My personal tips on how to prepare for moving abroad.
For many people it is a dream to start all over again and explore a new country by living there. When this dream becomes reality, however, it might feel scary to leave everything behind. So, what do you do? How do you prepare for moving abroad? And most of all where do you start?
I moved abroad for the first time two years ago. In the ranges of moving abroad, this move was not an extreme case of moving far away to the other side of the world. I remained in easy travel distance of my home country and more important, in the same time zone. Next year this will change big time, as we will be moving from Switzerland to Boulder, Colorado.
But let’s cut to the chase here. No matter the distance, there will still be obstacles on the road. If you travel along with your spouse, you can wonder if you will find a job again or if you will be able to make new friends. Or what about local cultures and languages? From my experience I can tell you that everything is possible, but the most important thing you need is patience.
Here is my personal advice on how to prepare for moving abroad. I sincerely hope it will help you in taking on your new adventure.
Language and culture will help prepare for moving abroad
Depending on your destination the amount of adaptation you need, varies a lot. In general there are a couple of things that you can do to prepare for moving abroad when it comes to local adaptations. As soon as you know that you will move, take out some time to learn at least the basics of the local language. Not only will your new fellow inhabitants appreciate it, it will also come in handy in your everyday life.
Yes, in almost every country you can get by with just the English language, but if you look to fit in within your new country of residence, language is key! Not only will it help you in your daily life, it will also enrich you life by learning something new.
Making new friends
Today, there are plenty of possibilities to meet new people. When I moved abroad my first priority over everything else, was to meet new people. Not only will new friends make your adaptation process easier, it will also be useful to know people for plenty of other reasons. Make networking and socializing your priority, as you are less likely to feel all alone when things don’t go as you want them to. Especially fellow expats can be of great help when it comes to integrating and support.
Some great resources I used to meet new people are; Meet-up, local expat clubs, hobby/point of interest clubs etc.. And most of all, don’t count out social media. There are a lot of local (expat) communities that you can find on Facebook for example.
You can also do some prep work to get in touch with new people. You can search for facebook groups in your new place of residence and join them, to see what is going on. Often, the most easy thing to do, is to look if there are clubs formed by fellow countrymen that have also moved abroad.
Research the visa requirements
Even though chances are big that your (future) company will take care of the whole visa application process for you, do the research. You want to know what you are up against. Not every country provides an immediate work permit for a spouse. If you know what the possibilities are for you as a spouse, you can be pro-active in discussing your needs. In the best case, you can even take it along in the negotiation process.
Make a plan for when you get there
Even if it might still seem far away until you move, it is important to think about what you wish to do with your life when you are there. For most of you, including myself, a job might define your daily purpose, so job hunt will be one of the first priorities. But… In some countries there might be difficulties in finding a job. Maybe it is the language barrier, a difficult job market or maybe you will not even get a working permit. What will you do if your current life is defined by your career, but that parts disappears?
I made the mistake of not overthinking the options on forehand. When I found that the Swiss job market was challenging, I had no alternative. I felt demotivated by all the rejections, leaving little room for fresh and positive insights.
So my advice is, take some time to write down what your ambitions are in life, other than a career. Think of volunteer work that you would like to do or long lost hobbies that you would like to pick up again. I found my purpose in photography, painting and exercising. The first 3 months after moving you will still be busy with figuring out local habits, filling out bureaucratic forms and organizing your new home. It is the period after those 3 months that you should think of.
Now that my second move abroad is about to start, I am overthinking this again, because every country is different and every place offers different opportunities. This, I have learned, is an important part in the process to prepare for moving abroad.
Visit your doctor and/or dentist
When you prepare for moving abroad this part should is something you should keep in mind. Even if you are not a regular client at your doctors office, pay them a visit. For some countries you might need vaccinations and they will be able to inform you about the current state of events for most counties in the world. Other than that, you can ask them for your medical records, so you can take them along as you move. Depending on your medical history, this might offer your new doctor a good overview of your health condition.
Other necessities
There are certain things that will come in handy somewhere along the way. Some of these things, are best to arrange before departure. For instance, recommendation letters (preferably in English). Whether it is from your previous employer or from you landlord, collect them on forehand so you have them present when you need them.
In many countries it is common to have a confirmation from your landlord that you always paid your rent on time and same goes for the bank in case of a mortgage.
For when you plan to go on a job hunt upon your arrival, recommendation letters are highly appreciated in many countries. Especially in Switzerland it was common that organizations like to receive a recommendation letter.
This, I believe, sums up some of the important things to keep in mind when moving abroad. I hope you find it helpful. If you have any remarks or questions on how to prepare for moving abroad, feel free to post them in the comment section below.