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Relocating an office is probably more complicated than moving homes. There are many things to consider to ensure a successful move, including office furnishings, supplies, and even the employees that must be organised and settled.

Whether your business is moving across the region or abroad, a poorly managed office move can be a huge headache, not just for you, but also your employees and even your clients. This is especially true if you choose to do office relocations during peak season.

To ensure a successful business relocation during peak season, here are five tips you must remember.

1. Start planning your relocation early

Time is a critical factor when moving your business during peak season, so you must act early. Advanced planning can eliminate the unnecessary hassle and help streamline logistics.

If you put off attending things, even the tiniest details, until the last minute, you may end up running out of time for organising the move, or paying more for removal companies.

But if you have a detailed relocation plan outlining how and when each task must be performed, and how much every aspect of the move will cost, you can significantly save money and time. Most importantly, it will ensure a smooth office move.

Give yourself three to six months to put together a clear and concise relocation plan. Evaluate the things that should be moved and decide on the items that can be securely eliminated and donated. Though some establishments can accept used office furniture, you can’t assume they can coordinate rush pick-ups to suit your moving schedule. The same is true when securing the disposal of electronic devices.

2. Find a removal company and book a date ASAP

Relocating your office during the peak moving season means movers are in demand. Make sure to choose a reliable mover and pick a moving date that works best for you.

Getting an office removal company on board early will also ensure that there will be no hidden or extra costs to pay. For instance, you may pay more if the movers charge extra for packing and moving delicate office equipment. Though it might be worth paying extra to ensure the safety of the item, you still need to factor these things into your cost assessment so you can include them in your budget.

Do not risk working with mediocre removal companies. Instead, prioritise finding the best and schedule your move date early.

3. Take inventory of all items

Taking inventory is a must when relocating. You need to include all the equipment and supplies you have on your business premises. Compile all files and papers you will need in the future and make a list of those as well. You don’t want to lose anything relevant, so create a detailed list and take this seriously.

Having a list of all equipment, documents and supplies will also guide the relocation company in providing you with a reliable quote. More importantly, it will help ensure that nothing will get lost or damaged during transit.

4. Delegate moving tasks

An office relocation is not a solo endeavour, but rather an entire company’s affair. Assign tasks to employees or teams. For instance, ask a number of your workers to complete the inventory while the others purchase packing materials or other items you need for your move.

As for tasks that need proficiency, delegate them to competent workers. For instance, let the IT department deal with tech-related matters, and those in the administrative sector can prepare all the necessary documentation.

Delegating jobs will reduce your workload and guarantee an organised move. It will also ease employee tension because they are involved in the relocation process and know firsthand what is taking place.

Make sure to be clear and loud about everyone’s tasks, including the deadlines. As you assign tasks, it would also be great to get input from your employees regarding the changes they want for their new space, and make an effort to acknowledge staff needs in planning and designing your new business location.

5. Be mindful of essential documents and deadlines

Generally, vendors will require different documents and set varying timelines. Make sure to keep a list of each one’s specific requirements because failing to meet the deadline or missing paperwork can hold up timelines and relocation services.

Moreover, most key actions can only be taken after completing preparatory steps, so make sure that everyone adheres to the expected timeline milestones to keep the office move running smoothly.

Moving a business, regardless of whether it is a small or large one, is not easy since it involves handling numerous supplies, bulky and fragile equipment, and essential documentation. But if you plan well and aim to include your employees throughout the relocation process, you’ll be back in business in no time.

At Writer Relocations, we can minimise the stress by tackling your move because it is our area of expertise. Our experienced packers and movers can relocate your business, supplies, equipment, and people hassle-free. From planning the office shifting process to managing the office move, you can trust us. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our high-quality corporate relocation services.

Safety is a top priority for movers like us, most especially for office shifting. While a house move does have its own unique set of challenges, commercial removals tend to be more complex because of the sheer number of equipment and supplies that need to be transported.

