Teacher Movesby Expat Teacher's LoungeTeacher relocation, planned week by week.
Moving countries for a teaching job means documents, money, housing, schools and sometimes pets, all on someone else's timeline. Work back from your move date and start the slowest steps first.
By Mpume (Edwina) Shangase, who has moved countries with her family more than once · 500+ teachers in the free Teacher Moves community
What a teacher said · YouTube
Thank you for the video!! It is such important to know this kins of things before moving. And do you know something about universities?
Your move in
five stages.
Count back from your move date. The first stage takes longest, so it starts first.
-
12 weeks or more before
Police clearances, degree verification and legalisation. These are the slowest steps.
-
8 to 12 weeks before
Signed contract, visa steps with your school, and medicals if your destination needs them.
-
4 to 8 weeks before
Budget for the gap before your first salary, tax advice, housing confirmed.
-
2 to 4 weeks before
Children's school records, pet permits, and the documents you carry by hand.
-
Your first 30 days
Residence ID, bank account, phone, health insurance and school places.
- Start with the slowest steps: police clearances and document legalisation can each take weeks.
- Check the Apostille Convention: whether your destination is a member decides how your documents are legalised.
- Budget for the gap: in the Gulf you usually need your residence ID before you can open a bank account.
- Children and pets need their own paperwork, and it often takes longer than yours.
- Your first 30 days are mostly residence, banking, health insurance and school places.
The relocation checklist.
Work back from your move date. If you have less than 12 weeks, do the first block now and ask your school which steps it handles for you.
12 weeks or more before you move
- Ask your school for its document list in writing: which certificates, how they must be legalised, and what it handles for you.
- Apply for police clearances for every country your school or visa asks about. Many schools check every country you've lived in for six months or more in the last ten years.
- Start verification and legalisation of your degree, teaching qualification and transcripts.
- Check your passport, and your family's. Renew now if it expires within 18 months.
- Find out whether your destination needs medicals before the visa, or after you arrive.
8 to 12 weeks before
- Sign your contract only when salary, housing, flights, medical cover, end-of-service pay and notice terms are in writing.
- Start the visa steps your school sends you, and keep copies of everything.
- Legalise marriage and birth certificates if your family is coming on your visa.
- Request school records for your children, and ask the new school what it needs.
4 to 8 weeks before
- Set aside at least two months of living costs in money you can reach abroad.
- Get tax advice on your residence status before you leave.
- Confirm housing: the area, whether it's furnished, and when you can move in.
- Start your pet's paperwork if you haven't already. Some rules need months.
2 to 4 weeks before
- Pack a document folder you carry by hand: originals, legalised copies, passport photos, contract and offer letter.
- Tell your bank you are moving, and check your cards work abroad.
- Book your first week: airport pickup, temporary accommodation if needed, and your first appointments.
Your first 30 days
- Complete residence steps on time. In Qatar, the residence permit must be done within 30 days of arrival.
- Open a bank account once your residence ID arrives, and give the details to payroll.
- Collect your health insurance card, and register with a doctor.
- Confirm school places for your children.
Watch: Leaving Qatar for good: what we shipped, sold and left behind
Police checks.
South Africa: apply for a SAPS Police Clearance Certificate at a police station, where your fingerprints are taken, or at a South African embassy if you live abroad. SAPS says it takes about 15 working days from when its Criminal Record Centre in Pretoria receives your application, plus courier time, and the fee is R114. DIRCO treats a police clearance as valid for six months for legalisation, so don't apply too early.
United Kingdom: an employer abroad can't request a DBS check. Police certificates for visas come from ACRO, and teachers working with children overseas can apply for an International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC).
Documents: apostille or legalisation?
If your destination is part of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille is the only step you need. If it isn't, your documents go through your foreign ministry, then that country's embassy, then often its own foreign ministry. Canada (since January 2024) and Saudi Arabia (since December 2022) accept apostilles. Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait don't. Check your destination on the HCCH status table before you pay anyone.
South Africa: DIRCO legalises original public documents free of charge. Degrees need a SAQA verification letter first, matric an Umalusi one, and DIRCO doesn't accept certified copies. United Kingdom: the FCDO legalises documents for £45, usually within 25 working days, or £35 for an e-Apostille in up to 2 working days. Qualification certificates must be certified by a UK solicitor or notary first.
Moving to the Gulf? See teaching in Qatar and teaching in the Middle East for each country's chain.
Money and tax.
In the Gulf you usually need your residence ID before a bank will open an account. HSBC Qatar, for example, asks for your Qatar ID and opens accounts in a branch, and UAE banks list an Emirates ID and residence visa. Your first salary can arrive late as a result, so bring at least two months of living costs.
South African teachers: if you remain an SA tax resident, SARS exempts the first R1.25 million of foreign employment income when you meet its 183-day and 60-day tests. The exemption doesn't apply to non-residents, and financial emigration on its own doesn't end tax residency. Speak to a registered tax practitioner before you go.
Children and schools.
Ask your new school, or your children's new school, exactly which records they need and whether they must be legalised. Dubai, for example, requires a transfer certificate from Grade 2 upwards, attested in the country it comes from, including by the UAE embassy there. School fees are one of the biggest costs of a move, so check whether your contract includes a fee allowance before you sign.
Moving with pets.
