Important Documents you may need when you move to ExpatLand

Important Documents you may need when you move to ExpatLand

When you’re moving to a new place there are so many things to think about. Job hunting, schools for the kids, residential areas in your new city, rents and rental agreements, relocating your furniture and pets and so much more. In all the hubbub and run around you may forget to do some very important things so we’re here with a step by step guide of the documents and certificates that you may need. Getting your documentation in order is probably one of the most important and sometimes most over-looked aspects of moving to expatland.

Always check if your country has an embassy or a consulate in the country that you are moving to. If not, getting some of your documents attested after you have moved may prove to be difficult and costly. Make sure that you are prepared for any event.

It is important to remember that if your home country's official language is not English, you should translate and attest all your documents in the English language in your home country first. This may be a necessity, depending on where it is that you are moving and if you cannot directly have the documents translated.

PHOTOS, PHOTOS, PHOTOS – Have plenty of passport photos, on you, at all times. Have some where you are serious and some where you are smiling with a closed mouth. Have them taken on a white background.

Passports
When you become an expatriate you will be issued with a work visa or a residency visa (depending on where you are moving to). Please ensure that you have enough pages in your passport that will allow for your new visa as well as the opportunity to travel. Also keep an eye on the expiry date of your passport, ensure that you renew it in good time (every country has its own renewal process), so that you are not left without a passport for too long.

Driving License
Depending on your country of origin, you may be able to exchange your old driving license for a new one without having to do a practical or theory test. In this case you will need a translation of your driving license into the language of your new country. So if you are moving to Dubai, your driving license will have to be translated into Arabic before it can be exchanged. The translation usually has to be done by an accredited translator in that country. Don’t forget your photographs.

Degree Certificate
For any job that you apply, especially if that job is dependent on specialist training you will require that your degree certificates and licenses are attested in your home country and in your destination country. It is best to speak to the embassy of the country to which you are moving to ascertain their requirements. This may prove to be frustrating as some countries change their requirements frequently.

Read more about the attestation of certificates>>

Marriage Certificate
Once again enquire with the embassy of the country where you are moving, but in general your marriage certificate will have to be attested by the ministry in your country of origin and then again by the entity in your destination country. Once it has been attested properly, you will have to have it translated into the language of the country where you will be living. Marriage certificates should be attested for a number of reasons, one of which is that some countries require proof of marriage in order to sponsor a spouse as they do not sponsor partners in the same way.

Birth Certificate
It is important to get your own and your child's birth certificates attested and translated. 

Other documents that you will need

• Police clearance certificates from your home country – some employers require this as part of their background checks on potential staff and getting one before you move will make your life a lot easier.
• No claims insurance certificate
• Transfer and leaving certificates as well as the latest school reports of your children.
• Letters of recommendation from previous employers.