The Safe Migration Checklist: 25 Things to Do Before You Leave Your Country

Moving to another country is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. It is exciting, yes, but it also carries real risks. People lose money to fraudulent agents. They arrive in a new country without knowing their rights. They leave home without telling anyone their full itinerary. And when things go wrong, they are thousands of kilometres away from anyone who can help.

This checklist exists so that does not happen to you. Think of it as advice from someone who genuinely wants you to arrive safely, settle in confidently, and have a plan if anything goes sideways. These 25 items cover everything from protecting your documents to knowing who to call in an emergency. Print this list. Share it with your family. Go through it item by item before you board that flight.

Section 1: Documents (Items 1-5)

Your documents are your identity abroad. Without them, you are invisible to the systems that are supposed to protect you. Treat them like they are worth more than money, because they are.

1. Make Certified Copies of Every Important Document

Before you leave, get certified copies of your passport, birth certificate, educational certificates, marriage certificate, and any professional licences. Certified copies are stamped by a notary public or government office to confirm they are true copies of the originals. Keep these separate from the originals.

Why this matters: if your originals are lost, stolen, or confiscated (it happens), certified copies give you a path to replacing them. Without any proof of identity, even your own embassy will struggle to help you quickly.

2. Get Your Documents Apostilled

If your destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, get an apostille stamp on your key documents. An apostille is an international certification that makes your documents legally recognized in other member countries without additional authentication. Your country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or designated authority handles this.

If your destination country is not part of the convention, check whether your documents need to be attested through a chain of authentication (local government, then foreign affairs, then the destination country's embassy).

3. Register With Your Country's Embassy in the Destination Country

This is one of the most overlooked steps. Before you travel, register with your embassy or consulate in the country you are moving to. Many embassies have online registration portals for citizens living abroad.

Registration means your government knows you are there. If there is a natural disaster, political crisis, or you go missing, they have a record of your presence and can include you in evacuation or welfare check efforts.

4. Create Digital Backups of Everything

Scan every document and upload copies to secure cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, or Dropbox). Also email copies to yourself and to a trusted family member. Store photos of your documents on your phone in a password-protected folder.

If your physical documents are lost in transit, you can access everything from any device with an internet connection. This has saved countless migrants from weeks of bureaucratic nightmares.

5. Carry a Physical Folder With Essentials on Your Person

When you travel, keep the following in a folder in your carry-on bag, not in checked luggage:

• Passport and visa
• Printed copies of your job offer or admission letter
• Accommodation address and contact details
• Emergency contact information
• Travel insurance documents
• Enough local currency for 48 hours of expenses

If your checked luggage is lost or delayed, you still have everything you need to clear immigration and get to your destination.

Section 2: Financial Safety (Items 6-10)

Money is where migrants are most vulnerable. Desperation to secure a visa or job makes people hand over large sums with too little protection. Be smart about this.

6. Never Give All Your Savings to One Agent

No matter how trusted the referral, never hand over your entire savings to a single migration agent, recruiter, or facilitator. Pay in instalments tied to milestones (consultation, document preparation, application submission). Get receipts for every payment. If someone insists on full payment upfront before doing any work, that is a warning sign.

7. Set Up an Emergency Fund Before You Leave

Have enough money saved to survive at least 3 months in your destination country without any income. This should be separate from the money you are using for visa fees, flights, and initial setup costs. Calculate this based on rent, food, transport, and basic needs in your destination city.

This fund is your safety net. If a job falls through, if there is a delay in your work permit, or if you need to return home, you are not stranded.

8. Understand How to Send Money Home

Research international money transfer options before you leave. Compare services like Wise (formerly TransferWise), Remitly, WorldRemit, and Western Union. Know the fees, exchange rates, and transfer times for sending money from your destination country to your home country.

Set up your accounts before departure so you are ready to send money from day one if needed.

9. Open a Bank Account in Your Destination Country as Early as Possible

Some countries allow you to open a bank account before you arrive (the UK, for example, through services like Monzo or Starling). Others require you to do it in person. Research the requirements and gather the documents you will need (proof of address, visa, employment letter).

Without a local bank account, you may be stuck paying foreign transaction fees, unable to receive your salary, or reliant on carrying cash.

10. Keep a Record of Every Financial Transaction Related to Your Migration

From the first agent consultation fee to your flight booking, keep a spreadsheet or folder of every payment, receipt, and contract. If you are ever scammed, overcharged, or need to prove your expenses for a legal claim, this record is your evidence.

