Certificates You Have To Take When You Move Oversea - article by Fresh Articles

certificates you have to take when you move oversea

It may come as a shock to most Americans but Passports are now a requirement for Americans to travel outside of the USA. The days are gone when you could travel on your driving license or birth or baptismal certificate.

The fallout from 9/11 still haunts the globe and no-one in their right mind wants a repeat of that in their home country. For long-term residence in another country a passport is a requirement and you will almost certainly be required to register with the authorities. This may be the police or immigration where you are staying. Before you make the move, please make sure that you know how soon you have to register (in some countries you must register within 24 hours) and where.

Keep your passport up to date and renew it immediately when it is due. When your passport runs out keep the old one with you as your visa may still be valid and you will need to show it as well as your new passport.

Visa

Working in a country will almost certainly require a work visa. Your employer may be able to help to sort out the paperwork for this but if you are self-employed it may take some research and expense. Please remember that you may be rejected, so allow sufficient time to reapply, especially if you are booking flights.

Work Permit

Again this may be an employer's responsibility but make sure about what you need to do before you actually get there. One of the basic requirements to check out is if you need to apply for this in your home country or in another country, where you will be a temporary resident. Arriving in a country and finding you have to spend a week or more outside the country to get your paperwork sorted out is a pain that you can do without.

Medical and Dental Records

It is a stressing hassle if you arrive in a country before you find out that they require you to produce copies of your medical or dental records. Yes, those same records that are at home in a safety deposit box or in your sister’s important papers drawer. Getting them sent out securely is a nightmare. So research and plan in advance.

Birth Certificates

These may be useful as alternative means of identification but a copy of your passport is probably better. It is always a good idea to hold on to birth certificates as they are physical records of your birth. The point here is that you do not always know when you will need one. Make a copy before you leave your country and carry it with you. Keep the original in a safe place and know how to get it quickly if you need it.

Embassy

This may be the wrong place to add this one, but it’s as good as anyplace right now. Please take the time to register with your embassy when you arrive. They need know where all their nationals are in case of disaster evacuation, change in government or medical problems within the country.

Copies

Identity theft is big business so make sure that you keep copies of all your important documents. Include your passport, visa and work permit. Also include travel insurance and medical insurance. Also make front and back copies of your credit cards, driver’s license and the picture page of your passport. Keep a copy for yourself at your home, send copies to your closest relative and put one in your safety deposit box. Get yourself an Internet based e-mail and send copies of these documents, and any others, to yourself at this address. Then you can access the information wherever you can get onto the Internet.

This sounds like overkill and a lot of work. Consider the problems created if you lose a credit card somehow. A photocopy of both sides of it will give you immediate access to the phone number to report the loss before anyone can wipe out your bank account. The other details on that card will also be available to help the company protect your credit. Thirty minutes making copies and putting them where you can access them quickly can save you days of anguish.

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