Preparing your children for moving abroad works best when you split the plan by age: pre-teens usually adjust within weeks once their parents and a few familiar belongings are nearby, while teens need more advance notice, a say in the process, and clear communication about why the move is happening. In Saudi Arabia specifically, that preparation also means sorting your children's dependent visas and school transfer documents well before the move date, and researching schools before you arrive rather than after.
Moving to another country, a new culture, language and/or a climate is a daunting, life-changing prospect for all of us. Even if you are used to moving around the world, this will still present some challenges. There will be new, foreign customs, foods, traditions… even things such as architecture and street plan can make us feel like in some other world. However, for us, adults, it is a comprehensible affair. We get used to it. Maybe we enjoy it as well. After all, we chose to move. Nobody just picked us up from our life in the country we currently reside and moved us to this new environment. But, for your children, when you move, this is exactly what happens. They are not necessarily able to understand that you need to move for a job, or a financial situation, or for some other, private reason. For them, their world and all they have known is getting left behind with no apparent rime or reason. So, how should you be preparing your children for moving abroad in order to avoid or minimize these effects? Here are some tips.
| Age group | Main challenge | What helps most | Saudi Arabia-specific tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toddlers & pre-teens | Missing daily routine, not understanding “why” | Keeping familiar toys/bedroom items nearby, sticking to sleep/meal times | Pack a “first week” box with favorite toys so it isn’t buried in shipment |
| Teens | Loss of identity, peers, and social status | Involving them in decisions, letting them research the new city, honest communication | Let them look up their new school online before you enroll them |
| All ages | Culture shock, language barrier, new school | Hiring a language tutor before the move, connecting with local expat families | Check schooling options in Saudi Arabia before picking a neighborhood |
How old is the child?
Age matters. While child psychology is a complex field and there are many differences in development for each age, for purposes of this post let us split children into two distinct categories. They are either:
- Pre-teens. Surprisingly to some, moving with younger children is easier, even if they are not used to it. For them, home is mostly where people they most care about are, and at that age that mainly (but not solely) means the parents.
- Teens. In preparing your children for moving abroad teenagers will prove to be more difficult. This is understandable. Their identity is being formed in large part by their environment and they feel that their sense of self is deeply connected to their home (town, neighborhood, people that are there or culture that presides there etc.)
This doesn’t mean that having teenagers will make a move impossible. You just have to have clear communication with them.
Take into consideration how to adjust to a new climate. While it might seem simple to change wardrobe habits, for a more formed teenage personality, change in clothes might be a more difficult step than expected (as it also means a change in style which impedes self-expression)
They don’t have much of a choice, so make sure they trust in yours.
As a parent you do, and always have to, know what’s best for you and the family as a whole. Children are too young to take or even comprehend what goes into making these life-changing decisions. This means that your choice to move from coast to coast, for example, can seem sudden and completely unnecessary to them, and yet they can’t really influence your decision.
Here are some tips to make this easier for them:
- Be decisive – Even when they don’t like the decision, children can pick up on insecurities. They should know that you are absolutely sure that this is the right thing to do.
- Be approachable – The first point doesn’t negate the second one. In preparing your children for moving abroad you have to be approachable. Make sure they can ask questions and answer them as best as you can. However, don’t let it seem that your decision is shaky.
- Give them a choice where possible – For this, look what we are proposing next…
Documents your children need before moving to Saudi Arabia
Emotional preparation matters, but so does the paperwork — and leaving it too late is one of the most common causes of last-minute stress for relocating families. Each child moving to Saudi Arabia typically needs a dependent visa or iqama, an apostilled birth certificate, and school transfer or transcript records from their current school. Requirements vary depending on your sponsor and the city you’re moving to, so it’s worth starting this process as soon as the move is confirmed rather than in the final weeks.
For the full list of what’s required, see our guide to mandatory documents for children when moving to KSA. If you’re still deciding which paperwork applies to your family’s situation, moving abroad with kids: which document do you need? breaks it down by age and visa type.
