Moving overseas with your entire family brings a kind of excitement and anxiety that single movers never experience. You’re coordinating visas for everyone, finding schools, and making sure nobody’s prescription runs out mid-flight. That’s definitely a lot.
That’s why in this article, we’ll walk through the complete moving abroad checklist families need. We’ll cover banking decisions, healthcare setup, school transitions, and those small details that can derail your plans if you miss them.
You’ll also find out which documents each family member needs and how to time everything so you’re ready when your move date arrives.
So, let’s get your family organized and ready to move.
Moving Abroad Checklist: Start 3-4 Months Early
The biggest mistake families make is starting their international move planning too late. That will surely lead to rushed decisions and missed deadlines. But hear us out: just three months can give you enough time to handle visas, paperwork, and family logistics without the panic.
When you move abroad with the whole family, you have to deal with documents for every member. Each person needs their own visa application, and some host countries require separate processing for children and spouses. That takes a lot of time.
That’s why early planning lets you research your destination country’s requirements and avoid expensive mistakes or last-minute scrambling. Your kids get time to say goodbye to friends and family, and you can sort out housing before your move date arrives.
Documents Checklist for Your Entire Family
So, how long does it actually take to get all the documents ready for your whole family?
Some host countries process visa applications in weeks, others take three months or longer, and that’s if everything goes smoothly. The answer depends entirely on which country you’re moving to.
Apart from a visa, these are the documents your family will need before moving to a different country.
Visa Requirements Vary by Host Country
From our experience helping families move to Bali, visa timelines vary depending on your passport. For example, European countries might process your family in six weeks, while Asian destinations can take twelve weeks or more.
Also, keep in mind that work permits and dependent visas often require separate applications with different timelines (trust us, the paperwork never ends).
Pro Tip: Always add buffer time because there are cases of embassy delays, too. Better safe than sorry when it comes to application deadlines, especially if your move date is tied to a new job or school start.
Important Documents Each Family Member Needs
Every person traveling with you needs their own set of paperwork. You need to be careful with this list because missing just one of them can cost you a lot of trouble.
Here’s what you’ll be gathering for each family member.
- Valid Passports: Passports must be valid for six months past your planned arrival in the host country. Most destination countries won’t even process your visa application without that buffer time built in.
- Certificates and Proof: After that, check for birth certificates, marriage certificates, and proof of relationship for all family members. These legal documents prove how everyone in your household is connected to the primary visa holder.
- Background Clearances: The processing of background checks and police clearances can take four to six weeks, depending on your state. These are required by many foreign countries for adults over 18.
We suggest you start collecting these documents as soon as you can because tracking down official copies takes longer than you expect. Also, keep everything in a waterproof folder that you can access easily during the application process.
Medical Records and Educational Certificates
Some host countries often require vaccination records and health screenings for school-age children. Those specific vaccines might not be standard in the US, so check those requirements early.
Along with that, get official copies of diplomas, transcripts, and any professional certifications you might need. Especially if you’re applying for a work visa, your employer in the destination country will probably ask for these.
School records for your kids are important too, since international schools want to see what grade level they’re at.
Bonus Tips: Some countries require translated and notarized versions of educational documents. That process can take two to three weeks and costs extra, so factor that into your timeline and budget.
Should You Close Your Bank Account or Keep It Open?
You should keep one home-country account open, but open a local account once you have residency proof. Most expats need both for fees, transfers, and daily banking.
Keep one account open at home for pension deposits, tax obligations, or emergency funds. You’ll still have financial records to manage back home, and closing everything can create headaches later.
Plus, bank statements from your home country also help when you’re setting up your new bank account abroad. Just a quick reminder: opening a bank account in your host country usually requires proof of address and residency.
And to be safe, research whether your current bank charges international transaction fees or has partner banks abroad. Some US banks let you withdraw cash overseas without fees if they have agreements with local banking networks in your host country, and others can charge $5 per transaction.
Pro Tip: Consider currency exchange rates and transfer fees when you move money between countries. Moving large amounts all at once during favorable exchange rates can save you hundreds compared to smaller transfers over time.
Healthcare Coverage in a Foreign Country
The peace of mind that comes from knowing your family has proper healthcare coverage abroad is worth the research time upfront. Truth is, nobody thinks about this until it’s too late.
