Moving abroad has a habit of making the smallest jobs feel urgent. There are passports to check, customs forms to prepare, schools to contact and a whole home to sort through. Then, just when everything seems under control, somebody remembers the cat.
A good international move is not organised in a weekend. It is built in stages. This checklist takes you from the first decisions, around four months before departure, through moving day and into your first weeks overseas. Rules vary between countries, so use it alongside the official guidance for your destination and advice from your mover.
16 weeks before moving abroad
Confirm that you have the right to live, work or study
- Check the visa, residency and work permit rules for every person moving.
- Confirm how long each passport must remain valid beyond your arrival date.
- Check whether birth, marriage, adoption or qualification certificates must be legalised, translated or certified.
- Read the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office guidance for moving, living or retiring abroad, then follow the country-specific links.
Do this first. A shipping date can be changed; an immigration deadline is far less forgiving. Do not book non-refundable travel or send your belongings until you understand the destination country’s entry and residency requirements.
Build a realistic moving budget
- Request a detailed survey and quotation from an experienced international removals company.
- Allow for packing, shipping, storage, insurance, customs charges, flights and temporary accommodation.
- Add a contingency for exchange-rate movements and unexpected delays.
- Budget for deposits, school fees, local transport, utility connections and the first few weeks of everyday spending.
The cheapest quotation is not always the least expensive move. Check what is included, what is excluded and who will look after the shipment when it arrives. Ask about likely transit times, customs support and the procedure if your new home is not ready.
Start one relocation file
Keep passports, visas, quotations, inventories, insurance documents and key contact details together. Store secure digital copies separately, but carry the originals you may need during the journey in your hand luggage. Never pack passports, medication or irreplaceable certificates into the shipment.
12 weeks before the move
Decide what is actually going
- Walk through the house room by room and mark items to move, sell, donate, store or recycle.
- Check the voltage, plug type and suitability of electrical appliances at your destination.
- Measure large furniture and compare it with the layout and access at the new property.
- Identify antiques, artwork, collections and high-value items that may need valuations or additional documentation.
- Ask which foods, plants, medicines, alcohol, batteries and other restricted items cannot be shipped.
Customs rules belong to the destination country, not the UK removal company. They can change, and they can be surprisingly specific. A jar of food, a wooden ornament or a garden tool with soil on it may cause more difficulty than a sofa. Your move manager will explain the paperwork needed for the route, but you remain responsible for declaring your belongings accurately.
Prepare a first inventory
List the contents of each room and note approximate replacement values. Photograph valuable or unusual items and keep receipts or valuations where available. A clear inventory helps with the survey, insurance and customs clearance. It also makes unpacking considerably easier.
Plan for children and pets
- Contact schools early and ask what records, reports, vaccination evidence or translated documents they require.
- Request copies of education and medical records.
- Check the destination’s pet import rules, approved routes, quarantine conditions and airline requirements.
- For dogs, cats and ferrets travelling from Great Britain, follow the current GOV.UK pet travel guidance.
Pet paperwork takes time. Travel to an EU country generally requires an animal health certificate issued within the specified window. A non-EU destination may require an export health certificate and additional tests or treatment. Check the exact country rules before arranging travel.
Eight weeks before departure
Confirm the removal plan
- Agree the packing and collection dates.
- Confirm the destination address or arrange storage if it is not yet available.
- Provide access details for both properties, including parking restrictions, stairs and lifts.
- Choose appropriate transit or marine insurance and read the exclusions.
- Ask when the final inventory and customs documents must be returned.
International consignments may travel by road, sea or air. Transit dates are estimates rather than appointments, particularly where ports and customs authorities are involved. Plan for a sensible gap between collection and delivery, with enough clothing and household essentials to live comfortably in the meantime.
Deal with tax, pensions and benefits
- Check how leaving affects your UK tax residence and whether you must notify HM Revenue & Customs.
- If you usually file Self Assessment, complete the residence section and form SA109 as required.
- If you do not file Self Assessment, check whether the P85 process applies to you.
- Tell the relevant office about any benefits or UK State Pension you receive.
- Take professional tax advice if you will retain UK property, investments, employment or business interests.
Moving overseas does not automatically end every UK tax obligation. Equally, completing a form does not by itself decide your residence status. Personal circumstances matter, especially the number of days spent in the UK and the ties you retain here.
Arrange healthcare
- Find out how residents register for healthcare in the destination country.