And since these items are likely to be of high value, you need your staff to know exactly how to pack them safely for transport—and this can prove difficult.

You can always hire experts for packing unpacking services, of course. But for added safety, and in case you don’t have a big relocation budget, it still pays to learn the three best tips for packing office equipment and supplies listed below:

1. Use the original packaging whenever possible.

The safest packaging for your office equipment is that which they originally came with when you bought them.

When buying new office equipment, we recommend setting aside the original packaging, including the box and any cushioning provided. Since those came from the manufacturer, the packaging details are custom designed to ensure that the specific equipment you bought arrives in its perfect state.

2. Don’t skimp on cushioning.

Cushioning is a vital part of packing office supplies and equipment, especially if you have lots of fragile items in your office.

To avoid damage, you need to use the right cushioning materials to prevent the items from rocking back and forth in their respective boxes or containers.

Some of your cushioning options include:

Packing peanuts

These are foam-based products that come in the shape of shelled peanuts around the size of an unshelled one; hence, the name.

Also called ‘foam peanuts’, these cushion fragile items by filling the empty spaces in the box and closely surrounding the object they are protecting.

Padded divider sets

Padded dividers are compartmentalised containers made to organise items for shipping. These are characterised by little walls that come with padded inner surfaces and covers for added protection.

Padded dividers are perfect for keeping smaller objects, such as figurines and mugs, secure during transport. They can also be used for packing items with incompatible shapes or sizes.

Bubble bags

Bubble wrap bags or just “bubble bags” are packaging essentials made of bubble wrap that may look like a bag, envelope or even a sheet of wrapping material.

Available in many shapes and sizes, bubble wrap is made from tiny air-filled sacs that cushion items wrapped in it.

Packaging foam

Deemed to be the biggest packaging material used for cushioning, packaging foam can be cut and shaped into whatever form is ideal for an item it is supposed to protect during transit. This makes it the second-best option in securing computers and other fragile office equipment (next to the original packaging).

Unlike packing peanuts, packaging foam is denser and bigger. Plus, it doesn’t have a definite shape and can be purchased in the form of sheets, rolls, or even egg crates of soft, thick foam.

It also comes in a wide range of firmness levels, depending on what’s necessary for the object it needs to protect.

3. Know the proper packing method for every item.

Different things require different packaging approaches to make sure they arrive in pristine condition in your new office. You can’t expect papers to remain clean and uncrumpled if you just toss them inside the same box as the copier, after all.

Below is a practical guide to packing common office items you can follow:

Documents

Using file boxes, sort and organise your documents before the move.

Develop an organisational system that will make it easier to find and endorse paperwork once you arrive at your new office. Don’t forget to label every file box and add a brief description of its contents.

Pro Tip: Take the relocation as an opportunity to go through the papers in your office and get rid of anything that is no longer needed. Remember to shred any document containing sensitive information, like your customers’ phone numbers, addresses, and credit card numbers.

Office Equipment

Before packing your phones, printers, fax machines and computers, make sure you backup all your company data on a cloud server. This ensures the safety of your data and allows you to continue working at the same time, even if the computers are still in transit and your new office hasn’t been set up yet.

Untangle cables for your electronic equipment, and make sure these are organised and labelled properly. If possible, use coloured tape to wrap the cords that go together. The colour-coding system can help you know which set of cables go with what equipment.

If you don’t have their original boxes, pack your monitors and computers in sturdy boxes to make sure they are secure during transit. Don’t forget to add sufficient and appropriate cushioning.

Office Décor

Keep office décor like clocks, framed pictures and vases bubble wrapped well ahead of the move.

Since they don’t affect day-to-day operations, these could be the first ones to go into the moving boxes for your office relocation. Remember to label them accordingly for easy unpacking.

Desks and Office Furniture

The contents of individual desks should be packed by the person that uses them. Inform your employees of the relocation schedule so they can prepare and pack the contents of their desks ahead of time.

