International Removals

Deciding to move abroad can be an exciting but daunting experience, especially if you’re moving to an unfamiliar country.

But to make the process as hassle-free as possible, it’s always a good idea to prepare.

We’re sharing our eight top tips on how to move abroad.

1. Get to know the country you’re moving to.

Whether it’s Asia, America, Australia or a European country, the advice is always the
same: get to know the country before moving.

Why?

Every country is unique and has its own way of operating.
As a result, it makes sense to know as much as possible about the country before you
arrive.

Research the local job market; is it booming or stagnating?
Are jobs attractive to you in good supply in your chosen country?

Understand the currency and how it will help or hinder your everyday life.

If you’re lucky enough to have secured a job before you move, work out how much of your salary will go towards rent, taxes, food and transport.

Think about potential language barriers.

Will you live in an English-speaking country, or will your mastery of a second language
help you thrive in your new surroundings?

2. Make sure all of your documents are correct and in date.

Many people with dreams of a new life abroad are hindered by red tape because they didn’t know the issues existed.

One example is that your passport needs to have at least six months left on it to travel to most countries in Europe.

Familiarise yourself with your destination country’s immigration rules surrounding visas and passports.

Luckily, there’s a thriving ex-pat community online, with forums jam-packed with information from people who made your exact journey.

They’ll be able to guide you on what documents you need and advise you on things you won’t necessarily find on a government website.

One example of a helpful forum to find lots of information from people with great experience is the Expat Forum.

3. Before you move abroad, sell your larger items.

Surprisingly, many people decide to transport all of their worldly possessions to their new home country.

But this is expensive and time-consuming. You can expect delays in getting your items of anything up to a couple of months.

You might not be able to visualise your life without your comfy La-Z-Boy recliner chair or that mattress that allows you to sleep a solid eight hours every night. But there’s another way.

Sell your larger items on Gumtree, eBay, Facebook Marketplace or Vinted.

And once you arrive in your new country buy new ones. You’ll be surprised that many of the larger items you want can be significantly cheaper depending on where you visit.

4. Find out how much money you need to satisfy your destination country’s financial requirements.

Most countries accept immigrants if they abide by specific rules and plan to contribute to their new country’s economy.

However, before being accepted into the country, you’ll most likely be asked to prove how you will support yourself in the short term.

Each country has its own pre-requisites but expect to be asked to prove you have money in your bank account to support yourself.

This could be anything from a few thousand pounds right up to tens of thousands of pounds.

To find out more about your new country’s financial requirements, type into Google: [Country name] and ‘settlement funds’.

5. Plan how to get all of your essentials to your new home.

In tip three, we mentioned selling your larger items and buying new ones when you arrive.

This isn’t always possible for various reasons, including items that are of sentimental value.

If that’s the case for you, consider using a traditional removals company to help you transport those larger items.

Ask important questions to the removals company like, “When will my items arrive at my new home?” and “Can I track items?”.

For smaller items, and personal effects, up to 30kg, why not use My Baggage? Find out more and get a quick quote.

6. Understand the weather.

The weather in a country dictates a lot of your preparation.

For a Canadian winter, you’ll need thermal coats, socks, hats and gloves.

And for a Florida summer, you’ll want to consider air conditioning, beachwear and loose-fitting clothes.

In addition, the weather of a country also brings about other awkward things to factor in.

Some of us arrive home from a week in Spain with more than just a few freckles.

That’s because, when we’re not used to a climate, we can also be a feast for the local (un)friendly mosquito, who enjoys a meal at our expense.

Find out as much as you can about the climate and find out about the bugs that thrive there and how best to protect your skin.

7. Research the culture of your new home.

One of the best things about moving to a new country is immersing yourself in a new
culture.

You’ll enjoy a front-row seat to a hotbed of authentic food, arts, architecture, areas of outstanding natural beauty and much more.

But cultural differences can also cause some alarm if you’re not used to doing things a certain way.

Let’s take one example.

You’re in a restaurant in London and enjoy a beautiful meal and excellent service. You don’t feel pressured into it but give your server a £10 tip on top of the £100 bill.

