Moving Abroad With Kids: Schools, Paperwork and Settling In

Moving abroad with children is a bigger decision than moving as a couple, and also, many families find, a richer one. Kids can come back bilingual, comfortable with difference and confident in new places. Getting there takes planning around school, paperwork and the emotional side of the move.

This guide covers schooling choices, records, passports, U.S. citizenship for children born abroad, helping kids adjust, and keeping the door open to U.S. colleges.

Choosing a school: local, bilingual or international

Schooling often decides where a family lives, so research schools before you choose a neighborhood. Most families choose among three types:

Things to ask any school

• What curriculum do you follow, and which accreditation do you hold?
• What support do you offer children learning the local language?
• How large are classes, and what's teacher turnover like?
• When does the school year start? Many Southern Hemisphere schools start early in the calendar year.
• What documents do you need to enroll, and do they need translation or an apostille?
• Where have recent graduates gone to university?

Age matters a lot. Young children often pick up a new language quickly in a local school. Teenagers face a harder transition, both academically and socially, and may do better in a school that teaches mainly in English, at least at first.

The International Baccalaureate (IB)

Many international schools teach the International Baccalaureate. According to the IB, its programmes are offered at almost 3,500 IB World Schools in 143 countries. It has four programmes:

• Primary Years Programme (PYP): ages 3 to 12.
• Middle Years Programme (MYP): ages 11 to 16.
• Diploma Programme (DP): ages 16 to 19.
• Career-related Programme (CP): ages 16 to 19.

The IB's appeal for mobile families is consistency: a child can move between IB schools in different countries with less disruption, and the Diploma is widely recognized by universities. Other international schools follow an American curriculum, the British system (IGCSE and A-levels) or another national system. Ask how each would transfer if you move again or return to the U.S.

School records and transcripts

Gather everything before you leave. It's much harder to get records from a U.S. school district after you've moved overseas.

• Official transcripts and report cards for the last several years.
• Standardized test results and course descriptions for high school students.
• Immunization records. Some schools require local vaccines too.
• Any IEP, 504 plan or evaluations for learning differences. Support abroad varies widely, so ask schools directly what they can provide.
• Birth certificates and, for some countries, apostilled copies. See apostilles and background checks.

While abroad, keep a folder of everything the school issues, in the original language with translations. If you return to the U.S. or apply to college, you'll need it.

Children's passports

Every child needs a U.S. passport, including infants. The State Department's rules for children under 16:

• Passports are valid for five years and can't be renewed by mail. Every application is a new one, in person, on Form DS-11.
• Both parents or guardians must appear with the child, or the absent parent must sign a notarized Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) and include a copy of the ID shown to the notary. Consent forms must be submitted within 90 days of notarization.
• A parent with sole custody needs documentation, such as a court order.
• Abroad, you apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate, usually by appointment.

US citizenship for children born abroad

If you have a baby while living abroad, the child may be a U.S. citizen at birth through a parent. The way to document that is a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). The State Department explains that a CRBA documents that a child was a U.S. citizen at birth. It is issued only for children under 18. It's not a birth certificate and doesn't prove parentage or custody.

1. Get the local birth certificate from the country of birth.
2. Apply through the U.S. embassy or consulate. Most now accept applications online, starting at MyTravelGov.
3. Document the parent's time in the U.S. Depending on the parents' circumstances, the citizen parent may need to prove prior physical presence in the U.S. Form DS-5507 is used in some cases.
4. Apply for the child's passport, often at the same appointment. Check with the embassy.

Apply soon after birth. Gathering proof of physical presence, such as old school transcripts, tax returns or military records, can take time. Veterans' DD-214s and service records are often useful here.

Some states allow U.S. citizens who were born abroad and never lived in the U.S. to vote using a parent's former address. Others don't. FVAP explains the details, and our voting from abroad guide covers the basics.

Helping kids adjust

Children go through culture shock too, sometimes on a different schedule from their parents. Some ideas that help:

• Involve kids in the decision where you can, and be honest about what will be hard.
• Keep familiar routines: bedtime rituals, favorite foods, weekly calls with grandparents.
• Start language lessons before you go, even informally.
• Find one activity, such as a sport, music or scouting, that connects them with local kids.
• Expect a dip a few months in, after the novelty fades. It usually passes.
• Watch for signs a child needs more help, like long-lasting withdrawal, sleep changes or school refusal, and find a counselor who speaks their language.

Our guide to culture shock and language covers the adjustment process for the whole family.

Keeping US college options open

Children who graduate from school abroad apply to U.S. colleges all the time. A few things help:

• Know how your child's school is viewed. Admissions offices see transcripts from around the world, but a school that's accredited and used to sending students to U.S. colleges makes the process smoother.
• Check testing policies college by college, and whether test centers are available near you.
• In-state tuition. Public universities set in-state tuition based on state residency rules. Families who have moved abroad often no longer qualify, though some states have exceptions. Ask the universities you're considering early.
• Financial aid. Federal student aid eligibility is generally based on U.S. citizenship or eligible status, not where the family lives. Confirm details on StudentAid.gov. Your tax filing choices abroad can affect aid forms, so mention college plans to your tax preparer.
• Keep options wide. Many children raised abroad also consider universities in their host country, the U.K., Canada or elsewhere, sometimes at much lower cost.

Last reviewed October 17, 2026. General information only, not legal, immigration, or tax advice. Requirements change, so confirm with official sources before you apply. See our disclaimer.