Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there’s no denying that almost all international plans have been put on hold. Regardless, this shouldn’t stop you from considering to settle in a new country.
Living abroad is more than just booking a new flight and finding a new home. Once the pandemic becomes manageable, you’ll need to ensure that you are fit for travel and that you have all your necessary documents with you. These are a few things you can do to make relocation less stressful.
The last thing that you want to happen to you is to forget something important that could affect your move. Moreover, here are eight things that you need to consider before moving abroad:
Cost of Living
There’s probably a list of things that you want to do once you move into a new country. But you also have to consider the fact that there will be some countries where the cost of living is notoriously expensive, and you might quickly realize that you couldn’t afford to live there.
In some countries, for example, additional expenses could be incurred by ex-pats, like health and property insurance, that needs to be accounted for. It’s best that you do your research beforehand, and compare the cost of living in the countries of your choice.
Language Barriers
Without a doubt, language barriers aren’t fun.
When you’re moving to Japan, for example, it would be difficult to navigate through the city if you don’t know how to speak Japanese. The same thing goes when you move to Spain without knowing even the basic Spanish words.
Living abroad without learning their national language can be challenging. Just knowing English will help you out with the bare necessities, but if you want to make a career, or create relationships, it simply won’t cut it.
Nevertheless, this shouldn’t discourage you. With the right process, you can learn a language within three months, especially if you’re completely immersed in its culture.
Friends and Family
One of the main reasons some people never leave their birthplace is because they don’t want to leave their friends and family. After all, they are part of your immediate circle and builds your support system.
When you move to a foreign place, it might sometimes take you months (or even years), not seeing the people close to you. This could even make your homesick.
Therefore, the experience of living abroad and the experience of missing your loved ones should be considered and weighed in every situation.
Money-Making Opportunities
As soon as they settle in, a lot of ex-pats find out that living abroad is not cheap. They have to earn money to make ends meet.
Do you want to open a local business? Are you doing your job remotely yet living in another country? Are you going for that constant low-risk paycheck rather than investing in something more high risk that needs large investments and money?
These are just some of the questions you will need to ask yourself before moving abroad.
Furniture and Luggage
In some places, you can move in on apartments that are already fully furnished. Meaning, the unit is complete with basic furniture and appliances.
But there are also cases wherein you have to move to an empty apartment. Meaning, you will be the one responsible for getting everything on your own.
If you are moving to an empty space in another country, then you should consider whether it would make sense to ship the pieces of furniture you already own. If not, check whether there are affordable pieces of furniture that you can buy around the area where you will settle.
Culture
Although there are a lot of countries that are quite similar on the surface, they couldn’t be more different culturally. If there’s already a big difference in terms of culture with English speaking, predominantly Christian countries, imagine the huge gap if you move to other foreign, culturally-diverse lands.
Living in a foreign country, and adjusting to its culture is never easy; their holidays, customs, traditions, food, might be different. But as humans, it is in our nature to quickly adapt to these surroundings and become used to this kind of environment.
Getting Around
Before moving, you need to solve your transportation issues so that you would precisely know how to get to work, buy your groceries, eat at local restaurants, and so on. But most importantly, you should research how to arrive at your preferred area.
While some countries would have a reliable, easy to locate transportation systems, others would require you to have your own personal vehicle. This can help you determine what kind of checked luggage you should bring with you.
Ensure that you research what every country has to offer, as well as understand how you can get around. If public transport is an option, then you need to learn how you can use the system, as well as what kind of payment is required.
Residency and Visas
Some ex-pats will eventually become citizens of a foreign nation, while others might choose to stay via extended tourist visas.
Each has its own pros and cons. Hence, you should do your homework beforehand, talk with other ex-pats. That’s because establishing residency in a foreign country could be lengthy and expensive.
Know the Risks and Advisory Warnings
Countries that you might view as safe today won’t be safe tomorrow, so understand the political and risk climate of your target country.
Even the safest countries in the world still have travel and health warnings. So knowing what these warnings are ahead of time will make it easier for you to move and live in your new home country.
Over to You
Relocating to a foreign country can be a bit overwhelming. From finding the perfect apartment, filling the essential paperwork, to adjusting to a country’s culture is never easy.
Hopefully, the tips listed above will help ensure that your move will go as smoothly as possible. Good luck and happy travels!
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We hope you found this blog on the 8 Important Things to Consider Before Moving Abroad useful. For more tips, check out International Moving Info.
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