Moving Abroad With Your Family: The Checklist for Migrating With Dependants

Picture yourselves as parents in São Paulo. It is late. The children are finally asleep. You are at the kitchen table with a laptop, adding up the cost of the private school, the security gate, the hours lost in traffic. Your partner says it quietly: "What if we raised them somewhere else?"

Then the questions come fast. Can we all go together? Will the kids lose a school year? What about my partner's career? And what will this really cost? Moving a family means carrying other people's futures in your suitcase.

The short answer: Most major destinations have clear systems for family migration. Your spouse and children can usually be added to your application. Your partner usually gets the right to work. Your children can usually attend free public schools. But budget for the whole family from day one, not just the main applicant. Families often underestimate the total by GBP 8,000 to 15,000 (or the local equivalent) once health surcharges, medicals, translations, flights, shipping and a few months of double rent are added. Start 9 to 12 months ahead.

Phase 1: Before you apply

A single-applicant plan with three dependants added later is like booking a table for two and arriving with five. Plan for everyone first.

Who counts as a dependant?

In most immigration systems, dependants include:

• A spouse or common-law partner, with proof the relationship is genuine. Common-law or de facto partners usually need to show at least 12 months living together.
• Dependent children under 18. Several countries extend this to 22 or 25 for unmarried, financially dependent full-time students. Canada's cut-off is under 22. Australia counts full-time students up to 23.
• Other relatives, rarely. Elderly parents, grandparents or dependent siblings usually need a separate stream (such as Canada's Parents and Grandparents Program or the UK's Adult Dependent Relative route), with strict money and care tests.

Watch the age line. A child who ages out during a slow application can lose dependant status, so check whether ages lock at application or decision.

Dependant visa costs by country

Approximate 2026 government fees. They change often (each April in the UK), so check before you pay.

The UK health surcharge works like a gym membership charged per person, per year, all paid upfront. A family of four on five-year Skilled Worker visas can face well over GBP 20,000 in fees and surcharge before packing a suitcase. In Australia and New Zealand, dependants fold into one application.

Documents for every family member

Translations and police checks cause the most delays, so start early.

• Valid passports with at least six months' validity beyond your travel date
• Birth certificates for children, officially translated if not in English (or the destination language)
• Marriage certificate, or proof of a common-law or de facto partnership
• Police certificates for every family member over 16 (some countries use 18), from every country where they lived six months or more as an adult
• Medical exams from an approved panel doctor. Most countries require them for everyone, including children
• Proof of a genuine relationship: photos over time, joint bank statements, a shared lease or mortgage, joint bills and messages. This matters most for unmarried partners
• Custody or consent papers if a child is from a previous relationship. Many countries want a notarised consent letter from the other legal parent before a child can emigrate

Get children's documents in another script or language translated by a certified or sworn translator now. See our migrate to Canada and migrate to Australia guides for the main routes.

Phase 2: School for your children

For many parents, this is the whole reason for moving.

Before you move:

• Public school is free for residents in Canada, Australia, the UK, Germany and New Zealand. International and private schools often cost GBP/AUD/CAD 15,000 to 35,000 per child per year.
• Collect and translate report cards, transcripts, exam certificates, vaccination records, and any individualised education plans (IEPs) or special-needs assessments.
• The school year starts in late August or September in North America and Europe, and in late January or February in Australia and New Zealand. Arriving mid-year narrows your choice.

After you arrive:

• In most systems your address decides your school, so where you rent first matters. Bring the child's passport or birth certificate, proof of status, proof of address, and vaccination and school records.
• Ask about free English as an Additional Language (EAL/ESL) support. Germany runs Willkommensklassen (welcome classes).
• Your child may be placed in a different year because of curriculum and cut-off dates.

Country notes:

• Canada: Provincial systems. Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta have school-based newcomer and settlement worker programs.
• Australia: Public schools are free for permanent residents and most skilled-visa holders, but some states charge children of certain temporary-visa holders.
• UK: Apply through your council the moment you have an address. Popular secondary places go fast.
• Germany: School is compulsory and run by each Bundesland, with integration classes as needed.

The Canada arrival guide and others cover registering an address, which unlocks school and healthcare.

Phase 3: Healthcare for the whole family

Public healthcare in these five countries covers your family once you register. The gaps are in registration and waiting periods.

• Canada: Each province runs its own plan (OHIP, MSP, AHCIP and so on). Several provinces, including British Columbia and Ontario, can apply a waiting period of up to three months. Buy private cover for that window: budget roughly CAD 150 to 450 a month for a family, depending on ages and province.
• Australia: Register for Medicare once your permanent visa is granted. Children under 16 sit on a parent's card. On an eligible temporary visa, check if your country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia. If not, arrange private health insurance, which is often a visa condition.
• UK: The NHS covers residents, but you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge upfront: GBP 1,035 per adult and GBP 776 per child, per year of the visa. After that, your family uses the NHS like any resident. Register with a local GP surgery and an NHS dentist as soon as you have an address.
• Germany: Health insurance is compulsory. Employees usually join statutory (gesetzliche) insurance, where non-earning family members are covered at no extra cost through Familienversicherung. Higher earners and the self-employed may choose private cover, where each family member is usually insured and priced separately.
• New Zealand: Register with a local GP practice. Public healthcare is heavily subsidised for eligible residents. Children under 14 get free GP visits and prescriptions. Adults pay a subsidised fee.

