Relocation is exciting, but it runs on paperwork. Whether your family is applying for residency, citizenship, a work permit or school places abroad, the same core documents appear again and again, and many of them take weeks or months to obtain.

Starting early is the single best thing you can do.

This checklist is deliberately broad. It lists the documents families typically gather, so that nothing important is left until the last minute. Not every item will apply to you, and some destinations will ask for things that are not listed here. Requirements differ by country, by route and by authority, and they change. Before you order, translate or certify anything, confirm the exact requirement with the authority that will receive it, or with your adviser.

How to work through it:

1. Read each chapter and tick the items that apply to your family.
2. Use the per-person tracker in Chapter 14 to record what you hold, what you need and where each document is.
3. Note issue and expiry dates as you go. Validity windows matter a great deal.
4. Return to the checklist every few weeks and update it.

• Passports with plenty of remaining validity. Many countries and programmes require a passport to remain valid for some months beyond your planned travel or application; check the exact period.
• Previous passports, especially if they contain visas or entry stamps relevant to your history.
• National identity cards, where your country issues them.
• Birth certificates, ideally full or long-form versions listing both parents.
• Passport-style photographs that meet the destination's specifications (size, background and age of photograph often differ).
• Residence permits or visas for any country where you currently live.
• Evidence of any change of name (deed poll or equivalent).

• Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate.
• Divorce decrees from any previous marriages.
• Custody orders or parenting arrangements, where relevant.
• Adoption papers, where applicable.
• Consent documents if a child is travelling or applying without both parents. Many authorities expect a signed, and sometimes notarised, consent from the absent parent.
• Death certificates of a former spouse, where relevant to your marital history.
• Documents showing dependency, for adult children or older relatives who may be included in an application.

• Police certificates from your country of citizenship and from any country where you have lived for a significant period. Destinations define "significant" differently, so check.
• Note the issue date carefully. Police certificates are often accepted only if they are recent, so timing the request matters.
• Check which family members need one. This often depends on age.

For children

• School reports and transcripts from recent years.
• School leaving certificates or letters confirming enrolment.
• Records of any special educational needs assessments or support plans.
• Standardised test results and language certificates.
• Samples of work, where a new school may ask for them.
• A letter from the current school describing the curriculum followed, which helps a new school place the child well.

For adults

• Diplomas and degree certificates.
• Academic transcripts.
• Professional qualifications and licences, if you intend to practise a regulated profession abroad. Recognition processes can be long, so start early.
• Language certificates.

• Employment contract or offer letter for a new role abroad.
• Letters from current and recent employers confirming position, dates of employment and, where requested, income.
• A current CV.
• Business registration documents, articles of association and shareholder records, if you own or run a company.
• Recent company accounts, where relevant.
• Professional licences and memberships.
• Records of self-employment, such as contracts or tax filings.

Many residency and citizenship routes, and many visas, ask families to show that they have sufficient means, and some ask where their funds and wealth came from. The exact evidence varies widely, but the categories below come up often.

Everyday financial evidence

• Bank statements for the period requested.
• Proof of address, such as utility statements or a tenancy agreement.
• Tax returns and tax residence certificates.
• Payslips or evidence of regular income.

Source of funds and source of wealth

Source of funds usually means where the specific money for a transaction or application comes from. Source of wealth usually means how your overall wealth was built over time. Some processes ask for one, some for both.

• A written summary of how your wealth was accumulated (employment, business, investments, inheritance, property sales, gifts).
• Documents supporting each part of that story: sale agreements, share certificates, inheritance documents, gift letters, dividend records, business sale documents.
• Statements showing the movement of funds between accounts.
• Investment and pension statements.

Gathering this can take time, particularly for older transactions. Start early, keep documents in date order, and take qualified financial and legal advice where your situation is complex.

• Medical records summarising significant conditions, treatments and medications.
• Vaccination histories, especially for school-age children. Schools and immigration authorities may ask for specific vaccinations.
• Prescriptions, with the generic names of medicines. Some medicines are controlled differently in other countries; check before you travel.
• Dental and optical records.
• Medical examination results, if the destination requires a medical as part of the application.
• Current health insurance documents, and evidence of any cover required by the destination.

