Moving Abroad With Family: 2026 Guide for Remote Workers

Moving with a partner or kids means a higher visa income rule in most countries, more documents to apostille, and a school to find before you sign a lease. Spain, Portugal and Greece add the most income per family member; Albania and Paraguay add none. Here is how it works in each of our countries, and what to do first.

Checked against the sources at the end on November 2, 2026. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you apply.

At a glance

Item	What to know
Income rules	Most nomad visas add income for each partner and child. Spain, Portugal and Greece add the most
When family can join	Some countries let everyone apply together; Italy and (from 2025) Portugal make some family members wait
Documents	Apostilled birth and marriage certificates for everyone, translated. Order them first; they take the longest
Kids' passports	Children under 16 need both parents to apply in person, or a notarized consent form from the absent parent
Schools	Legal residents can usually use public schools. International schools often cost $8,000 to $30,000 a year
Health insurance	Required for each family member on most visas
US taxes	Claiming the foreign earned income exclusion rules out the refundable part of the Child Tax Credit
Born abroad	Report a child born abroad to a US embassy for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and US passport

How family changes the income rule

Bringing a partner or children usually raises the monthly income you have to show. These are the rules in our countries, based on our country guides and official checklists.

Country	Base rule (one person)	With family
Portugal	€3,680 a month	Plan for +50% for a partner and +30% per child. Sources disagree on the base, so plan for the higher figure. Reunification can wait 2 years, except for minor children
Spain	€2,849 a month	+75% of the minimum wage (about €1,068) for the first family member, +25% (about €356) for each extra one. Family can apply with you
Greece	€3,500 a month	+20% for a spouse (about €700), +15% per child (about €525)
Italy	About €2,083 a month	Spouse and children under 18 join later, through family reunification in Italy, with their own income test
Croatia	€3,622.50 a month	About €145 more per family member, applied for after you're approved
Costa Rica	$3,000 a month	$4,000 a month with a spouse or children (unmarried children under 25)
Mexico	Set by each consulate	Dependents apply with their own checklist. Confirm extra solvency with your consulate
Colombia	3 times the minimum wage	Family can be added as beneficiaries. Confirm with the consulate whether more income is needed
Thailand (DTV)	500,000 baht in savings	Spouse and children under 20 can get dependent visas. Confirm whether one family bank statement covers everyone
Argentina, Panama	No fixed minimum / $3,000 a month	Confirm family rules with the consulate before you apply
Albania	Visa-free for a year	Each family member gets their own visa-free year
Paraguay	No income minimum	Each family member applies for temporary residency

Our city-match quiz does this math for your household automatically.

Documents for the whole family

Start with these. US vital records and apostilles are the slowest part of a family move, often 4 to 12 weeks.

Passports for everyone, valid well beyond your planned stay
Birth certificates for every child, apostilled by the issuing state
Your marriage certificate, apostilled. For unmarried partners, proof of living together
Custody documents or a notarized consent letter if a parent isn't moving
Certified translations, where the country requires them
FBI background checks for adults (children usually don't need one)
Health insurance covering each person for the whole stay
School records and vaccination records, translated if you can

Order certified copies in bulk. Consulates, immigration offices and schools often each keep an original.

Kids' passports

Under 16: both parents or guardians must apply in person with the child. If one can't come, they sign Form DS-3053, notarized.
Valid for 5 years for children under 16, so check expiry dates before you book consulate appointments.
Some countries check at the border when a child travels with only one parent. Carry a notarized consent letter from the other parent.

Schools

Choosing a school often decides which neighborhood you live in, so start here.

Option	What it's like	Cost
Public schools	Free or nearly free for legal residents in most of our countries. Taught in the local language, which young children often pick up within a year	Free, plus books and meals
Bilingual or private local schools	Local curriculum with more English. Common in Latin American capitals	Often a few hundred dollars a month
International schools	English-language, often IB, American or British curriculum. Easiest for older kids and short stays	Often $8,000 to $30,000 a year

Apply early: international schools in Lisbon, Barcelona and Mexico City often have waiting lists. Our Household plans include a school shortlist for your city.

Healthcare for kids

Most nomad visas require private health insurance for each family member.
Bring vaccination records. Some schools ask for them in the local format, and your pediatrician can provide a printed history.
Once you're a legal resident, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Costa Rica, among others, let families register with the public health system. Rules and waiting periods vary.
Find an English-speaking pediatrician before you need one. Expat groups and your embassy's doctor list are good places to start.

Pets

Start about 2 months ahead for the EU. Pets need a microchip, then a rabies vaccine at least 21 days before travel, then a USDA-endorsed health certificate issued within 10 days of arrival.
Every country has its own rules, and some need extra tests or permits. Look up your destination on the USDA APHIS pet travel site before you book.
Airlines limit pets in the cabin by size, and some ban cargo travel in summer heat. Book the pet's spot when you book your flight.

US taxes for families

Child Tax Credit: each child needs a Social Security number. If you claim the foreign earned income exclusion, you can't claim the refundable part of the credit, so compare the exclusion with the foreign tax credit.
Married couples can each exclude up to $132,900 of their own 2026 earned income.
A non-American spouse changes your filing options. Ask an expat tax preparer.
Children's foreign bank accounts count toward the FBAR threshold for the person who has signature authority over them.
See our US taxes and banking guide for the full picture.

If you have a baby abroad

A child born abroad to a US citizen parent is usually a US citizen, if the parent meets the residence requirements.
Apply at the nearest US embassy or consulate for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and a US passport, ideally in the first months.
Request a Social Security number with the CRBA, so you can claim the child on your return.
Register the birth locally too. Most countries require it within days or weeks.

Your family checklist

Run your household through the city-match quiz to see which visas you qualify for together
Order apostilled birth and marriage certificates for everyone
Check every passport's expiry date and renew children's early
Shortlist schools and apply before you sign a lease
Buy health insurance that covers each family member
Book the pet's vet and USDA appointments about 2 months out
Talk to an expat tax preparer about the Child Tax Credit

Sources

Checked on November 2, 2026. Where sources disagree, we say so above.

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