Moving Overseas Guide – Expats pack your Life AND your Sanity

So, you are making an international move? Congrats! You’re about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime—filled with thrilling cultural experiences, new friends, and the inevitable “Wait, why did I pack this?” moment. Moving internationally is exciting, but prepping for it? That takes a bit of planning. Don’t worry; I’ve been there, done that, and even found myself cursing at a bubble-wrapped lamp that was useless in a country with a different voltage. To help you avoid similar fiascos, here’s fundamental organizing advice for the soon-to-be expat. Grab your passport (and maybe a cocktail), and let’s dive into the chaos!

How much to pack for moving overseas? Only take it if you love it or need it!

1. How much to pack for moving overseas? Less, just less.

Channel your inner Marie Kondo—but with the intensity of a contestant on Survivor. Time to decide: Does this object spark joy, or will it spark a fire in an incompatible electrical outlet? Ruthlessly go through your belongings. If it hasn’t been used in a very long time or it makes you ask, “What was I thinking?” it’s time to part ways. Moving overseas is a crash course in minimalism. Focus on the stuff that matters—essentials like your favorite coffee mug or a certain blanket might bring you joy and should get packed, but don’t assume everything should go. Take the time to weed out things you don’t love or need. Your new life is waiting, and trust me, it doesn’t need a broken food processor to feel complete.

2. Your Documents Deserve VIP Treatment

Treat your important papers like they’re Beyoncé—they need their own flashy, attention-grabbing holder. Imagine standing at the airport counter, passport in one hand, your pet’s rabies certificate in the other, and realizing your visa is still in that box labeled “Miscellaneous.” Don’t let this be you. Get a neon-colored folder, slap some stickers on it if necessary, and guard it with your life. Electronic copies are also your new best friends—because nothing says “fun” like explaining to a immigration agent that your work visa is somewhere in a shipping container… at sea.

3. The Three Magic Words: Sell, Donate, Recycle

After decluttering, you’re left with three options: sell it, donate it, or trash it. That IKEA lamp? Sell it Those jeans you thought would fit again someday? Donate them. And that pile of mysterious cables? Recycle, immediately. Just remember that your hair straightener may not survive foreign voltage, no matter how many adapters you throw at it. Let it go, Elsa.

Bonus tip – place your non-joy sparking items in front of your home (weather and location permitting) on a weekend with a sign welcoming your neighbors to take them for free. Any items not gone in 6 hours should be taken back inside – you will have a lot less stuff to haul to the thrift shop!  And your neighbors get to keep a nice memory of you.

4. Digitize and Backup Photos

Moving internationally is also a perfect time to streamline sentimental items like photo albums. Removing photos from bulky albums and digitizing them can save space and help preserve memories safely. Scanning photos may feel like a tedious task, but it’s worth it for both space-saving and sentimental reasons. Digitized photos can be easily shared with family and are less vulnerable to physical damage. For added security, back up your photos on cloud storage and an external hard drive.

Bonus tip – If you’d rather avoid this meticulous work, consider outsourcing to a professional photo digitizing service that can safely and efficiently preserve your memories.

5. Make use of your luggage allowance

When selecting a shipping option, consider your budget and the volume of items. Sea freight is cost-effective for larger items but takes longer, while air freight offers faster delivery for smaller, essential belongings. It is, generally, excellent value to maximize your luggage allowance because (assuming your luggage doesn’t get lost) you will have access to the contents right away. So, yes, indulge in a bit of extra comfort for your arrival and tuck your favorite pillow into the giant suitcase. Oh, and maybe buy a couple of luggage tracking devices, they can add emotional comfort at a chaotic time.

6. Prioritize Essentials for your First Days

Pack a separate “survival suitcase” with your essentials, because waiting for your shipping container is like waiting for a sequel to your favorite book—you’re not sure when it’s coming, but you really want it. Pack essentials, like your flashy important documents folder, key clothing items, and daily-use electronics,  in the suitcase you will take with you so that you’ll have easy access to what you need right away. Consider purchasing power adapters in advance in your home country and add them to the bag, to ensure your electronics will work immediately in your new location—these can be more expensive or harder to find once you’ve moved.

7. Take care of yourself

When packing toiletries and medications, you will want extras to give yourself plenty of time to get prescriptions refilled or find over the counter equivalents in your new country. Note that the potency of medications may decrease over time – so there is a limit to what how much it makes sense to bring.   Feel free to pack special snacks from home for emotional comfort. Unpacking goes a lot smoother when fueled by chocolate.

8. Stay Flexible, Like a Yoga Master

No matter how organized you are, something will go wrong. Maybe your beloved couch doesn’t fit through the door, or your overseas shipment is stuck in customs for what feels like 87 years. Embrace the chaos and roll with it. After all, the best travel stories come from the things that didn’t go according to plan. Just remember to laugh (or cry—that helps too).

9. Ask for Help (No, Really)

Need to know if your U.S. hair dryer will work in Japan? Don’t guess—ask someone who knows! It’s tempting to internet search everything, but sometimes a human touch is best. Join expat groups, call a local, or do what I did: phone a random expat group in your destination country and ask the most obscure question possible. Who knew the American Club in Singapore had all the answers about voltage and hertz?

Or consolidate your efforts and hire a professional organizer who offers organizing services for expats/internationals, to guide you through the process. Many professional organizers are available virtually. Help is at hand.

10. Cherish the Experience, Not the Stuff

At the end of the day, moving abroad is about collecting memories, not things. Your ugly sweater collection doesn’t hold a candle to the new friendships, sights, and weird-but-wonderful foods you’ll encounter. Sure, there’s a learning curve (and maybe a few disasters), but trust me: when you look back, anything that goes wrong will become your most entertaining story and you’ll mostly remember the adventure.

So go ahead, expat adventurer—pack smart, embrace the chaos, and remember: your international move might be wild, but it’ll also the opportunity of a lifetime. Safe travels!