Tips for Making your Overseas Move Easier

Updated: May 2026

Moving abroad is one of the most logistically complex things most people will ever do, and almost everyone who has done it says the same thing afterwards: they wish they had started earlier and expected more friction. This guide covers the practical steps that matter, in roughly the order they need to happen.

1. Start Earlier Than You Think You Need To

The most common mistake in international moves is underestimating lead time. Visas take months. School applications have deadlines. Selling or ending a tenancy requires notice. Pet relocation can take longer than the move itself. If you are planning to move in six months, the planning should have started last week.

A realistic lead time for a well-managed international move is four to six months from decision to departure, longer if you have children in school, pets, or a property to sell.

2. Sort the Visa First, Before Everything Else

Every other timeline is contingent on your visa. Your move date depends on your visa approval. Your notice period depends on your move date. Your removal booking depends on your move date. Starting the visa process early is not optional; it is the critical path.

Find out which visa you need, what the processing time is, and what documentation is required. Many visas need supporting documents that take time to gather: educational credential assessments, language tests, employment records, and medical checks. These cannot be rushed.

Useful starting points:

• Australian Department of Home Affairs
• IRCC Canada
• Spanish government (for Spain visa)
• UAE Federal Authority for Identity
• US visa information

3. Declutter Before You Pack, Not During

The volume of your shipment drives your removal cost, and your removal cost is the biggest single expense in most international moves. The more you ship, the more it costs, and you are also paying to move items across an ocean that you could replace cheaply at the other end.

Go through your home room by room at least three months before your move. The standard rule is useful: if you have not used something in six months, you will not use it in the next six. The things that are hardest to make decisions about (sentimental items, things you might need one day, furniture you are not sure will fit) are exactly the things that need to be sorted before they are packed.

Items you cannot decide on: put them in short-term storage rather than into the shipment. You can access them later if needed; you cannot easily retrieve something from a container at sea.

4. Book a Home Survey, Not a Quote Over the Phone

A survey-based quote, where a removal specialist assesses the actual volume and nature of your belongings, is significantly more accurate than an online estimate or a phone quote. It also protects you: if additional items need to be added after a survey-based booking, the terms are clear. Phone or online estimates can result in significant uplifts at the point of collection.

Book your survey as soon as you have a confirmed move destination and a rough timeline. Your move manager will use the survey to plan the right container size, shipping method, and route.

5. Understand How Shipping Methods Differ

Sea freight is the standard choice for full household moves. A dedicated container (20ft or 40ft) carries all of your belongings in one shipment. For smaller volumes, groupage (shared container) is the more economical option; you pay only for the space you use. Sea freight is cost-effective but slow: 3–12 weeks depending on destination.

Air freight is significantly faster, typically 1–2 weeks, but costs several times more per kilogram. It is the right choice for a small number of genuinely essential items that cannot wait for the sea shipment: work equipment, medication, important documents, or things you know you will need immediately on arrival.

Most people use a combination: air freight for essentials, sea freight for everything else. See our tips for moving overseas.

6. Know What You Cannot Ship

Every country has its own customs regulations, and some items that are unremarkable in the UK are restricted or prohibited elsewhere. Common issues:

• Australia: strict biosecurity rules, wooden items, natural fibres, food, and anything with soil or organic residue must be declared and may be inspected
• UAE: alcohol cannot be imported in household goods shipments
• USA: items owned for less than 12 months may attract import duty
• Most countries: weapons (including replicas), narcotics, endangered animal products, and certain medications are restricted or prohibited

Ask your move manager about the specific customs requirements for your destination before you start packing. An item discovered at customs can delay your entire shipment.

7. Get Your Documentation in Order Early

The documents required for an international removal depend on your destination, but some are common across most moves:

• Valid passports (check expiry dates, many countries require at least six months remaining)
• Proof of residency in the UK (utility bills, bank statements covering the past 12 months)
• Detailed inventory of your shipment (your removal company prepares this with you)
• Proof of your new address or rental agreement at the destination
• Evidence of any Transfer of Residence relief eligibility (for duty-free import of personal effects)

Destination-specific documents, Spain’s NIE, Germany’s Anmeldebestätigung, and Australia’s B534, are covered in the relevant country guides.

8. Plan for the Gap Between Arrival and Delivery

Unless you have access to fully furnished accommodation from day one, there will be a period when you are living in your new country without your belongings. For sea freight moves, this can be several weeks.

Plan for this explicitly. What do you need immediately on arrival? Pack a suitcase for the first month rather than a suitcase for the flight. Consider:

• Bed linen, towels, basic kitchen equipment
• Children’s essentials and school items if arriving at the start of the term
• Work equipment if you start employment before your sea shipment arrives
• Medication (do not put prescription medication in your sea shipment)

If your rental property is not ready when your shipment arrives, destination-side storage is a standard option. Arrange this with your move manager before departure.

9. Pets Take Longer Than You Expect

If you are relocating pets, start this process at the same time as your visa application, not afterwards. Requirements vary dramatically by destination:

• Australia: mandatory quarantine on arrival; import permits take at least 10 business days; quarantine station must be booked before travel
• Germany: health certificate valid for only 10 days from issue date, timing your vet appointment around your move date is essential
• USA: requirements vary by state and animal type; generally straightforward for dogs and cats with current vaccinations
• UAE: health certificate and rabies vaccination required; certain breeds are prohibited

Some destinations have requirements that take months to complete. Australia’s quarantine pathway, for example, requires specific preparation and timing that starts well before your travel date. Contact your destination country’s agricultural or veterinary authority before making any other arrangements.

10. Keep Important Documents With You, Not in the Shipment

Your passports, visa documentation, property contracts, school records, medical records, and the packing inventory should travel with you, not in your removal. If your shipment is delayed or held at customs, you need these documents available immediately.

Keep a folder (physical and digital backup) with:

• All immigration documents
• Move-related paperwork and inventory
• Contact details for your move manager and in-country partner
• Insurance documents
• Proof of UK residency for customs purposes

What your move manager does before collection day

Most of the work in an international removal happens before the packing crew arrives. Here is what Gerson Moving Services handles behind the scenes in the weeks between survey and collection, steps that most customers never see but that make the difference between a move that runs smoothly and one that does not.

• Volume confirmation: After your survey, your move manager reviews the assessed volume against the most suitable container option (shared or full container). If the volume has changed since the survey, they flag this before booking, so there are no surprises on collection day.
• Sailing schedule: Your move manager books the sailing that best fits your departure date and target arrival window. For popular routes (UK to Australia, USA, UAE), sailings fill quickly in summer; this is booked as early as possible after your survey to secure your preferred dates.
• Customs documentation: Your move manager prepares or advises on the documentation your destination country requires: packing inventories, Transfer of Residence applications, and destination customs declaration forms. For the UK, this includes ToR1 if applicable. For other destinations, requirements vary by country, and your move manager will brief you on what is needed and when.
• Packing crew briefing:  Your move manager briefs the collection crew on any specialist items noted at survey: items requiring custom crating, furniture requiring disassembly, fragile or high-value pieces needing additional protection.
• Destination coordination:  Your move manager contacts the in-country partner at your destination to confirm delivery arrangements, notify them of the expected arrival date, and flag any access requirements at your new address.

None of this happens automatically. It happens because one named person holds your file and is accountable for it from the moment you book.

Ready to Get a Quote?

The earlier you speak to a move manager, the more accurately we can build your timeline. A survey-based quote costs nothing and gives you a firm basis for planning everything else. Get a quote for your international move.