We suggest you find out if your host country offers public healthcare to expats or if health insurance is required. Some countries let foreigners access their national health systems after they get residency.
You can also stock up on prescription medications before leaving, because access might be limited in the beginning. Don’t forget to keep medical records and dental records in digital format so new healthcare providers can see your family’s history.
Pro Tip: US citizens moving to Europe should look into the European Health Insurance Card, which covers EU citizens traveling within Europe for medical emergencies. It’s because public systems work fine for emergencies, but wait times for routine care can stretch for weeks.
Housing Decisions: Rent, Sell, or Store?
What you do with your current home depends on how long you plan to stay abroad and whether you’ll need that equity. This choice can affect your entire moving process.
So let’s take a look at how you can decide on what to do.
Selling Your Current Home Before the International Move
Houses can take months to sell in slow markets. It’s better to start the sale process early. Spring and summer are the peak moving season, so you’ll get better offers at that time compared to the winter months. Working with a realtor can help you, but expect to pay commission fees on the final price.
And if you’re unsure about staying abroad long-term, renting out your home can give you more options. You keep the property and generate income while you’re gone. In that case, you have to become a landlord from thousands of miles away, and you have to find property managers you trust.
What to Pack vs. What to Leave Behind
Shipping furniture overseas will cost you a small fortune. We always suggest carefully considering what’s worth bringing versus replacing.
Our relocation team has seen countless families regret shipping heavy furniture that costs more than buying new pieces in their host country. Most moving companies charge by weight and volume, and international shipping rates can hit $5,000 to $15,000 for a typical family home.
Also, keep in mind that large appliances often don’t work abroad due to different voltage standards and plug types. Your American washing machine won’t work in Europe without expensive converters, and even then, it might break down faster.
Pro Tip: Check how much space you’ll have at your new location before you commit to shipping everything, and only ship the appliances that you immediately need.
Getting Kids Ready For Schools and Language Lessons
This part of your international move checklist affects how quickly your family settles into life abroad.
You need to research international schools early because popular ones fill up months before term starts (waiting lists can stretch six months or more in popular cities). Plus, many require entrance exams or interviews. You can sometimes do it remotely before you arrive.
Also, basic language lessons help kids make new friends faster and feel less alone during those first few weeks. Even learning simple phrases in the local language gives them confidence. Apps like Duolingo work fine for basics, but consider hiring a tutor for your kids a month before the move.
Pro Tip: Connect with online communities to get honest reviews of local schools. Expat parent groups on Facebook share real experiences about which schools welcome foreign students and which ones have long waiting lists.
Your Final Week International Move Checklist
After you’re done tackling the big planning tasks, some final week items will keep things trouble-free back home while you’re gone. So, don’t leave these tasks until the eleventh hour.
Take a look at this checklist.
- Utilities: You need to cancel or transfer utilities at your current home to avoid paying bills abroad. Call your electric, gas, water, and internet providers to schedule a shutoff for your move date. Some companies require two weeks’ notice, so check their policies early.
- Mail: Set up your mail forwarding through your postal service so nothing important gets missed. The post office charges a small fee but forwards mail to your new address for up to a year. This catches any bills or tax documents you forgot to redirect.
- Banking Notifications: Banks see foreign transactions and often freeze accounts, thinking someone stole your card. That’s why, notify your bank and credit card companies about your international move to prevent fraud alerts. A quick phone call saves you from getting locked out of your money overseas.
- Cell Phone Plans: Most US carriers charge extra for international coverage, and those fees add up quickly when you’re living abroad full-time. Best to check if your current cell phone plan works internationally or if you need a new one.
Pro Tip: Download messaging apps like WhatsApp so friends and family back home can reach you for free. These apps work over WiFi, which means you can stay connected even before you get a local phone number.
Begin Your Family’s Next Chapter Abroad
An international move checklist keeps your family organized when it feels like everything’s happening at once. Your moving abroad checklist only needs careful planning with enough time so that unexpected challenges don’t derail your whole move.
So take this one step at a time, and remember that thousands of families successfully move abroad every year. Your new life in a different country can start with this moving overseas checklist. Yours will work out too.
And if you need more guidance about moving abroad, check out the resources at Relocating Countries for location-specific advice.