- Check whether you qualify for an S1 form or another UK-funded arrangement.
- Arrange suitable private or travel cover for any gap in protection.
- Request medical, dental, optical and vaccination records.
- Ask your doctor how to manage repeat prescriptions during the move.
A GHIC or existing EHIC is not a replacement for relocation health cover. Entitlement depends on where you are going and why. It may cover necessary state healthcare during a temporary stay, but it does not routinely cover private treatment or repatriation.
Four weeks before the move
Complete your customs paperwork
- Return the signed inventory and any customs forms requested by your move manager.
- Describe contents honestly and avoid vague entries such as “miscellaneous”.
- Provide clear copies of the identification, visa, residence and address documents required for clearance.
- Declare alcohol, tobacco, new purchases and other controlled or dutiable goods.
- Do not add unlisted items after the packing inventory has been completed.
Where a formal export declaration is needed, you or your appointed representative must obtain customs clearance before the goods leave the UK. Central Moves can guide you through the shipping documents for your route, while the destination authority decides what may enter and whether any duties or taxes are payable.
Notify the people who need to know
- Employer, landlord or mortgage provider
- Banks, pension providers and insurers
- Local council and electoral services
- DVLA and vehicle insurer, where relevant
- Schools, nursery, GP, dentist and veterinary practice
- Utility, broadband, mobile and subscription providers
- Royal Mail redirection and a trusted UK contact
British citizens living overseas may be able to register as overseas voters. Check the current eligibility and renewal requirements rather than assuming an old registration will continue.
Sort out driving and vehicles
If you are becoming resident abroad, check whether your UK licence can be exchanged and how quickly this must be done. GOV.UK advises that people moving abroad may need a local licence, rather than relying on an International Driving Permit. If you are exporting a vehicle, discuss registration, tax, insurance, customs and technical requirements before including it in the move.
The final fortnight
- Confirm collection times, contact numbers and access with your move manager.
- Separate passports, tickets, visas, keys, valuables, chargers and essential documents.
- Prepare enough prescribed medicine, subject to the rules of the destination country.
- Back up phones and computers, then keep important devices with you.
- Use up food and dispose of items that cannot be transported.
- Drain, clean and dry outdoor equipment where required.
- Prepare an arrival bag for each person, plus pet food and children’s essentials.
- Photograph meter readings and the condition of both properties.
Put everything that must not be packed in one clearly marked room or cupboard. Professional packers work quickly. A passport left on a bedside table can disappear into a carton with impressive efficiency.
Packing and moving day
- Walk through the property with the crew leader and point out fragile, valuable or excluded items.
- Check that cartons are numbered and correspond with the packing inventory.
- Read the inventory before signing it and record any concerns immediately.
- Keep copies of the signed paperwork and your move manager’s contact details.
- Complete a final check of cupboards, lofts, sheds, garages and storage spaces.
- Lock windows and doors, hand over keys and take final meter readings.
For a fuller look at the practical side of the journey, read our international moving tips. If you would prefer Central Moves to handle the wrapping and preparation, our professional packing service can be included in your quotation.
Your first week abroad
- Complete any local residency registration within the required deadline.
- Register for healthcare and arrange local insurance.
- Open or activate banking, utilities and mobile services.
- Confirm school places and provide the requested records.
- Begin the driving licence exchange or local application process if required.
- Tell your move manager immediately if the delivery address or access has changed.
When the shipment arrives, check items against the inventory as they are delivered. Note visible damage or missing packages on the delivery paperwork and follow the insurer’s notification procedure promptly. Keep customs and shipping records after delivery in case an authority asks for them later.
One month after arrival
- Review remaining UK accounts, direct debits, insurance and tax matters.
- Check that post redirection and address changes are working.
- Store immigration, customs and delivery documents safely.
- Register with local services and learn the emergency numbers.
- Give yourself time to settle. A successful relocation is more than an unpacked house.
Ready to plan your international move?
No two overseas relocations follow exactly the same route. Destination rules, family circumstances and shipping methods all affect the timetable. Starting early gives you choices and leaves room to solve problems before they become expensive.
Central Moves provides door-to-door support for household moves across Europe and worldwide, including export packing, customs documentation, shipping and destination delivery. Speak to our international removals team for a tailored survey and a clear plan for your move.
Guidance checked in July 2026. Immigration, customs, tax, healthcare and pet travel rules can change. Always confirm the latest requirements with the relevant government authority and seek professional advice where necessary.