the most precious and valuable asset. Don't forgo this!

Make sure the weight of your luggage(s) are within airline standards 

If you have overweight baggage or additional baggage, airlines will charge extra so it's better to be prepared and aware of how much money you will need to avoid last minute surprises at the airport

Get your new country's currency

• This may not be necessary if you have an international ATM card like Charles Schwab as I mentioned above. There are ATMs all over the airports

• If you want to be extra prepared, you can request that country's currency from your bank

0-1 day before your big day

It's time!!! It's okay if you're still feeling overwhelmed and feel like there's still heaps to do. You've made it and you're ready!

RELAX AND BREATH!!

Nerves will inevitably start kicking in at this point, so remember to breathe and remind yourself that you got this!

Time to check-in to your flight

Pre-pay for any of your overweight or extra luggages online if you can. Many airlines tend to charge more when you do it in person at the airport. Additionally, it's a pain at the airport because you'll go back and forth between the ticketing/check-in booth and the counter where you pay

Do a final sweep of your place before handing over the keys to your landlord

As a precaution, make sure you didn't leave anything and ensure all things are in order before handing over your keys to your landlord or tenant. You don't want to be dealing with any mishaps when you're in a different country

Double check all your valuables are with you

You should never check-in any important items, so make sure it's in a bag or carry-on suitcase that will always be in your sight

• Passport and other important IDs

• Cash, credit cards, ATM cards

• Jewellery

• Laptop, phone, etc.

Reconfirm your bookings

One of the worst things that can happen is when you land with your many suitcases and your accommodations lost your booking or the chauffeur that is supposed to fetch you isn't there waiting

Congratulations on your move!!

I hope this checklist helped simplify your move abroad. I know it's overwhelming and the wave of emotions going through these last few months is a lot to handle. But keep reminding yourself that you are strong and taking this big step isn't something that many people do - but you did it! xx