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Customs Regulations When Moving To Spain

If you are moving to Spain from another Member State you can move goods freely within the EU, without import duties, commercial restrictions, or customs requirements. However, if you are moving from outside the EU the requirements are more extensive. Documents Required For Entry When moving to Spain, you will need: Prohibited Items In Spain,...

Move From A Paper Tax Return To Online Submission

If you’re new to submitting Self Assessment tax returns, it pays to know that there are three ways of filing. Firstly, you can submit via the HMRC site and receive instant acknowledgement post-submission. You can also use commercial software to do this for you. Or, you can send a paper tax return to HMRC in...

Fall In Number Of Britons Sent To Work Abroad

A study has found that there has been a big drop in the number of British people being sent on international assignment for work. The UK has been revealed as the third most popular location in the world for international work, behind only USA and China, according to new research by Santa Fe Relocation. The...

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.