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Umhlanga Coastline

Getting the Timing Right

In planning your move, getting the timing right is one of the things that can save you endless frustration and complications. Be sure to allow enough time for all the legal processes as well as taking the practical issues into account.

This is probably one of the toughest aspects to juggle, especially if you need to sell a property in your home country before coming over, because this and the legal processes of your move may not coincide. The basic timing of the legal processes can be found on the SA Home Affairs website, but remember that nothing is carved in stone and the process can take longer than anticipated.

Also, If you have school-going children, take the school terms into account so that the disruption of starting in a new school with hundreds of strange faces is minimised. Remember that the school year here does not run the same as, for example, Europe and the USA and that the curricula is also different. Planned badly, your child could end up wasting 6 months to a year of their school career.

Plan the shipment of your goods carefully as well and be sure to allow for contingencies. Generally it would be better to arrive ahead of your goods so that storage costs are minimised.

Bear in mind that there will most likely be a period both in your home country as well as here that you will have to live with friends or relatives or in furnished accommodation while your goods are in transit.

If possible, pre-arrange car hire so that you do not have a period of being stranded without transport once you arrive.