Make sure all personal items are bubble wrapped and get rid of any items that are no longer in use.

Leave the prep work for the transport of the desk themselves to the packing and unpacking service provider or commercial packers and movers you hired for the relocation. The same goes for chairs and the rest of your office furniture.

Ensure a Safe and Secure Office Relocation

Relocating to a new office can be a daunting endeavour without the right knowledge or expert help.

Protect your equipment and supplies during transit by following these tips and make the entire move hassle-free with the help of Writer Relocations.

Get a quote and send your inquiries today.

It is a strange time afflicting us all, an unprecedented one for sure. The COVID-19 has turned into a global pandemic, which have led many countries to put up strict restrictions on entry and exit. Visa and immigration rules have altered and have been changing as and when new developments have been unfolding. Work permit issuance is also getting changed. It’s now the era of closed borders and increasingly tightened quarantine rules – every attempt is being taken to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

As an overseas removal company, Writer Relocations is giving you highlights of visa and immigration norms of some of the countries of the world. So, for a person planning a travel from India to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, due to whichever reasons, you need to take into consideration the various new factors in these current times.

AUSTRALIA

Immigration Restrictions

• Most offshore applications for permanent visas appear to be on hold.
• All visitors to Australia are urged to leave the country if it is possible to do so.
• Australian citizens and permanent residents are not given permission to travel overseas due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Immigration Concessions

• Temporary Skill Shortage and subclass 457 visa holders who have been stood down, but not laid off, will maintain a valid visa and businesses will have the opportunity to extend your visa as per normal arrangements.
• Those who have been laid off should find another employer within 60 days or make arrangements to leave Australia, where possible.
• A special category of the Subclass 408 Temporary Work Visa has been created to cater to temporary residents employed in critical sectors like health, aged care or agriculture, who cannot return to their home country and have no other visa options.

CANADA

Immigration Restrictions

• The US and Canada have agreed to extend restrictions on non-essential travel across their shared border for 30 additional days, until 22 June. Cross-border trade and regular commuters will not be blocked.
• Effective 18 March, entry is suspended for foreign travelers, including those holding a valid visitor visas or electronic travel authorization (eTA).

• Foreign nationals who have already committed to working, studying or making Canada their home are permitted to enter Canada (documents issued prior to 18 March).
• Foreign nationals seeking to come to Canada from anywhere other than the US will need a work permit or approval letter before seeking to travel.
• Non-essential work permits will not be issued at the border.
• Immediate family members who intend to reunite with a family member currently in Canada need written authorization from the government of Canada.

Immigration Concessions.

• Ordinary rules apply for those seeking to extend before current work permit expiry (implied status), and within 90 days of work permit expiry (restoration).
• Foreign workers already in Canada whose status has been expired more than 90 days can seek a temporary resident permit.
• Canadian citizenship applicants who are unable to travel to Canada can reschedule their knowledge tests, retests, interviews, hearings or Oaths of Citizenship for a later date.
• Applicants for visitor visas, work permits, study permits or permanent residence who cannot complete the next steps in their application will be given an automatic extension.

FRANCE

Immigration Restrictions

• Effective 17 March until further notice, the issuance of all visas is suspended, including applications for which an appointment has already been made.
• Effective 17 March, prefectural offices are closed until further notice, and all appointments postponed.

Immigration Concessions

• The Paris Prefecture of Police has launched a web portal to enable foreign nationals to apply for postal delivery of their residence permits that were supposed to be delivered during lockdown.
• The period of validity of the following permits that expire between 16 May and 15 June is extended by 180 days from their expiry date.
• Holders of short-stay visas which are going to expire who cannot return to their country of origin can, in case of justified urgency, enjoy an extension of their short stay visa (up to 90 days) or a residence permit that is provisional.

