Quick answer: Start with the visa or residence permit, because almost everything waits for it. Around three to four months before you want to be settled, book a pre-move survey and get a written quote. Your move manager then sets a collection date that works backwards from the sailing date and the customs paperwork, not from your flight. For long-haul sea freight moves, allow 8 to 16 weeks from collection to delivery, depending on the destination.
Where do you start when planning a move abroad?
Start with the visa, because everything waits for it. Your residence permit or visa decides when you can legally arrive. In many countries it also decides when your belongings can clear customs: a container that reaches port before the permit is issued usually waits in storage, at a daily charge, until it is. So the visa sets the earliest delivery date, and the delivery date sets the collection date. The UK government’s Living in country guides give country-by-country advice on visas, healthcare and tax, and each destination’s immigration authority publishes its own processing times. If your employer is sponsoring the move, ask HR for the expected visa date before anything else is booked.What does the planning timeline look like?
| When | What happens | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months before | Apply for the visa or check that you qualify; decide roughly what you want to take; research schools, healthcare and housing | You (employer, if sponsored) |
| 3 to 4 months before | Book a pre-move survey; compare written quotes; choose shared or full container; ask about cover | You, with the surveyor, then your move manager |
| 8 to 10 weeks before | Confirm the collection date against the sailing schedule and the visa date; your move manager sends the destination’s customs checklist | Your move manager |
| 6 weeks before | Gather customs documents (passport, visa, inventory, any duty-relief form); sort what stays, goes, is sold or stored | You, checked by your move manager |
| 2 weeks before | Confirm access at both addresses (parking, stairs, lifts); pack a suitcase of what you need for the first weeks; notify HMRC, your council, your bank | You |
| Moving week | Packing and collection; the crew builds the inventory every carton is checked against later | Packing crew; your move manager confirms each stage |
| In transit | Container sails; you receive the vessel and estimated arrival; customs paperwork is lodged before arrival | Your move manager and the destination partner |
| Arrival | Customs clearance; delivery booked around when you can be there; unpacking and debris removal if included | Destination partner, arranged by your move manager |
Who does what in an international move?
This is the part most guides leave out, and it is the part people tell us they wish they had known.| Task | You | Your move manager | Other people involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa or residence permit | Apply | Plans the collection date around it | Immigration authority; your employer, if sponsored |
| Survey of your home | Show everything, including the loft and garage | Receives the survey file | Surveyor (a removal specialist) |
| Quote and plan | Agree what is included | Writes the plan and explains each charge | |
| Customs documents | Provide passport, visa, receipts if asked | Tells you exactly what your destination needs and checks it | Destination customs |
| Packing and inventory | Set aside what travels with you | Confirms the date and the crew | Packing crew |
| Transit updates | Tells you when the container is sealed, sails, arrives | Shipping line | |
| Clearance and delivery | Be available, or nominate someone | Briefs the destination partner and stays your contact | Destination partner and local crew |
What should you take, and what should you leave?
International removals are priced by volume, so every piece of furniture has a cost to ship. A useful test is to ask what it would cost to replace at the destination, and whether it will suit the new home (a large sofa may not fit a smaller apartment; UK white goods may not suit the voltage or the plumbing). Our guide on whether to ship your furniture goes through it room by room. Some things cannot go at all, or need permits: plants and soil for Australia and New Zealand, certain foods, aerosols, and anything flammable. Check what you can’t ship before the survey, so the quote reflects what is really going.How do you choose a removal company?
Three checks sort most companies quickly:- Accreditation you can verify. BAR membership (with an Advance Payment Guarantee protecting your deposit), and for international moves, FIDI FAIM, an independently audited standard.
- A survey before the quote. A quote built from a list you typed into a form can be wrong by a container size. A surveyor who sees the loft and the garage gives a figure you can rely on.
- A clear answer to “who do I call?” Before booking, ask who your contact will be once your belongings leave the UK.
Planning Your Move Abroad?
A pre-move survey gives you an exact volume, a written quote and a move manager who will build your timeline around your visa and sailing dates. You will know what happens, and when, from the first call.
Shared container, your own container, or air freight?
Most household moves overseas go by sea, in one of two ways:
- Shared container (groupage): your belongings share a container with other households going the same way. It is usually cheaper for smaller homes, but the container only sails once it is full, which can add a week or two before departure.
- Full container (FCL, “full container load”): a 20ft or 40ft container for your move alone, loaded at your home and sealed until it reaches the destination. It costs more, but it sails on a date you can plan around.
