Okay, so it happened. Your favourite person in the world just announced they're packing up their entire life, shipping it across an ocean, and starting fresh in a completely different country. You're proud of them. You're excited for them. You're also devastated.
But before you spend the next few weeks wallowing in your feelings (valid, by the way), there's something you can do: send them off with a gift that shows just how much they mean to you — and maybe subtly reminds them that you exist, so they FaceTime you more often.
Whether they're moving for work, love, study, or just the thrill of reinvention, here are 12 genuinely great going-away gifts for the friend or loved one who's about to go full expat.
1. A Personalised Photo Album
Let's start with the sentimental one, because we all know you're going to cry making it anyway, so you might as well lean in. A personalised photo album is one of those gifts that never goes out of style — and for someone about to move overseas, it's genuinely priceless.
Print out your favourite shared memories, stick in some handwritten notes from the crew, and watch them burst into tears at the airport. Bonus: it costs less than you think, and it's 100% impossible to leave behind in a moving box. They'll pull it out on a hard night in a new city and be so glad they have it. Mission accomplished.
2. A Kindle E-Reader
Books are the classic travel companion — except when you're wrestling a checked bag that's already 3 kilos over the limit. That's where a Kindle comes in. It's lightweight, holds thousands of books, and is genuinely one of the best things a long-haul traveller can own.
If your budget doesn't stretch to a Kindle, a stack of their favourite paperbacks works beautifully too. Just ask what they've been meaning to read, grab a couple of copies, and tuck in a handwritten note. Books carry comfort and familiarity in a way that very few other objects do — and when they're sitting alone in a new apartment on the other side of the world, having something good to read is a lifeline.
3. A Snack Box Hamper (From Home)
This one is so underrated. If your friend is moving away from Australia, send them a care package loaded with all the iconic local snacks they'll absolutely miss: Tim Tams, Shapes, Cherry Ripes, Vegemite, a bag of Twisties. It sounds silly, but homesickness hits hardest in unexpected moments — and being able to crack open a Tim Tam on a grey Tuesday afternoon in London or Berlin is a genuine mood-lifter.
You can put one together yourself with a cute hamper basket and some tissue paper, or order a pre-made Australian snack box online. Either way, it's the gift equivalent of a hug from home — and that matters more than you'd think.
4. A Rechargeable Power Bank
Okay, switching gears to the practical stuff — because honestly? The best gifts for people going overseas are the ones that actually make their life easier. A high-quality portable power bank is non-negotiable for international travel and life abroad.
Between navigating on Google Maps in a brand new city, keeping up with time-zone-defying group chats, and spending way too long on Instagram, their phone battery is going to be dying constantly. A reliable power bank means they're never stranded without a charged phone — and since a working phone is basically a safety tool when you're somewhere unfamiliar, this one's a no-brainer. Look for a compact, high-capacity option that won't take up half their bag.
5. A Travel Pillow (The Good Kind)
Long-haul flights are brutal. Like, properly brutal. And if your friend is moving overseas from Australia, there's a good chance their journey involves 14+ hours in a pressurised metal tube before they even arrive. Gift them something that makes that slightly more survivable.
Skip the cheap foam horseshoe-shaped ones that everyone ignores — instead, go for an inflatable travel pillow that actually holds its shape, or one of those nifty versions that attaches to the headrest and stops the dreaded head-bobbing. It's a small thing, but they'll think of you every single time they manage to actually sleep on a plane. That's the gift of a well-rested arrival, and it's worth more than it sounds.
6. A Universal Travel Adapter
You would be amazed how many people arrive in a new country, plug in their phone charger, and watch it refuse to work — or worse, spark dramatically. A universal travel adapter that covers multiple plug types is one of those gifts that seems boring until the exact moment you desperately need it, at which point it becomes the most important object you own.
Get one with USB ports built in so they can charge multiple devices at once. It's practical, it's lightweight, and it will genuinely save them stress in those first frantic days of getting settled. Wrap it with something cute if the presentation feels too utilitarian. Nobody has ever been disappointed to receive one of these.