• Driving licences for every driver in the family.
• Check whether your licence can be exchanged, used for a period, or must be replaced by a local test. Arrangements depend on both countries.
• An international driving permit, where relevant.
• A letter from your insurer confirming your claims history, which some insurers abroad will consider.
• Vehicle registration and ownership documents, if you plan to take a vehicle with you.

Moving animals across borders has its own rules and timelines, and some steps must happen in a strict order.

• Microchip records.
• Vaccination records, including rabies where required.
• Blood test results, if the destination requires them.
• Pet passport or official health certificate.
• Import permits, where required.
• Airline or transport requirements for travel crates and documents.

Check the destination's official animal import rules early. Some steps must be completed well before travel.

• Applications and correspondence with prospective schools.
• Offer letters and enrolment confirmations.
• Records the new school requests in advance (see Chapter 4).
• References from current teachers, where requested.
• Evidence of address in the destination, if school places are allocated by catchment.

• Title deeds or mortgage documents for property you own.
• Tenancy agreements, current and future.
• Letters from landlords, which can help when renting abroad.
• Documents for any property purchase abroad, if it forms part of your plans.
• Inventories and insurance documents for belongings you are shipping.

Apostille and legalisation

Many authorities will only accept a foreign public document if its authenticity has been confirmed.

• Between countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention, this is usually done with an apostille, issued by a designated authority in the country where the document was issued.
• Where one of the countries is not party to the Convention, consular legalisation is often required instead, which can involve several steps.

Checklist:

• Confirm, for each document, whether the receiving authority needs an apostille, legalisation or neither.
• Confirm whether the original must be apostilled, or whether a certified copy is acceptable.
• Order apostilles before translation where the translation must also cover the apostille.

Certified translations

• Confirm the language each authority requires.
• Confirm what kind of translation it accepts: a sworn translator, a translator registered in the destination, or another certified form.
• Check whether the translation itself must be apostilled or legalised.
• Keep the original, the apostille and the translation together.

Common mistake: ordering translations from a provider the receiving authority does not accept. Always check first.

Some documents do not expire in the ordinary sense but are only accepted if recently issued. Others have fixed expiry dates. Both matter.

• Note the issue date and expiry date of every document.
• Ask each authority how recent documents must be (for example, police certificates, bank statements, medical examinations and birth certificates may all have "issued within" rules).
• Plan the order in which you request documents so that the time-sensitive ones are still valid when you submit.

Rules differ by country and change, so treat this as a prompt to check, not a set of fixed periods.

Print one table per person. Tick "Have" when you hold the original, and note where it is stored.

Family member: ______________________________ Date of birth: ____________ Nationalities: ______________________________

Family-level documents

Your document file contains some of the most sensitive information your family holds. Treat it accordingly.

• Keep originals together in one secure place, such as a fire-resistant folder or safe.
• Scan every document in colour, both sides, and name files clearly (for example, "Surname-Firstname-Passport-issued-YYYY").
• Store scans in one secure, encrypted location with strong, unique passwords and two-step sign-in.
• Share documents only through secure channels. Avoid sending passports or financial statements as ordinary email attachments where a secure alternative is available.
• Keep a short index of every document, its location and its dates.
• Decide who in the family can access the file, and agree what happens if that person is unavailable.
• Carry copies, not originals, when travelling unless the original is required.
• Destroy old copies securely when you no longer need them.

• Which authority will receive this document, and in what form?
• Original, certified copy or scan?
• Apostille, legalisation or neither?
• Which language, and which kind of translator?
• How recently must it have been issued?
• Will I need it again for a later stage, such as renewal or citizenship?

Apostille — a certificate confirming the authenticity of a public document, used between countries party to the Hague Apostille Convention.

Consular legalisation — a process of authenticating a document for use in a country outside the Apostille Convention, often through several offices.

Certified translation — a translation accompanied by a formal confirmation of accuracy, in a form the receiving authority accepts.

Long-form birth certificate — a fuller version of a birth certificate, often listing both parents.

Police certificate — an official record, or confirmation of the absence of a record, of criminal convictions.

Source of funds — where the money used for a particular transaction or application comes from.

Source of wealth — how a person's overall wealth was built over time.

Every family's paperwork is different, and the right checklist depends on your destination, your route and your history. If you would like one tailored to your family, you are welcome to book a free, private consultation with Kaitu 開途 at /consultation. You will work with one senior consultant from beginning to end, and your information stays private.

You can also write to us at hello@kaitu.org.