What to Expect When Planning an International Relocation

Tommy

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When it comes to major life changes and endeavors, such as moving abroad, it is easy to say that you should just “expect the unexpected.” Easy, but not all that helpful in and of itself. What’s more, it is not entirely accurate either, as we know all the major issues that can arise when you are planning an international relocation.

From shipment delays and hiccups to custom regulations or vaccination requirements and healthcare problems, the number of things that can go wrong and that you should expect and prepare for is not infinite, even if they feel like it at times. So, to help you out, here’s a quick list of the things you should keep an eye on and how to prepare for them accordingly.

1. Expect Delays

Something as big and significant as international relocation almost always takes more time than one expects at first. The whole process involves so many different factors and aspects that something is bound to go wrong and cause even just a minor delay eventually.

On average, from start to finish, most international moves take 3–6 weeks, even if people usually expect theirs to take less. So, the first and simplest thing to expect and plan for is this, and its solution is simple. Factor in the delays in your schedule by giving yourself some buffer time of a week or so, if not more. You’ll either be grateful that you did later on, or you’ll have some extra time to settle in if there end up being no delays in the end.

2. Document and Paperwork Issues

Depending on where you are going, the visas, documents, and other paperwork you’ll need to prepare can vary greatly. Some places are easier to go to in this regard. For example, if you are moving from one EU country to another, the potential for paperwork issues is much smaller, and you’ll need to do much less work overall.

When visiting many other countries, however, you may have much more paperwork to sort out. Visas, passports, permits, and more, all of which must comply with local laws and regulations. And, if the country you’re going to uses a different language from your native tongue, all that paperwork will likely need to be translated, and the translated copies will need to be authenticated by a notary.

Avoiding such paperwork issues is done by just starting as soon as possible, doing all the necessary research ahead of time, and then double- and triple-checking everything before your travel date. It’s annoying, but the only thing more annoying that is paperwork issues when relocating.

3. Custom Regulation Problems

As above, unexpected problems with the customs regulations of your country of arrival are also quite common and frustrating to deal with. Many countries have some pretty bizarre rules and regulations for what can and can’t be brought into their territory, which can be annoying at best or a major problem at worst, if they happen to stop you from bringing something essential with you.

Thorough research ahead of time is the best preventative measure here as well. Another helpful factor is to just discuss this issue with your moving company, if you happen to be using one. Professional moving companies, or at least the good and reputable ones, are quite aware of what can and can’t be brought into different countries, as that’s quite literally their job. So, going through your inventory with your movers is a good idea, especially when it comes to essential items. 

4. Packing and Luggage Drama

Packing is often annoying and time-consuming, especially if you have a lot of stuff to bring with you and/or if you’re moving with your entire family and not solo. In addition to taking a lot of time and effort, packing and moving can also involve a lot of drama too. From losing certain important items, to accidentally breaking things, to overpacking and needlessly having to bring too much stuff with you, to having to pay fees for extra luggage, and so on.

Here, too, the easiest way to avoid, or at least minimize, any potential problems with your packing and luggage is to start early and invest enough time in the whole process. Here are a few specific tips:

Declutter your possessions before you pack. Many people make the mistake of moving everything to their new place and only after that start removing, selling, donating, or throwing away what they don’t need anymore. A much more efficient and simpler way to go about this, however, is to plan ahead, sort out, and declutter all your possessions before you move. This way, you’re going to have much fewer items to carry with you, fewer things can go wrong, and the move itself will end up costing less, too.

Segregate and pack your items well. Not being able to find something in your luggage after a move can be incredibly annoying or an outright problem, if it’s something important. This usually happens when the packing has been a tad unorganized. If, instead, you take the extra time to segregate your items and pack them in groups with the proper labels, the unpacking afterwards will be much smoother, faster, and easier.

Pack efficiently. Another important tip is to pack your things as efficiently as possible. You don’t want to pay for transporting half-empty boxes around the world, as that’s just unnecessary. What’s more, inefficient packing is one of the main reasons for broken items during transport, so the easiest way to avoid this problem is to make sure everything is packed properly.

5. Find the Right Moving Company

The simplest and most easily avoidable problem many people face is having problems with their movers, from delays to broken or missing items to lacking insurance and more. Working with the wrong company can lead to a lot of problems you don’t want to have to deal with. 

Fortunately, this problem is also fairly easy to avoid by just taking the time to find the right reputable and experienced moving company for your needs.

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