The range of services on offer to assist in international relocations is extensive, but not all of the services will be applicable to, or suitable for, every expatriate.

There are full-service relocation agencies with offices worldwide that offer pre-departure services, assistance with visa and work-permit applications, packing and shipping of your household goods and arrival (destination) services.

However, there are other companies that offer a less comprehensive range of services, or who concentrate on providing certain specialist services - visa and work permit applications, international shipping, home search, school search, etc. Additionally, some companies will provide comprehensive services but limit those services to a city, region or country - or even a specific nationality of expatriate.

Choosing the right relocation agency, as with choosing other services, depends on your needs. Therefore, it is important to be clear on what you want the agency to provide. Though many agencies will tailor their packages to suit the requirements of each expatriate and any accompanying family members, they have to know what is needed before they can do so. For any expatriate - whether a first-timer or one experienced at relocation - knowing exactly what services are on offer, and which of them to accept, can be a challenge.

What is on Offer?

Pre-departure Services

These can cover a variety of aspects relating to an international move and can range from the purely logistical to the practicalities of day-to-day life in the foreign country. Below is an outline of some of the more common services on offer.

Pre-departure Destination Briefings

These can cover living and/or working in the new country and look at social, political and economic conditions, the country's history, social etiquette, as well as the cultural differences between the destination country and the expatriate's home. Such briefings should also include advice and information on what paperwork should be taken with you.

"Look-see" Visit

Also known as look-sees and pre-relocation familiarization trips, these are intended to give potential expatriates the chance to see the destination first hand, look for accommodation, visit schools, etc. Such visits can be particularly helpful in preparing expats for a move to a country that is very different from what they have encountered before.

School Visits and Advice

Some destination cities have a large array of schools for expats to choose from and impartial advice on what are likely to be the best schools can go a long way in helping children be happy at the destination. Information on the academic and extra-curricular aspects of each school, as well as inside knowledge about their good and bad points, can be helpful in reading between the lines of the schools' glossy brochures.

Family-Friendly Services

These involve information and practical services designed to smooth the relocation experience as much as possible for children. Information can be general in nature or focus on more specific issues such as schools, or family/children's sports and activities. Practical services are often related to the moving experience, such as relocation board games, special packing boxes, a packer designated to help the children pack their belongings and even special trucks that allow the family to travel with their belongings - which can relax the children because they know where their special possessions are and which add an extra sense of adventure to the move by allowing them to ride in a big truck.

Packing

Packing options vary from self-packing to unsupervised packing by the shipping company. Self-packing is often a much cheaper option than the professional packer option, but it can be difficult to arrange insurance for shipments with the designation PBO (packed by owner).