GERMANY

Immigration Restrictions

• Effective 15 May, border checks at the border with Luxembourg have ended.
• On 13 May, Germany agreed in principle with Austria, France and Switzerland to coordinate the reopening of their mutual borders by 15 June.
• Travelers without a valid reason for traveling are not allowed to enter Germany.
• Immigration offices in several cities have reopened with limited services (mainly for emergencies only) and on an appointment basis.
• Services at the alien offices in Berlin are unavailable without an appointment.
• Immigration offices in other cities are closed or offering only limited or emergency services.

Immigration Concessions

• Foreign residents living in Berlin will not be penalised for the expiry of temporary residence documents while alien office services are restricted. However, exiting and re-entering Germany is only possible with a valid residence document.
• Foreign residents may have their permits extended by submitting an extension application (online or by fax) before the validity expires. They should obtain a confirmation letter or other proof of submission, which however would not grant reentry into Germany.
• Hamburg and other jurisdictions may offer to extend C visas if required due to the current situation.

UNITED KINGDOM

Immigration Restrictions

• From 1 June, some UK Visa Application Centres (VACs) abroad are resuming services, where local restrictions allow.
• Effective 8 June, passengers of all nationalities arriving in the UK will have to self isolate for 14 days.
• A breach of self-isolation would be punishable with a £1000 fixed penalty.
• All priority and super priority services have been suspended until further notice.
• Applicants can only submit under the standard route. Life in the UK test centres are currently closed so any Indefinite Leave applications submitted without evidence of a completed test will be held until this can be taken and the results published.
• Many UK Visa Application Centres (VACs) and English Testing Centres abroad are closed or offering limited services, and appointments (for e.g., biometric enrolment) may be cancelled.
• Applicants who have paid for courier return will receive their passport if courier routes remain open. TLS contact or VFS Global can be contacted directly to request courier return of passports.
• British nationals abroad who cannot apply for a passport can apply for an emergency travel document.
• It is taking longer than usual to process citizenship applications because of coronavirus. This will not affect the decision. Extra time will be allowed to enroll.

• biometrics and provide additional information. Applicants have 6 months (rather than the usual 3 months) to book their citizenship ceremony after receiving an invitation from the Home Office.

Immigration Concessions

• Employees who have applied for a Tier 2 or 5 visa and are waiting for a decision can start work before receiving a decision if they have been assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
• The Home Office will not take any compliance action against Tier 2/5 employees who are unable to attend their work due to the COVID-19 outbreak (i.e., illness, their need to isolate or inability to travel due to travel restrictions) or against sponsors which authorize absences and continue to sponsor employees despite absences for this reason.
• There is no need to report sponsored employees working from home due to coronavirus. Some alterations to their working arrangements need to be reported as usual.
• Sponsors can temporarily reduce the pay of sponsored employees to 80% of their salary or £2500 per month, whichever is the lower. Any cuts in package must be part of a company-wide policy in a bid to avoid redundancies. That cannot be avoided since all workers are treated the same.
• These reductions aren’t permanent, and the employee’s pay need to be returned to once these arrangements have ended.
• An employee may still apply for their visa if their Certificate of Sponsorship has become invalid due to coronavirus.

UNITED STATES

Immigration Restrictions

• Effective 1 June, entry is suspended for certain Chinese nationals seeking to enter the United States on an F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visa to pursue graduate level study or conduct research in the US.
• Effective 28 May at 11:59 pm EDT, entry as immigrants or nonimmigrants is

• suspended for travelers of any nationality who have been in Brazil in the previous 14 days. This does not apply to US citizens or permanent residents (green card holders).
• Effective 23 April for a period of 60 days (with an option to be continued “as necessary”), entry is suspended for first-time immigrant visa applicants.
• The US, Mexico, and Canada have each agreed to extend restrictions on nonessential travel across their shared borders for 30 additional days, until 22 June.
• Effective 16 March, the travel ban is extended to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
• Effective 29 February, foreign nationals (other than immediate family of US citizens, permanent residents, and flight crew) who have travelled in Iran within 14 days of their arrival, will be denied entry into the United States.
• Effective 31 January, foreign nationals (other than immediate family of US citizens, permanent residents, and flight crew) who have travelled in mainland China within 14 days of their arrival, will be denied entry into the United States.
• US citizens who had visited or been in the Hubei province within 14 days of their return will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine.

