Emigration and living abroad checklist for legal and insurance matters

1. Make use of a legal advisor

• A scan of your juridical status and the possible risks abroad may be advisable.
• Check the consequences for inheritance tax, family law, succession rights and matrimonial properties.
• Possibly get a review of your new international contract (mind the differences in labour law).
• Check our blog 'How do you assess the reliability of an international insurer?' (in Dutch)

2. Look into the visa requirements & start the visa procedure

• Expand the basic inventory that you made in the orientation phase.
• Use online communities and forums, check recent experiences from people who requested the visa and have the same nationality as you do. Double check their advice.
• Check for everyone if they need a work permit or residence permit, if they meet the requirements for that and which documents are necessary.
• Some countries have extra requirements, such as medical clearances or police certificates.
• Arrange a definitive contract or proof of employment with your future employer.
• Contact the consulate or embassy before you emigrate and (double) check the current state of (visa) affairs.
• Download all required documents and read the notices.
• Plan way ahead, visa procedures can take long, up to several years (be flexible in purchasing/selling housing, finding temporary housing etc.).
• Consider using a visa service company, especially for popular emigration countries.

3. Check which documents you need to legalize

• Find out if your new country has a treaty with your native country.
• Find out which documents need translation and into which language.
• Find out which documents you need to legalize.
• Provide birth certificates, marriage certificates, evidence of (special) (work) skills, diplomas, recommendation letters.
• Start on time.

4. Check your insurance policies and ask for advice

• Create an overview of your current policies, contract terms, contact information.
• Ask about the consequences of your emigration with regards to current insurance policies and make sure that you terminate them in time.
• Make sure that you terminate home insurances, property insurances, car insurances etc. at the correct time: not too early (not insured), not too late (double costs).
• Read up on (international) health insurances. Find orientation on www.expatinsurances.org.
• Get information from an insurance expert about:
  • Ending your current health insurance.
  • Whether your new country has treaties with your home country.
  • Whether to get local insurance or not.
  • Whether the insurance provided by your local employer provides enough coverage.
  • Getting international health insurance.
• Start on time, mindful of  how long medical checks can take to complete.

4. How to prepare documents?

• Check the validity of all passports. Or arrange passports for family members with a different kind of ID.
• Also bring: passport photos, drivers licenses (possibly a temporary international driver's license), birth certificates, marriage certificates, last wills, documents on euthanasia, police certificates, divorce papers, death certificates (if your previous partner died), recommendation letters, diplomas, resume/CV, medical files, evidences of being creditworthy, school files, insurance papers, student ID's, medicine recipes and proof of the vaccinations you had.
• Make an easy-to-find archive for every family member with (copies of) personal documents.
• Make sure you know about recent developments concerning double nationalities and find out how to extend your passport in your new home country.
• Consider using an online/digital safe or cloud functionality and give access to your lawyer or someone you trust.
• Gather receipts of the properties you take with you (proof you own them already, to avoid breaking import laws).