The Final Return Guide for Expats | 0551247117 A 60-Day Checklist

A final return after years abroad is not a shipping job but a project of interlocking dates: ending your employment, vacating your home, selling the car, shipping furniture, and timing arrival to match getting your new home. This guide puts it all in a 60-day timeline, right up to unloading in your new house.

The timeline: from 60 days to arrival

60 days before — planning

• Set a provisional departure date: everything else is built on it, even if it changes later.
• Start sorting in your head: walk through your home and decide what to ship, sell or donate.
• Ask about shipping cost: the figure shapes the sorting decision itself, so get it early.
• Check the return-document requirements: in some destinations it is the key to customs exemption, and it takes time to obtain.

45 days before — decisions

• Book an on-site survey: it gives you the volume in cubic metres and a final written price.
• Finalise what you won’t ship: and start selling it — selling late means a lower price.
• Check appliances and voltage: don’t ship what won’t work in your country.
• Notify your landlord of the move-out date: most leases require advance notice.

30 days before — paperwork

• Start ending your employment: including the end-of-service certificate if your customs require it.
• Prepare shipping documents: IDs, the packing list and consignee details.
• Decide on the car: sell or ship? Shipping needs clearance of fines and any bank lien.
• Arrange cancellations: electricity, water, internet, telecoms and insurance.

14 days before — execution

• Confirm the loading date: and book the goods lift if you live in a tower.
• Set aside sensitive personal items: documents, jewellery and medicines don’t travel with the furniture.
• Photograph your furniture: we document it too, but your copy is an extra reference.
• Check the prohibited list: and empty aerosols, paints and the like.

The day before

• Empty the fridge and freezer: and leave them open to dry — the mistake that causes the most damage.
• Charge your devices and keep the chargers with you: you’ll need them on the way and in the first days.
• Pack a bag for the first weeks: clothes and essentials you’ll need before the shipment arrives.

See when to ship your furniture and when to buy new to decide what is worth shipping, and how to sort your furniture before shipping for a practical method.

The most common returnee mistakes

The cheapest way to an economical final return

The lowest number on a quote is not the lowest cost. Many people pay the difference later as packing fees, hoisting charges or clearance that was not mentioned at first. We work with one all-inclusive written price that does not change once agreed. Here is what really lowers your bill:

The best shipping company for final returnees: criteria you can test

Every company calls itself the best, and the customer has no way to check before paying. Instead of promises, here are criteria you can test in a single call — and what we commit to on each.

Frequently asked questions