What to Pack Before You Move

I dislike moving… and I hate deciding what to sell, what to give away, or toss in the bin.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy a good house decluttering. Just not emptying the house because we’re moving countries. (In my case, I’ve had to do that more than ten times)

If I could have tied a thousand balloons to the house we lived in back in the UAE and floated the whole thing to Morocco, I would have saved myself a lot of stress.

Well, I couldn’t really have done that, because it was a rented house, first of all, and I have a feeling trying to float it over to Morocco might have triggered some sort of military response.

Yeah, no.

Most of us, sadly, must submit to luggage limits and airline rules, which means being realistic about what is actually worth bringing.

If you’re here, you’re probably trying to work out the same thing many of us do before a move like this: what deserves precious suitcase space, what can wait, and what you can simply buy once you arrive in Morocco without descending into unnecessary stress.

So in this post, I’m sharing from repeated experiences, what is genuinely worth packing, what you can leave behind, and what you’ll probably thank yourself for bringing when the dust settles and real life begins.

Here’s a list of things I consider important of bringing

Now, before I share my list, please keep in mind that this is simply what I personally do. The aim in sharing it is to give you a useful point of reference, so you can weigh up your own needs and decide what makes the most sense for your situation.

What you pack will depend a lot on your own situation: who you’re travelling with, whether you already have family or friends in Morocco, and whether you’ve had a chance to scout things out beforehand.

For us, we stayed with family for the first couple of months, which took a lot of pressure off.

My mum had already told us what she had at home, so we knew there were some things we would not need to worry about straight away, alhamdulillaah.

If you already know your destination well, and you have a rough idea of where to get certain items once you arrive, you can be a lot more relaxed about what really needs to go in the suitcase.

With that said, here are the things I’d prioritise.

1. Important documents

This one really does go without saying, yet it is still one of the easiest things to mishandle in the chaos of moving.

You do not want to arrive in Morocco, settle in, and then ring your mum to ask her to dig out your birth certificate from whichever mysterious location she decided was safe enough for important papers.

Then comes the postage cost, the delay, and the usual delivery drama. Save yourself the headache and bring your important documents with you from the start.

I’d strongly suggest keeping the essentials in your carry-on, storing digital scans somewhere easy to access (phone and online storage), and bringing a set of printed copies in a folder too. Keep those copies separate from the originals, just for your own peace of mind.

The exact documents you need will depend on your own situation, especially if you are married or travelling with children, but generally, I would make sure to bring:

• Passport (like, obviously)
• Marriage certificate
• Divorce certificate (if you intend to re-marry)
• Birth certificates for your children
• School records
• Medical records
• Vaccination records
• Driving licence
• Printed copies of bookings, addresses, and important contacts

This is one of those things where being organised from the beginning can save you a surprising amount of stress later on.

I’ve also written a separate post all about preparing your documents properly, which you can read here.

2. Clothes

I once had a sister ask me whether she could leave most of her family’s clothes behind and simply buy new ones once they arrived in Morocco.

My husband had a similar idea when we were planning our move. In the noble effort of avoiding extra luggage fees, he suggested we leave nearly ALL our clothes behind, apart from what we were wearing, and just build a new wardrobe once we landed.

Excuse me, sir.

I had several issues with this plan.

For one thing, clothing can be more expensive in Morocco than some people expect, especially if you are used to shopping in the West or the Gulf. Yes, there is a range of prices, and yes, you can find cheaper options, but in my experience, cheaper often comes with lower quality and a shorter life span.

Then there is the small matter of having just moved countries. By the time you arrive, you and your family may be tired, overstimulated, and in no mood to go hunting through shops trying to replace everyone’s wardrobe.

I certainly had no desire to spend my first days in Morocco haggling, checking fabric quality, and wandering through the medina maze wondering whose idea this was.

This is also a lovely example of why major life decisions should sometimes be run past the wife.

That said, I was still mindful of baggage limits, and I had no intention of dragging our entire wardrobe across the continent.

So I did a proper declutter and gave away bags and bags of clothes, alhamdulillah.

A lot of it was second-hand clothing we had been given, or bits I had bought in bulk from WhatsApp mums’ groups, and much of it simply was not worth taking.

For each child, I made sure they had around 5 to 7 solid everyday outfits to get through the week comfortably. I also filled in the gaps with anything they genuinely needed.

As for myself, I took the opportunity to buy a good pair of shoes and a few new abayas before we moved. I knew I would appreciate having decent, reliable things with me, rather than arriving and immediately needing to replace or mend half my clothes.

