Moving Overseas Guide – Moving Tips

Moving overseas is almost always complicated. Each country has rules on what you are allowed to bring into the country and the amount of planning and coordination needed for an overseas move is much more involved than a domestic move.

Ensure you pick an international moving company that will help you with meeting all the requirements for the country you are moving to. You’ll need help obtaining the right documents and getting the right advice to prevent problems when you arrive in a new country. Most countries won't allow a shipment into the country that has not had the packing and inventory of the goods performed by a professional mover because movers must adhere to a strict list of items that cannot be shipped, as well as a long list of rules about how to inventory your items.

Start planning several months before your actual move date so you can get all the paperwork and arrangements set. Once your documentation is in order and you have had your items picked up at the point of origin, you'll probably see your goods again in 30 to 60 days, depending on the final destination and time of the year.

Here's the basic process for an international move:

• The movers at the residence from which you're moving will pack, load, and transport your items to the appropriate port.
• A freight forwarding company arranges a container to be shipped (usually by ship) to the port closest to your final destination.
• Another moving company will receive your items and clear customs with the foreign customs office.
• After your goods clear customs, a local moving company in the country will deliver your items to your new destination.

You will have one point of contact with your U.S-based international moving company throughout the entirety of the international move process.