Immigration Restrictions

• Effective 1 June, USCIS will accept premium processing requests for eligible Form I140 petitions (likely the same types of I-140 petitions accepted before 20 March, when premium processing was suspended).
• Effective 8 June, USCIS will accept premium processing requests for eligible Form I129 (nonimmigrant worker) petitions, including H-1B petitions filed before June 8 that are pending adjudication and are cap-exempt, and all other Form I-129 petitions (non H-1B petitions) for nonimmigrant classifications eligible for premium processing filed before June 8 that are pending adjudication.
• Effective 15 June, USCIS pans to accept requests for premium processing for H-1B petitions requesting premium processing by filing an I-907 concurrently with their I129 (or request for a petition filed on or after 8 June) and which are exempt from the cap.
• USCIS is preparing to reopen some domestic offices on or after 4 June. The offices that will be reopening include the local offices that process asylum claims, permanent resident and naturalization interviews, Info Pass appointments, and biometrics processing. USCIS has announced that they will send notices to individuals and their attorneys when the previously cancelled appointments have been rescheduled.

Keep an eye for our next blog on visa and immigration restrictions and concessions on a few other countries.

INDIA

Entry Restrictions

• As of 0530 hrs Indian Standard Time (IST) on 22 March 2020, no scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft is permitted to take off from any foreign airport for any airport in India. These instructions shall remain in force till prohibition on international travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by the Government of India. Hence, all incoming passenger traffic on all 107 Immigration Check Posts which includes all Airport ICPs, all Seaport ICPs all Land Port ICPs, all Rail Port ICPs and all River Port ICPs, is prohibited. However, this restriction will not apply to international cargo operations and flights especially approved by DGCA.
• Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid non-essential travel to COVID-19 hit countries. Currently with the national lockdown, there are no scheduled international commercial flights taking off from India to any foreign country.
• The following categories of foreign nationals are permitted to enter India via nonscheduled commercial/chartered flights, trains, ships or other transport, having obtained a fresh business or employment visa, as applicable, from the relevant Indian consulate. Existing electronic visas remain suspended and are not valid for entering India. Foreign nationals holding a valid long-term multiple entry business visa (other than B-3 visa for sports) or an employment visa issued by an Indian consulate must have these visas re-validated by the relevant consulate.
  • Business travelers with a business visa (other than B3 visa for sports;
  • Healthcare professionals, health researchers, engineers and technicians for technical work at Indian health sector facilities, subject to a letter of invitation form a recognized and registered healthcare facility, registered pharmaceutical company or accredited university in India;
  • Engineering, managerial, design or other specialists travelling to India on behalf of foreign business entities located in India, including all manufacturing units, design units, software and IT units as well as financial sector companies (banking and non-banking financial sector firms).
  • Technical specialists and engineers travelling for installation repair and maintenance of foreign-origin machinery and equipment facilities in India, on the invitation of a registered Indian business entity.

