Are you planning to move abroad but not sure about your decision? Moving to a new country isn't an easy decision as settling abroad won’t be appropriate for everyone. There are several things you need to consider and multiple questions you need to ask yourself. The thought of moving overseas might seem exciting for you but at the same time, you may worry about the consequences if the decision proves to be wrong.
Here are a few important questions you should ask yourself before packing your boxes to moving to a new country:
Why are you moving?
Mostly, we are aware of the reason for our relocation, however, we fail to understand why we have chosen to go with this decision, leaving our loved ones behind. Frequently, we think about the future and the opportunities it will bring for us, rather than think of what we need to sacrifice if we have decided to move abroad.
In short, you must determine if the various sacrifices you are making are worth the prospects you will enjoy after moving abroad.
- Make sure to determine if your core beliefs would be respected in the new country or not.
- Ensure you don’t have to sacrifice your important values for the sake of living abroad.
Here are a few common reasons for moving internationally:
- Financial growth
- Career advancement
- Providing a better lifestyle to you and your family.
Choosing a new country to relocate to
This is one of the most important decisions you need to make if you want to make an international move. We suggest you do hardcore research on the new country from the perspective of a resident and not from the perspective of a visitor. International health insurance, taxes, banking, and property are a few other aspects you need to consider.
Make sure you buy travel insurance after you have chosen the country you will be moving to and make all the necessary travel arrangements.
Impact on the children
In case you have kids, we suggest you consider the various impacts an international move can have on them. Here’s what you need to know:
- Mostly, it is difficult for the children to adjust themselves to an unfamiliar environment, you must ensure they get settled quickly.
- You must keep the children engaged in various aspects of the moving process and make sure you communicate with them through the process as well as ask them for their opinion.
Calculate the living cost
To make your dream of moving overseas true, you must consider the cost of living in the new country. Here’s what you might need to consider:
- Check websites like Expatistan or Numbeo and calculate the living cost of the country you are planning to move to. With this, you compare the cost of living in various countries across the globe.
- You can consider the Economist, which conducts the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey twice a year, comparing the cost of products and services.
- It would be a good idea to check the exchange rate as well as the history of currency devaluation. Briefly, it's an economic practice by which a country reduces the value of its currency.
- You must plan for currency swings after you have moved to another country. We suggest you calculate the cost of living not only based on the present exchange rate but even as per the exchange rate one to five years ago.
Calculate the moving cost
Moving to any destination could be quite costly for you but these costs can be balanced by a reasonable cost of living once you reach your new destination. Of course, you might not want to exhaust all your investment by just relocating to a new country and forgetting about the cost of living.
Here are a few things you need to know:
- You must estimate the airfare, visa cost, and accommodation cost during the first few months of your stay.
- Such international move expenses may vary according to the place where you will relocate, moving season as well as the real estate market. For instance, if you are moving in the peak season, the airfare would be costly and if you move in the off-season, the airfare would be cheaper.
- Don’t forget to estimate the miscellaneous expenses like check-in luggage charges, mailing charges for visa documents, and the cost of buying weather-appropriate outfits.
Check out the visa options
This is a very vital question you must ask yourself before you decide to move abroad. If you don’t find a legal way to relocate overseas, you may either choose a different country or completely drop off the option of moving internationally.
Here’s what you must look for:
- You need to find out which visa option will allow you to enter legally into a country as well as work there.
- Every country has different immigration protocols, we suggest you carefully determine the visa options applicable for the citizens of your country before you select the country to relocate.
Here are a few common visa options you must know:
- Work visa- This visa would be applicable if you get a job abroad, while you are still there in your home country.
- Family visa- This visa would be applicable if you get married to a citizen of another country.
- Student visa- If you are selected for doing a course abroad, regardless of whether it’s just a language course or a complete degree program.
Also, some countries offer visa options like the "job seekers visa", "retirement visa" and "investor visa".
Overcome the language barrier
If you don’t have an idea about the local language of the country, you would be relocating, the complete process will be more challenging. We suggest you take up a language class to attain confidence before moving to a new country.
Check your access to healthcare or insurance services
Even if a country offers universal health insurance to all its citizens, we suggest you gain more information about it. It’s possible you aren’t automatically qualified for health coverage in the country to which you are moving.
For instance, in Canada, every province has its own publicly funded healthcare services. So, if you are a student, your healthcare coverage will be dependent on the province where your institution is located. However, if you aren't qualified, your institution should provide you with the same.
Alternatively, if you are on a permanent resident visa or a work visa, you may consider applying for publicly funded healthcare insurance. However, you may have to wait for a specific time before you have access to the insurance coverage. We suggest you purchase an insurance plan to cover yourself in advance.
Overall, it would be a promising idea to check with the local government of the destination country regarding the healthcare provisions you can access. Don't forget to check the mental healthcare services you can access after you relocate to the new country. Besides, if you are a university student, you will get the necessary counseling on your campus itself.
Find accommodation
Searching for a place to stay in a new country can be both challenging as well as exciting. When you find a new home in a new country, you can start imagining what your new life will look like. Also, you can explore your new destination with the help of Google Maps, even though you are far away from the country. You can check the nearby restaurants as well as places where you can socialize with your friends.
If you have a work visa, accommodation would be provided to you by the company itself and on a case study visa, housing would be provided by your institution. Another option would be to check the local housing Facebook page, where you may find multiple posts, offering apartments both for short-term and long-term rent.
Explore the transportation services
Here are a few things you might want to know after you have chosen your destination country:
- You need to check the proximity of your apartment to the public transportation services.
- If you have opted to live in the city center, you need to move around in the car.
- If you have an international driver's license, you can drive a car as soon as you move to a new country. However, there are a few countries that will require you to apply for a local driving license, after a few months of your move.
- In case you are moving to a country where it snows frequently, we recommend you learn how to safely drive on icy roads and obtain the relevant driving license.
Check the Covid-19 protocols
Travel rules tend to change frequently, we suggest you stay up to date with the Covid-19 norms both before and after travelling to another country. Here's what you need to know:
- In many countries, you must show a Covid negative certificate before you board the flight.
- In the case of countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK, travelers need to quarantine themselves in a hotel authorized by the government. Also, the expenses would be borne by the government.
- Don’t forget about the vaccination certificate if you are traveling to the EU.
Other miscellaneous concerns
- Make sure to disconnect all your utility services before the due date. This might include water or internet services.
- You consider unlocking your phone as you will need to insert a new sim once you reach your new destination. Also, you need to obtain an adapter for your charger if you don’t have it yet.
- Don’t forget to keep a few things with you that will remind you of your old home and which you can’t buy in the new country. For example, you can pack your face wash or snack item for the time till you settle down in your new destination.
We have discussed the most common concerns, if you want to move abroad, regardless of the reason you are moving for, be it for a new job or for pursuing a degree program. Overall, you need to be practical if you can adapt to the culture of the new country or not. It must not be that you are wasting your lifelong saving just to relocate, and it doesn’t prove to be a worthwhile investment.
Meanwhile, in this post-pandemic phase, you need to check the Covid scenario of the country to which you are moving as cases can increase anytime. You need to be well prepared with the necessary precautions.
Last, but not least, to reduce your stress, you can always hire an international moving company to help you relocate to your new destination.