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

Imagine you are in your twenties, from a small town in Kerala, and it is the night before your first flight to a job in Dubai. Your mother has packed more food than one suitcase can hold. Your little brother asks what your room will look like. You do not know yet.

You are excited, and a little afraid. What if the job is not what they said? What if something goes wrong and nobody knows where you are?

That fear is good sense. Some people lose money to fraudulent agents, arrive without knowing their rights, or leave without telling anyone their plans. When things go wrong, help is thousands of kilometres away.

The short answer: A safe move comes down to six things done before you fly. Protect your documents with certified copies and digital backups. Keep an emergency fund for at least 3 months. Verify your employer and contract independently. Know your local emergency numbers and your embassy's. Learn your visa conditions and where to get free legal help. Agree a regular check-in plan with your family. Print the 25 steps below and go through them with your family.

Section 1: Documents (Items 1-5)

Abroad, your documents are your identity. For a full list, see our guide to documents needed to migrate abroad.

1. Make Certified Copies of Every Important Document

Get certified copies of your passport, birth, education and marriage certificates, and professional licences. Keep them apart from the originals.

Think of them as a spare house key left with a neighbour. If your originals are lost, stolen or confiscated (it happens), copies give you a way to replace them. Without any proof of identity, even your own embassy struggles to help quickly.

2. Get Your Documents Apostilled

If your destination is in the Hague Apostille Convention, get an apostille on key documents from your Ministry of Foreign Affairs or designated authority. If not, you may need a chain of attestation: local government, then foreign affairs, then the destination's embassy.

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

Many embassies have online registration. If there is a disaster, a crisis, or you go missing, they know you are there and can include you in evacuation or welfare checks.

4. Create Digital Backups of Everything

Store scans in secure cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud or Dropbox), email copies to yourself and a trusted relative, and keep photos in a password-protected folder on your phone.

5. Carry a Physical Folder With Essentials on Your Person

Keep these in your carry-on bag, not checked luggage:

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

Section 2: Financial Safety (Items 6-10)

Money is where migrants are most exposed. For what migration really costs, see the true cost of migrating abroad.

6. Never Give All Your Savings to One Agent

Never hand all your savings to one agent, however trusted. Pay in stages tied to real progress: consultation, document preparation, application submission. Get a receipt every time. Full payment up front before any work is a warning sign of a scam.

7. Set Up an Emergency Fund Before You Leave

Save enough to live for at least 3 months in your destination with no income, separate from visa fees, flights and setup costs.

This fund is your parachute. If a job falls through, a permit is delayed, or you need to come home, you are not stranded.

8. Understand How to Send Money Home

Compare transfer services such as Wise (formerly TransferWise), Remitly, WorldRemit and Western Union. Know their fees, rates and speeds. Set up accounts before you leave so you can send money from day one.

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

Some countries let you open one before you arrive (the UK, for example, through Monzo or Starling). Others need you in person, with proof of address, visa and job letter. Without one, receiving your salary is hard.

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

Keep every payment, receipt and contract in one folder. If you are ever cheated, this is your evidence.

Section 3: Employer Verification (Items 11-14)

If you move for work, your employer is the base of your legal status. Our step-by-step fake job offer checklist goes deeper.

11. Get Your Employment Contract Reviewed Before You Sign

Ask a lawyer or licensed migration adviser to read it. Check:

Salary and how often you are paid
Working hours and overtime
Contract length and termination terms
Whether your role or location can change without your consent
Who pays your visa and sponsorship fees

If it is in a language you do not read, get a professional translation.

12. Research the Company Independently

Search for the company on LinkedIn, Google and local business registers. Ask:

How long has it existed?
Does it have real employees on LinkedIn?
Are there reviews from staff on Glassdoor or Indeed?
Is it registered with the government as an approved sponsor?

For the UK, check the Home Office's Register of Licensed Sponsors on gov.uk. For Australia, check approved sponsor status with the Department of Home Affairs. For New Zealand, check the Accredited Employer list on Immigration New Zealand's site, since most work visas now need an accredited employer.

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13. Understand Your Workplace Rights in the Destination Country

Labour laws protect migrant workers too. Learn:

The minimum wage
The legal weekly working hours
Your rights if you are fired or made redundant
Your sick leave, annual leave and public holidays
Whether your employer can keep your passport. (The answer is no in virtually every country.)

Our guide on migrant labor exploitation and your rights covers worker rights by country.

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

If your visa is tied to your employer, losing the job gives you a limited window to find a new one or leave. Confirm with the official authority. As of 2026, the typical positions are:

Australia: On the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482, which replaced the TSS visa in December 2024), you have up to 180 days at a time after your sponsored job ends to find a new sponsor, capped at 365 days across the life of the visa, with full work rights in the meantime
UK: On the Skilled Worker visa, the Home Office typically curtails your leave to 60 days (or the time left on your visa, whichever is shorter) from the date of the curtailment letter, during which you can find a new licensed sponsor
Canada: Most work permits are employer-specific, but you can apply to change employers, and an open work permit may be available in some situations while you search
UAE: A grace period after visa cancellation, usually 30 days for standard employment visas (longer for some skilled, Green and Golden visa categories), during which you can transfer to a new employer
Germany: No automatic long grace period; you must notify the Ausländerbehörde within about two weeks of losing your job, and can usually switch to a job-seeker residence permit giving up to six months to find qualified work (up to 12 months on the Opportunity Card if you qualify)

Section 4: Personal Safety (Items 15-19)

15. Share Your Full Itinerary With Family

Give a trusted family member or friend:

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

If you do not check in, they can start looking. This matters most for preventing trafficking situations.