• The suspension of all scheduled international passenger services is extended until 30 June 2020.
• With the suspension of international commercial flights to India, travelling into India is currently not possible. Also, post resumption of the flight services, incoming travelers (regardless of nationality or visa type) will still need to comply with the ‘quarantine’ stipulations as directed by authorities.
• The suspension of visa services is extended in line with the suspension of all international passenger services.
• The following categories of OCI cardholders stranded abroad are permitted to return to India: Minor children born to Indian nationals abroad and holding OCI cards; OCI cardholders wishing to come to India on account of family emergency such as death in the family; couples with permanent residence in India, where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national; and university students who are OCI cardholders (not legally minors) but whose parents are Indian citizens living in India. Qualifying OCI cardholders are required to contact the Indian consulate in their country of residence to request travel to India on special flights.
• Air India is accepting certain passengers from inside India for the outbound section of these repatriation trips. To qualify, passengers must be nationals of the destination countries; Indian or foreign nationals holding a visa for the destination country (valid for at least one year); or health workers holding a valid permit for travel to the destination country (and written permission from the Embassy of the destination country). Before purchasing the tickets, such persons are required to recheck their eligibility for travel by referring to the conditions on the respective countries’ regulatory website. The full cost of travel must be borne by the passenger. At the time of boarding the flight, all passengers must undergo thermal screening as per the health protocol. Passengers must ensure that they comply with all travel and health requirements of the destination country. All passengers must sign an undertaking stating that in case of deportation, the entire cost of the deportation penalty, return fare, and cost of quarantine will be borne by the passenger.
• All existing visas (except diplomatic, UN/international organization, employment and project visas) issued to nationals of any country who have not yet entered India stand suspended until the lifting of the suspension of international passenger services.
• Incoming travelers, including Indian nationals are required to complete and submit a self-declaration form and undergo universal health screening at the designated health counters at all points of entry, will be quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days, and are advised to avoid non-essential travel.

Immigration Restrictions

• India Visa application centers and online e-visa application facility are closed till further notice. However, at few locations the Embassy/consulate and their representative offices are in discussion to resume their visa/consular services.
• Foreign nationals are not permitted to visit the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) without a prior appointment until further notice.
• All foreign nationals presently in India allowed to exit India and return at a later date based on availability of flights. However, they must return to India on a fresh visa issued from an overseas mission/consulate only.

Immigration Concessions

• Regular Visas, e-visas or stay permits of foreign nationals whose visas have expired or will expire between 1 February (at midnight)) and the date of the lifting of the suspension of international passenger services, are extended without fee “Gratis basis”, based on the submission of an online application by the foreign national via the e-FRRO portal. Such extensions are granted for a period up to 30 days from the date of the lifting of the suspension of international passenger services from India without overstay penalties. Exit will also be granted to such foreign nationals on request. As present the FRRO are issuing them Gratis visas until 15 July 2020.
• The validity of OCI card of foreigners presently in India shall remain.

• The visas of all foreign nationals already in India remain valid.
• All foreign nationals already in India should approach their jurisdictional FRRO/FROs through e-FRRO to apply to extend their current Indian visas before the expiry.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started last year, the world witnessed a slowing down or complete halt of global shipments. However, slowly, as demand started building up over a period of time, the situation became worse and started impacting the mobility programmes of businesses as well as their international assignments.

In these challenging times, we, Writer Relocations, as one of the leading international movers and global mobility players, want to ensure you face minimum hassles, if at all. Therefore, in this blog we discuss the detailed household goods challenges, as well as vital recommendations that businesses can follow to help bring down the impact that shipment delays have on move journeys.

Reduction in Departures from the Ports

• Many shipping companies have drastically cut down the number of departures out of ports. In many places, the weekly routes have been abridged to sometimes just two in a week, and even once a month, too, in certain cases.
• However, it’s mostly dependent on restriction norms and the demands that are generated accordingly.
• The productivity ratio at the ports has also gone down as a consequence of that, as well as the fact that the number of dockworkers has been reduced to abide by the social distancing restrictions.

APAC is a very vital region that is especially witnessing considerable delays. The shipments are being hindered by a considerable imbalance of empty containers located in the Western regions, without any provisions being made to return them to ports in the APAC, where there is a genuine need.

Increased Expenses

• The decline in the number of shipments along with an imbalance of containers has led to a rise in the freight rates, especially in APAC.
• The increased expenses when it comes to the sea freight rates has led to an escalation in demand for air transport, thereby elevating the prices there, too.

