Top tips for moving with your family from South Africa

Moving to a new country is not easy and if you are relocating with your family there will be many important things to consider before your move.
But there’s a lot you can do to help make your international move as stress-free as possible. Check out here our top tips:

Research
If you have young children research kindergartens, schools, play groups and search for other activities and services that are important for your family as soon as possible. Use online expat forums and communities, facebook groups … where you'll get honest advice from other expat families. It’s also a great way of making friends before you move.

Rent before buy
Rent an accommodation before you buy since it will give you knowledge of the neighbourhood and will help you to found if it works for your family. If you rush in to buying a property, you could be unhappily stick with a decision you made without knowing all the facts.

Check all the immigration requirements
You'll possibly need to arrange for visas, work permits and residence permits. These documents, are essential to open a bank account, register your children for school, access to healthcare system etc. The requirements and processes might vary with every country and the documents may take some time to complete. Be sure to understand what you'll need to provide, and how long the processing will take. If you need help with the documents requirements ask your immigration expert.

Take care of your pets
Start the paperwork and any vaccinations required for your pet in your new country with enough time before you move. If you need to place your pet into quarantine, make sure you know all the options, and try to share experiences with people who've brought their pets into the same country. If you're moving abroad you might want to consider a professional pet transport company to smooth the path for your pets.