Before you move
Time
1 to 2 hours, spread over a few weeks
Cost
Free to about 50 in your home currency, for a redirection
Difficulty
Easy
What to bring
A list of who has your old address, banks, subscriptions, government bodies
A forwarding address, a friend, family member, or your new address once confirmed
Your options
Your postal service's redirection service
Royal Mail, USPS, Canada Post, Australia Post, and similar all offer one
Free to about 50, charged at home
Covers the transition period while you update senders one by one. Most run from 3 to 12 months.
Virtual mailbox or mail-scanning service
Scans and forwards mail digitally
About 10 to 30 a month, charged at home
Overkill for most people, but useful if you're keeping a financial or legal tie to your home country.
Prices checked August 2026
Do it
- 1
Set up mail redirection before you leave
Most postal services let you set this up online a few weeks ahead, it buys you time to update everyone individually. Put the end date in your calendar the day you book it: redirection runs for a fixed term, usually 3, 6 or 12 months, and mail simply stops arriving when it lapses.
- 2
Update banks, employers, and government bodies
These bounce hardest if missed, most let you change your address online or by phone before you fly.
- 3
Cancel or pause subscriptions tied to your old address
Gyms, local deliveries, and anything with a fixed-location contract. Check cancellation notice periods, some need 30 to 60 days.
- 4
Update your billing address on cards and subscriptions
Streaming, software, and shopping accounts often just need a new billing address, not a full cancellation.
Full checklist tracking and task completion live in the Ternli app for Lisbon.