When we made the decision to move abroad, we had our moving abroad checklist with our essential ‘to do’s’ and we thought packing to move abroad would be like moving to a new house. In lots of ways moving abroad is pretty similar, but there are a few extra considerations when it comes to your moving abroad packing list that you wouldn’t think about if you were moving to a new house in the same country.

Normally when you move to a new house, you just pack up everything you own and move it to the new location. But that is not the case when you are moving to a new country. That’s where a moving abroad packing list is essential.

First, if your move is permanent for more than a couple of years, you will probably want to take most of your belongings. Second, are you moving to a location like the USA, UK or Australia where you will have access to all the major shops you’re used to back home. Or are you moving to a more remote location like an island, where buying things like furniture and crockery will be harder and more expensive to do. Using this moving abroad packing list will help you decide what you need.

You will also need to consider if the house you are moving to in your new country will be furnished or unfurnished. If it’s furnished, then you don’t need to take appliances and furniture with you. If your new home is unfurnished, then you will need to consider just how much you want to take and if it’s worth the shipping fees. Or is it more cost effective to sell up and buy new things on arrival at your new destination.

There are other things you would not normally think of too.

Like making sure that all your crockery is padded and packed well because it’s not only going in a van 10 miles down the road.

It’s got to stand up to a lorry ride to the cargo port then being unloaded and loaded onto a ship. That ship has to then make a several week long journey across the ocean and who knows how bumped around it will get with hundreds of other packages. Then when it arrives in your new country it gets unloaded into the customs depot where you finally pick it up and load it into another van to take to your new house! Phew…. Those plates are well travelled!

If you are packing everything yourself you will need to invest in some sturdy cardboard boxes and some heavy duty packaging material like foam and bubble wrap. Some good quality scissors, packing tape, fragile labels and tape and sharpies will come in useful too. The alternative is to let the international removers pack everything up for you. This will add extra expense to the already pricey shipping fees however and you will still have to dismantle your furniture in advance.

To take some of the stress out of moving abroad we have devised this essential moving abroad packing list to help you narrow down your entire life into a shipping container.

Clothing and Accessories

Everyone’s moving abroad clothing packing list will look different, because every country is different. Packing clothes suitable for the weather in your new home and for different occasions is a good starting point. If you are moving to warmer climates, not every day will be a beach day! Likewise, if you are moving somewhere colder you don’t need to take your summer shorts and strap tops. We packed most of our clothes and a few valuables that we knew we would need immediately into suitcases to check in at the airport. We love the IT luggage because it is really durable comes with a warranty and is super lightweight!

Everyday clothes

Think about the clothes you LIVE in at home. Whether that’s jeans and t-shirts or dresses and shirts. The chances are you will be wearing more or less the same in your new country. Our main difference is we switched jeans for shorts but they are still our go-to outfit for everyday use.

If you are like me the first thing I do when I get home is put on my pyjamas, don’t forget to pack pyjamas or other comfort clothing like that. Likewise, if you are gym bunny at home, there is no reason you won’t be abroad so take your workout gear.

Also if you are going to a different climate don’t forget to think about your outside wear. Will you need coats and scarves for cold climates. or are sun hats and swimwear more appropriate for warm climates.

Your everyday clothing list may depend on the activities you are likely to be doing. I mean, we wouldn’t be going to the beach in England after work. However here in St Kitts we quite often go to the beach for an evening dip in the sea. And on the weekends we often go snorkelling or diving so bringing our diving gear was a priority.

Formal Clothes

Since moving abroad, we have been invited to multiple formal events including graduation banquets and weddings. Even in the Caribbean it’s not acceptable to rock up in your shorts and t-shirt. Make sure to pack some suitable evening wear, dresses for ladies and long trousers and shirts and ties for men.

Uniforms

Work clothes if you need something specific. My job as a veterinary nurse involves wearing scrubs and closed toe shoes. I brought my scrubs from home and my comfy work shoes because I knew I wouldn’t be wearing shorts and flip flops at work. Same goes for any job. If you normally wear a uniform don’t think that is gonna be any different just because you’ve moved countries.

Shoes

You will also need shoes for different occasions. Think trainers, hiking boots, flip flops, nice shoes to go out in, comfy everyday shoes, slippers. Don’t just take your beach shoes, you probably can’t wear them to go to a wedding and you definitely can’t wear them to go hiking.

Sunglasses, contact lenses and spare glasses.

Don’t forget your sunglasses if you are moving to a sunny place because no one wants premature wrinkles from squinting all day! Also spare prescription glasses or contact lenses as a backup in case you lose or break your everyday ones.

