If you’re thinking about possibly moving overseas or are in the process of getting all of your affairs together to make the move soon, congrats! This can be an extremely exciting time in your life, as well as one that may bring on a little stress, and rightfully so as there are lots of things to do before hopping on that plane flight to your new home, including packing up your belongings and having them shipped in crates. To help you on your way, here’s a quick guide providing a few key points to keep in mind while preparing you and possibly your family for the big move.

Step 1- Register with your embassy

When you decide to register with your country’s embassy what you are doing is providing your information in case of an emergency. This way the embassy will be able to easily contact your family, and vice versus, should something go wrong. Though you are taking extra precautions by doing this, in the end it’s extra security that could come in very handy down the road.

Step 2- Getting your financials together

Before you make the move, you’ll want to first make sure that you have the necessary funds needed in the right accounts. This is because when you move to another country, most likely you won’t find your bank. You’ll also find that most of the time, the currency is different as well. The most important thing to do when gaining an understanding of what you need to do next is to figure out what bank you’ll be using in your new country and how to transfer money between your existing bank and the new one without a ton of fees.

Step 3- Visit your doctor

This may sound like a funny one, but you’ll want to make sure to have a doctor’s appointment before you leave, especially if you’ll need a vaccination or two. This is because some countries will expect you to have a certain vaccination to enter the country after landing. If you don’t have the necessary shots as well as the paperwork to go with it, you can kiss your new country goodbye, at least until you’ve got everything in order.

Step 4- Understand your visa requirements

Because each and every country is different, you’ll find that visa requirements differ widely as well. Generally speaking, a google search will fill you in on the necessary documents that you’ll need, who to go see for more information and how long a visa takes to become approved.

Step 5- Learn your new language

This step is more of an ongoing process than anything else, but it helps to start the process before you move countries. This is because once there, you’ll find yourself immediately immersed in your new language, which in the end is a great thing as it will help you to learn it faster. But at first, you might find yourself feeling a bit overwhelmed if you don’t know at least a few key phrases.

There are lots of different aspects and angles to consider when making the big move overseas. Most of the time, moving overseas requires a lot of paperwork as you’ll be moving to a completely new country. Though you’ll have your plate full for the next few weeks, or even a few months, in the end the stress is well worth it.