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International Move |
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As the global barriers are melting away, International moving has become an integral part of our corporate lives. Moving to another country can be a daunting task. Going to a foreign land, meeting new people, getting acclimatized to the alien culture; all these factors can be emotionally unnerving for many.
International moving is highly complex in nature, as it involves huge expenses, customs rules & regulations, and assistance for settling-in. To make a safe move overseas, choose the right international mover. The mover should be ready to deliver your shipment right at the door of your new home.
Look for a full-service provider that helps you, relocate to the country you want by taking care of all your international moving needs like- dealing with consular documentation, customs clearance, export packing, finding the right shipment, providing a means of auto-transportation and above all, offering affordable quotes to go with them.
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| Check for movers License: |
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A mover should hold a legal license (FF- number (i.e. Freight Forwarders Permit or else FMC number- Federal Maritime Commission number) in order to be able to offer you an estimate for international moving. Factors like expertise in handling shipments of all sizes, experience of shipping to various parts of the world, ability to ensure high-safety standards of transportation will help you in deciding the right international mover for your consignment. |
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| Storage: |
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If you are moving for a short period then you can avail the storage facility provided by your mover to store most of your belongings and carry only those items that you cannot do without. Movers provide storage facility for any period of time; right from one month to a longer period.
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| Limit your luggage: |
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Avoid packing everything you see and carry only the essential things and kids items with you. |
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| Decide the size of shipment: |
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Let the mover conduct a pre-move survey to decide how large a shipment your items need. If you have too many things to be carried, then you might need a huge shipping container all for yourself, which the mover will bring to your home to load the items. |
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| Items to sell: |
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The voltage requirements of the electrical appliances might vary in the foreign countries and might need a special adapter to make them work. If you are going on a long trip to some other country it would be ideal to sell these items rather than carrying them along. More number of items will result in a large, expensive shipment. |
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| Seek Consular advice: |
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Consult the consular office of your country and ask for the information sheet about the country you are moving to. Ask them about the details of documents you need for a successful relocation. Start gathering all those documents well ahead of your schedule. |
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| Speak to people: |
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Get in touch with the individuals who had already made an international trip and have loads of information to give. Online, several blogs are available wherein users post such information. |
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| Insurance: |
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For an international move always take an all-inclusive insurance policy. Talk to your health insurance agent also about this. |
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| Be ready to be surprised: |
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Upon reaching the destination country, individuals might have several surprises waiting for them. Some of them might even undergo a culture shock. Talk to your family well in advance about the trip and thus prepare them mentally for the move. |
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| Auto transport: |
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Transporting your two-wheeler or a car can be an extremely difficult task, as there are too many restrictions to be followed and importing tariffs to be paid in the process. See if your budget really permits such an expensive move or enquire if your company is ready to pay the bill for you. You should have an International Driving Permit in order to be able to use your vehicle overseas. Check if your vehicle meets the required standards of international transportation or not. |
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| Avoid-self-packing: |
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To ship the items overseas you need to pack them thoroughly. When moving overseas hire professionals to pack your belongings. As the distance involved is too long, it is advisable not to attempt self-packing. |
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| Wrapping material: |
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The kind of wrapping material used for international packing should be strong and should be able to withstand any extreme changes of the weather during the shipment. Cushioned padding, bubble wraps, multiple-layered cartons should be used to wrap the delicate items. Huge items should be packed in separate big boxes. |
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| Gather info: |
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Read up online, talk to people, go through the travel guides and start gathering information about the destination country. You would want to know several details about the climate, culture, lifestyle and such others of that country. |
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| Ask your employer: |
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If they have any cross-cultural programs in place to help you out and try to join them.
If they can provide transportation, accommodation and settlement facilities. |
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| Currency: |
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Certain limitations are in vogue pertaining to the amount of currency that an individual can carry when traveling overseas. Find out the currency details of the country you are moving to. |
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| Change of address: |
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Let all your friends, postal department, bank, insurance agent, doctor and other important people know of your move. See to it that, all your mails, pending bills, magazine subscriptions etc. are delivered at your new address. |
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| Levying of duty: |
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No duty will be levied upon the transfer of your personal items like clothing and jewelry. It is recommended that, you carry all the valuables along with you, rather than dumping them with other items. |
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| Restricted items: |
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Poisonous chemicals, hazardous materials and explosives should not be transported. Special items like plants, seeds, animal hides, animals of rare species (in case if you have them as pets) are usually refused an entry in several countries as their transportation is being deemed unlawful. Find out about the laws of the destination country, if you are planning to carry any of them. |
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| Customs regulations: |
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Customs regulations vary from country to country. You might be asked to pay a certain amount as tax for carrying several items. Speak to the customs department of the country you are moving to and find out about restrictions regarding the transportation of currency, jewelry etc. |
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| Attach tags: |
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Secure your luggage properly by attaching tags. Try to transfer most of the luggage to the shipment. |
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| Transporting documents: |
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Do not ship any valuable documents like your academic certificates, visa documents, your medical records, kids’ school or college records etc. as these documents are of irreplaceable type, it is better to carry them personally. |
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| Customs clearance: |
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Neglecting customs regulations might create serious problems for your shipment. There might be a delay in releasing your shipment from the port or you might have to pay huge amount of fine or the customs officials are empowered to seize the entire consignment also. |
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| About Pets: |
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Check if your pet will be allowed into the country you are relocating or not.
It might be required that you have to pay a certain amount of duty on carrying your pet. Do take your pet’s medical record from the veterinarian before you make a move. |
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| Medicines: |
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Take only small portions of medicines along. Do not forget to take your doctor’s prescriptions with you. See to it that, all your records are in tact and put them in a separate folder. |
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| Make copies of documents: |
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A wide range of documents might be needed when you are relocating to another country to enable you to apply for licenses, permits and identity cards. Make multiple copies of the important certificates and stack them away into neat folders. |
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| Antiquities: |
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If you are planning to carry your antiques along then you might have to pay some tax. Only antiques of several years old will be allowed to pass in a duty-free manner. Consult an appraiser and take his report for this purpose.
Tariffs provided by the international movers are not regulated and are competitive in nature. Make your international move a memorable, enriching experience by choosing the right mover. |
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USA 
CANADA
