A little bit of forward planning before you leave will make your arrival much smoother, so it’s worth investing some time thinking about your move, gathering together everything you need and making preparations to ease the transition.

• Make sure all your documents are in order and make a copy of everything. Check that your passport has at least six months left after your arrival date before it expires.
• Decide what to do with your current home. If you’re renting it out, or even just leaving it empty, you’ll need to let your insurance company know.
• Organise shipment of your possessions if necessary. It will take a while for you to find a place, so don’t ship too far in advance of your departure date or you’ll end up paying unnecessarily for storage.
• It’s a good idea to keep your bank accounts open in your home country. Many expats keep a credit card too. Obtain a letter from your current bank stating how long you’ve been their customer, as this can help when opening a new account in Malaysia.
• If you’re from the UK, you can keep your National Insurance payments up to date by making direct contributions.
• Sort out your tax status. Let the tax office in your home country know you’re going and how long you expect to be gone. You may get a refund for the current tax year.
• You will need a return ticket when travelling into Malaysia until you have a work permit or dependent pass, so don’t buy a one-way ticket, even if you have a job.
• If you’ll be looking for work when you arrive, try to research the local job market as much as you can before leaving.
• Online resources for Malaysia are patchy but you can start researching areas to live and book your temporary accommodation online.
• If you have children, start sorting out schools as early as possible. KL’s international schools are oversubscribed and you may have to join a waiting list.