12 weeks to go

Info: Read books and publications, visit websites and ask friends if they know of anyone who has moved to that country. Also discuss any queries you have with your myOE contact in the UK as they will be able to provide you with a wealth of important information and advice from personal experience about what you're preparing to do.

Looking for work: A number of recruitment agencies will be interested in hearing from you now, so it's a good idea to get your CV into the UK format to give yourself the best chance at competing with the local market. Your myOE contact can assist you here with an agency introduction and a template format for your resume.

Booking a Mover: If you will be moving your furniture abroad, it's a good idea to look into shipping and mover companies now. Get quotes from at least 3 companies before you make your decision and ensure that you ask for references. Investigate storage garages if you intend to leave most of your belongings behind.

Packing: Start packing/sorting. If you are doing the packing yourself start as soon as you can, and certainly no later than twelve weeks to go. Now is a good time to clear out the attic, pack up your summer or winter clothes, and to track down important paperwork such as birth certificates and product warranties you may need. Remember to remove any batteries from appliances to prevent leakages whilst in transit.

Paperwork: Ensure all your Visa's or Permits are being processed, and make sure that you have time to apply for entry clearance which in nearly all cases is needed prior to your arrival in the UK.

Hotels: If you need to book a hotel do so as soon as you can, especially if you are moving within the summer months. Ask your myOE contact about making a reservation at the myOE guest house.

8 weeks to go

Clear Out: Arrange to dispose of any unwanted items, do a car boot sale, sell them on ebay or give them to your local charity shop that will make good use of them.

Booking a meeting: The first step in the process is for you to register for a myOE passport to be allocated an Account Manager in the UK to assist you with your relocation process. If you have a confirmed arrival date in the UK, now is a great time to co-ordinate a meeting with your contact in the myOE London Office. At the meeting, you will be given a letter of introduction to set up a bank account with HSBC, as well as the opportunity to discuss salary packaging and making the most of the contract income you earn whilst working in the UK.

Paperwork: Start to sort out paperwork. Put passports, visa's, flight details, birth/marriage certificates and other family documentation aside so that you don't pack them. Also ensure that you have some bank statements showing your address to bring with you, this will assist you when attempting to open a new account in the UK and for other credit checking purposes.

6 Weeks to go

Health: Visit your health clinic to arrange for any necessary vaccinations. If you are on medication make sure you have enough to cover you until you get settled. Also arrange to get a copy of your prescriptions and any important medical letters and let your doctor know you will be moving.

Entry Clearance: If it is a condition of your visa that you need to obtain entry clearance from the British High Commission in your local country before you can travel to the UK, make sure you apply for this with at least 6 weeks to go to allow time for any unforeseen delays in processing.

Notify: Tell all relevant companies that you will be leaving the country and arrange for any outstanding bills to be sent to you i.e. council, water, electric, gas, telephone, mobile, internet, store cards, rentals.

Mail: Arrange to have your mail re-directed by the Post Office. This can be arranged by post. Just pick up a form at the post office, do however allow 10 working days for this to be set up and note that they charge per name.

Bank: Notify your bank/banks that you are moving abroad. If you have any savings and your account includes the facility to make a "not ordinarily resident" declaration you can arrange for your interest to be paid without deduction of tax. Your building society or bank will be able to advise you more. Don't forget to close any credit or store cards

The tax office: Contact them and let them know you are moving abroad. Make sure you complete any necessary paperwork to notify that you will be leaving and for how long. You may get a tax rebate if you move before the end of the financial year.

4 Weeks to go

Voting: You will need to inform your electoral office if you are moving overseas, in some cases you can still vote in elections if you chose to depending on how long you intend to be away for. Contact your local electoral office for the relevant forms to notify them of your departure.

Library: Now is the ideal chance to return any library books that you find, no matter how long you have had them. Also advise them of your new address.

Job Hunting: Now is the best time to start scouring the UK jobsites and working on securing your first contract role in the UK. Two of the best job sites are Job Serve and CW Jobs they list thousands of available positions and are widely used by recruitment agencies. Ensure that your myOE Account Manager also has a copy of your CV and has marketed this to our agency contacts a month before you arrive.

Subscriptions: Cancel all organizations, charities and magazines which you subscribe to.