What Writer Relocations Proposes

• Vigilance and preparation are the crucial elements in this scenario. If your business has planned moves that contain household goods shipments, then ensure that the relocation services provider you have chosen gets to know of this as early as possible.This will help to make sure the mobility schedule does not get hampered at all, even in the face of all possible delays due to the pandemic.
• Setting realistic expectations. It is obvious that the international assignees will be experiencing longer-than-expected wait times during these challenging times.Delay in the arrival of the household goods will be inevitable and assignees need to be told of this beforehand so that there are no confusions later on.
• The relocation budget must reflect potential overhead and other supplementary costs. Again, this has to be discussed and decided upon from the very beginning itself. Now, it’s taken that the transport and freight rates have increased considerably, and because of that (and otherwise, too), employees might experience significantly long delays in receiving their cargo.

In such a scenario, it’s best for the assignees to hold up in temporary accommodations.

Writer Relocations provides Temporary Accommodation services, especially for the assignees under these circumstances. The assignees can also avail furniture rental options in places that are available, which can be considered as a provisional arrangement. To know about our Temporary Accommodation services in detail, do visit our webpage.

Writer Relocations continues to work closely with a few chosen and selected household goods partners to make sure we follow measures to reduce the impact of the difficult times that we are in.

Our endeavour remains to be of assistance to our customers, no matter how trying the situation might be.

For more assistance, reach out to us at https://www.writerrelocations.com/.

Checklist If you have been recently hired by a company abroad or asked to relocate to take up a position in an overseas branch this year, you can count yourself as one of the lucky few who have this opportunity.

This is because work-related relocations took a downturn in the past year. Not many people have been given the chance to pursue their careers overseas.

But with COVID-19 still a global health threat, you can’t afford to get too excited as it could cause you to make hasty decisions regarding your international move. You have to take additional steps to ensure you remain safe and that you won’t experience any problems before and during your overseas relocation with the pandemic still in full swing.

Leading moving companies share below a checklist you can use as your guide to experience a smooth and safe relocation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic:

Entry Restrictions

The first thing you have to know if you are planning to relocate abroad is if you will be allowed entry to your country of destination.

Until now, several countries have closed their borders to foreigners. Unless you are on a list of authorised personnel that will be admitted under any circumstance, you can’t consider moving somewhere that does not allow immigrants entry now.

If you are not allowed to apply for an entry visa in your current country, it is a sure sign that you won’t be permitted to enter your destination.

However, travel restrictions are changing quickly, so always keep close tabs on developments in your destination country. Visit the website of the International Air Transport Association or IATA and the embassy of your destination regularly to read updates.

Current Situation in Your Destination

If you are allowed to travel to your destination, make sure you know the current situation so that you can prepare well for your move.

Find out if banks, government offices, public transportation, and businesses are operating as usual. By doing so, you will know what things you can get done as soon as you arrive, such as opening a bank account and applying for a work permit, and how you can go around.

If you are moving with your family, check if schools are open. You can then start shortlisting your options for your children even before your flight.

Aside from doing your research online, get the details from your employer. If you have already hired your mover, find out if they offer destination orientation services and get some info from them as well.

Local Guidelines

While researching the situation in your destination, read about the rules and guidelines that you must follow upon your arrival.

All countries have their own strict rules that you need to know before you arrive at your destination. You can be hit with a heavy fine and even face detention if you fail to follow them simply because you are not aware of these policies.

Some of the possible guidelines you can expect when you arrive at your destination are:

• Submitting a medical certificate that shows you are negative for the coronavirus
• Taking a COVID-19 screening test upon arrival instead of or in addition to submitting a medical certificate
• Observing self-quarantine in your residence or designated accommodation upon arrival
• Wearing a facial mask while in public areas

Some countries also have soft rules about combatting the pandemic. These include social distancing, washing hands or applying alcohol or alcohol-based sanitisers frequently, and removing footwear before entering your home or another person’s home.