We moved during winter, so I packed mainly for that season. Warm clothing took priority. My thinking was simple: by the time summer came around, insha’Allah, I would know the area better and would not mind doing a more intentional shop for summer things later.

So, very roughly, the clothing I prioritised included:

• comfortable homewear
• a few sets of pyjamas
• undergarments
• good shoes and sandals
• season-appropriate clothing
• a couple of nicer outfits for visits or Eid

So yes, this had to go near the top of the list, just in case you or your spouse has had the same bright idea

If it is you, alhamdulillah, we can work through it together. If it is your spouse, kindly direct them to this post for further education.

3. Islamic essentials

Alhamdulillah, Morocco is a Muslim-majority country, so finding basic deen essentials is generally not difficult. There are plenty of shops that sell those sort of things you may need in the marketplace or city centre.

That said, there are still a few things worth bringing with you.

For example, many of us sisters are quite particular about our prayer garments. I certainly am. I am not especially fond of the ones I usually come across here, so I made sure to bring my favourite one with me.

A friend in the UAE had gifted it to me, and it had originally come from Malaysia. It is purple, well made, and it’s comfortable to pray with. Naturally, I brought it with me.

So, if you have a prayer garment you genuinely love, bring it.

Then there are the books, which may be the most painful category of all. Islamic books are heavy, and suitcase allowances are not built with readers in mind. I was very grateful that we had my in-laws we could leave many of ours with.

You can find authentic Islamic books in Morocco, even in ordinary stationery shops, which is lovely to see. The main thing to bear in mind is that most of what you will find is in Arabic. English titles, or books in other languages, are far less common.

If you have your own small library, I would suggest bringing a few that really matter to you, especially the ones you use regularly. That might be your Qur’an translation, books you are currently studying, or certain titles you rely on for your children’s upbringing and Islamic learning.

As for the books you cannot bring on the flight, there are a few ways to manage it.

You can ask family or friends to hold on to them for you. Some people gradually have books sent over later.

Others wait until a relative visits and kindly acts as an unsuspecting courier of knowledge.

I know one sister who ended up donating most of her collection, and she said it was heartbreaking. I deeply empathise.

Personally, I left most of my library with my in-laws and brought only a few books with me. I even left behind my own copy of the Qur’an, then later bought a beautiful Hafs mushaf here for 100 dirhams.

At the moment, I am slowly rebuilding my collection. From time to time, a good opportunity comes along. My husband once came across an advert from a German brother selling his English Ibn Kathir collection for just 500 dirhams, and I was absurdly thrilled.

And whenever family travel back from the UK, I sometimes ask whether they would mind bringing a book or two if they have space.

So yes, Morocco will have deen essentials available. Still, if there are certain items you use often, love dearly, or know will be difficult to replace in English or your native language, I would make room for them in the suitcase.

4. Electronics

Electronics are another category worth thinking through properly before you move. In my experience, they often work out better value in the West, and there are certain brands, models, or accessories that are simply easier to get hold of before you leave.

For most people, the main thing is making sure you bring the electronics you already rely on, along with any useful extras that would be annoying to replace in your first few weeks. Accessories especially have a habit of seeming unimportant right up until the exact moment you need them.

Before we moved to Morocco, I took the opportunity to upgrade my laptop because my old one had become painfully slow and difficult to work on.

I also bought a good quality phone charger, which turned out to be one of my better decisions. It charges quickly, has held up well, and has saved me from the usual irritation of flimsy chargers giving up on life after a few months.

I also made sure to pack my Kindle, as I wasn’t able to bring the physical copies of my favourite books.

A few electronics worth considering are:

• Phone
• Laptop
• Chargers
• Power bank
• Plug adapters
• DVD player (if you’re old school, like me)
• Headphones
• Hard drive or USBs
• Kindle (a worthy option for keeping your reading habits without sacrificing suitcase space)
• Work equipment, if you work online

This is especially worth remembering if you are coming from the UK or the US. Morocco uses type C and type E plugs, with a 220V supply at 50Hz, so a plug adapter is usually useful (you can also find them here), and it is wise to check the voltage requirements on any appliance you plan to bring.

You can, of course, buy many electronics and accessories in Morocco. Still, I would much rather land with what I need already in the suitcase than spend the first week hunting for a charger, adapter, or work essential while also trying to settle into a new country.

That said, I did not bring every electronic item I owned. I gave away my old laptop, along with my DSLR camera and all of its equipment. That had become an abandoned hobby, and I was quite content to let it go and save the suitcase space for things I would actually use.

5. Children’s toys

This might sound like a smaller detail in the grand scheme of an international move, though I honestly think it deserves a place on the list, especially if you have younger children.

