A Growing, Diverse Group
Relocating overseas as a US citizen, for work, retirement, remote work, or a fresh start? Understand what's different about your move and how to choose a mover you can trust.
More Americans are choosing to live abroad than in past decades, and the reasons are varied. Some are pursuing a lower cost of living or more affordable healthcare. Some are drawn by a different pace of life or a new environment for their family. Remote work has added an entirely new category: people who can keep their US employer and income while choosing to live somewhere else entirely, often called digital nomads. And a younger generation is increasingly willing to relocate internationally earlier in life, frequently with a lighter footprint, a few suitcases and boxes rather than a full household.
Whatever your reason or your life stage, if you're the one deciding where to go and who moves your belongings, this page is for you.
Remote work has added an entirely new category: people who can keep their US employer and income while choosing to live somewhere else entirely.
If You're a Digital Nomad or Remote Worker
If you're keeping your US job while relocating, your situation has a few particular wrinkles worth knowing about early:
Many countries now offer visa categories built specifically for remote workers who earn income from outside the country, commonly called digital nomad visas, alongside longer-standing options like work visas (if you have a local employer) or retirement/passive-income visas if that applies to you. Requirements, income thresholds, and available benefits differ significantly by country and change over time, so treat any specific figures you find, including on this site, as a starting point for your own research, not a final answer. Your destination country's official immigration authority is the authoritative source.
Many remote workers and younger movers aren't shipping a full household, they're shipping personal effects: clothes, electronics, a few sentimental or practical items, sometimes a small amount of furniture. That has real implications for how you move: it may make a smaller, consolidated shipping method (see Groupage Shipments) more cost-effective than a dedicated container built for a full household.
Visa processing, especially for newer digital nomad programs, can take months and involves documentation requirements that aren't always intuitive. This is worth starting well before you start comparing movers.
Treat any specific figures you find, including on this site, as a starting point for your own research, not a final answer.
If You're Relocating for Retirement or Quality of Life
If you're moving for cost of living, healthcare access, or a different pace of life, generally you're shipping more, often closer to a full household. A few things worth knowing:
Often tied to proof of pension income, savings, or investment, depending on the country. Requirements and minimum thresholds vary widely and change periodically, so verify current requirements directly with your destination country's embassy or consulate rather than relying on secondhand figures.
A full household shipment typically means more documentation, more scrutiny at customs, and more coordination than a smaller personal-effects shipment. This is where mover experience with your specific destination country matters most.
This is where mover experience with your specific destination country matters most.
Practical Considerations Before You Move
A few things worth researching early, regardless of which category you fall into:
US citizens are generally required to file US taxes on worldwide income even while living abroad, though various exclusions and credits may apply depending on your situation. This is genuinely complex and highly individual, IAMTrusted isn't a source for tax guidance, and neither is a general moving guide. Consult a tax professional experienced in expatriate taxation before you relocate, not after.
Understand what health coverage you'll have in your destination country, whether through a national system, private insurance, or an employer, before you go, not after you arrive.
Depending on your destination, you may need specific import documentation for your belongings, proof of residence, or other paperwork tied to your visa category. IAM's Country Guides are a good starting point for researching what to expect in your specific destination. If you want to understand how movers themselves are licensed and regulated in your destination country, IAMTrusted's Licensing & Compliance pages cover mover-side requirements for many countries and can help you understand what a qualified mover in that market is expected to meet.
Choosing a Mover You Can Trust
Once you've sorted out the visa and legal side, you're still left with a practical question: who do you trust with your belongings, especially somewhere you may have little to no local knowledge or network to draw on? That's where verification matters most. Every mover in the IAMTrusted directory has been independently checked for licensing, insurance, and industry compliance, so you're not relying on guesswork or reviews you can't verify. And if something goes wrong, IAMTrusted movers are bound by the IAM Consumer Issue Support System (CISS), a structured resolution process.
If you're shipping a smaller load, take a look at Groupage Shipments first, it's a common, cost-effective method for personal-effects shipments, but it comes with tradeoffs worth understanding before you book.
Verify a Mover →Where to Go Next
Understand this shipping method before booking a smaller international shipment.
Learn more →Research your specific destination country.
View Country Guides →See mover licensing and regulatory requirements by country.
View Licensing & Compliance →Broader guidance that applies regardless of nationality.
Learn more →