Moving abroad with children: prepare the whole family

List who travels together, who might join later and who remains where they are. For each person, connect citizenship and residence permission with the intended stay. An adult's work or residence permit does not establish every dependent's right to enter, remain or work.

For a child, include the adults with parental responsibility, any custody or residence orders, passport arrangements and the intended school stage. For an adult relative, include their own wishes, ability to consent, mobility, treatment and the person authorised to help with decisions.

This makes the difficult dependencies visible early. If one person cannot yet travel, organise their support and the conditions for joining later rather than assuming the whole household can follow the same timetable.

If you are considering a birth abroad, establish the child's citizenship through parentage or place of birth first. Then ask separately whether that citizenship could support a residence application by either parent, and what each parent would need for any later citizenship application of their own. These are distinct legal routes: the child's status does not automatically give the parents residence or citizenship. Confirm the evidence, residence conditions and procedure for each step before making it part of your family plan. Adoption calls for a separate assessment of whether the child acquires citizenship through the adoption and on what terms. Keep any residence route for the adoptive parents and their possible later citizenship applications as two further questions, each with its own requirements.

Compare the curriculum, teaching language and admissions stage with your child's present education. Ask the school for the actual entry requirements, available place, start date, assessment, additional learning support and documents it needs. A school on a shortlist is not yet a place your child can attend.

Put the full cost beside the choice: admission and tuition fees, deposits, transport, meals, uniforms and any learning support. Read notice and withdrawal conditions before paying a deposit, especially when you are keeping a second base ready rather than moving immediately.

For the child, plan the first ordinary week as carefully as the flight. Who does the school run, who can collect them, how will they communicate, and how will they keep contact with important people at home? Discuss the change in terms they can understand and preserve familiar routines where you can.

Moving abroad with pets can determine your departure date and accommodation. Identify the species, origin, destination, transit and whether the animal travels with its owner or an authorised person. Ask the vet and carrier about the actual route before paying for transport.

For non-commercial entry of dogs, cats and ferrets into the EU from outside it, the European Commission's rules address identification, rabies vaccination, the relevant health document and, depending on origin and exemptions, antibody testing. When an authorised person accompanies the animal, the owner's journey must fall within the permitted five-day window. An unaccompanied shipment outside those conditions follows a different regime.

Confirm the carrier's crate, booking and handling requirements as well as the destination rules. Arrange a trusted temporary carer if your pet cannot travel on the same timetable, with responsibility for later veterinary and transport work.