– Double Check the visa requirements

– Check the CDC website for vaccination requirements

• Once you figure out which country you are moving to, you can search the CDC Website for a list of suggested vaccinations for that region. You probably already have most of the ones listed, COVID-19 Vaccines included. Checking this list early is essential because some of the vaccinations are a series and take very long to complete.

– Begin vaccination series

• Many vaccinations come in multiple doses. It would be best to start early and not have to worry about having to get them during crunch time.

– Start compiling documents that you may need while abroad

– Look for places to live

• Once again this is country and situation-specific. I prefer to find a place to live once I get there because it’s hard to gauge a neighborhood online. I’ve found that most countries aren’t that tech-savvy yet. Many places operate by having for rent signs in the window or use Facebook Marketplace rather than a real estate website. This makes it hard to tell what is nice and what isn’t. Plus, I am not too keen on taking people’s advice about places to live since our backgrounds will differ and what I’m looking to get out of a neighborhood will be different from the next person. If you are moving to a country that caters to expats, I can bet that the only living accommodations listed online are the ones for foreigners and are therefore much more expensive than what the locals are paying. If you are relocating for work hopefully your company is providing housing so you won’t need to worry about this.

– Start trying to learn the language

• The local languages might be difficult to pick up but it doesn’t hurt to attempt to learn a few words. Duolingo is a pretty good service that currently offers 43 different languages, 39 of which are for English speakers.

– Decide what to keep, sell, donate, or throw away

• Staying organized will make this transition go much smoother. I would also suggest that you start looking into long-term storage rentals or speaking with family members/friends about using space in their house. I was lucky enough to store my things in my parents’ home.

– Start selling and throwing away items

– Attempt to minimize your debt

• I know earlier I told you to save as much money as you can buttttt the consequences of not getting rid of your debt could have a major impact on your life abroad. It is quite possible that you might make less money abroad compared to your home country. Since the cost of living is usually much cheaper in other countries making less money is okay because you usually end up saving more of the money you earn. Which in theory sounds great but in reality, you might not be saving anywhere near as much money as you had hoped to. I made a total of $12,000USD my first year in Thailand. I lived like the Qween I am, but I didn’t save a single dollar. If I had not gotten rid of my debt I would have been in trouble. Trust me, when I say the debt collectors back home will not accept your Monopoly money. Having to put the money you make abroad toward stuff like your car note, student loans, business loans, mortgages, etc. back home will hurt you in the long run.

– Put your house on the market

• If you own a house you need to understand how long it could be before you sell it. If you are in real estate you understand that sometimes these things happen quicker than expected. Either way, you need to be prepared for both the best and worst outcomes. Start trying to figure out what you are going to do if the house doesn’t get sold. Will you have tenants? A property manager? What will you do if the house gets sold quicker than expected? Where will you go? What will you do with all your things?

– Make sure to “Unlock” your phone

• An unlocked phone can be used on other GSM networks and will work internationally. As a rule of thumb Android phones usually come unlocked. This is not the case for iPhones. There are multiple ways to figure out if your phone is unlocked. Read this wikiHow article to figure out if your phone is already unlocked. If you discover your phone isn’t unlocked your carrier may provide unlocking services for free.

– Start Packing

• Once you begin the process of getting rid of stuff you will start to realize just how much stuff you truly have. If you have been living in one place for a long time you will have years’ worth of knickknacks to comb through. You need to decide whether you either want to bring the stuff with you or throw it away. My advice is to try to bring as little as possible but do not miss out on any of the essentials. You can shop my Amazon Store or read my Packing Checklist of Essential Items For Moving Abroad.
• You always bring too much on the first move. Don’t worry about it. Keep in mind, lots of things get left behind on every move so try not to bring too many non-replaceable items. The key to packing up an entire house is to really take your time and stay on top of it. On every single move, I was still throwing things into the bags up until the time to leave for the airport.

– Fill enough prescriptions for three months

• Certain medications have a limit as to how much you can obtain in a certain amount of time. Ask your doctor for help. I believe that three months is more than enough time for you to find a reputable pharmacy that can provide your medication. If you are moving to a country that doesn’t readily have your medication available, how will you receive it?

– Renew everything that is expiring

• Check everything in your wallet for expiration dates. Driver’s license, credit cards, membership cards, etc. Renew everything prior to leaving if it is going to expire during the time you’re gone.

– Find accommodations for when you arrive

• If you will not be moving directly into a home you need to find a place to stay for the in-between time. In my first and latest country, I stayed in an Airbnb for a month before I found an apartment by just looking for “For Rent” signs around town. In other countries, the school either provided housing or set me up with a realtor.

– Join social groups specific to your new country

• There are plenty of ways to meet people prior to your arrival. Joining these groups will also allow you to see what types of activities are happening around town. Look for Facebook Groups, Meetup, Couchsurfing, InterNations, and many others.

– Forward your mail

• Make sure you are forwarding your mail to someone you trust implicitly. You may need this person to open your mail from time to time. This may include very sensitive information such as bank statements and tax forms that have your national ID on them. For US Residents you can forward your mail by going to a local post office or visiting USPS’s website.  For Canadian Residents, you can visit the Canada Post’s Website. For UK Residents you can visit the Royal Mail’s Website.

