Moving to a new home is already a daring enterprise that would relentlessly challenge anybody’s patience, skills and budget. And that’s just moving within the same town, the same state or the same country. But what will it take to move to an entirely new continent?! The courage of an adventurer, yes, but that won’t be enough for sure! There are quite a few things to take care of, way before you start packing the suitcases, and this post can be your helpful “To Do”- Guide.
A lot of American residents immigrate to Europe in pursue of better career opportunities, to study or settle for a better lifestyle and living. Moving to Europe from the USA can, however, be an overwhelming experience for those unaware of the proper procedures and regulations.
In short, if you are considering taking such a bold step, make sure to educate yourself and learn everything there is about moving to Europe from the US.
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How to Organize a House Move to a Different Continent
Secure Your Visa
Contact the embassy of the European country you’re planning to relocate to, and learn about the type of visa you’ll need. Be prepared to provide documents attesting your financial, property, legal and even criminal records in the USA. With some European countries issuing a long/permanent residence visa is quite straightforward. In other cases, however, it may be a bit more complicated. Visa cost will also vary for the different countries, but it can be around $70 in average.
Set a Budget
Studying moving costs and setting a budget accordingly is another key step to take in early moving preparations. Not only you will need money for the trip itself, but significant sums will actually be required to cover the cost of the services of packing and moving professionals. In case you are to cover these expenses through investments from third parties, make sure to provide evidence, delivery dates, and terms and conditions of agreements.
Cost of Shipping
The cost of shipping your belongings from the USA to different EU destinations will of course vary a great deal. So, start gathering information by asking for quotes from relocation companies.
There are still a number of factors that can impact the shipping cost, so you’d better take these into consideration:
- Package dimensions
The shipping companies would need to know the package dimensions in order to determine the shipping cost. Naturally, larger and heavier items will cost more.
- Target destination
The distance from the ring to the target destination is also important for calculating shipping costs. Farther destination incurs higher shipping costs.
- Delivery speed
Delivery speed is essential when moving to Europe from the US. Shorter delivery terms will normally be more expensive.
- Taxes and custom duties
Make sure to learn about customs duty and tax charges relevant to the EU country you’re relocating to. Study the options for shipping your belongings to tax-free storage facilities, and then use local movers to complete the delivery to the door of your new European home. It will be cheaper!
Shipping Options – Either by Sea or Air
Most professional shipping companies list international shipping among their top services, and would be happy to offer you various options to meet your needs.
These would normally include:
- Exclusive container service
It is a shipping service where all the valuables and belongings of a single customer are packed and shipped in dedicated containers exclusively assigned to this same customer.
- Shared container service
A shared container service is a shipping option where a single container is assigned to several customers to accommodate their belongings.
- Air freight service
The customers’ belongings are shipped with air carriers through air freight services, where this can be a commercial or chartered service. Many customers choose this shipping service because of faster delivery.
Pet Travel
Pet travel service, also known as pet transportation/relocation, is a most wanted service where pets are safely transported from one location to another usually by airplane.
Sell/Donate Everything Unnecessary
Moving to Europe to settle down? Then you might consider selling off or donating all things you are not planning to move with you from US to your new European home.
Pack and Label
Whether you’re using the services of professional movers or doing the packing yourself, it’s still a good idea to stick labels on the packed boxes. It will make unpacking easier and less stressful.
Keep Essentials with You During the Move
Relocating from the US to Europe is a big move and things may sometimes go chaotic. In order to avoid losing essential belongings, make a list of these and store/keep them in reliable storage facilities until shipped off. Keep all documents with you durig the move.
Published in: Home advice | Author: Yanita
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