Air freight is much faster and much more expensive, so it usually suits a small consignment of essentials sent ahead of the main move. Our sea freight vs air freight guide compares all three by volume and destination.
What documents will you need?
The core set is the same almost everywhere: your passport, your visa or residence permit, a detailed inventory of what is being shipped, and any duty-relief form your destination uses to let personal belongings in without import tax. The inventory matters more than people expect, because it is the document customs reads. “Kitchen items” is not detailed enough; “saucepans, crockery, cutlery” is.
Each country has its own forms and timing rules. Our guide to the documents you need to move abroad lists them by destination, and what happens if belongings are held at customs explains the most common reasons for a hold.
What does an international move cost?
| Home size | Typical cost from the UK |
|---|---|
| Small move or studio | £1,500 to £4,000 |
| One to two bedrooms | £3,000 to £7,000 |
| Three bedrooms | £6,000 to £12,000 |
| Large family home | £10,000 to £20,000+ |
Figures from our cost of moving abroad guide, which breaks them down by destination. Long-haul routes such as Australia and New Zealand sit towards the top of each range; moves within Europe towards the bottom.
What changes the price most is volume, distance, shared or full container, and what is included at the destination (customs clearance, delivery, unpacking). When you compare two quotes, compare what each includes at the far end, not just the total.
How do you protect your belongings in transit?
Long journeys and several handling points mean it is worth having cover in place before collection. Gerson Moving Services offers MoveProtect move liability cover, set against the value of what you are moving. Ask about it when you receive your quote, and photograph anything valuable or fragile before packing day.
What happens when you arrive?
Your belongings arrive at the destination port, clear customs (with the paperwork your move manager prepared before sailing), and are delivered by a local crew working with our partner in your new country. Your move manager books the delivery around when you can actually be there and stays your contact on the day. Before delivery, confirm access at the new address: whether a large lorry can park, how far it is to the door, and whether there are stairs or a lift. Our guide to delivery day explains what to expect.
In your first weeks, the practical list is short but important: register your address if the country requires it, open a local bank account, register for healthcare, and enrol children in school. Our leaving-UK checklist covers the UK side, including HMRC, your council and your GP.
Is planning different if your employer is paying?
Mostly, the order is the same. The differences are who approves the quote, what the relocation budget covers (often a volume limit, temporary housing and sometimes air freight), and who the move manager reports to. If your move is sponsored, ask HR for the policy in writing before the survey. Our guide to what a relocation package covers explains the common terms.
Frequently Asked Questions when planning an international move
How far in advance should I start planning an international move?
Start six months ahead if you can, and no later than three to four months before you want to be settled for a long-haul move. The visa usually sets the pace. Removal companies can sometimes collect at shorter notice, but sea freight sailings, customs paperwork and school terms rarely move to suit a late plan.
What is the very first step when moving abroad from the UK?
Confirm your right to live in the destination: the visa, residence permit or work permit. Book the pre-move survey once you know roughly when that permission will be granted. The survey turns your plan into a volume and a written quote.
Can I book my removal before my visa is approved?
You can book a survey and receive a quote, and many people do. Fixing a collection date before the visa is issued is riskier, because in many countries your belongings cannot clear customs without it. A move manager can hold a provisional date and confirm it when the visa arrives.
How long does it take to move abroad from the UK?
By road to Europe, usually one to three weeks from collection to delivery. By sea to North America, around six to ten weeks door to door. To Australia or New Zealand, 8 to 16 weeks, with shared containers at the longer end. Customs paperwork that is ready before sailing is the best way to stay at the shorter end.
Do I need to tell HMRC I am moving abroad?
Usually yes. HMRC needs to know when you leave so your UK tax position can be settled, and form P85 is the usual route for employees leaving the UK. GOV.UK has the detail under tax if you leave the UK.
What should I keep with me rather than ship?
Passports, visas, birth and marriage certificates, school records, medicines, valuables and enough clothing and essentials for the weeks before your belongings arrive. For long sea journeys, a small air freight consignment of essentials sent ahead makes those weeks much easier, especially with children.
Related Topics
- How long an international move actually takes
- The cost of moving abroad from the UK
- What documents do I need to move abroad?
- How to choose an international removal company
Ready to start planning? Your move manager can turn this timeline into dates for your move, built around your visa, the sailing schedule and when you need to be settled, in the first call after your survey.
