Moving abroad, step by step.
What a move across a border adds to every move: documents, visas and permits, health cover, money and registering where you arrive. Rules differ from place to place, so the steps with a local rule point you to the official page.
Six months or more before you leave
- Official step
Choose the visa or permit category and save its official checklist
Plan for: about 7 months before you leaveThe category decides which documents, fees and appointments you need.
- Open the official page for your category
- Save the checklist link under Sources
- Add local deadlines from the checklist, or let Set my deadlines read the page and propose them
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Find out what your stay needs: visa, permit or registration
about 7 months before you leaveYour citizenship and your reason for moving decide whether you need a visa, a permit or only a registration. Every official step follows from this.
- Read the destination's official immigration page
- Note the exact name of the category that fits you
- Save the official page under Sources so changes are flagged
Tip: Change the visa answer in Settings › Move details if the result differs from what you chose in setup.
- Official step
Check passport validity for everyone
Plan for: about 6 months before you leaveMany countries require a passport valid for months beyond arrival, and permits are rarely issued beyond passport validity.
- Check expiry dates and blank pages for each person
- Compare with the destination's minimum validity
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Start learning the language
about 6 months before you leaveDaily life and offices are easier with basic phrases, and some permits ask for a language certificate.
- Pick a course or app with a level test
- Book a certificate exam if your route needs one
- Official step
Order certified civil certificates
Plan for: about 5 months before you leaveVisas, registration and family permits ask for certified long-form certificates.
- Order long-form or multilingual versions from the issuing office
- Order for every person who needs one
Tip: Order two copies of each: one for the apostille and translation, one to keep.
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Decide whether you need professional advice
about 5 months before you leaveComplex routes, tax or property sales can cost more to fix later than an hour with a lawyer or adviser costs now.
- List the questions you could not answer from official pages
- Check that a lawyer or adviser is registered with the professional body
- Ask for a written fee quote
Tip: Never hand over original documents without a dated receipt.
- Official step
Renew passports that expire too soon
Plan for: about 5 months before you leaveRenewals take weeks, and renewing from abroad through a consulate is slower.
- Book the renewal appointment
- Pay for faster processing if dates are tight
- Scan the new passport into Documents
Tip: Children's passports expire sooner. Check them first.
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Three to six months before
- Official step
Get apostilles or legalisation on certificates
Plan for: about 4 months before you leaveForeign offices accept civil documents only with an apostille or legalisation from the issuing country.
- Find the authority that issues apostilles for each document
- Send the certified copies, not your only originals
Tip: Apostilles are issued in the country that issued the document. They are hard to get from abroad.
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Book the visa appointment as soon as slots open
about 4 months before you leaveConsulate and visa-centre slots can be weeks or months away. Booking first and gathering documents for the date saves time.
- Check the booking site daily if no slots show
- Add the booked date and place to this step
- Note what must be uploaded before the appointment
Tip: The booked date is separate from the deadline. Rootstep reminds you of both.
Get biometric photos in the destination's size
about 4 months before you leaveVisa, permit and licence forms ask for photos in a set size that often differs from your home country's.
- Check the size and background on the official page
- Order several prints and keep a digital copy
- Official stepIf you need a visa
Prepare proof of funds
Plan for: about 4 months before you leaveMany visas and student permits require a minimum balance, sometimes in a blocked account, shown in a set form.
- Check the amount and form on the official checklist
- Open a blocked account if your route requires one
- Ask the bank for statements in the required format
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official step
Request police clearance certificates
Plan for: about 4 months before you leaveMany visas and some jobs ask for a certificate from every country you have lived in for a set period.
- List the countries you lived in and for how long
- Request each certificate
- Check whether it needs an apostille
Tip: Certificates often stay valid for only a few months; the issuing page says how long. Do not order too early.
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official step
Book the visa medical exam if your route requires one
Plan for: about 4 months before you leaveSome routes accept medical results only from approved doctors.
- Find an approved doctor on the official list
- Bring your passport and photos
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official step
Get sworn translations
Plan for: about 4 months before you leaveOffices usually need translations by a sworn translator, made after the apostille.
- Check which documents need translating and whether the apostille is included
- Use a translator the destination accepts
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official step
Buy travel or interim health insurance
Plan for: about 3 months before you leaveMany visas need proof of cover, and you need it until local cover starts.
- Check the minimum cover the visa needs
- Start it on your arrival date
Tip: Buy it early enough to include it in the visa file.
