How to Make your International Move as Stress Free as Possible

Let’s face it, moving across town is stressful. Move to a new state or province and you can ramp up the hassle, but moving to a new country?? Your stress level may now be officially off the charts! It doesn’t have to be a bad experience though. I’ve done this a number of times now and have come up with a few ways to make your international move as stress free as possible.

Checklists

Knowing that you are preparing for an international move will likely leave your mind racing with all of the things that need to be done. One way to quiet your mind, reassure yourself, and reduce your stress level is to make lists. I’m a list-maker at the best of times, but they really save me when there’s a lot going on. You might have your lists categorized or you may just have one master list. You can write your list down in a notebook that you keep in a central location or keep track of it on your phone (I’m a paper list maker myself!). Being able to visually track all of the things that you are getting done should give you a sense of accomplishment and relief. It’s also an easy place to add new items as they come up (and they will!).

Get Your Documents in Order

You will need to have all of your important documents in order with multiple copies ahead of your move. You should have a copy with you and a copy in the cloud that you can retrieve digitally. Some people also like to have their important documents digitally stored on a thumb drive so that they can keep them on a keychain.

Some examples of documents that you will need are your marriage certificate, your birth certificate and those of your children, driver’s license, passport, adoption papers, custody papers, social security cards, school records, medical and dental records for each member of your family, work permits, visas, insurance policies, legal documents, and your financial records. All of these documents may not apply to you, but make sure that you have those that do apply ready to go before the move and backed up.

DOWNSIZE

When moving internationally you have to pay to move your belongings unless you happen to be moving to a country you can drive to, and even then the more things you have the more trips it will take or the more trucks that you will have to rent. When moving internationally, many people choose to use professional movers who will of course charge by the number of boxes and/or size of the container that they need to move. In our moves, we *had* to use professional movers–they packed, itemized, loaded the container, took care of the actual moving paperwork, and unloaded on the other side. These companies offer various services some of which will probably be necessary for you. Two major international moving companies are Crown and Allied–we’ve used them both over the years.

As you prepare yourself and your family for the big move, consider downsizing some of your items. If you have clothes you no longer wear, furniture you don’t need, or toys your kids have outgrown, now is a great time to get rid of them. We’ve used a combination of yard sales and donations to downsize. You’ll need to decide how much you’re willing or need to give up for your move–if you’re headed to a place with smaller dwellings, less stuff will be absolutely necessary and will make your international move as stress free as possible.

If you’re into garage sales, absolutely do that. I personally have found them to be much more work at a time when I don’t want that and the payoff isn’t worth it to me. We found a place we were happy to donate to for our last move–they were a secondhand shop whose sales supported hospice care and they picked up our items from the house.

It’s worth noting that you’ll need to check on rules for what items can come into a country and whether or not quarantine/testing may be required. For example, New Zealand is quite picky about wooden objects.

Medical and Dental Checkups

Before your moving date, schedule a medical and dental check-up for each member of your family. This gives you a chance to get all of your vaccines up-to-date, medications refilled, routine cleanings and procedures done, and any issues that you may have addressed. This will also mean that once you are moved, you can focus on settling in and unpacking and not having to find a new doctor or dentist just as soon as you arrive. While you have your health on your mind, now is a good time to look into new health insurance if yours won’t be valid after your move or if you are moving between a country that requires it and one that doesn’t.

Cancellations

Before you make your international move there are certain bills, accounts, and services that will need to be canceled. Your mail will need to be forwarded, internet accounts closed out, cable subscriptions canceled, and the electricity and other utilities at your current home will need to be shut down. You may also need to change banks, and set up new direct deposit or savings accounts. We always manage to forget at least one cancellation (in our last move it was luckily just a magazine subscription). Costs can add up, so add service cancellations to your list to make your international move as stress free as possible.

Take the Things that Make it Home

To make your move more comfortable and less stressful for the family you will want to focus on moving those items that make your home feel most like, well, home. These might be favorite blankets or toys, photographs that you have always had on display, and knick-knacks that hold special memories for you. While you may decide to take this opportunity to downsize some of your belongings, make sure you keep and move the important things. I have regrets over things I’ve gotten rid of in moves and other things that have moved across the world four times.

Don’t Put Off Opening Boxes

When you get to your new home, in your new country, chances are that you will be overwhelmed by the number of boxes that need to be unpacked. It’s going to be chaotic and can fell daunting, especially if the movers packed the boxes for you. My tip is to just get started and once you open a box, work through it until it’s empty. Things don’t need to be put away in their forever homes immediately, but they do need to be put away. The sooner those boxes are gone, the better you’ll feel. While you’re at it, try to stay on top of getting rid of the boxes and packing materials as you go. Some moving companies will take them back for reuse. We found an excellent recycling center at our last place that made it very easy to take a stack of flattened boxes every few days.

Travel Bag for Each Family Member

Each family member should have their own travel/carry-on bag that stays with them throughout the move whether you are driving or flying. This bag should have a few toiletries, any daily medications, a change of clothes, toys for kids, any comfort items they may have (blanket/special stuffed animal), and any other items that you deem to be essential for that person. By keeping this bag with you, you will have the items you need to be comfortable in case something unexpected happens.

Plan Hotel Stays

Book yourself and your family into a hotel over the last couple of days in your old country and at least the first few in your new one. This might sound a little extravagant, but this will give you a bit of extra (and possibly relaxing!) time for anything that might have popped up. On the other side, a hotel room and rental car will give you time to get new phone service set up, new household items to buy (like bedsheets), and time to solidify things on this side of the move. Keep in mind that it can conceivably be weeks if not months before your things arrive, so you’ll need some interim basics. Having that hotel room and rental car waiting will make those first few days easier. While you’re booking things, book a restaurant for that first night ahead of time. You’re not going to feel like making any decisions at that point–it’s a comfort to have everything set, including food.

Be Social

Once you get where you are going, meet your neighbors, look up cool restaurants or coffee shops to try, and get local recommendations. This is a great way to meet new people, start new adventures, and find new activities that you may enjoy. If you have kids, look for a local community center, get them involved in sports, or search out playgroups so that they can make new friends. Having a network of friends to be social with and occasionally ask for help will make your new place feel more like home.

There is probably next to no chance that your international move will go completely smoothly, but hopefully these tips will help make your international move as stress free as possible.