Struggling with what to pack when moving abroad? This post has you TOTALLY covered! From an expat’s top tips to an actual (helpful!) packing list, you can rest assured!
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Hi, and welcome! My name is Nat, and I’m an American girl who’s been living abroad for 5 years.
One of the BIGGEST headaches expats face when it’s finally time to move is packing.
We are SO afraid of leaving something important behind, and being half a world away from those things we need!
This post will help you with the absolute essentials, and also share some tips for the packing process.
I also share some of my packing must-haves at the end of this post. So let’s get right into it!
What To Pack When Moving Abroad: My Tips
Not only am I going to share my own packing list in this post, but I’m also going to share some friendly advice about the situation.
Here they are, short and sweet! My biggest tips for people who are packing to moving abroad.
Packing Tip #1: RESEARCH!!!
Okay so first of all, my BIGGEST piece of advice is to RESEARCH.
Get familiar with the local weather, customs, and life in your expat country before you move!
I’d visited China several times as a tourist before actually moving here, and that made it super easy for me to know what to pack!
Packing Tip #2: Don’t Stress the Small Things
My SECOND biggest piece of advice is to calm down. Don’t stress too much about what you’ll pack when moving abroad!
I’m someone who can think 10 steps ahead. But when it comes to packing…that can be a curse. I ended up wasting so much suitcase space on things I could easily replace in my expat country.
Yes, there are certain things from home that you CAN’T live without (like your passport/visa and personal laptop). But there are also things you CAN live without if you forget to pack them.
For example: if you don’t have much space for clothes, there’s a 100% chance you can buy SOME kind of clothes in your expat country (unless you’re moving somewhere where everyone lives au natural).
Sure, maybe the style of the clothes will be different…but thanks to internationalism, you’d be surprised what you can find abroad! I can buy GAP jeans and H&M dresses here in China…so I didn’t need to bring all of that!
So take a deep breath. Most of the things you’re worried about packing are probably somehow replaceable.
Packing Tip #3: Walk Through Your Daily Life
Either as an international student or an expat working abroad, this tip can be really helpful!
Literally walk through your daily routine – your bathroom, kitchen, recreational rooms, etc. Take note of the things you use every day.
If your hair dryer or specific face creams are things that you CANNOT live without, check and see if they’re available to buy in your expat country.
If they aren’t available in your expat country, then pack them! (Yes, I did bring a year’s supply of some personal care items! Example: curly hair products aren’t much of a thing in China. So every year I bring my own!)
Packing Tip #4: Make Room For Things from Home
I sort of randomly decided to bring a few things from home (family photos, some mugs that were gifts, and a few shelf trinkets). They ended up being some of the BIGGEST parts of my home here!
Let me explain why items from home are something you should definitely pack when moving abroad, in my opinion:
Firstly, my expat/local friends ALWAYS comment on the items in my apartment which are from home. People love to see them, and they also give me a sense of belonging even in a foreign home.
Secondly, these items signal to your brain that this space is yours, even if you’re a foreigner here.
Lastly, they’re great conversation starters, and maybe even gifts that you can give to friends down the road!
My Packing List: What To Pack When Moving Abroad
So I actually dedicated a whole post to a packing list for moving abroad, which you can read here.
You can check it out if you want to read a lot more detailed explanations about the packing process (I encourage you to!).
However, if you just want the list with no frills, here it is!!
DOCUMENTS:
- Passport (visa was glued inside)
- Copies of birth certificate, social security card, and diploma
CLOTHES & SHOES:
- Jeans (3 pairs)
- Dress pants (1 pair)
- Professional tops (10, I bought more in China)
- Casual tops (10, bought more later)
- Dresses (10 – I love my dresses)
- Underwear & bras- a TON because China doesn’t have the kind I like!
- A light coat (I moved in summer and got a winter coat here later!)
- 3 pairs of dress shoes
- 1 pair of exercise sneakers
- 1 pair of casual sneakers
- 2 pairs of sandals
- 10 pairs of socks
- My comfort sweatshirt
- A cocktail hour type formal dress for a big work or social event
HYGIENE & MEDICINE:
- Hair curl cream for a year
- Makeup for a year 😂 (though I later learned I could find great makeup products in China, too)
- Hairbrush & curl comb
- Ibuprofen, Benadryl, Imodium, Pepto Bismol
- Prescription medications I was taking at the time (I took a year’s supply)
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, and other toiletry items just to get myself started
- Menstrual products (China didn’t widely have tampons or menstrual cups until recent years! Research your country!)
DAILY USE & HOME ITEMS:
- 2 mugs from home
- Family photos printed out
- A few stuffed animals (I’m a child, I know)
- My favorite tea
- A few holiday decorations
- A few shelf knick knacks from home
- My computer & charger (bring an adapter or buy a new charger in your expat country)
- My phone and charger (bring an adapter or buy a new charger in your expat country)
- A harddrive for computer backups
- 5 books (some of my favorites and a few new ones…they also make for good re-gifts when you’re done!)
- Headphones
- Some bracelets, magnets, and a few coffee books which I gave as gifts to my colleagues/boss at Christmas (I know that’s thinking WAY in advance but that’s just how I am!!)
My Must-Haves To Pack for Moving Abroad!
To make packing much simpler (and maybe even more satisfying!), there are a few items which I swear by for moving.
Packing Cubes: Carry-On Lifesavers!
The first are these packing cubes! I was SO skeptical about the concept of packing cubes, as it felt pretty redundant, but they are honestly such game-changers!
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Especially when using them in your carry on, you can easily sort items into different cubes, and if you need to access something while traveling, you can just pop your suitcase open and get the cube you need.
No more stuff spilling out onto dirty airport floors, or panicking because that thing you need slipped underneath a pile of clothes.
Game. Changing. A small price to pay for the ease it brings to traveling, in my opinion!
Check out the packing cubes on Amazon!
Vacuum-Compression Storage Bags: Maximize Packing Space!!
As an expat, I have moved a total of five times, four of which happened within the past 3 years! Phew!
Every single time I am moving stuff whether abroad or domestically, these vacuum bags are absolute LIFESAVERS! The best part is that, if you’re careful with them, they’re reusable!!
I’ve been using the same bags for five years now, and they work as well as ever!
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Basically, you fill up your bags with clothes/bedding/etc and use either your body weight, a hand-pump, or an electric pump to get all of the air out of the bag. It will condense a TON, saving SO MUCH space!
Especially if you are moving winter coats, pillows, or other bulky items — these bags will help you pack for moving abroad like a pro! I cannot say enough just HOW HELPFUL these bags are!
Check out packing vacuum bags on Amazon!
Summary
As you get ready to pack for moving abroad, I hope these tips (as well as my packing list!) will make things easier for you!
Packing should be one of the LEAST scary parts of moving abroad. Remember that SO many things are replaceable.
Mostly, you just need to pack enough stuff to get started, as well as the things that you can’t replace.
If you came to this post wondering what to pack when moving abroad, I hope that you feel calmer, clearer, and readier than ever! Is there anything you’d add to this list? I’d love to hear in the comments!
You May Also Like:
Preparing to Move Abroad: Helpful Tips and Advice
Packing List Moving Abroad: Complete List of What You’ll Need
Move Abroad and THRIVE! Making Your Expat Life AMAZING!
What To Do Before Moving Abroad: The Ultimate Checklist
