If you are moving overseas to start a new career, a large part of your planning will be about what exactly you are going to bring with you. Moving long term means that it takes more than simply packing a suitcase like you would with a normal holiday. You are moving house, and likely some difficult decisions will have to be made. We’re here to give you sage advice to make your move as stress free as possible.
The Essentials:
You may think there are many things in your life that you can’t live without, but there are some things that are essential for everyone moving abroad, no matter how minimalist the life they live. These are the documents that allow you to actually exit your home country and enter the destination of your new career. Without these your move will be dead in the water before getting anywhere;
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- Passport: Whilst this is the most obvious document you need, too often people won’t check the expiry date until the move is only a month away. If you find that your passport needs renewing, it can cost more than twice as much to get an expedited delivery.
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- Visas: You will need to sort out your visa before you start working in a new country, but you also need to check which visa you need to get for your spouse or children if you are moving with your family
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- International drivers license: If you have to drive for your new job, either make sure that your current license is valid or get an international one. The benefit of this is that it acts as a second form of ID which could be invaluable, especially in countries that love setting up bureaucratic hurdles.
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- Bank card without international fees: No matter where you go in the world, you will need money. Set up a card with zero international fees months before your move to make sure you aren’t paying money to access your own money.
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- Vaccination booklet: Depending on where you are travelling, you may need a booklet with proof of your vaccinations.
- Travel insurance policy: Whilst not technically essential, it may as well be. It’s better to be safe than sorry when you have enough on your plate already to worry about.
Other than these documents, everything else is – relatively speaking – replaceable.
So Should You take A Minimalist Approach To Your Packing?
You could bring nothing other than these essential documents when making the move to a new country, selling off all your current possessions and completely restart your life, or you could do the opposite and bring absolutely everything you own. Realistically you will land somewhere in the middle of these two extreme points.
Whilst full-time nomads may opt for a more minimalist philosophy, if you are looking to make a new home abroad you should think about the family heirlooms and possessions that you have a deep meaningful connection with. You could leave these with family back home, but you will realistically appreciate having these items after uprooting yourselves and will miss them more than you realise. Bringing your furniture with you will also help you settle quickly, meaning you won’t have to completely furnish a new house from the floor up.
Ultimately, the philosophy you have should be based around how long you aim to settle for. If you are only moving temporarily for a year, then you won’t need to bring as much with you, and it would be inefficient to bring your whole life over to a new country just to move it back a year later. In this case you should consider storing some of your possessions for you to come back to. But if you are making the move for good, it will be easier to bring some of the life you have already made in your home country with you, so you don’t have to build up a new life and library of possessions completely from scratch. Especially if you are moving with a family, the least hassle on arrival the better.
How World Moving Can Help
If you decide to make the move and settle abroad, World Moving is there to help you. Our team of international movers are relocation experts and with our packing services we will sort everything for you. With our knowledge we will both pack and unpack your possessions as safely as possible, and you can trust that we will take the utmost care for a smooth transition into your new life. If you need help moving, request a quote and our packers and movers will help you. For queries and further information, contact us today.