Vaccinations. Most systems expect children to be up to date before school. Carry the records, or they may need vaccinating again.

Phase 4: Childcare for young children

For under-fives, childcare is one of your biggest monthly costs. Broad 2026 ranges before subsidies:

• Register early. Waitlists often run 6 to 18 months in popular areas of Canada, Australia and the UK.
• Ask settlement agencies which centres have space, and consider cheaper licensed home-based daycare.
• In Germany, apply for a Kita place right after registering your address. There is a legal right to a place from age one, but you often have to claim it.

Phase 5: Your partner's career

Ask yourself honestly: what is my partner giving up? The right to work is one thing. Getting a job is another.

• Canada: Spouses of most skilled workers and PR holders get an open work permit, with no limit on employer or occupation.
• Australia: Partners on a skilled visa application or a partner visa generally get full work rights.
• UK: Dependants of Skilled Worker visa holders can work in almost any job, employed or self-employed, without separate sponsorship.
• Germany: Spouses on a family reunion visa can generally work. Those joining an EU Blue Card holder get immediate, unrestricted access to the job market.
• New Zealand: Partners of most skilled workers usually get an open work visa.

To help: rewrite the CV in the local format before you arrive; start recognition early for regulated jobs such as nursing, teaching, medicine, engineering, accountancy and law (see getting your qualifications recognised abroad); use settlement agencies' mentoring and bridging schemes; and encourage your partner to build their own network.

Phase 6: Moving day logistics

Shipping your belongings

• Sea freight is cheapest for large loads. Expect roughly 6 to 10 weeks door to door, and USD 2,500 to 9,000 depending on volume (part-container or full container) and route.
• Air freight takes 1 to 2 weeks but costs several times more. Keep it for essentials.
• Bring or buy? Bring documents, electronics, work tools and precious items. Furniture and kitchenware are often cheaper to buy there. See what to bring and what to sell when you ship your belongings abroad.
• Ship only after visas are confirmed, and not so early that you pay storage.

Pets

Start at least 3 to 6 months ahead, and longer for Australia and New Zealand. Our guide to moving abroad with pets, covering quarantine rules by country, airline options and itemised costs sets out the order of steps.

• Expect microchip, rabies vaccination, blood titre tests, treatments and sometimes quarantine.
• Australia and New Zealand are strictest. Miss a step in the test sequence and the clock can restart.
• Budget USD 2,000 to 6,000+, more for large dogs or long routes.

Phase 7: Keeping your family together emotionally

The paperwork gets you there. The feelings decide whether, a year later, the move feels like a success.

Your partner. Make it a shared project, not something that happens to them. Name what they are giving up: a career, friends, being near ageing parents. Help them build a life that does not run only through you.

Your children.

Think of your children like plants being repotted. They often droop for a few weeks. Then the roots take hold.

• Be honest in ways that suit their age, and let them share worries.
• Help them say proper goodbyes, and keep comfort items and routines like mealtimes and bedtimes.
• Most children adapt faster than adults, but the first 3 to 6 months can be bumpy. If anxiety, sleep changes or withdrawal last, seek school counselling or professional help.

Yourself. Meet other migrant families through settlement agencies, faith groups and school parents. Pace yourself. Celebrate small wins: the first pay slip, the first parent-teacher meeting, the first weekend exploring together.

The master checklist

• Confirm dependant visa eligibility, ages and fees for every family member
• Gather passports, birth certificates and marriage/partnership evidence
• Get police certificates and immigration medicals for everyone who needs them
• Arrange certified translations of key documents
• Research schools and enrolment dates; collect school and vaccination records
• Plan healthcare registration and buy private cover for any waiting period
• Research childcare and join waitlists early
• Confirm your partner's work rights and start any qualification recognition
• Get shipping quotes and decide what to buy locally
• Start the pet relocation process if needed
• Prepare the children emotionally and plan goodbyes
• Book temporary accommodation for the first 2 to 4 weeks
• Carry all essential documents in hand luggage, never in checked bags

Frequently asked questions

Can my whole family travel together, or do dependants come later?

On most skilled routes, dependants share the application and travel together. Some family reunion routes, notably in Germany, mean the main applicant goes first. If anyone is staying behind, read our guide to declaring family members you are not bringing with you, because a non-accompanying spouse or child usually still has to be listed, and often medically examined.

What happens if my child turns 18 during the application?

Many systems "lock" the child's age on the date you apply, but not all. Marriage or leaving full-time study can also end eligibility. Apply promptly and confirm which date your destination uses.

Do both parents need to meet the language requirement?

Usually only the main applicant takes the full scored test. Partners often face a lower bar or none, though some routes give points for a partner's score. Germany may require basic German for a joining spouse.

Is it cheaper to migrate to some countries than others as a family?

Yes. The UK's per-person, per-year health surcharge hits large families hard, while Australia and New Zealand fold dependants into one application. Compare total family cost, not the single-applicant headline.

How long before the move should we start?

9 to 12 months is a comfortable runway. Police checks, medicals, recognition, pet rules and childcare waitlists take longest.

You do not have to do this alone

Missing one step can cost months or thousands. Take it one phase at a time, and come back to this list whenever the kitchen-table questions start again.