This is tested roughly, so do not forget to backup your DB!!!

For example, there are two apps: src_app and dst_app, we want to move model MoveMe from src_app to dst_app.

Create empty migrations for both apps:

python manage.py makemigrations --empty src_app
python manage.py makemigrations --empty dst_app

Let’s assume, that new migrations are XXX1_src_app_new and XXX1_dst_app_new, previuos top migrations are XXX0_src_app_old and XXX0_dst_app_old.

Add an operation that renames table for MoveMe model and renames its app_label in ProjectState to XXX1_dst_app_new. Do not forget to add dependency on XXX0_src_app_old migration. The resulting XXX1_dst_app_new migration is:

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
from __future__ import unicode_literals

from django.db import models, migrations

# this operations is almost the same as RenameModel
# https://github.com/django/django/blob/1.7/django/db/migrations/operations/models.py#L104
class MoveModelFromOtherApp(migrations.operations.base.Operation):

    def __init__(self, name, old_app_label):
        self.name = name
        self.old_app_label = old_app_label

    def state_forwards(self, app_label, state):

        # Get all of the related objects we need to repoint
        apps = state.render(skip_cache=True)
        model = apps.get_model(self.old_app_label, self.name)
        related_objects = model._meta.get_all_related_objects()
        related_m2m_objects = model._meta.get_all_related_many_to_many_objects()
        # Rename the model
        state.models[app_label, self.name.lower()] = state.models.pop(
            (self.old_app_label, self.name.lower())
        )
        state.models[app_label, self.name.lower()].app_label = app_label
        for model_state in state.models.values():
            try:
                i = model_state.bases.index("%s.%s" % (self.old_app_label, self.name.lower()))
                model_state.bases = model_state.bases[:i] + ("%s.%s" % (app_label, self.name.lower()),) + model_state.bases[i+1:]
            except ValueError:
                pass
        # Repoint the FKs and M2Ms pointing to us
        for related_object in (related_objects + related_m2m_objects):
            # Use the new related key for self referential related objects.
            if related_object.model == model:
                related_key = (app_label, self.name.lower())
            else:
                related_key = (
                    related_object.model._meta.app_label,
                    related_object.model._meta.object_name.lower(),
                )
            new_fields = []
            for name, field in state.models[related_key].fields:
                if name == related_object.field.name:
                    field = field.clone()
                    field.rel.to = "%s.%s" % (app_label, self.name)
                new_fields.append((name, field))
            state.models[related_key].fields = new_fields

    def database_forwards(self, app_label, schema_editor, from_state, to_state):
        old_apps = from_state.render()
        new_apps = to_state.render()
        old_model = old_apps.get_model(self.old_app_label, self.name)
        new_model = new_apps.get_model(app_label, self.name)
        if self.allowed_to_migrate(schema_editor.connection.alias, new_model):
            # Move the main table
            schema_editor.alter_db_table(
                new_model,
                old_model._meta.db_table,
                new_model._meta.db_table,
            )
            # Alter the fields pointing to us
            related_objects = old_model._meta.get_all_related_objects()
            related_m2m_objects = old_model._meta.get_all_related_many_to_many_objects()
            for related_object in (related_objects + related_m2m_objects):
                if related_object.model == old_model:
                    model = new_model
                    related_key = (app_label, self.name.lower())
                else:
                    model = related_object.model
                    related_key = (
                        related_object.model._meta.app_label,
                        related_object.model._meta.object_name.lower(),
                    )
                to_field = new_apps.get_model(
                    *related_key
                )._meta.get_field_by_name(related_object.field.name)[0]
                schema_editor.alter_field(
                    model,
                    related_object.field,
                    to_field,
                )

    def database_backwards(self, app_label, schema_editor, from_state, to_state):
        self.old_app_label, app_label = app_label, self.old_app_label
        self.database_forwards(app_label, schema_editor, from_state, to_state)
        app_label, self.old_app_label = self.old_app_label, app_label

    def describe(self):
        return "Move %s from %s" % (self.name, self.old_app_label)


class Migration(migrations.Migration):

    dependencies = [
       ('dst_app', 'XXX0_dst_app_old'),
       ('src_app', 'XXX0_src_app_old'),
    ]

    operations = [
        MoveModelFromOtherApp('MoveMe', 'src_app'),
    ]

Add dependency on XXX1_dst_app_new to XXX1_src_app_new. XXX1_src_app_new is no-op migration that is needed to make sure that future src_app migrations will be executed after XXX1_dst_app_new.

Move MoveMe from src_app/models.py to dst_app/models.py. Then run:

python manage.py migrate

That’s all!