How to Move Abroad from India in 2025: Complete Checklist

Dreaming of starting a new life in a different country? You are not alone - millions of Indians have made the leap and found success worldwide. As of May 2024, around 35.42 million Indians reside abroad, including 15.85 million NRIs and 19.57 million PIOs, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs. With countless opportunities worldwide, many Indians move abroad for education, career growth, or an improved quality of life.

If you are wondering how to move abroad from India, understanding immigration policies, job markets, and living costs is essential. From securing a student visa to landing a skilled job or obtaining permanent residency, the process varies for each pathway. Let’s explore the key steps to help you navigate this exciting journey.

Checklist on How to Move Abroad from India

Moving abroad requires careful planning to ensure a smooth transition. From securing the right visa to managing finances and adapting to a new culture, every step plays a crucial role. Here is a checklist on how to move abroad from India to help you stay organized and prepared for your journey abroad.

1. Visa Procedures

The first and foremost step is to handle the visa procedures, which must be completed in India before moving abroad. Read about the visa rules and the process, sort all the relevant applications, and ensure everything is submitted before the due date.

In some cases, if your family member is accompanying you, they might need to submit a visa application too.

2. Opening a Bank Account

Once you land in your new country, currency exchange and getting a salaried account is the next step, however for that, you will have to open a bank account, so choose to open an international bank account in India itself with some leading banks like HSBC, Wise, Standard Chartered etc.

3. Health Medical Check-Up

Ensure you undergo comprehensive health checkups in India before relocating. If any issues arise, take the necessary precautions and medications before your move.

While countries abroad offer advanced medical facilities, the absence of health insurance can make treatments very costly. Maintaining both physical and mental health is crucial.

For those with serious medical conditions, it's important to get your medical documents attested in India. This will facilitate applying for health insurance and continuing your treatment abroad.

Learn these money-saving tips while living abroad with this guide! 

4. Ensure You Have the “Visa Accepted” Stamp

Indians and foreign nationals are offered different visa visas to suit their travel purposes in the destination country. This visa processing sometimes can be time-consuming with a lot of paperwork involved to prove your purpose of travel and stay.

One of the best suggestive ways is to check through the country’s embassy website to gain all the necessary information on how? Where? and how long? concerning the specific visa or else you can do it through a verified consultant.

5. Accommodation

One of the very important factors on your checklist should be the education accommodation arrangement. Ensure that you have your new address at hand as this would be your new reaching out pin.

Also, this would help with your other concern on how to shift abroad from India as you would have an address to provide for your logistics partner shipping your luggage (if not already sold).

6. Shipping and Storage

Consider your storage options and associated costs if you plan to leave some belongings behind. Alternatively, you could clear out old items and start anew!

If you decide to bring some furniture with you, you'll need to think about shipping. It's wise to get multiple quotes to ensure you're getting the best deal. Always read the fine print of any agreement before signing; many companies claim to be insured, but this doesn't always cover your possessions.

7. Mail Forwarding

The Indian postal system doesn't offer international mail redirection. Instead, you can share your new address with important contacts or arrange for family or your landlord to collect your mail and forward it to you.

In countries like Canada, the US, Singapore, and Australia, you can rent a temporary Post Office Box to receive mail until you have a permanent address.

Explore the best career options to settle abroad here!

Essential Documents for Moving Abroad from India

Relocating to another country involves extensive paperwork to meet immigration and legal requirements. From identification to financial proof, having the right documents can make the transition seamless. Here’s a list of essential documents you need when moving abroad from India.

Read this article and learn about the essential documents required to travel abroad.

Factors to Consider Before Moving Abroad from India

Here are other factors to consider before moving abroad from India, which are often overlooked, here is a reminder and some information that is sure to add value to your checklist

1. Moving Budget

While Flights, shipping expenses, and initial accommodation budget need to be set aside, understanding the cost of living in your new country is crucial while creating your new budget plan.

Also, Consider the following expenses such as:

• Rental deposits/bonds
• New furnishings
• Insurance
• School fees, if applicable
• Hidden costs

*Plan in such a way that you have savings till you secure employment

2. Set Saving Goals

Once you've set your budget, set a realistic savings target to ensure you're ready for your move. Evaluate your spending to find areas where you can cut costs and distinguish between essentials and luxuries to stay within your financial plan.

Learn how to get a job abroad without experience in this in-depth article!

3. Travel and Other Insurance

A comprehensive travel insurance policy is the need of the hour to protect you against illness, lost or delayed flights, misplaced items, and airline malfunctions. Additionally, it might protect you against unauthorized credit card purchases.

Other insurance options such as the following can also be considered:

• house and possessions coverage
• serious illness life insurance
• Verify with the nation or area you're relocating to; health insurance could be required even at the time of visa application.

4. Sorting Taxes

Managing taxes while living abroad can be complicated. Begin by consulting the relevant government tax office for information. Your tax liability in India is based on your residential status, not your nationality or domicile.

When moving abroad, you will need an Income Tax Clearance Certificate (ITCC), which is mandatory for expats returning home and Indian nationals who will become NRI. The ITCC confirms that you have no outstanding tax obligations. It is good to obtain this certificate early to address any unexpected tax payments.

Explore all the details about the best countries to study abroad for Indian students!

Shape Your Dream to Move Abroad with GetGIS

Immigrating abroad is a lot more than the documentation assembling and application submission, it is highly crucial to ensure everything has been structured and submitted in the right way as mentioned according to the visa rules and laws of the country.

At GetGIS, the immigration experts will not only assist you with the visa application process but there is a lot more in the package like job search assistance, PR application assistance, IELTS training, country expert to guide you in the foreign country, etc. So why wait for more? calculate your eligibility to the world’s wealthiest and most happening countries, and secure your flight abroad!

Book Your Free Consultation

Useful Links for You:

• How to Get a Job Abroad from India
• Cheapest Country To Study Abroad For Indian Students
• Benefits of Studying Abroad
• Insights About The Scholarships For Abroad Study