Pet rules are set by the country you're moving to, and they often need months: a microchip, rabies vaccination, sometimes a blood test and an import permit. Two examples:
- Canada: dogs aged 8 months or older from countries that aren't rabies-free, such as South Africa, need a valid rabies vaccination certificate in English or French from a licensed vet.
- Qatar: cats and dogs need an import permit from the Ministry of Municipality, available through its Oun app. The UAE also requires an import permit, from its Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
Speak to a vet who handles export paperwork as soon as your move is confirmed, and check your airline's rules too.
Health insurance.
In the UAE, employers must provide health insurance for their employees: in Dubai, in Abu Dhabi (including your spouse and children under 18), and since 1 January 2025 in the other emirates, where it's needed before a residence permit is issued. In Qatar, the law places the duty on employers, so ask your school how it covers you and your family.
Common mistakes to avoid.
- Getting your police clearance at the wrong time, too late for your visa or too early to stay valid.
- Sending certified copies to DIRCO, or skipping SAQA or Umalusi verification.
- Assuming an apostille works everywhere. Qatar and the UAE aren't members.
- Offering a DBS check when the visa needs an ACRO certificate or the school asks for an ICPC.
- Arriving without enough money for the weeks before your residence ID and bank account.
- Forgetting your children's documents.
Still choosing where to go? Read how to choose a teaching destination. Holding an offer? Use the contract checklist first.
Sources
- SAPS: Applying for a police clearance certificate
- DIRCO: Legalisation services
- GOV.UK: Where to apply for a criminal record check
- ACRO: Police certificates
- GOV.UK: Get a document legalised
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table
- HSBC Qatar: Current accounts
- UAE Government: Banking in the UAE
- SARS: Foreign employment income exemption
- Dubai: Administrative Resolution No. 50 of 2022 (school enrolment)
- CFIA: Bringing dogs into Canada
- CFIA: Rabies-free countries
- The Peninsula: Ministry of Municipality services on the Oun app
- UAE MOCCAE: Import permit for pets
- UAE Government: Health insurance
- MOHRE: Basic health insurance scheme
This page is general information, checked in October 2026. It is not legal, tax, immigration or veterinary advice. Requirements change and differ by country, so confirm current details with your school, the embassy of your destination and the official bodies listed above. Teacher Moves is not a recruiter or relocation company.
Plan your move in one focused hour.
Bring your contract, your dates and your family situation. We build your plan together, and you leave with your next steps in writing.
Relocation Strategy Session
US$97- 60 minutes on Google Meet
- Your visa and document pathway, for you specifically
- How to judge your offer and package
- Your priorities for the next 30, 60 and 90 days
- Written next steps after the call
You complete a short questionnaire first, so the call starts with your situation.
Your next step.
Start free. Get personal help when your move date is set.
Teacher Moves Assessment
FreeChoose "Prepare for relocation", add your move date, and get your next step for this week.
Relocation Strategy Session
US$97One hour to plan your move around your contract, family and dates, with written next steps.
Free Qatar Checklists
FreeDocument attestation and immigration, step by step, for UK and South African teachers.
Teacher Moves community
Ask teachers who already live where you are going.
Moving abroad feels different when you know what to prepare for.
From the comments on our free videos.
What teachers say
Thank you for your video so informative. Please share the teaching licence and degree verification process.
What teachers ask us
Real questions from the comments. If one sounds like yours, you're not the only one.
Hi Sis. I have all the information in terms of teaching in these different regions except for moving with a child. please advise lapho.
Public comments on our YouTube and TikTok videos, copied word for word, spelling included. Names are shortened for privacy. They are about our free videos, not reviews of paid services. Each card links to the video it was posted on.
Frequently asked questions.
Which UK criminal record check do I need to teach abroad?
Visas usually need an ACRO police certificate. GOV.UK says an employer abroad can't request a DBS check, and teachers working with children overseas can apply for an International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC).
How long does a South African police clearance take?
SAPS says about 15 working days from when its Criminal Record Centre in Pretoria receives your application, and the fee is R114. You apply at a police station, or at a South African embassy if you're abroad. DIRCO treats the certificate as valid for six months, so time it.
Do I need an apostille or legalisation?
It depends on whether your destination is part of the Hague Apostille Convention. Canada and Saudi Arabia accept apostilles; Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait don't, so documents go through their embassy and foreign ministry.
Who apostilles South African documents?
DIRCO, free of charge, for original public documents. High Courts handle notarised documents. Degrees need a SAQA verification letter first and matric an Umalusi one, and DIRCO doesn't accept certified copies.
Can I open a bank account before I arrive in the Gulf?
Usually not. Banks ask for your residence ID: HSBC Qatar asks for a Qatar ID and opens accounts in a branch, and UAE banks list an Emirates ID and residence visa. Bring enough money to cover the weeks until then.
Will my employer give me health insurance?
In the UAE, yes: employers must provide it in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and, since January 2025, the other emirates. In Qatar, the law puts the duty on employers, so ask your school how it applies to you and your family.
Can I bring my dog?
Usually, but the rules differ by country and take months to meet. Qatar requires an import permit from the Ministry of Municipality, and Canada requires a valid rabies vaccination certificate for dogs aged 8 months or older from countries that aren't rabies-free, such as South Africa.
Do I still pay South African tax while teaching abroad?
If you remain an SA tax resident, the first R1.25 million of foreign employment income can be exempt when you meet SARS's 183-day and 60-day tests. Financial emigration on its own doesn't end tax residency, so get advice from a registered tax practitioner.