Organizing your international move is so much easier with a plan and checklist for international moving. Many find it natural to build around what they know about local moves. Others start by imagining the move complete and then work back to today. Either way the plan ends up as two lists. Tasks to do that fit into a tentative Schedule list. That Schedule list will be variable based on outside influences and timing. The Schedule will bring focus to unexpected timing and costs, hopefully to avoid.
Remember to include your family’s personal transportation to your new country. Important and needed documentation, like health records and prescriptions, should be secure in your care. Some family holidays may fit in before your possessions arrive.
Years of experience has revealed unique components of moves to many countries, like transportation issues. Climate change reducing water for transiting the Panama Canal. Rebels firing rockets at ships using the Suez seem unimportant to a move to England, but they drive up insurance costs immediately and change the flow of shipping, fuel supplies and transit abilities. Those end up as unexpected surcharges for shipments in transit scheduled. Bekins will help you build your best Task and Schedule lists.
Moving Tasks
__ Prioritize tasks that will bring you joy.
__ Submit any forms your destination country requires for your move.
__ Read on line newspapers from the destination country.
• Research things to do there with family and new friends.
• Research what is important to the community you’re moving into.
• Locate the best schools for your children.
• Locate handy restaurants to try, while you unpack.
• Gather records you will need to take with you.
• Medical (doctor, dentist, prescription) records and contacts.
• Make a backup copy of passport, credit cards and personal records.
• Professional accreditation and meaningful school records.
• Pet and veterinarian records.
• Insurance and any valuation certification documentation.
• Property and investment records.
__ Identify items that will be transported personally like: jewelry, financial certificates (i.e. stocks, legal agreements) or that need unique handling like collections and antiques.
__ Identify personal items you will need during travel to your new home such as: clothes, travel documents, medications, books or toys. What you will need immediately at the destination or the holidays along the way.
__ Contact BEKINS to arrange an in-house survey or online video estimate.
• Volume and weight estimates for the items that you will need and that bring you joy which absolutely will be taken.
• Volume and weight estimates for items you might want to have shipped at a later date if they end up unavailable at your destination or might not fit at your new home.
__ Arrange for the disposition and responsibility of items to be left behind.
__ Contact Bekins to setup the packing of your possessions and pick up loading date. Then Bekins will arrange coordination and storage for in transit handling.
• Storage availability at transfer points.
• Storage environments to accommodate any winter or weather concerns.
• Insurance and personal qualifications are available.
• Arrange itemized packing lists for importation processing.
• Confirm corporate move policies and arrange expected arrival activities.
• Confirm the estimate based on an actual shipping date.
• Move these tasks to the schedule list when confirmed by your Bekins move coordinator.
__ Arrange a bank account, preferably with an international bank located in both countries. When you arrive you will need access to the destination currency and credit references.
__ Arrange a cell phone number with data plan in your destination country.
__ Arrange your departure:
• Arrange your Canadian Departure Tax
• Arrange payment of current Canadian obligations.
• Provide contact information for friends and family.
• Meet friends to share expectations and arrange future meetings.
• Arrange emergency funding availability during move process.
• Establish a budget for first few months in the destination country.
Moving Schedule
BEFORE DEPARTURE
__ VISA and other forms from destination country RECEIVED & APPROVED.
__ Call Bekins to help arrange your international relocation.
__ Once dates are known, book personal travel tickets at early rates and confirm Bekins Estimate based on exact availability for those dates.
__ Arrange a foreign currency bank account.
__ Arrange a going away party with friends and family.
• It is an opportunity to pass on items you won’t be taking.
• Share your expectations and set future meetings.
__ Identify valuable or fragile items requiring custom built crates or handling will be handled during the pack and wrap period.
__ The inventory list with tags and numbering of every piece loaded is supplied to you on moving day.
__ Bekins will move your goods to our bonded government approved facilities, if it is a LCL shipment ( i.e.Less Than Container Load ).
AFTER ARRIVAL
__ You’ll need to complete personal entry formalities and documentation in your new country to confirm your legal entry in that country is properly established.
__ Complete the securing of local accommodations. Often renting a furnished apartment for a few months to get the lay of the land before making multi year commitments works out well. Shipments by sea are much slower than air travel or interim storage can be arranged for the shipment.
__ Coordinate with Bekins to arrange delivery, unpacking, unwrapping and setup as required.
__ After delivery and unpacking of your possessions are complete, the disposal of packing and wrapping materials will be arranged by the local contact
__ Refine your budgets for the first few months.
__ Establish relationships in the local community, work, schools and religious centres.
__ Cancel arranged emergency funding.
__ Arrange vehicle, drivers license and auto insurance.
__ Register for available local health care.
__ Arrange a house warming party, to get to know your new neighbours.
__ Follow up on arranged processing of pension payments, rental payments for properties left behind, dividends, etc.