Moving a family and a business abroad: the one-contact plan, step by step

Published 3 November 2026 · ATLAS MAISON editorial team

Start with

A comparison of two or three jurisdictions against the family’s life and business

Advice

Licensed tax, immigration and corporate advisers in each country

The move

Homes, schools, staff, banking, art, cars and aircraft moved as one project

Timeline

Six to eighteen months for a full family and business move

One contact

A single coordinator for every adviser, agent and supplier

When a family moves its residence, and often its business, to another country, dozens of professionals become involved: lawyers, tax advisers, banks, notaries, agents, schools, movers, insurers and more. Most of the stress comes not from any single step, but from coordinating all of them. This is how a well-run move unfolds.

Why one contact matters

Each adviser sees one part of the picture. A single coordinator holds the whole plan: who does what, in what order, by when, and what each decision means for the rest. The family makes the decisions; the coordinator makes sure nothing falls between the cracks.

Comparing jurisdictions

Start with two or three candidates, for example the UAE, Monaco, Switzerland, Italy, France, Portugal or the UK, and compare them against what matters: tax position, residence routes for every family member, schools, lifestyle, travel connections, banking and where the business can operate. See our guides to the UAE, Monaco, Switzerland, Italy, France, the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The advisory team

Licensed tax, immigration and corporate advisers in the departure and destination countries review the plan together, including exit taxes, double tax treaties, the timing of the move and how the family’s structures should change. Their advice is the foundation; everything else follows it.

Moving the business

Depending on advice, the business may open a new company or branch, move its management, or keep operations where they are. Company formation, banking, office space, licences, staff visas and payroll run in parallel with the family’s move.

Moving the family

Residence permits, a temporary and then a permanent home, schools, healthcare, household staff, security, cars and a settling-in plan for every generation, including grandparents. See Family Care.

Art, cars, yachts and aircraft

Collections need fine art shippers, customs and insurance; classic cars need enclosed transport and registration; yachts and aircraft may change flag or registration. Our sister companies Atlas Heritage and Atlas Aeromarine help where assets are bought or sold along the way.

The first year

Registrations, tax filings, renewals and a calendar that keeps the family compliant and at home. A good move is measured a year later, when everything simply works. See our relocation concierge.