A Light Packer’s Guide to Moving Abroad

Packing for a brief trip can be overwhelming. What more if you’re packing your whole life for a move thousands of miles away from your homeland? We get comments from friends who are amazed at how we can pack everything we need in just three suitcases. And we even brought our dog!

Right from the start, my husband and I wanted to pack light. Bringing more than what we need will incur costs and slow us down during travel. After all, they are, literally and figuratively, baggage. We wanted to move efficiently and packing light paid off because we saved so much time and money for our life-changing trip.

So if you’re planning on moving, I’m sharing here the items in our packing list and some tips on how you can choose which ones to pack or let go.

Here are the items to include in your packing list:

• Important identification and travel documents. Keep original paperwork in your carry-on just in case your checked bags are lost. Duplicate any documents that are significant, such as your passport or visa, birth certificate, and vaccination records.
• Medicines. It may take some time before you can find a local doctor to give you a prescription for meds, so pack a supply of your own. Make sure they are legal in your destination and any transit country you may go through.
• Toiletries. Pack only the essential items to freshen up after a long trip. Chances are, the items can be bought in local stores so you don’t need to bring so much.
• Electronics. Laptops, mobile phones, and adapter plugs are essential if you are going to work while in transit. Invest in quality battery packs just in case you need to charge and you’re nowhere near a charging station.
• Clothing. Ensure that your clothing is season-appropriate for your new country of residence. I divide my clothing into the following categories: casual, activewear, underwear, sleepwear, jackets/windbreakers.
• Cash, credit, or debit cards. Most likely, you won’t be able to open a bank account right away, so you’ll need to have funds at hand. Inform your banks ahead that you’ll be traveling and using your local cards abroad.
• Sentimental. These are items that will make you feel at home or can help cope with homesickness. In my case, I packed my yoga mat, journal, and family photos.
• Pet food and accessories. It takes a while for pets to get accustomed to new pet food, so it’s best to pack a supply of their current food for the first few days/weeks. You can slowly ease them to new food once you can purchase a new one.

Here are some tips on how you can choose what to pack or what to leave behind:

• Start downsizing early. Like, now.

The moment we were sure that we were moving, we had already started picking the items we would bring to our new life. Our purchases moving forward were based on two questions:

1. Can we re-sell this?

2. Can we bring this abroad? 

Any item that didn’t answer those two questions affirmatively was easily let go.

• Donate.

It was hard for me to part with my 20 years’ worth of book collection, but I knew they were going somewhere they would be useful. In the end, I donated them to a non-profit organization specializing in providing education for children of marginalized sectors.

• If it can’t fit into the suitcase, let it go.

We bought two large suitcases a few days after our travel documents were approved. These suitcases dictated what and how much we would put in them. We followed this strict rule so that we won’t be over-packing.

• Follow Mari Kondo’s advice: discard it if it doesn’t spark joy.

If caught in a bind on whether you’re packing an item, ask yourself if that something is worth bringing to your new life abroad. Think about whether it will be useful in your future daily life and if it will help you start over better.

• Sell as much as you can.

The amount you will earn can offset your travel expenses or you can use it to purchase items in your new home. In our case, we used our earnings to offset the cost of shipping our dog to the US, because it came with a hefty price tag.

• Ship your other items after some time.

If there are still items that you think you *might* need but have no immediate use yet, box them up and have them shipped after a few months. Once you’re settled in your new home, if you still think about those items and crave their presence, that’s the time you have them shipped. If not, then maybe you don’t need them after all.

Packing may seem like a chore, but it doesn’t have to be. Take this as an opportunity to start over and simplify your life. With a handy list and a positive mindset, you’ll be ready to move abroad in no time!