Borrowed or loaned items: Return any items that you have borrowed from friends and neighbours.

Car: You need to decide what you plan to do with your car. If you are taking your car abroad you notify the relevant transport authority in your home country. If you do not intend to take your car with you, arrange for a sale through a car dealer, ebay or trading post.

Cleaner: If you feel you simply won't have time to clean the house thoroughly before you leave, book a cleaner. Contact them as soon as you can and arrange a home visit to go through what you want them to do and always ask for references.

Freezer: Start to run your freezer food down.

Kitchen cupboards: Go through the kitchen cupboards and start to use up any food.

Dismantle & Disconnect: Unless you have arranged with the removal company, you will be expected to dismantle any self-assembly furniture that cannot be moved out in one.

1 week to go

Contact: Your myOE Account Manager and re-confirm your meeting in the UK. If you have also made an appointment with a recruitment agent through myOE, make sure that this meeting is confirmed also.

Sorting: Start sorting through clothes that you will need before and whilst you wait for your belongings to arrive (if you are shipping most of your wardrobe.) You can take this as luggage on the plane but check weight restrictions as all airlines differ.

Money: Buy travelers cheques and some local currency.

Travel Arrangements: Arrange your transport to the airport, and if you are planning to travel prior to arriving in the UK, make sure your tour / accommodation / flights are all confirmed and that you have confirmation paperwork. Before you leave, take down important phone numbers, addresses and directions related to your tour and accommodation and store them somewhere safe.

Pack: Separate and pack valuable documents and jewellery so you can take this as hand luggage on the plane. Remember to pack enough clothes to live in as it can take months if you are exporting your belongings by sea. Remember also to pack some favourite toys for children; this will help them settle into their new life easier.

Readings: Organize for final readings for your Electricity, gas and water.

Outside items: Anything outside that you plan to take with you put either inside the garage or in a dry place. There is nothing worse than putting soaking wet outside furniture into a container and may ruin some of your furniture.

Children: Arrange for someone to look after the children on moving day.

Plants: Start finding new homes for your house plants as you will not be allowed to take them abroad.

3 days to go

Laundry: Do a last minute laundry. Have you arranged for a plumber to disconnect the washing machine? Some removal companies will do this for you but only as a favour most will not and cannot as they are not insured to do so.

Keys: Dig out any spare keys you have, any spares should be clearly labeled and left where they will be seen when you leave the house on moving day. Please remember not to leave them in direct view of any window. The kitchen work top is usually good as it's normally the first room the new people will head towards and organize first.

Fridges/Freezers: Empty, defrost and dry out your fridge / freezer. If you don't do this it will defrost on its own, leaking over everything around it.

Dry Cleaners: Collect any items from the Dry Cleaners don't leave this to the last minute as you do not want to be rushing around.

Rental Property: If you are in a rental property, now would be a good time to arrange your final inspection in order to have your bond refunded. You will need to let your real estate agent know that you will be leaving the country, provide them with a point of contact at home for any issues and also the bank account details for your bond to be returned to.

1 day to go

Packing: Aim to finish the packing today if you are doing it yourself, apart from a few essentials in the bathroom. You will feel so much better when you can see the end is finally in sight. "Don't forget to clearly mark the boxes with the room name you would like them to end up in"

Dismantle & Disconnect: Take down curtains and any fixtures you are intending to take with you. Make sure you have disconnected the washing machine and fitted the transit brackets to secure the drum.

Relax: Take time to relax before the big day. Order a nice takeaway and break out the champagne.

Moving day!

Double check: That you have your passport, tickets, accommodation/tour confirmations, a copy of your Resume on disk, CD or USB drive (it's also a good idea to have a copy in your email account as a backup), visa paperwork, your address book and diary. Also make sure that your carry on luggage does not contain any prohibited substances, (especially liquids when arriving in the UK) it's a good idea to check the website of the airport you will be flying into and make sure you're not carrying anything banned.

Check every where: Take a walk around to ensure that all the items to be moved have been placed into storage boxes, with your mover for collection or in your luggage. Check behind doors, in cupboards and on the walls. Ensure delicate items have been well packed and padded or they might not last the journey.

Overseas Checklist

Please print off and tick each company as you give them your new details

N.B Some phone companies require a months notice or you may get billed for that period.