Change-of-address checklist
Everyone who needs your new address, in nine groups. Tick each one off when you have told them, jot down account numbers or how you did it, and add the people and services only you know about.
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Who to tell
Government and official
0/7 doneWhich offices must be told, and how soon, depends on the country. Check your local rules.
Banks and money
0/7 doneStatements, new cards and security codes are posted to the address on file, so update these early.
Utilities and home services
0/7 doneClose or move accounts at the old home with a meter reading, and open them at the new one from moving day.
Insurance
0/6 doneA new address can change a premium or the cover, so tell insurers before the move rather than after.
Healthcare
0/6 doneIf you are moving out of the area, ask how to register with a new practice and how your records will follow you.
Work and study
0/5 donePayroll and pension records feed into tax documents, so a wrong address here can cause trouble months later.
Subscriptions and memberships
0/8 doneMany of these only hold a billing address. Use the move to cancel anything you no longer use.
Deliveries and shopping
0/6 doneSaved addresses in shopping apps are easy to forget until a parcel goes to the old home.
Friends and family
0/6 doneA short message with the new address and the date you move is enough; a printed card works for those who like post.
How to use the list
Work through the groups in roughly the order they appear. Government offices, banks and insurers come first because their letters often matter most and some need notice before you move; friends and online shops can wait until you have the keys.
- Tick a line once you have told them; the date is recorded next to it so you know when it was done.
- Notes are for the details you will want later: an account or policy number, a reference from a phone call, or "updated online, confirmation email kept".
- Add someone at the bottom of any group for the contacts only you have: a landlord's agent, a sports club, a regular delivery.
- Remove lines that do not apply. A link at the end of the list brings them back.
Everything stays in this browser. Print the list to work through it on paper, download it as a CSV file for a spreadsheet, or copy it as text into a note.
Example: for a move on the 1st, you might tell your bank, employer, insurers and the tax office in the two weeks before, set up mail forwarding to start on moving day, register your address locally in the first week, and tidy up shops and subscriptions in the second.
Which government offices you must tell, and how quickly, depends on the country and sometimes the city: in some places registering a new address within a set number of days is compulsory. Check your local rules. The list uses general names only; it does not contact anyone for you.
Questions
Who should I tell first when I move?
Start with the senders of important post: your bank and card providers, your employer, insurers, and any government office that writes to you. Then the utilities at both homes, then healthcare, then subscriptions, shops and friends.
Is mail forwarding enough on its own?
No. Forwarding, where your postal service offers it, is a safety net for a limited period. Every sender still needs your new address, and forwarded letters show you who you have missed.
Does this page contact anyone for me?
No. It is a checklist that lives in your browser. Nothing you tick or type is sent anywhere, and you still need to update each address yourself, online, by phone or by post.
What should I write in the notes?
Anything you would need if the change went wrong: the account, customer or policy number, how you told them, a reference number, and whether they confirmed. Avoid passwords and full card numbers.
Do I have to register my new address with the government?
In some countries yes, often within days of moving; in others there is no general register and you update offices one by one. Check the official rules for where you are moving to.