Contrast that with enjoying a similarly lovely meal in a New York restaurant.

You receive your bill of $100 and tip the server $10.

However, that can (and most likely will) be seen as an insult; the typically expected tip in New York is 15-20%.

That’s an extreme example, of course, but it’s a good idea to try and understand the culture of your new country to avoid any embarrassing or awkward situations.

8. Driving and communications.

Two of the most important things to anyone that moves abroad is independence but the ability to remain in touch with loved ones back home.

And in the modern era, we feel most independent when we know we have the ability to hop into our car and drive somewhere.

But each country has a different transport infrastructure, and it’s good to know what to expect before you get behind the steering wheel.

For example, if you’re moving from America to the UK, you’ll want to know that drivers travel on the road's left-hand side in the UK.

Oh, and you’ll want to know that steering wheels in the UK are on the right side of the car, not the left side you’re used to back in the US of A.

In 2021, super-fast Wi-Fi and 5G are a minimum expectation.

And you’ll want to keep in touch with family back home through WhatsApp, Zoom and Skype.

But to do that, you’ll, of course, need decent Wi-Fi.

Before you move abroad, research Wi-Fi deals and find out from ex-pats what your new country’s 4G and 5G infrastructure is like.

Conclusion

Moving country can be one of the most exciting and fulfilling things you’ll ever do.

But like any grand plan, you just have to work out the finer details. Luckily, many people have already trodden this path.

And if you get active in the months before your big move on Ex-Pat forums and Facebook groups, you’ll be able to learn from their mistakes and thrive with their benefit of hindsight. If you need to move anything, of course, be sure to check out My Baggage.

My Baggage’s convenient door to door services mean you don’t have to worry about leaving your belongings at a designated drop-off point or collecting them from a far away location, such as a port like many traditional international removal services. My Baggage collects your shipment from your doorstep and delivers straight to your destination.

We know that when it comes to your luggage and personal belongings, it’s natural to feel apprehensive about handing everything over to a removals driver. However, at My Baggage, we strive to provide an international moving service that you know you can trust.

You can use My Baggage to ship your personal effects in suitcases, boxes, or even a mixture of both. You can also send typically large or oversized items, such as sports equipment, musical instruments, and bicycles, so long as they are appropriately packaged.

To give you that extra peace of mind, My Baggage will keep you updated from the moment you place your booking until the moment your items arrive safely with you. You can opt-in for text and email notifications to keep you fully up-to-date on where your items are and when they are due to arrive. We also provide full online tracking for every single shipment, which you can access at any time by logging into your My Baggage account.

If you happen to have any questions or concerns along the way, we pride ourselves on our unrivalled customer support. Thanks to many years of experience in logistics, our support team are experts when it comes to shipping personal belongings all over the world. If you require any assistance with your shipment, you can contact our customer support team via phone, email and live chat and they will always be happy to help in any way that they can.

My Baggage ships to over 200 countries worldwide, servicing over 1,000 routes across the world. So, no matter where you’re coming from or going to, My Baggage can offer a reliable international removals service to make your life easier. Can’t see a quote for a specific route? No problem, get in touch and we can provide you with a custom quote.

At My Baggage, we understand that, for many people moving overseas, speed is a top priority when it comes to transporting all of your worldly belongings. The last thing you want is to have to wait weeks for everything you own to arrive with you at your new home.

In comparison to traditional international removals, which in some cases could take months for your belongings to arrive – with My Baggage, you don’t have to worry about waiting. We offer super fast overseas removals, with a 2-5 day transit times worldwide.

Booking international removals with My Baggage couldn’t be easier. Our easy to use online booking system is available 24/7 and takes just a few short moments to complete. Simply start by obtaining a quote straight from our website. Once you’ve booked your shipment, we’ll send you some shipping labels to print and attach to your items. After that, you can simply sit back and relax. We’ll take care of everything else for you. It’s that easy!

With My Baggage, you can ship a huge 66lbs box or suitcase from USA to the UK for as little as $153, and Spain from $164, USA to Australia from $284; with dozens more routes available!