To finally go back to your home country, follow steps similar to "Before the Departure" and close down your household. The peculiarities of repatriation are fully explored in the article, "The Art and Science of Repatriation".

You will need to give your notice at your current position, change information at your bank or change banks entirely, end the lease if you are renting, and sell your house if applicable. Note that ending your lease early will usually result in a penalty so try to time your departure so that it coincides with the end of your contract. If selling your house, employ an estate agent and start early as selling a house can be a very slow process. Make sure to cancel your utilities upon leaving your residence. Contact your consulate to find out details about your countries recommended procedures on issues such as pensions and unemployment.

Prepare your goods to go through customs by making a detailed inventory and secure a proof of change of residence. A moving form attestation can be secured through your Consulate. If using a shipping company, they should be able to handle most of this paperwork for you. To have the lowest taxes you will need to have had a residence abroad for more than 12 months and have had use of the possessions in a private capacity for at least 6 months.

If your taxes are being withheld, you should have the withholding statements to show the officer. Be aware that the Tax Bureau has the right to presume that you are earning income. It is your duty to refute that presumption, if you choose. If taxes are not being withheld from your income, the Tax Bureau might impose a liability on you. If you claim you weren't working, you will need to account for how you spent your days.

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Departure

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Destination

Choose country Choose country AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl salvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuinea-BissauGuinea-ConakryGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamVirgin IslandsWallis and FutunaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

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Prepare for your arrival

In tandem with shutting down your foreign house, you need to prepare your next location. This usually includes finding work, searching for a new apartment or house, or preparing your house to be re-occupied.

A visa may be necessary depending on your status, so research and start the process well in advance.

If moving with a pet, check with the country you are bringing the animal into and follow similar steps to when you entered Panama. If any members of your family are not from the country you are moving to, you may need to secure visas for their entry. Also prepare for a school search as early as possible and arrange for their school records to be transferred.

Use our comprehensive city guides to understand everything you need to know about your next location.

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