Every administrative milestone, from six months out to delivery day.
An international move succeeds or fails on timing. Customs filings, biosecurity lead times and pet import permits all have windows that close before the shipment departs — this checklist lays them out in the order they fall due, whether you’re moving from the United States, Europe, Asia-Pacific or anywhere else.
6+ months before moving day
Confirm your visa, work permit or residence status at destination
Most household-goods relief schemes (such as Transfer of Residence) are tied to your immigration status and arrival date. Confirm both before booking anything.
Decide what you're taking, selling and storing
Volume drives cost. A smaller, deliberate shipment is almost always cheaper than moving everything.
Check whether your destination requires a pre-departure filing or certificate
Several countries require an import approval or consular certificate issued in the origin country before the shipment departs. These generally cannot be fixed retrospectively once the shipment has sailed — see the customs guide for your route.
Start the pet timeline if you're relocating with animals
Strict destinations such as Australia and New Zealand can require 6+ months of rabies titre testing and vaccinations before an import permit is even granted. Use the pet timeline calculator to plan backwards from your flight date.
Request quotes from vetted international moving companies
Comparing options early gives you a realistic budget and access to preferred sailing dates.
3–4 months before
Book your moving company and confirm a survey
An in-home or video survey fixes your volume estimate, which determines whether LCL, groupage or a full container is the right shipping method.
Check residency and ownership windows for duty relief
Transfer of Residence relief typically requires that you've lived outside the destination customs territory for a set period (often 12 months) and owned and used your goods for a minimum period (often 6 months) before import. The exact conditions are jurisdiction-specific.
Apply for destination tax identification where required
Several countries require a tax or personal ID number before customs will clear a personal shipment.
Start the valued, itemised inventory
Customs assesses your shipment from the inventory. Vague descriptions invite inspection; itemised, valued lists clear faster. Prepare it in the destination language where required.
Decide on your vehicle
Vehicles travel under separate import and registration rules — never inside household goods. Check emissions, age and road-legal conversion requirements before committing to ship.
6–8 weeks before
Lodge any pre-departure customs filings
Where your destination requires approval before export, your moving company's destination agent or a licensed customs broker lodges the declaration. Confirm this is in motion — it is the single most common cause of avoidable delays.
Arrange marine or air transit insurance
Insure at full replacement value at destination, based on your declared inventory values. Photograph high-value items and record serial numbers.
Review international health & travel coverage
Before you relocate, review your health and travel insurance options and make sure you understand the coverage that applies to your situation.
Partner recommendation
Coverage, eligibility, pricing and exclusions vary. Review the current policy details before purchasing. MyExpatGo may earn a commission if you purchase through this link, at no additional cost to you.
Declare restricted categories separately to your mover
Alcohol, tobacco, firearms, medication and artwork sit outside household-goods relief nearly everywhere, and several are refused by moving companies entirely.
Book flights and temporary accommodation
Sea freight typically takes 4–10 weeks door to door. Plan for a gap between your arrival and your shipment's arrival — furnished short-stay housing bridges it.
Confirm the pet flight and import permit
Import permits, government-approved routing and quarantine bookings (where required) must all align with a specific arrival date.
2–4 weeks before
Deep-clean outdoor and sports equipment
Destinations with strict biosecurity regimes — notably Australia and New Zealand — inspect for soil, plant material and unclean outdoor equipment such as bikes, golf clubs, camping gear and garden tools. Failed inspections mean treatment charges or destruction at your expense.
Confirm ISPM 15 treated crating
Wood packaging must be ISPM 15 compliant on most sea routes. Reputable movers handle this as standard — verify it.
Finalise and sign the inventory
Signed and dated, itemised and valued. Your mover's packers will annotate it during packing; keep your own copy.
Set aside documents and essentials that travel with you
Passports, visas, birth and marriage certificates, medical and vaccination records, school records and the signed inventory travel in hand luggage — never in the shipment.
Notify banks, insurers, subscriptions and tax authorities
Several countries require you to notify the origin tax authority when you cease residence; your destination may require registration within days of arrival.
Moving week
Supervise the packing and check the inventory line by line
Every box and item should appear on the inventory with a number. This document is what customs and your insurer will rely on.
Collect the shipping documents from your mover
Bill of lading (sea) or air waybill (air), the packing list and your insurance certificate.
Confirm the destination agent's details
Your mover's destination agent handles customs clearance and delivery. Know who they are before you land.
Keep your arrival documents accessible
Immigration status evidence, the customs filing confirmation and your inventory may be requested on arrival.
Arrival and delivery
Register with local authorities within the required window
Many countries require address or residence registration within days of arrival, and some tie customs relief to completing it.
Cooperate with customs and biosecurity inspection
Your destination agent lodges the entry; you may need to be contactable for questions. Inspection, where selected, is routine — a clean, itemised inventory keeps it short.
Inspect the delivery against the inventory before signing
Note any damage or missing items on the delivery receipt. Insurance claims usually have a short notification window.
Respect disposal restrictions on relieved goods
Goods imported under Transfer of Residence relief typically cannot be sold, lent or disposed of for a set period (often 12 months) without the duty and VAT becoming payable.
Complete pet quarantine and vehicle registration
Collect pets after any required quarantine period and finish vehicle inspection and registration within the destination's deadline.
Rules vary by destination and may also depend on your country of origin, immigration status and circumstances. This guide is educational and is not legal, tax or customs advice.
Once you arrive, start exploring
Your relocation is more than getting your belongings from A to B. Once you've settled in, discover activities, attractions and experiences in your new city and country.
MyExpatGo is a Klook affiliate partner. We may earn a commission if you book through our link.
Route-specific customs requirements: documents, Transfer of Residence relief, restricted goods and pre-departure filings for your origin and destination.
Check your routePlan backwards from your flight date: rabies titre tests, import permits and quarantine bookings for strict destinations.
Build the pet timelineWhich shipping method fits your move size, and how shared-container schedules affect your timeline.
Compare shipping methodsEstimate your move size and the likely cost range for your route before you request quotes.
Estimate your moveFind furnished temporary housing through our AltoVita partnership.
MyExpatGo helps connect you with temporary housing options. Availability is subject to AltoVita and provider inventory — MyExpatGo does not guarantee or book accommodation.
Tell us your route and we’ll match you with vetted international moving companies. Free, no obligation, and your details are never sold to third parties.
