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Be Prepared

  • The list below shares documents that Foreign Service employees and family members should keep on hand during any move. Storing these digitally, in cloud-based storage may be suitable; however, having them on a hard drive or thumb drive may be helpful when traveling to locations with inconsistent access to the internet. Some documents may be printed and hand carried, as needed. Knowing these documents’ locations will make them easy to collect in an emergency and during a scheduled move.

Financial/Personal Records

  • Medical/dental records, prescriptions, immunization cards
  • Birth, naturalization, marriage certificates, separation/divorce and custody decree
  • Driver’s license, auto insurance, title, and registration
  • Personal checks, registers, bank statements
  • Credit cards, bills, and financial records
  • Contact information for doctors, dentists, and lawyers
  • Household effects inventory
  • Household goods insurance policy

School Records for Each Child

  • All transcripts from previous schools
  • Current ILP (Individual Learning Plan), if applicable
  • Copies of standardized test scores
  • Psychoeducational test results, if applicable
  • Profiles/brochures from last school
  • List of textbooks used in last grade
  • Recommendations from principals, counselors, teachers
  • Copies of representative student work

Employment Records

  • Notification of Personnel Action Forms (SF 50), all applicable
  • Employee Performance Reports
  • Non-competitive Eligibility (NCE) Verification Letter, if applicable
  • Resumes and sample cover letters
  • Recent Earnings and Leave statements
  • Honors, awards, good performance citations
  • Transcripts from high school, colleges and universities, as applicable
  • Evaluation for foreign degrees with translated transcript, if applicable
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Letters verifying community service
  • Credentials, licenses, certification, verifications for skills
  • Writing samples
  • Contact details for personal references and potential employment contacts
  • Copy of eQip
  • Copy of transfer orders

U.S. Department of State

The Lessons of 1989: Freedom and Our Future