16. Memorize Your Embassy's Emergency Number

Write it down and learn it by heart, so you can call from any phone if yours is lost. It is your lifeline if you are arrested, in hospital or in danger.

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; the Migrant Workers' Centre runs a 24-hour helpline at 6536 2692 for employment issues

Save these numbers in your phone and on a small card in your wallet.

17. Know the Local Emergency Numbers in Your Destination Country

In the European Union, 112 works in every member state. In the US and Canada, it is 911. Learn them before you land.

18. Have a Safety Contact in Your Destination Country

Find at least one person there you can call in an emergency: a friend, a relative who moved earlier, a faith leader, or someone from a diaspora group.

19. Buy Comprehensive Travel and Health Insurance

At minimum, your policy should cover:

Emergency medical treatment and hospital stays
Medical evacuation home
Trip cancellation and interruption
Lost documents and belongings

Some visas require health insurance. Buy it even if yours does not. One hospital visit in the US can cost tens of thousands of dollars. In Australia or the UK, you may not get public healthcare until your visa is fully active.

Section 5: Legal Protection (Items 20-23)

20. Understand Your Visa Conditions Thoroughly

Read every condition on your visa. Common ones include:

Work hour limits (student visas usually cap term-time work: for example, around 20 hours per week in the UK and a 48-hour-per-fortnight limit in Australia as of 2026)
Whether you can change employers
Whether your family can work
How long you can stay outside the country
Reporting duties, such as telling immigration about address changes

Breaking a condition, even by accident, can lead to cancellation, fines or deportation.

21. Know the Deportation and Removal Rules

Know what can trigger deportation (overstaying, illegal work, criminal convictions) and your rights if removal starts. In most countries, you have the right to a lawyer and to appeal.

22. Register With Your Embassy Upon Arrival

Confirm your registration (Item 3) and add your local address, phone and emergency contacts.

23. Know Where to Get Free Legal Help

Find free or low-cost legal help before you need it:

In the UK, Migrants' Rights Network and Citizens Advice give free guidance.
In Australia, Legal Aid services are available in every state and territory, community legal centres such as the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre offer free advice, and the government-funded Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme (IAAAS) helps eligible people with Protection visa applications.
In Canada, Legal Aid Ontario and similar provincial services help with immigration law, and many community groups run free clinics.
In the US, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) keeps a directory of pro bono legal services.
In Germany, Migrationsberatung für erwachsene Zuwanderer (MBE) offers free migration counselling.
In New Zealand, Community Law Centres give free legal advice to migrants.

Section 6: Communication Plan (Items 24-25)

Staying in touch with home is a safety tool, not just comfort.

24. Establish a Regular Check-In Schedule With Family

Agree a regular check-in: a daily text, a weekly video call, or both. It works like a pilot's radio check. If you always call on Sunday at 6pm and miss two calls without explanation, the silence itself tells your family something may be wrong.

The best times to reach you, allowing for time zones
Your local number and the apps you will use (WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram)
A backup contact (a friend's, landlord's or workplace number)

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

Agree what your family should do if they cannot reach you:

First 24 hours: Try every channel (phone, messaging apps, email, social media).
After 24 hours: Contact your safety person in the destination (Item 18).
After 48 hours: Call your embassy on the emergency number (Item 16).
If the embassy cannot help: Contact local police in the destination and file a missing persons report.

Our guide on human trafficking warning signs explains the danger signs to watch for.

Your Pre-Departure Final Check

Go through this in the week before you leave:

Documents certified, apostilled, backed up and in your carry-on folder
Emergency fund ready and reachable from abroad
Employer and contract verified
Embassy registration done, emergency numbers saved and learned
Itinerary shared, check-in schedule agreed
Insurance bought and details at hand
Safety contact in the destination confirmed
"What if" plan agreed with family

Once you land, an arrival guide such as our UK arrival guide or Australia arrival guide covers your first week, from registering your address to activating healthcare.

Frequently asked questions

How much money should I save before migrating?

At least 3 months of living costs in your destination city, with no income. This varies widely: as of 2026, three months in London might need roughly GBP 7,000 to 11,000, and three months in Dubai around AED 18,000 to 30,000, depending on rent and dependants. Keep it separate from visa fees, flights and setup costs. See the true cost of migrating abroad for country estimates.

Should I get my documents apostilled or attested?

If your destination is in the Hague Apostille Convention (most European countries, the US, Australia and many more), get an apostille from your Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If not (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others), you need a chain of attestation: notarisation, then foreign affairs, then embassy attestation. Always check your destination's exact rules.

How do I register with my embassy before traveling?

Most embassies register citizens online through the foreign ministry's site. US citizens use the STEP program (step.state.gov), UK citizens register with gov.uk, and Australians use Smartraveller. It takes minutes.

What if my employer asks me to sign a different contract when I arrive?

Contract substitution is one of the most common exploitation tactics targeting migrant workers. Do not sign under pressure. Contact a labour authority or migrant worker support group straight away. In the UAE, employment contracts must be attested by MOHRE before you travel. In the UK, your Certificate of Sponsorship details should match your real job.

Do I need travel insurance if my visa includes healthcare?

Yes. Public cover often has a waiting period. In Australia, Medicare enrolment can take weeks. In the UK, the Immigration Health Surcharge covers NHS care but not dental, optical or emergency repatriation. Travel insurance fills the gap and covers evacuation, cancellation, lost luggage and document replacement.

What should I tell my family before I leave?

Your itinerary, document copies, local number, emergency numbers and insurance details. Agree a check-in schedule and a "what if" plan.

Migrate Safely

If you want a quick read on your legal options, the free eligibility check asks 6 questions (age, education, experience, English, target countries) and takes 2 minutes.