This is one thing we didn’t think about until our friend came to stay and lost her glasses in the sea on the second day. Being a small island, we couldn’t buy her prescription glasses anywhere as they have to be shipped in from the USA. She spent the rest of her holiday walking around in her prescription sunnies, even inside!  

Bags for different occasions

You never know how many bags you will need. Start with the ones you always use frequently at home then add or remove bags as needed. If you are moving somewhere a bit dodgy where you might be at risk from muggers, consider taking a bag with extra security such as a Pacsafe bag. I use my Pacsafe bag for all our international travels. When we moved we brought a work bag, going out bag, beach bag, backpack for hiking, reusable shopping bags and produce bags for vegetables. We always try to avoid single use plastic bags where possible. Here on St Kitts they are obsessed with giving out plastic bags in shops, so we always take our reusable ones when we can.

Electronics Packing List

Your technology packing list can be as big or small as you want it to be. Lewis is a massive tech geek, so we had a huge number of things to bring. Most people will probably get away with a laptop or two and phones.

But here is a list of technology we brought for you to consider if you are a tech geek. Laptop, tablet, kindle, phones, PC, games console, television, dvd player, printer and ink, scanner. Also camera and accessories,tripod, batteries, lenses, memory cards and memory card reader. Charging cables, data cables, ethernet cables, HDMI cables, mouse, keyboard, portable batteries, games console controllers.

One huge thing to check before hand is what voltage and hertz are used in your new country. If you are taking your electronics such as a trusty old hairdryer or even a fridge, then plugging it into the wrong voltage and hertz can cause it to die an untimely death.

If you do want to take all your own electronics you may need an inverter. This changes the current to one that won’t fry your gadgets.

Travel adaptors and power cables for the correct type of socket, extension cords with surge protection. We use and recommend multi-adaptors. They have all variations of socket and plug for every country, you just unlock and flip out which type you need and lock it again.

Electronics for personal grooming, hairdryer, straighteners, curling wand etc and electric shaver and beard trimming equipment for men. Electric toothbrush would also come into this group.

Region specific electronics

Solar panel if going somewhere hot. Not really an essential item, but we have power outages here in St Kitts. We are grateful that we invested in a portable solar panel so we can still charge our electrical devices.

Storm lamps if you are going somewhere where the power goes out frequently, or if they have hurricanes like St Kitts. You will need a good quality battery powered light or torch. We love these hero beam lamps they last for ages and they can be hung, and they are magnetic.

Kitchen Packing List

Unless you know you are moving into a furnished property you will want to take some basic kitchen equipment. Even the best rental properties usually have a poor selection of pots and pans. And if you can’t go without your Tassimo in the morning then take it with you.

Your favourite selection of mugs, cups, glasses, plates, bowls, cutlery, baking trays, casserole dishes, pots and pans and utensils. Because everyone knows that as an adult you have your favourite go-to pan and stirring utensil in the kitchen!

Drinks bottle and travel mug for everyday use. Reusable cup/glass and metal straws to take to bars to help save the environment!

Water filter if needed. The water in a lot of places may not be up to the quality you are used to at home so this could definitely be considered an essential piece of kit. We started out with a brita filter. It doesn’t hold much water though, so we upgraded to the Berkey travel filtration system and it is fantastic!

Lunch boxes/storage tubs again save the environment by reducing single use plastic bags and wrapping. We had a selection of lunch boxes and lock boxes for storing leftover food and taking on picnics etc. But we found out the hard way about bugs getting into dried food in your cupboards. We now have some large lock boxes for our pasta, flour, rice and cereals.

Favourite kitchen electronics such as blender, toaster, kettle, coffee maker, rice cooker, slow cooker and mixer. Just make sure to check the voltage rating as with other electrical devices.

Bedroom and Bathroom Packing List

Bed linen

Find out what size bed you will have beforehand if you aren’t taking your own furniture so you can bring your own bed linen. It will make your new house more homely and you won’t get as homesick. Bedding including pillows, duvet (appropriate thickness for where you will be), sheets and blankets if needed.

Towels

Bath towels, beach towels, hand towels and tea towels. You probably can buy these in most places, but shipping one box of towels you already have will probably still be cheaper than buying a whole new set on arrival.

Toiletries

You don’t need to go mad with toiletries just pack enough to tide you over until you find new brands you like. Travel sized bottles should do the trick or even better go plastic free and buy solid shampoo and soap bars.

Makeup if you are particular about a certain brand or type. But don’t forget your favourite foundation may look ridiculous if your complexion changes abroad.

Toothbrush, sponge, facecloth, hairbrush, hair ties, headbands, tweezers and razor. Anything you normally use at home, don’t go mad buying new things, it’s a waste of money.