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official step
Gather the documents on the visa checklist
Plan for: about 3 months before you leaveMissing papers are the most common reason for delays and refusals.
- Go through the official checklist against Documents
- Make copies in the order the checklist lists them
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official step
Apply for visas or entry permits
Plan for: about 3 months before you leaveWithout the right visa you cannot enter to take up residence.
- Fill in the forms and pay the fee
- Attend the appointment and give biometrics
- Keep the receipt and reference number
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official stepWith family moving with you
Apply for your family's visas
Plan for: about 3 months before you leaveA partner and children usually need their own visas, often applied for together with yours.
- Check whether family members apply with you or after you
- Use apostilled and translated certificates
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Check how leaving affects your status at home
about 3 months before you leavePermanent residents, benefit claimants and some citizens lose rights after long absences.
- Check the rules for your residence status, benefits and health cover at home
- Note any minimum days you must spend there
One to three months before
- Official step
Check social security between the two countries
Plan for: about 9 weeks before you leaveAgreements decide where you pay in and how pension years count.
- Check for an agreement between the countries
- Ask for a posting certificate if you are sent by your employer
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Check your investment and retirement accounts allow non-residents
about 9 weeks before you leaveSome brokers close or limit accounts of people abroad, and some tax-free accounts lose their status.
- Ask each provider about non-resident rules
- Decide before you leave
- Official step
Check your medicines are allowed at the destination
Plan for: about 9 weeks before you leaveSome common medicines are banned or need an import permit.
- Check each medicine on the official list, or ask the assistant
- Apply for a permit if needed
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- With family moving with you
Check your partner's right to work
about 9 weeks before you leaveSome family permits allow work, others need a separate permit.
- Read the work rights for the family permit
- Plan the partner's job search
Choose how to move money between currencies
about 9 weeks before you leaveBank exchange rates and fees can cost several percent on large transfers like deposits.
- Compare your bank with a transfer service on the same amount
- Plan large transfers before deposits fall due
- Official step
Settle your tax residence and any exit filing
Plan for: about 9 weeks before you leaveLeaving can mean a departure form, a final return or an exit tax. If you skip it, you may stay taxable at home.
- Read the tax office's page on leaving, or ask the assistant
- File the forms or ask an adviser
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Track the application and answer requests quickly
about 4 weeks after “Apply for visas or entry permits”Offices often ask for more papers and give a short time to reply.
- Check the status page weekly
- Reply to requests the same week
Update your will, beneficiaries and guardianship for children
about 9 weeks before you leaveAnother country's inheritance rules may apply once you live there.
- Review your will with the move in mind
- Name guardians for children
Tell your banks you are moving and keep one account that works abroad
about 6 weeks before you leaveCards get blocked abroad, and some banks close accounts of people who live elsewhere.
- Ask each bank about non-resident rules
- Keep one account and card that work abroad
- Order replacement cards before you go
- Official step
Ask for proof of cover that carries over
Plan for: about 4 weeks before you leavePensioners, posted workers and some students keep their home cover abroad with a certificate.
- Ask your insurer or pension authority if a certificate applies
- Register it at the destination
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official stepIf you drive
Get an international driving permit
Plan for: about 4 weeks before you leaveSome countries accept a foreign licence only together with an international permit.
- Apply where your licence was issued
- Carry it with your licence
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Give someone you trust power of attorney for affairs at home
about 4 weeks before you leaveSelling property or answering officials from abroad is slow without someone on the spot.
- Decide what it covers
- Sign it with a notary if needed
Keep your home number on a cheap plan
about 4 weeks before you leaveBanks and services at home still send codes by text message.
- Switch to a cheap plan or a number-keeping service
- Official step
Prepare the customs file for your household goods
Plan for: about 4 weeks before you leaveMany countries let you import used household goods without duty, but only with the right papers and on time.
- Check the duty-free rules and banned items
- Give the mover the valued inventory and your proof of moving
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Unlock your phone and check it works on local networks
about 4 weeks before you leaveLocked phones will not take a local SIM.
- Ask your carrier to unlock it
- Check the phone supports eSIM
The last month
Buy things that are hard to get at the destination
about 3 weeks before you leaveSome medicines, sizes or favourite foods are hard to find at first.
- Ask people who live there
- Pack them in your luggage
- Official step
Check the visa when it arrives
Plan for: about 3 weeks before you leaveErrors in names, dates or entry type are easy to fix before you travel and hard after.
