Pre-Move Financial Checklist
Organize accounts, documents, and decisions before you leave the U.S. — a sensible sequence for the 6–24 months before a move.
What’s inside
- 12–24 month pre-move timeline
- Accounts and documents to organize
- Questions to bring to each professional
- What to confirm before you book a flight
Designed for: Anyone in the planning stage of a move abroad.
Educational information only
The information provided by US Expat is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be treated as personalized tax, legal, immigration, investment, insurance, or financial advice. U.S. citizens abroad should consult qualified professionals who understand their specific facts and circumstances. US Expat is not a law firm, tax filing firm, or immigration law firm.
This guide is on the way.
The Pre-Move Financial Checklist is in preparation. Join the update list and we’ll let you know the moment it’s published.
Related insights.
US Estate Tax for Americans in Europe: 2026
The United States taxes the estate. Most of Europe taxes the heir, and several countries dictate who the heirs must be. Two provisions decide how those systems meet — and Portugal and Spain, the two largest American destinations in Europe, sit outside the treaty network entirely.
Currency Risk for Americans Retiring Abroad 2026
Two retirees can earn the same average return and end up in different places, because withdrawals make the order of returns matter. An American retiring into the euro area is exposed to a second ordering problem — the exchange rate — and central bank data show it has been as large as the market one.
WEP and GPO Repeal: Social Security Abroad 2026
Two provisions that reduced benefits for people with non-covered pensions were struck from the statute outright. The repeal is complete, its implementation is finished, and it leaves several rules that apply only to beneficiaries living outside the United States entirely untouched.