Section 3: Employer Verification (Items 11-14)

If you are migrating for work, your employer is the foundation of your legal status in the new country. A bad employer can ruin your migration experience. Verify them thoroughly.

11. Get Your Employment Contract Reviewed Before You Sign

Do not sign an employment contract you do not fully understand. Have it reviewed by someone knowledgeable, ideally a lawyer or licensed migration adviser. Pay attention to:

• Salary and payment frequency
• Working hours and overtime conditions
• Contract duration and termination clauses
• Whether the employer can change your role or location without consent
• Who pays for your visa and sponsorship fees

If the contract is in a language you do not speak, get it professionally translated.

12. Research the Company Independently

Search for the company on LinkedIn, Google, and local business registries. Look for:

• How long has the company existed?
• Does it have real employees listed on LinkedIn?
• Are there reviews from current or former employees on Glassdoor or Indeed?
• Is the company registered with the relevant government authority as an approved sponsor?

For the UK, you can check the Home Office's Register of Licensed Sponsors. For Australia, check the list of approved sponsors through the Department of Home Affairs. For New Zealand, check the Accredited Employer list on Immigration New Zealand's website.

13. Understand Your Workplace Rights in the Destination Country

Every country has labour laws that protect workers, including migrant workers. Before you arrive, learn the basics:

• What is the minimum wage?
• How many hours per week are you legally allowed to work?
• What are your rights if you are fired or made redundant?
• Are you entitled to sick leave, annual leave, and public holidays?
• Can your employer legally confiscate your passport? (The answer is no in virtually every country.)

14. Know What Happens to Your Visa if You Lose Your Job

In many countries, your work visa is tied to your employer. If you lose your job, you may have a limited window (often 60 to 90 days) to find a new employer and transfer your visa, or you must leave the country. Know this timeline before you arrive so you are not blindsided.

Section 4: Personal Safety (Items 15-19)

Your physical safety matters more than any visa or job. These steps protect you if something goes wrong.

15. Share Your Full Itinerary With Family

Before you travel, give a trusted family member or friend a complete copy of:

• Your flight details (airline, flight number, departure and arrival times)
• Your accommodation address and contact number
• Your employer's name, address, and phone number
• A copy of your passport and visa
• Your travel insurance policy details

If you do not check in as expected, they have everything they need to start looking for you.

16. Memorize Your Embassy's Emergency Number

Write it down, save it in your phone, and commit it to memory. If your phone is lost or dead, you need to be able to call your embassy from any phone. This is your lifeline if you are arrested, hospitalized, or in danger.

Here are embassy emergency contacts and local emergency numbers for the top 10 destination countries:

Country	Local Emergency Number	How to Reach Your Embassy
United States	911	Call your embassy directly; find the number at your foreign ministry's website before departure
Canada	911	Register with your embassy; most operate 24/7 emergency lines
United Kingdom	999	Contact your High Commission or Embassy; many have after-hours emergency numbers
Australia	000	Register with your embassy; use Smartraveller equivalent from your country
Germany	112	Your embassy's consular section handles emergencies during and after business hours
New Zealand	111	Register with your embassy before arrival for emergency notifications
United Arab Emirates	999 (police), 998 (ambulance)	Contact your embassy or consulate; many have dedicated migrant worker hotlines
Saudi Arabia	999 (police), 997 (ambulance)	Your embassy's labour attaché handles worker disputes and emergencies
Ireland	112 or 999	Contact your embassy; Ireland also has a migrant rights helpline
Singapore	999 (police), 995 (ambulance)	Contact your embassy or High Commission; Singapore also has a foreign worker helpline at 1800-339-5505

Save all relevant numbers in your phone before departure. Also write them on a small card you keep in your wallet.

17. Know the Local Emergency Numbers in Your Destination Country

Beyond your embassy, know how to call police, ambulance, and fire services in your new country. In the European Union, 112 works in every member state. In the US and Canada, it is 911. Learn these before you land, not after something happens.

18. Have a Safety Contact in Your Destination Country

Before you arrive, identify at least one person in the destination country you can contact in an emergency. This could be a friend, a family member who migrated before you, a religious community leader, or a contact from a diaspora organization. Having someone local who knows you are there makes a critical difference if you need immediate help.