Although you will not be penalised for disregarding these soft rules, you show that you are respectful of their practices if you follow them. Moreover, you also minimise the risk of contracting the coronavirus for you and other people if you take note of these guidelines.

Availability of Quality Healthcare and Medical Services

Knowing how and where you can have access to reliable healthcare and medical services is part of being vigilant against the coronavirus. As such, you will do well to identify the best hospitals and clinics where you can get good-quality treatment for any type of condition or illness, including COVID-19, beforehand.

A quick search online will give you an idea of the quality of healthcare and medical services you can expect in your destination. Additionally, you will know which hospitals and clinics are in or near your area.

While researching, find out which insurance is widely accepted in your destination. The last thing you want to happen is to get sick or hurt, only to find out at the last minute that your coverage won’t be of much help during consultation and treatment.

An international moving company that is also a reliable destination service provider can help you choose the right coverage and provide you with information regarding the healthcare system and services you can expect abroad.

Safe Shipping Services

Finally, moving abroad during the pandemic also entails keeping your belongings safe. If you need to ship some items, you have to ensure you will hire a relocation company that can manage this tough job.

Your moving company should take extra precautions to protect your belongings, their staff, and you, their client, against COVID-19. Additionally, they should have measures in place that will work to your advantage if you need to reschedule your relocation.

They should also have procedures to follow in case your shipment will be affected by sudden changes in travel guidelines.

We hope that this checklist will help you with your international move during the pandemic.

Feel free to connect with our consultants to find out how we can help you experience a safe and stress-free move locally and internationally.

The concept of remote learning is comparatively new to educators and students, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made it a necessity in the current times. However, institutions and organisations have already been offering online courses and certification classes for a long time. We cannot forget about the homeschool communities, too.

But now that remote learning has become the need of the hour, it remains to be seen if it becomes a norm for the future as well. And, even though it seems a bit of a stretch initially, this new trend of remote learning within the current education sector can, in the long run, transform the relocation industry, as observed by international relocation companies.

Let’s see how:

• When education is imparted online, employees would not have to wait for the beginning of an academic year to plan their family relocation. Earlier, many things were dependent on the academic sessions of schools because children would not easily get transfers and new admission in the middle of a year. That eliminates the hassle.
• Sometimes, even if the children get an admission, adjusting to a new curriculum can become taxing at times. The language barrier can be an issue with a move to a different country.
• This way, the entire family can relocate together and there is no added tension of looking for a suitable academic institution for the children immediately after relocation. The fact that children can connect with teachers and peers from anywhere virtually will help the family remain united, move together, and overall, create consistency on the education front.

So, now, if the employees are able to accept suitable positions during any time of the calendar year, what will be its impact over the entire relocation industry? The implications can be astonishing.

Real Estate

If children’s education can be conducted online and there is no restriction to a particular time-frame when it comes to employee relocation, the flow of talent will be more consistent. This will, in the long run, ease the burdens that suppliers and employers experience (when all relocation processes have to be arranged within a fixed span for a lot of people together).

Household Goods

Supply and demand metrics can be fixed to a great extent if the rush of the peak season can be controlled. The high demand that is faced during this period often leads to transportation companies recruiting seasonal employees who may not be trained enough, and this can result in stupendous mistakes.

Housing options

After relocation, people often have to take up accommodations on rent or buy them. If the move is spread out throughout the year, it’s easier to get good options in housing; otherwise, a sudden spurt might hit the market badly, leading to unnecessary skyrocketing of the rent dynamics.

So, let’s embrace the change and move on amidst the challenges that we are facing. The pandemic has taught us to be creative and stretch our limits in many innovative ways. It’s time to adapt to the change as we go towards a new direction for a better beginning.

Writer Relocations, one of the most reliable international movers and packers, is with you, every step of the way, on this. Get in touch with us today.