7. A budget stay air freshner
Here's one for the budget traveller who knows that a dodgy Airbnb or a tired budget hotel
room can smell a little... lived in. Enter Amod Aromas — an incense set that comes with its own incense burner (Shop here), and is honestly one of the most underrated gifts you can give someone who's about to spend months hopping between temporary accommodation.
The beauty of this one is in how instantly transformative it is. Light a stick, let the scent do its thing, and suddenly that beige-walled, mystery-carpeted room feels like a vibe. Amod Aromas offers beautiful, long-lasting fragrances that make any space — no matter how characterless — feel calming, cosy, and just a little bit like home. The included burner means they don't need to hunt down anything extra on arrival; it's a complete, ready-to-use little ritual in a box. Compact enough to slip into a carry-on, meaningful enough to use every single day. This one punches well above its price tag.
8. A Luggage Tag Set
Airlines lose luggage all the time. Bags get mixed up on carousels. Stuff goes missing. A set of distinctive, personalised luggage tags is both practical and surprisingly fun to give — especially if you can get them monogrammed or made with a design that's uniquely them.
Bonus points for gifting Apple AirTags alongside them. Tuck one into each bag so your friend can track their luggage in real time from their phone. In an era of increasingly unreliable airline baggage handling, this combo is genuinely invaluable. It's also just a great excuse to gift something that says "I care about your stuff as much as I care about you."
9. A Blank Recipe Book
Okay, this one is a hidden gem of a going-away gift idea. Get a beautiful blank recipe journal and fill in a few pages yourself — your grandmother's banana bread, that pasta dish you always make together, the cocktail recipe from your favourite shared dinner party. Then leave the rest of the pages blank for them to fill with new recipes they discover in their new country.
It's sentimental, it's practical, and it's the kind of thing they'll keep forever. Cooking familiar recipes is one of the most comforting things a person can do when they're homesick, and having those recipes written in your handwriting makes it even more special. This one is genuinely thoughtful, and it costs almost nothing to put together.
10. A Hanging Toiletry Bag
When you're hopping between temporary accommodation in those first few weeks of a move — or even just living in a smaller space than you're used to — a well-organised, hanging toiletry bag becomes a total game-changer. Everything visible, everything accessible, no digging through a messy pile on a tiny bathroom shelf.
Look for one with multiple compartments, a sturdy hook, and ideally a waterproof lining. It's the kind of gift that sounds deeply practical but quickly becomes one of those "I don't know how I lived without this" items. Pair it with a few of their favourite travel-sized toiletries to fill it out, and you've got an easy, thoughtful gift that's ready to go.
11. A Subscription Gift Card
Sometimes the most loving thing you can give someone who's moving overseas is the gift of choice. A gift card to an online streaming service, a food delivery app, an audiobook platform, or even just a general-use prepaid Visa gives them the freedom to spend it on exactly what they need most in the moment.
Moving overseas comes with a million unexpected expenses and decisions. A gift card says "here, treat yourself — I've got this one." It might not be the most personal option, but paired with a heartfelt card, it's genuinely useful, and useful is underrated when you're in the chaos of a big international move.
12. A Tech Organiser
Last but not least — the gift for the friend who has a lot of cables. A compact tech organiser keeps all their chargers, adapters, earbuds, memory cards, and other assorted electronic chaos neatly in one place. When you're moving between countries and constantly unpacking and repacking, this thing is a genuine sanity-saver.
Look for one with customisable elastic loops and pockets in various sizes. It sits flat in a carry-on and means they'll never again spend twenty minutes detangling cables in the bottom of a bag. Practical? Absolutely. Boring? Not when you consider how genuinely happy they'll be the first time they unzip it and find everything exactly where they left it.
The Bottom Line
Moving overseas is one of the most exhilarating, terrifying, and genuinely life-changing things a person can do. And while no gift is going to fill the gap of the people they're leaving behind, the right one can go a long way in saying "I see you, I love you, and I'm cheering for you from across the world."
Pick something from the heart — or if your friend is anything like most people who've just pulled off an international move, pick something wildly practical that they'll use every single day. Bonus points if you can do both at once.
Now go wrap something up, write a ridiculously sentimental card, and try not to cry at the going-away party. Try.