Many of us dream of moving abroad. Whether you\u2019re from the United States, Sweden or South Africa, this may perfectly describe you! But before you hop on a plane and leave the country you\u2019re in, there are definitely things you\u2019ll want to know about moving to a different nation. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve created this guide. In this article, you\u2019ll learn:<\/p>\n
You may be planning to leave in the next week or the next decade. Regardless of your plans, be sure you check out this ultimate guide to moving abroad.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re moving abroad, there\u2019s a very good chance that your destination country will have a different culture than you. There are quite a few examples of this, and some are more obvious than others. Let\u2019s look at a few examples.<\/p>\n
First of all, your destination country may have different rules for men, women, the LGBTQ+ community and even children than your current country. Be sure you\u2019re familiar with what\u2019s acceptable and socially unacceptable.<\/p>\n
But secondly, the cultural rules may be a little bit different in smaller ways. For example, what do you do if they drive on the \u201cother\u201d side of the road? Moving from Australia to the UK may not be a problem. But if you\u2019re moving from the UK to Switzerland, you\u2019re probably going to need a few driving lessons! That right hand turn becomes pretty tricky when there\u2019s oncoming traffic!<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll talk more in depth about other issues throughout this guide. For now, be sure you consider the:<\/p>\n
Familiarize yourself with your new country before<\/em> you show up. Better yet, visit and spend some time in your destination country before moving abroad. Get to know the culture and the people and your move will be much more smooth.<\/p>\n Before you even visit another country you\u2019re going to need a passport. And to move there, there\u2019s a very good chance you\u2019ll need a visa<\/a>. Your visa can be granted for a number of reasons, and that depends on where you\u2019re going. Some examples of visas you may qualify for are:<\/p>\n Depending on where you\u2019re going, there will be other types of visas available to you. Be sure you\u2019ve gotten the right one and that everything is in order before you book your travel arrangements.<\/p>\n No matter where you\u2019re headed when you\u2019re moving abroad, you\u2019re going to need access to the important documents you have. These documents don\u2019t just include your passport and your visa paperwork. Especially if you plan to rent or buy a home when you\u2019re moving abroad, you\u2019re going to need the other stuff, too.<\/p>\n We understand that you\u2019ll probably have online access to a lot of these, but it\u2019s best to carry hard copies, too. Get a small safe that you can bring on the plane with you and have immediate access to any paperwork you might need to rent a car, book a hotel room, get a job or rent an apartment.<\/p>\n Moving abroad is expensive. There are costs you have probably considered, including:<\/p>\n But there are things you may actually not have considered. Here are a few things you should think about before moving abroad.<\/p>\n It may be a good idea to talk to either a financial advisor or an attorney before moving abroad. They can help you navigate the waters if you\u2019re unfamiliar with what you need to do to prepare.<\/p>\n It\u2019s quite possible that you can hop on a plane, arrive in a new country, and find a hotel near the airport for that first few nights. But why would you want to? You\u2019re going to be tired, stressed and probably hungry, so finding a hotel or motel is going to be the last thing you\u2019ll want to do.<\/p>\n At the same time you book your flight, book a hotel stay. It\u2019s up to you how long you\u2019ll book your stay for, but it\u2019s essential that you have somewhere to go for, at the very least, that first night. Even if you\u2019ve already rented or purchased a home, splurge and let someone take care of you for that first night.<\/p>\n There\u2019s little more disorienting than moving abroad to a new country, then arriving at a home without the basic necessities \u2013 furniture, running water, electricity and the like. Instead, book a hotel room and relax that first night with a hot shower and maybe even cable television. Then, feel free to move on the next day.<\/p>\n Many times, when people are moving abroad they choose to just have an estate sale and leave their things behind. Often a fresh start is what\u2019s needed. But if you want to take your stuff with you, you\u2019re going to need to do your research and find out about the international moving process.<\/p>\n Some things, simply, can not be moved. For instance if you have firearms you just simply won\u2019t be able to bring them with you to some locations. There are other things that may be impossible or too pricey to move. Pianos are a good example of this \u2013 specialized movers are often required to move these fragile instruments. Also, you know that big screen television you want to move? Well, the plugs may not fit the outlets once you get there!<\/p>\n Check out movers who will ship your things internationally, then do your research. Look at reviews and interview each of them to determine whether they\u2019re a good fit for you. Ask questions about what can and can\u2019t be moved, the length of time it will take to ship your belongings and whether they\u2019re insured against damage to your items.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve found a mover you love, book them early and secure exact dates for pickup and dropoff of your belongings. Remember that sometimes things go wrong, so don\u2019t be surprised if you\u2019re a few days extra without your \u201cstuff.\u201d<\/p>\n This sort of fits under the category of getting your finances under control, but if you can, set up a bank account in your new country. When you\u2019re moving abroad this isn\u2019t always possible. Sometimes you\u2019ll need an identifying number in your new country, like a social security number. Other times, banks will work with you to ensure that your finances are secure before you move.<\/p>\n Your job is to find out the requirements for your new country. Can you set up an account now? If so, that\u2019s going to make your life so much easier once you arrive. There will be no currency conversion penalties or other fees you\u2019re not expecting. For example, you can book your hotel using local currency with your new bank account rather than worry about converting your money from one denomination to another.<\/p>\n It may not be possible to set up a bank account in your new country, but you can still get cash. Just go to your current bank and buy currency in your new denomination. That way, you\u2019ll have cash on hand when you arrive, at least for incidentals like food and emergencies.<\/p>\n Now, this step isn\u2019t one that everyone will take. But if you\u2019re feeling social, you can absolutely reach out to locals before moving abroad! Especially if you speak the language of the country of destination, it can actually be quite fun to make connections in your new country before moving there.<\/p>\n How do you do this? Well, if you\u2019re single you can reach out on dating apps. If you\u2019ve got a family, try looking for \u201clocal\u201d Facebook groups for moms or dads in your destination area. There are<\/p>\n \u201cmeetup\u201d groups, too, where you can choose an interest and meet people who are into the same things as you are.<\/p>\n Social media is the best way to meet locals in your destination city, but do be careful. Don\u2019t give anyone your credit card or other personal information. Instead, plan to meet for coffee or a beer when you arrive, and see where the conversation takes you!<\/p>\n Technically, this one should be at the top of your list, but we figured you\u2019d already have it under control. If, for example, you\u2019re moving abroad from the United States to Switzerland or to Japan, it\u2019s in your best interest to learn the language of your destination country before<\/em> you go there.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to be fluent. There are a few phrases you\u2019ll need to know before you go, though. These include:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re strapped for time, you can just choose to learn the nouns or basic parts of the sentence. For instance, asking \u201cEl ba\u00f1o?\u201d in Spain will certainly get you pointed in the direction of the closest restroom. But if you\u2019re going to be a local, it\u2019s best \u2013 and polite \u2013 to attempt to learn the local language sooner than later.<\/p>\n Civil unrest, unexpected expenses, family emergencies\u2026 all of these things may be cause for you to return home after moving abroad. Say Mom gets ill and has to be admitted to the hospital. You want to go home to stay with her\u2026 what do you do?<\/p>\n2. Get your visa and your passport<\/h2>\n
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3. Get your other documents in order, too<\/h2>\n
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4. Get your finances in order<\/h2>\n
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5. Have a place to stay!<\/h2>\n
6. Do your research on international movers<\/h2>\n
7. Set up a bank account<\/h2>\n
8. Feeling social? Reach out to locals!<\/h2>\n
9. Learn the language<\/h2>\n
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10. Have an escape route<\/h2>\n