Pre-move research · quick reference · PDF
Family relocation checklist for Southeast Asia
A family move involves a handful of decisions that affect everything else, not 200 equally urgent errands. This checklist puts the destination research in a sensible order so visas, school, healthcare, money and arrival plans are credible before you book flights or make expensive commitments.
Last verified 31 August 2026
How to use it
Answer the big questions before spending heavily
Read the relevant guide, save official information or a provider's written answer in your own folder, then tick the quick-reference item. The PDF gives both adults the same pre-departure order without requiring another task-management account.
Pre-move research · quick reference · PDF
From feasibility to a protected landing
The checklist is intentionally lightweight. It tells you what to establish; passports, application numbers, banking information and medical records belong in your own secure files.
Research from home
Family relocation research checklist
Use this pre-departure checklist to answer the decisions that affect the rest of the move.
How to use it: read the section above first, then tick an item when you have captured the answer or evidence in your own move folder. The PDF is the offline quick-reference version.
19–12 months: check that the move can work
24–8 months: work out costs and gather documents
31–3 months: prepare for arrival
4Final fortnight: keep essentials with you
Before you commit
Pause at these three spending points
Before school deposits
Confirm placement, campus, curriculum path, refund and notice terms, and credible immigration timing.
Before freight and pets
Confirm exact customs eligibility, arrival window, consignee documents and lawful pet entry—not a forwarder's verbal assumption.
Before a long lease or car
Use real information about the school run, flooding, noise, broadband, banking and driving licences from the destination.
A useful weekly review
Focus on what changed and what is stuck
- What was completed, and where is the confirmation saved?
- Which unanswered question has no reply date or follow-up plan?
- Which decision now affects school, housing, freight, tax or travel?
- What can stay flexible before money leaves the account?
- What does each child need to know or influence this week?
Bring the research together
Ready to turn your research into a family move plan?
The Family Move Planner keeps your destination comparison, family priorities, budget, sources, questions and timeline in one organised system.
£39one-time digital purchase
Common questions
Questions about the family relocation checklist
How is this different from a country-of-departure checklist?
This checklist researches destination-side feasibility: residence status, school, health, home, customs, pets, money, transport and connectivity. Use it alongside the tax, healthcare, property and account obligations that apply in the country or countries you are leaving.
Does the checklist save my ticks?
Yes, in local storage in the browser and device you are using. SettleHappy does not receive them. The downloadable PDF is the portable quick-reference copy for a family folder or provider calls.
Can two family members use the same checklist?
Yes. Download or print the PDF and agree who will collect each piece of evidence in the family's own system. The website checklist is deliberately lightweight rather than a shared project-management account.
What does reviewed mean?
Tick an item when the family has captured the answer or evidence in its own move folder. A tick does not mean an application is approved or the fact cannot change.
Should we book flights before every item is done?
No, but the critical path should be credible: permission to enter and stay, school or childcare, health continuity, lawful pet route where relevant, funds and a viable landing address. Use flexible commitments while approvals remain conditional.
Where should we keep the evidence?
Use the family's own secure move folder. Keep dated official sources, written provider answers, application references and next actions there; do not put passport, banking or detailed medical data into a public website tool.
When should we repeat the checklist?
Repeat it when the destination, school, visa anchor, move date or major family requirement changes. Recheck volatile official information immediately before paying or applying.
Is the timeline exact for every destination?
No. It shows a sensible order for the work, not an official processing timetable. Visa, school, freight, pet and document lead times vary, so replace assumptions with written confirmation from the issuing authority or provider.