– Change your address

• There are a number of places that need to be notified of your address change. Before you quit your job make sure you change your address with them so your tax forms can go to the right place. Here’s a list of who needs to be notified. Notify family and friends of your new address.

– Obtain an international driver’s permit

• An international driver’s license may be necessary if you plan on driving in your new country. It’s basically just a document certifying that you have a driver’s license in your home country. I have never used mine and I stopped getting them in 2018 because the countries I was in did not care. In the United States, AAA provides them at their branches for $20 USD.

– Pay off the remainder of your bills 

• If it is possible, get rid of all open bills.

– Notify banks of the move

• Now that my banks (Bank of America & Charles Schwab) do not need travel notices I am unsure if you still need to tell your bank. If you are unsure it doesn’t hurt to have a conversation with them.

– Buy unavailable products

• This one is hard to determine prior to moving but there are ways to figure it out. Download a grocery or delivery app used in this country. You can just look through the products they have and determine if it’s possible to get your essentials there. If you don’t find what you’re looking for try posting in one of the social groups you joined and ask them if they have the products you think you will need. Most places have similar products but they may not be the same brands from home. This does not include Black hair and skin products unless you are relocating to a Black Country. No matter what your race is be careful with things that go on your skin because some countries prefer products with skin-lightening/whitening agents like bleach.

– Get final checkups

• Before you quit your job and lose your insurance make sure you have finished all your doctor visits. I got dental surgery a week before I left just because I could still do it with my insurance turned on. Get STD tested as well.

– Obtain a medical certificate if necessary

• Some countries require a medical certificate to get certain types of visas. Some jobs require a medical certificate to start working. If you have a job lined up, ask them. Kuwait was by far the hardest country to enter (for me) as its medical certificate contains tests that were not readily available in the USA at the time.

– Download/Buy a VPN

• A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is added security when you use the internet. It also reroutes your internet to make it look like it is coming from a different country. In countries like China, Saudi Arabia, N. Korea, Vietnam, and many more, the general public is blocked from seeing certain content. Using a VPN (which may be illegal) will allow you to access the internet from what looks like a foreign server. There are plenty of free services out there but depending on what you are looking for you might want to pay for one.

– Check absentee voting requirements

• For US Citizens  https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter

– Submit a resignation letter to your job

• If things don’t work out with this move you want to make sure that you have somewhere to return to. Don’t burn any bridges on your way out.

– Finish selling items

• At this point, all major and minor items should be sold. If there are things that are not selling either donate them or throw them away.

– Finalize packing

• Wear clothes that you planned on giving away during your final week so your bags are fully packed. Once you finish packing leave out the outfit you intend to travel in. At the end of the week, you can donate or throw away the clothes you have been wearing.

– Clean up the house

• Either hire someone to do it or do it yourself. You can also ask your landlord what would be the fee to leave the apartment as is. It could be expensive but still cheaper than hiring someone to come in and do it and would save you a lot of effort.

– Download communication apps

• There is no shortage of ways to stay in contact with your people back home. Most of the ways I’m about to list are free as long as you have internet. You are able to not only send messages but can also audio and video calls – Facetime, Zoom, WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger, and Google Chat.

– Figure out how you are getting from the airport

If you are relocating for work your job SHOULD handle this.

– Have a goodbye get-together to give your friends and family a chance to say goodbye and wish you luck

• It doesn’t have to be big but people will appreciate getting to say goodbye and they might even give you money! We ended up having two goodbye parties. One in DC and one in Orlando. This gave us a chance to say goodbye to our family and friends in regions that were easy for them to get to. We had a blast at both!   

– Take a minute to savor how momentous this is! You are moving abroad!

• Moving is stressful enough. Take a moment to savor your accomplishment. Not everyone who considered moving has made it this far. I would suggest journaling your thought process and how you are feeling so in the future you can look back and remember your whirlwind of emotions.

– Have the name, address, and phone number of where you are staying for immigration and taxi drivers

• It is important that you have that info at your disposal for customs and immigration forms. Also, put a copy in all your luggage in the unfortunate event that they get lost. Keep the location’s phone number handy so that way if there is a language barrier between you and the taxi driver one of you can just call up the hotel and they can explain to the driver where to go. If you are relocating for work your job SHOULD provide you with all this information.

– Double check you have everything you need

• Double, triple, quadruple check you have everything

– Don’t forget your passport!

– Exchange currency

• After you land at the new destination withdraw money from an ATM. Usually, the rate is better.

– Get a local SIM card

• Start with a prepaid SIM. You can see what the service will be like where you live without the commitment. If it isn’t good you can choose another company. Since it is prepaid there is no obligation to stay with them. Many countries will not allow you to get a post-paid cell phone service without having the proper visa type.

– Port phone number to Google Voice

• Have someone back home help you with this or attempt to do it on a VPN. You cannot port anything to Google Voice when your server is outside of the United States. This is the easiest way to keep your same number for only $20. Cancellation fees may apply from your original phone service provider. The number will be switched over in about 3 days.

– Disconnect cell phone service

• After your phone number has successfully ported you can call to double-check that you do not owe them any money. Your service and plan should be disconnected.

– START LIVING YOUR NEW LIFE!