Sanitary products if you love a particular brand however most countries will have these. Alternatively you could go green and switch to a menstrual cup or menstrual underwear like the modibodi pants. I personally use this menstrual cup and it has changed my life when I’m on my period!

Furniture and large appliances

If you are getting a place that is unfurnished check what appliances you can use in your new home. If your washing machine and dishwasher are not compatible with the power in your new country sell them and buy new on arrival.

Also don’t over pack furniture. If you’ve minimised the amount of clothes you are taking you don’t need several wardrobes and chests of drawers. For shipping purposes, furniture that can be taken apart is the best. Shipping companies generally charge by cubic feet of space and assembled items take up much more room.

Bedroom Furniture

A good quality flat pack wardrobe and chest of drawers should do the trick. Also, if you have a divan bed leave it behind, it will cost too much to ship. Mattresses are a personal choice as they are very large and difficult to move. But finding a decent mattress at a good price can be a nightmare. Now imagine this nightmare in an unfamiliar country. Just saying.

Lounge and Dining Room

If you have a dining table and chairs that are a family heirloom you simply cannot be without, then by all means pack it up and ship it. If you have an ordinary table and chairs, think about if you really need to take them with you. Also consider if you are a couple and you have a table that seats 8 people, would you be better selling it to downsize? Same goes for bulky sofas and chairs. You can only sit on one sofa at a time, so do you really need to take the whole three piece suite?

Kitchen Appliances

If you are planning to take a gas cooker make sure it’s compatible where you will be living. On St Kitts there is no piped gas only bottled, if we had brought our range cooker it would have been useless here. Same goes for fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines etc check the local voltage and make sure they will work properly.

Office furniture

Desks and office chairs are often easy to replace or substitute with everyday tables and chairs. So these could probably be left behind. If you do want to take them with you we recommend that you can take them apart for shipping.

Garden furniture

One of our top furniture items we shipped was our wooden outside table and 6 chairs. They fold down flat so were easy to pack and didn’t take up much space. Outdoor table and chairs are so expensive to buy here and nothing we have seen is as good quality. One of our top regrets is not bringing our gas barbeque. We were going to buy one once we arrived but they are so expensive we have a charcoal barbeque instead!

Tools

Replacing tools is an expensive business. So taking a small tool kit with all the basics such as drill, hammer, screwdrivers, tape measure, saw, selection of screws and nails will be a life saver. Especially if all of your furniture is flat packed!

Essential items

Medication and prescriptions including birth control. Take enough until you can get a prescription from a local doctor or get to a pharmacy. Don’t forget to take your medical history to pass on to your new doctor too.

Essential documents, this goes without saying. If you are moving to a new country you will need all of your documents to prove who you are. Especially for setting up things like bank accounts and getting a social security number if you will be working. Always take passports, visas, health insurance documents, marriage certificate, birth certificate, pet documents, vaccination history, emergency credit cards, driver’s license/international driver’s license if needed.

We don’t necessarily recommend taking your original documents but having a copy of them all and a scan in an email is a good idea. All our important documents are with Lewis’s dad so if we need anything he can scan and email it to us.

Personal items

Stationary items like paper, notepads, pens, pencils and post-it notes. You will probably already have your moving abroad packing list in a notepad. So you will definitely need that with you so you can tick off when things arrive. If you’re a serial note maker like me, you will want to take a small stash of new stationary for everyday scribbles. Then you won’t have to try and find a stationary shop right away.

Sentimental things such as keepsakes, ornaments, posters and photos to make your new place homely. Lots of our friends didn’t bring anything sentimental when they moved to the rock. They were jealous of our cosy throw pillows and blankets, our bookshelf full of books and DVDs and our nik-naks from home. If you are used to shelves with things on, you will feel homesick if you suddenly become a minimalist overnight.

Books, Board games, card games and dvds, textbooks if needed for work. One thing we have found is that you can’t go wrong with a good board game when the power goes out. And you will thank yourself for taking your favourite books and DVD’s when the wifi is dodgy AF. If you’re an avid reader like me, you could invest in a kindle if you don’t have one to save so much space.

Pet Moving Abroad Packing List

If you are taking your pets abroad with you, you will need their belongings too. Pet beds, bowls, litter trays, leads and collars and favourite toys. Also, enough pet food for a few weeks to slowly transition them onto a new type of food. Or until you can import the food they are used to if they have special dietary needs.

Of course, you could make your moving abroad packing list smaller by just taking hold luggage on the plane. But once you factor in excess baggage fees, it doesn’t necessarily work out any cheaper than having a small space on a shipping container.

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What did you think to our essential moving abroad packing list? Anything you would definitely take with you that you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments!

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