19. Buy Comprehensive Travel and Health Insurance

Do not travel without insurance. At minimum, your policy should cover:

• Emergency medical treatment and hospitalization
• Medical evacuation to your home country
• Trip cancellation and interruption
• Loss of documents and personal belongings

Some countries require proof of health insurance as a condition of your visa. Even if it is not required, buy it anyway. A single hospital visit in the US can cost tens of thousands of dollars. In Australia or the UK, you may not be eligible for public healthcare until your visa is fully activated.

Section 5: Legal Protection (Items 20-23)

Understanding the legal framework of your migration keeps you out of trouble and gives you leverage if someone tries to exploit you.

20. Understand Your Visa Conditions Thoroughly

Read every condition attached to your visa. Common conditions include:

• How many hours you are allowed to work (student visas often limit you to fewer than 20 hours per week during term)
• Whether you can change employers
• Whether your family members can work
• How long you can stay outside the country without losing your status
• Reporting requirements (some visas require you to notify immigration of address changes)

Violating your visa conditions, even accidentally, can result in visa cancellation, fines, or deportation.

21. Know the Deportation and Removal Rules

Nobody plans to be deported, but you should understand how it works in your destination country. Know what actions can trigger deportation (overstaying, working illegally, criminal convictions) and what your rights are if removal proceedings are initiated. In most countries, you have the right to legal representation and the right to appeal.

22. Register With Your Embassy Upon Arrival

If you registered before departure (Item 3), confirm your registration once you arrive and update your local address. If you did not register before leaving, do it now. Walk into your embassy or consulate and let them know you are in the country. Provide your local address, phone number, and emergency contact details.

23. Know Where to Get Free Legal Help

Most destination countries have organizations that provide free or low-cost legal assistance to migrants. Research these before you arrive:

• In the UK, organizations like Migrants' Rights Network and Citizens Advice provide free guidance.
• In Australia, Legal Aid services are available in every state, and the Migration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme (MAAAS) offers free help with certain visa issues.
• In Canada, Legal Aid Ontario and similar provincial services offer immigration law assistance. Many community organizations also provide free clinics.
• In the US, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) maintains a directory of pro bono legal services.

Knowing where to get legal help before you need it means you will not waste precious time searching in a crisis.

Section 6: Communication Plan (Items 24-25)

Staying connected with your family back home is not just emotional support. It is a safety mechanism.

24. Establish a Regular Check-In Schedule With Family

Before you leave, agree on a regular check-in schedule with your family. This could be a daily text message, a weekly video call, or both. The key is consistency. If you usually call every Sunday at 6pm and you miss two calls without explanation, your family knows something may be wrong.

Share the following with your family:

• The best times to reach you (accounting for time zone differences)
• Your local phone number and messaging apps you will use (WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram)
• An alternative way to reach you (a friend's number, your landlord's number, your workplace number)

25. Create a "What If" Plan for Lost Contact

Discuss with your family what steps they should take if they cannot reach you for an extended period. This plan should include:

• First 24 hours: Try all available communication channels (phone, messaging apps, email, social media).
• After 24 hours: Contact the safety person in your destination country (Item 18).
• After 48 hours: Contact your embassy using the emergency number you saved (Item 16).
• If the embassy cannot help: Contact local police in your destination country and file a missing persons inquiry.

Having this plan written down and agreed upon means nobody panics or wastes time figuring out what to do. Everyone knows the steps.

Your Pre-Departure Final Check

Go through this list one more time in the week before you leave. Use it as a final walkthrough:

• All documents certified, apostilled, digitally backed up, and in your carry-on folder
• Emergency fund in place and accessible from abroad
• Employer and contract verified
• Embassy registered, emergency numbers saved and memorized
• Itinerary shared with family, check-in schedule agreed
• Insurance purchased and policy details accessible
• Safety contact in destination country confirmed
• "What if" communication plan established with family

If you can check off every item, you are more prepared than the vast majority of migrants. That preparation is what keeps you safe.

Migrate Safely With NextMigrate

NextMigrate exists because we believe migration should be safe, informed, and transparent. Too many people leave home without the information they need to protect themselves. Our team helps you verify employers, review contracts, connect with licensed advisers, and plan your move step by step. If you are preparing to migrate and want someone in your corner, start your free eligibility assessment today. We would rather help you prepare properly than see you learn these lessons the hard way.