- Check names, passport number, dates and number of entries
- Note the latest entry date
- Scan it into Documents
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Move two-factor sign-in to an authenticator app
about 3 weeks before you leaveLost access to text codes can lock you out of banking.
- Switch each important account to app-based codes
- Save the backup codes
Moving day
- Official step
At the border: declare cash and goods and check your entry stamp
Plan for: The day you arriveCash above a limit and some goods must be declared. Your entry date can start permit deadlines.
- Declare cash above the limit
- Declare goods that arrive later if required
- Check the entry stamp
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
The first month after you arrive
Get a local SIM or eSIM
1 day after you arriveMany forms and banks need a local number.
- Bring your passport
- Check whether the SIM must be registered to your ID
Open a local bank account
7 days after “Register your address”Salary, rent and many contracts need a local account.
- Compare banks that accept newcomers
- Bring your passport and registration certificate
Tip: Most banks need the registration certificate. Until then, keep a working card from home.
Register with your own embassy or consulate
about 4 weeks after you arriveYour embassy can reach you in an emergency and helps with lost passports.
- Register online
- Official step
Turn your entry visa into a residence permit
Plan for: about 4 weeks after you arriveMany entry visas are only for arriving. The permit is what lets you stay, work or study.
- Book the appointment as soon as you know your address
- Bring the documents on the office's list
- Keep any temporary certificate they give you
Tip: Slots are scarce in many cities. Book first, even if the date is weeks away.
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Later, once you've settled
- Official step
Get your personal ID or tax number
Plan for: about 3 weeks after “Register your address”Payroll, banks and health insurers ask for it.
- Check whether it is sent automatically or must be requested
- Scan the letter when it arrives
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official stepIf you move for work
Give your employer your tax number and bank details
Plan for: 7 days after “Get your personal ID or tax number”Payroll needs a local tax number, social security number and bank account.
- Send the numbers to HR
- Check the first payslip
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official stepIf you move for work
Register for social security
Plan for: about 2 weeks after “Get your personal ID or tax number”Contributions decide health cover and pension rights.
- Check whether your employer registers you
- Keep the number in Documents
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Get the digital government login
about 9 weeks after you arriveMany offices work online only.
- Apply once you have your number
- Save the login securely
Review life and disability cover and beneficiaries
about 9 weeks after you arriveHome policies may not cover you abroad.
- Check each policy's residence rules
- Update beneficiaries
Update app store region, streaming and account phone numbers
about 9 weeks after you arriveServices depend on region and phone number.
- Change regions after subscriptions end
- Update phone numbers in key accounts
- Appointment
Collect the residence permit card
about 6 weeks after “Turn your entry visa into a residence permit”The card proves your right to stay when you travel or change jobs.
- Collect it in person if required
- Scan it and set the expiry date
Close home accounts you no longer need
about 3 months after you arriveUnused accounts can carry fees and tax reporting.
- Keep one account and card at home
- Close the rest
- Official stepIf you don't need a visa
Get a residence certificate if you need no visa
Plan for: about 3 months after you arriveSome countries ask people with free movement to register as residents after a few months.
- Check whether it applies
- Apply with ID and proof of work, study or funds
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official stepIf you need a visa
Join a language or integration course if your permit requires it
Plan for: about 6 months after you arriveSome permits require a course or test before renewal.
- Check the permit conditions
- Register for a course
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Official step
Plan your first tax return in both countries
Plan for: about 6 months after you arriveThe move year often needs a split-year or dual return, and some countries require reports on foreign accounts.
- Note the filing dates in both countries
- Check foreign-account reporting rules
- Keep the move-year papers together
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Start building local credit history
about 6 months after you arriveCredit history from home rarely counts, and it affects rentals and phone contracts.
- Get a local card and pay it in full
When it applies to you
- Official stepIf you need a visa
Renew your residence permit before it expires
Plan for: When it applies to youRenewal usually opens a few weeks before expiry and slots are scarce.
- Add the permit card in Documents with its expiry date
- Book renewal as soon as it opens
Tip: Reminders follow the expiry date of the permit card in Documents.
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
Let the dates take care of themselves.
Rootstep plans these steps for your route, links the official page for a step with a local rule where it has one, and checks that page once a week if you ask it to. Try everything free for 9 days; your plan stays free to follow, and one payment keeps you planning.