Each international move is different and complex in its own way.
Start NOW by assembling your own Best International Moving Checklist, with these options.
Your possessions are moving between different countries.
You and your family will be traveling internationally, to your new changed lives.
Following up will be key to controlling potentially large unexpected costs and time delays.
Transit handling impacts exposure to theft, lost port processing, or insurance risks.
Adapting transit and destination options, in transit, are a post COVID reality for overseas shipments.
Adjusting timing for customs and port issues requires situation understanding.
Organizing your international move is so much easier with a plan. Plans start by building on what you know about local moving or visualizing what you want your move in to look like at the end. Adding tasks and time frames to that goal gets you a fuller picture with options in clearer focus. Your checklist needs: tasks to be completed AND the schedule to coordinate them. Reality is the completion of this two part checklist will be organic and ever changing, as costs and new realities surface.
Notes:• Remember to include your family’s personal transportation to your new country. Important and needed documentation, like health records and prescriptions, should be secure and in your care. Some family holidays may fit in this part of the planning, before your possessions arrive.• There are ‘big picture’ items outside your control to expect an impact from. For example, climate change is drying up the water supply for the Panama Canal. Its indirect impact on your move is the extra fuel and manpower availability costs all shipping companies now face. When the Yemen rebels fire rockets at ships in the Red Sea that translates to higher insurance costs for all ships traveling worldwide routes.
Moving Tasks
__ Prioritize tasks that will bring you joy
__ Submit forms your destination country requires
__ Read on line newspapers from the destination country.
• Research things to do there with family and new friends.
• Research 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 & contacts.
• A backup of passport, credit cards and personal records.
• Professional accreditation and meaningful school records.
• Pet and veterinarian records.
• Insurance and valuation certification documentation.
• Property and investment records.
__ Identify items to transport personally like: jewelry, financial certificates (i.e. stocks, legal agreements) or that need unique handling like collections and antiques.
__ Identify personal items to take during travel to your new home such as: clothes, travel documents, medications, books or toys. What you will need immediately at the destination or for 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 will bring you joy and 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 any storage for in transit handling.
• Storage availability at transfer points.
• Storage environments to accommodate any winter or weather concerns.
• Insurance & qualification for dollar values required.
• Arrange itemized packing lists for importation processing.
• Confirm corporate move policies and arrange expected arrival activities.
• Confirm estimates are based on actual shipping dates.
• 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 future meetings.
• Arrange possible emergency funding during move.
• Establish a few month budget in the destination country.
Moving Schedule
BEFORE DEPARTURE
__ VISA or applications in destination country are 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 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 or gather 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. It will confirm your legal entry in that country is properly established.
__ Securing local accommodations. Often renting a furnished apartment for a few months to get the lay of the land works out well. Shipments by sea are much slower than air travel. Interim storage can be arranged for the shipment coordination.
__ Coordinate with Bekins about arrangement of delivery, unpacking, unwrapping and setup as required.
__ After delivery and unpacking of your possessions complete, the disposal of packing and wrapping materials are 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 the processing of pension payments, rental payments for properties left behind, dividends, etc.