Moving Abroad -Read This Checklist

Last Updated on 2021-03-20 by Linda

So, you’ve got the traveling bug pretty bad. You devote as much of your time as possible to traveling all over the world and visiting new places. It’s an experience you can’t really describe through words. There’s just a special feeling inside you when you travel – it’s hard to find it anywhere else. 

The joys of traveling are that you get to see so many wonders throughout the world. You visit cities and see people that you wouldn’t see if you stayed at home. It opens your eyes and broadens your horizons. In fact, it’s so powerful that you often visit a place and realize that you don’t ever want to leave. 

If you feel like this, then you’re not alone. More and more travelers are looking to move overseas to a new country. It’s a huge step to take, which is why you must take your time and make the right decision. You don’t want to pack up and move to a new country, then find it’s not suitable after a few months. 

When you do decide to move abroad somewhere, you should remember that there are many bureaucratic things that you need to consider. There is a lot of paperwork that suddenly becomes very important, and overlooking it is not going to be an option. You might also be in a position where you need to try and become a citizen, depending on the country you are going to – or you might just want to do that anyway, even if it’s not a necessity. With that, it’s wise to do some citizenship test practice before you actually apply.

With that in mind, here’s a checklist to help you make your decision: 

Moving Abroad, Is it affordable?

What’s the average cost of living in the place you’re thinking about moving to? How much will it cost to buy or rent a place to live? 

These questions are vital as they let you know if you can actually afford to live in that area. Some places seem amazing, but the reality is that they’re just too expensive. Countries like Switzerland, the UK, and some areas of the US are extremely costly to live in. On the other hand, you can easily find an affordable house for rent in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia or Thailand. It depends on where you want to live. Just do the research into living costs to ensure you can live comfortably while you’re out there. 

Is it safe?

You don’t want to live somewhere that isn’t safe. It means your entire life is spent worrying about your safety. Sadly, some parts of the world are far unsafer than others. A lot of South American countries – like Brazil – have issues with gangs and safety. It’s the same in some African countries as well, and areas of Europe. 

Of course, many safety concerns are isolated to specific areas within cities or countries. Your best bet is to check out the most and least safe places to live in the world. This gives you an idea of where to consider and where to avoid. 

When Moving Abroad, Is it fun?

Is the country you’re moving to actually…well…fun? 

Why move away from home if you’re just going to end up bored after a month or so? This happens a lot as people assume a city is really fun, but it ends up getting boring very quickly. It’s hard to gauge how interesting or entertaining a place is if you’re only there for a few days while traveling. 

So, my advice is to keep going back to this area as often as you can. Try and stay there for as long as possible, and ask the locals what it’s like living there. This gives you a better idea as to whether or not it’s a good place to live. If everyone says the area is excellent, and there are always things to do, then go for it. But, if they all tell you it’s so boring and there’s nothing to do, then you can dodge that bullet. 

Are there lots of jobs on offer?

I know, it’s a pretty boring thing to think about, but you absolutely can’t ignore it. This goes hand in hand with the point about if the area is affordable or not. You can figure out if you can afford to live somewhere by seeing if you can get a job, then looking at what you may be able to earn. 

Ideally, you want to move to a new location that has excellent job prospects. This way, you can apply for work right away, earn a living, and settle in. If you don’t have any work lined up, and the job outlook is bleak, then you’ll have a hard time enjoying yourself. 

The best approach is to check the available jobs before you plan anything else. Try and get some interviews lined up, and actively hunt for work before you move. Hopefully, a company wants to hire you, so you can move out there and walk into a job right away. 

Make your way down this checklist before you settle on where you want to go. Ask all of these questions for each of the countries on your shortlist. If you can answer yes to every question, then you’ve found the perfect country to move to!