Choosing a school before you arrive
Enrolling your child in the right school is one of the biggest factors in how smoothly they adjust — and in Saudi Arabia, popular international schools in Riyadh and Jeddah often have waiting lists, so researching options before your move date (not after) gives your family more choice. Involve older children directly in this step; letting a teenager browse a shortlist of schools online gives them some ownership over a decision that otherwise feels entirely out of their hands.
Our guide to schooling options in Saudi Arabia for expat families covers curriculum types, admission timelines, and what to ask before you commit to a school.
Recognizing expat child syndrome after the move
Even with good preparation, some children take longer than others to settle in — a pattern sometimes referred to as expat child syndrome, marked by withdrawal, irritability, or reluctance to make new friends in the weeks after a move. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, older children generally have more difficulty adjusting to a move because of the growing importance of peer relationships at that age, so persistent signs of distress are worth taking seriously rather than dismissing as a phase.
If your child is having a harder time than expected settling into life in Saudi Arabia, see overcoming expat child syndrome: what you need to know for signs to watch for and how to help.
Get them to help in preparing your children for moving abroad – from your children!
Having your kids help you in making a move will not only be a helpful pair of hands or a word of thought but will (far more importantly) make them feel like part of the process. Harness this to best of your ability.
Get them to help you with research. Let them investigate the country they are about to move in. In younger children especially this can give a sense of adventure (a sense you should use to your advantage).
Need help packing? Involve them too. It is especially important that they have a say in what goes and what stays. Having that important toy for the road will make the whole process go a lot smoother as they will feel more like home in their new location.
To compound this, make sure that most of their dear elements get into a new room for them if possible. Familiarity will go a long way into helping them adjust.
Who knows, they might even be ready to let go of more things than you know, helping with cutting your moving expenses!
School and friends – how to deal with all new?
Being a new person in school, almost without exception, sucks. No way around it, really, but you can do a lot to help it go smoother.
Talk to them about their new challenges. As before, this part of preparing your children for moving abroad also involves a lot of communication.
Also, do your research on the school they are about to attend, and involve them if possible. Maybe you can also create contact with some kids who are already there, so your children can already know some when they arrive?
Don’t forget home – stay in touch
And finally, don’t make them forget where they came from. Even if they are leaving, functionality, forever, make sure that some contact remains. For children, losing contact with all their friends can come as the hardest part, so help them stay in touch.
When you arrive, keep some routine. It is healthy for the mind to have some familiarity. Try to sleep at the same time or dine as usual. This will go a long way with making sure that children perceive everything as just everyday business.
Start planning today!
Preparing your children for moving abroad takes more than a single conversation — it means age-appropriate communication, sorting their documents early, and choosing the right school before you arrive in Saudi Arabia. Four Winds Saudi Arabia has helped relocating families handle every part of this process, from paperwork to packing. Contact our team for a free relocation estimate for your family today.
We wish you a happy relocation!
FAQs
At what age is it hardest for a child to move abroad?
Teenagers generally find international moves harder than younger children, since their sense of identity is more closely tied to their peer group, school, and neighborhood. Pre-teens tend to adjust faster because their sense of "home" is centered more on their parents than their surroundings.
What documents does my child need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Most children need a dependent visa or iqama, an apostilled birth certificate, and school transfer records. Exact requirements depend on your sponsor and destination city — see our mandatory documents guide for the full checklist.
How early should I start preparing my child for the move?
Start as soon as the move is confirmed — ideally 2–3 months ahead for school research and document processing, and as early as possible for talking to your child about the move itself so they have time to process it.
What is expat child syndrome?
Expat child syndrome describes prolonged difficulty adjusting after an international move, often showing as withdrawal, irritability, or reluctance to socialize. It's more common in teens and typically improves with consistent routine, open communication, and time — but persistent symptoms are worth discussing with a pediatrician.
Should I let my child help pack for the move?
Yes. Letting children pack their own room, choose what to bring, and decide what to let go of gives them a sense of control over a decision they didn't make, and tends to reduce resistance to the move itself.