A few weeks before our flight to Morocco, I made sure to buy and pack some good quality toys while we were still in the Emirates.

I knew that once we arrived, I would be tired and then very busy trying to start our new chapter. It certainly helped having the children entertained with their new toys!

In my experience, it is not always easy to find good quality toys in Morocco, and branded things like Lego and Play-Doh can be quite expensive.

So I focused on bringing a few long-lasting toys the children could enjoy again and again, such as jigsaw puzzles and other simple activities.

It also helped make the move feel exciting for the children. I bought a few new items and told them they could play with them once we reached Morocco, which gave them something happy to look forward to.

You do not need to bring loads, just a small selection of things that are durable, familiar, and likely to get plenty of use.

6. Medicines

This depends on you and your family’s situation.

If you or your children rely on anything specific, I would strongly suggest bringing enough to cover the first settling-in period. An example would be a nebulizer, which was hard to find when my friend needed to replace hers.

Even when something is available in Morocco, the brand names may differ.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of medicine packaging here is in French, so there can be a bit of a learning curve at the beginning while you get used to what is what.

Things I would consider bringing include:

• Prescription medication
• A copy of your prescriptions
• Pain relief
• Cold and flu basics
• Allergy medicine
• Vitamins or supplements you already use
• Basic first aid items
• A thermometer
• Children’s medicine, if you have kids

Personally, I have not always been the most organised when it comes to keeping up with medicines and health bits.

Alhamdulillah, no one in my household has any severe chronic illness so far, and that is something I do not take for granted. We do have a few minor things to manage, though nothing too overwhelming.

In our case, my mum already had most of the basic medicines at home, which took a lot of pressure off. One thing I did make sure to bring, though, was my daughter’s glasses prescription, and a few bottles of Vitamin supplements.

7. Toiletries and personal care favourites

I love my little things, and I make no apology for it.

I brought my make-up bag, my baking soda deodorant, perfumes, hairbrush, Korean face scrub, and a few other bits I use all the time.

Morocco has plenty of toiletries and personal care products available, alhamdulillah. Still, your exact favourites may take time to locate, especially in the beginning when you do not yet know which shops stock what.

That is why I think it is worth bringing the items that help you feel like yourself in those first few weeks.

Things worth considering include:

• skincare you already rely on
• haircare products that suit your hair type
• deodorant
• specific hygiene products
• baby care items, if relevant

You can always ask around in groups and forums to see whether a specific item is available in Morocco. If it is, you may only need to bring enough to cover the settling-in period. If it is harder to find, then it may be worth packing a bit more and dealing with the future version of that problem when the time comes.

That was my approach, anyway. I packed several jars of shea butter, along with the baking soda deodorant I still use now, a year later.

8. Kitchen things you may genuinely miss

This one will vary from household to household, though I do think it is worth mentioning.

As someone who is half Indonesian, I took no chances and packed a rice cooker to the land of bread. I like my small rice cooker, and I was not prepared to begin my new life in Morocco without it.

Morocco has its own excellent pantry staples, alhamdulillah, and you will gradually discover plenty to enjoy and cook with. Still, there may be a few familiar things from home that you will genuinely miss, especially in the first stretch when everything still feels new.

For some people, it might be a favourite spice blend. For others, a certain tea. My fellow village European friend, for example, is very attached to her tea collection.

A few kitchen bits worth thinking about are:

• favourite spices or spice blends
• specific teas
• small kitchen items you use often
• a few familiar food staples you know you will miss

You do not need to pack your entire kitchen, of course. Though if there is one small appliance, seasoning, or comfort item you use regularly and would be a little sorry to go without, it may well deserve a little space in the suitcase.

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Final thoughts

Please be gentle with yourself through this process.

You will not be able to bring everything, and that is alright. Some belongings will be easy to part with, others may sting a little. That is simply part of hijrah and moving countries in general.

Try to focus on bringing what will make those first weeks feel smoother, more familiar, and less stressful for you and your family.

I have moved countries several times, and over the years I have lost, left behind, and given away many things. There is sadness in that sometimes, though there can also be unexpected relief.

It taught me that I could do without more than I realised, and that letting go can feel strangely refreshing.

You will figure out the rest as you go, insha’Allah. Morocco will teach you plenty soon enough. Your suitcase only needs to carry enough to help you arrive a little more… gently.

May Allah grant you ease and compensate you for what you had to let go for His sake, ameen.

P.S. If this stirred up questions about your own move, you’re welcome to book a Clarity Call with me and talk through your own situation. I look forward to see how I can help 🙂