Checklist

12 -18 months before departure
(if not being relocated by employer)

Check visa and work permit requirements.
Check advice and information on destination country from the Foreign Office.
If retiring :
- contact your local benefits office
- get a state pension forecast.
Order a free comprehensive country profile – available on our Barclays International Online Banking Service.
Consider family issues, such as schooling abroad and healthcare cover.

6 -12 months before departure
Paperwork:

Renew passport if necessary. Visit United Kingdom Passport Service for details.
Apply for an International Drivers Licence if needed and ensure your UK one is valid. See Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
If you are retiring abroad, arrange for your pension to be paid to you there.
Check what health insurance you'll need and/or apply for a European Health Insurance Card.

Practical preparation:

Decide on your first accommodation and secure a lease, hotel booking or property purchase.
If you are retaining a UK property, think about property management.
Get a health check and schedule any necessary inoculations.
Start listing what to take with you and investigate removal firms and costs.
Contact your destination country's embassy in the UK to get additional information on your future home.

3 months before departure
Paperwork:

Get a banking reference so you can open a local bank account abroad.
Ensure you have enough insurance to cover the removal of your possessions.
Get travel insurance to cover you fully in case of an emergency whilst travelling.
Make a will (you may also need to make one that covers you in your destination country).
Register to vote from abroad in British elections at About my vote.
Check what customs and excise documentation will be needed to get your belongings through.
Advise your tax office of your departure and the effective date.
Get advice to see how you could benefit from opening an offshore bank account.

Practical preparation:

Book your removals date, allowing enough time for your possessions to reach your destination by the time you do !
Make contact with people in your destination country either via expat societies, your future employer or by networking through your UK contacts.
Start learning key phrases in the local language.
Inform your utilities, tax office, local authority, bank etc of your impending departure and give them a forwarding address for correspondence.
Plan a farewell with friends and family!

On departure:

Leave a photocopy of your passport and important papers with a relative.
Take a complete inventory of the possessions being shipped.
Register with the British Consulate in your new country when you arrive.

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