Travel Guide For Moving Abroad: 12 Things To Check – Moving abroad is what people do every day, every week, and every month. There are always people getting on and off international flights. You may have been one or you plan to be one. In any case, this page brings to your doorstep, the top 10 things to watch out for as you plan to move from your country to another.
Let’s get them rolling!
12 Things To Check Before Moving Abroad
1: Check Your Destination’s Visa Requirements.
The first thing you need to do when you plan your move abroad is to check your destination’s visa requirements and immigration options. You usually need a long-stay visa to move unless you are an EEA/EU country national and you’re moving within the EEA/EU.
Some nations provide a variety of immigration schemes that often cater to highly trained workers and are based on work, points, or a sponsor. You must therefore conduct some study to determine which program is best for you.
Also, a check on the visa requirements will help you know the proper time to apply, whether or not a visa interview is required, visa costs, visa policies, etc., to remove or reduce the possibility of breaching any rules which could lead to denial of the visa.
2: Get All Necessary Documents Ready
Birth certificates, marriage licenses, adoption papers, medical records, and documents about child custody should all be prepared and ready to travel with you. Additionally, don’t forget your passport. You must confirm that it is current and legitimate.
If you don’t already have one, you must apply for a passport with the appropriate official in your nation. Because you need a passport to apply for a visa, finish this step first. Even if your country qualifies as a visa-free country, you will still require a passport. So, collect all the necessary documents, and do so in time too.
3: Time Your Move
It may take many months to complete the entire visa procedure, including compiling your paperwork, applying for the visa, and receiving the visa. However, most nations give you 30 days to enter the country after your visa is approved. Therefore, be careful to complete all of your planning at the time you anticipate receiving the visa.
Additionally, you should think about the possibility that moving first and then inviting your family members would be simpler for you. A schedule that works for everyone and provides you with plenty of time to organize things should be chosen.
4: Make Arrangements For Your Pets(if you have any)
You must research the country’s pet entrance rules if you are traveling with pets. The laws differ from one nation to the next, but generally speaking, you must abide by the following principles:
- Your pet needs a rabies vaccination.
- Your pet needs a passport to travel.
- You must have a health certificate for your pet.
- You should get your pet ready for vacation (carrier crate, transportation, paid airline fees).
Different rules apply to exotic pets than to regular home pets (cats, dogs, birds).
5: Check Tax Obligations
Even if you relocate to a different state, you can still have to pay taxes there. Check with the tax authorities and the tax agreements between your state and the country you’re traveling to before you travel.
6: Prepare Your Insurance & Health Care System
Some countries offer free public health care to all their citizens and residents, so you might not need health insurance when you move to your new country. Still, ex-pats prefer to have private health insurance just to have everything covered. Plus, you should get travel insurance to cover the trip until you settle.
7: Arrange For Housing/ Accommodation
The majority of ex-pats advise against doing everything online and instead advise taking a little trip to look for accommodation in person. To make things simpler for you, you can contact a real estate agent and ask them to look into choices and inform you of the steps required to obtain a deposit. Additionally, bear in mind that renting or purchasing costs may likely differ greatly from what you are accustomed to.
8: Sort Your Previous Living Situation
If you own a home or apartment in your country, you should think about selling the property and using the proceeds to finance your international travel. You do have the option to rent your property out while keeping it under your ownership, though, just in case moving to your new country doesn’t work out. To begin with, though, you should be ready for the numerous duties that come with being an overseas landlord.
The majority of your choice will be based on your country’s housing market conditions, but keep in mind that your ability to rent may not always be permitted by the terms of your mortgage.
9. Make Flight Arrangments
Flight tickets can be expensive depending on the distance between your home country and your final destination, especially if you have to pay extra for your pet. A $2,000 price tag is possible.
Find one of the cheapest airlines by doing some research, and if possible, use your frequent flyer miles to receive a discount. Additionally, confirm the time and date of your journey by calling the airline a few days beforehand.
You can also get the assistance of travel agents to make your transition with ease.
10. Prepare Your Things to Be Shipped
You must prepare your possessions for shipping if you intend to carry them with you. Check the customs rules and see if you have to pay taxes on your purchases first. Then, choose the cheapest shipping option for your goods. You can move them via air, ship, moving truck, or train, depending on where you are going. The top international moving companies can be contacted for this purpose.
11. Prepare your Finances
You must make sure that you have enough savings to undertake this financial change. The next step is to identify banking solutions that suit your needs. Ask your local bank first whether they can assist you in opening an account in your new nation. If not, verify that international transactions are possible and that your credit and debit cards will function (this option may come with high transaction costs).
The largest challenge you can have while moving is that you need a bank account to rent a place, but you can’t rent a place without a bank account. However, you can use mobile banks and banks that provide non-residents with overseas accounts. In general, ex-pats favor using international money transfer services that offer more affordable alternatives to conventional banks.
12. Settle Every Home Affairs
Before you leave, there are a few important things you need to arrange in your home country:
- Let friends and family know where you are moving to.
- Cancel any subscriptions.
- Prepare to change your mobile provider.
- Settle any unpaid bills and debts you may have.
- Arrange to have your mail forwarded to your new address.
Those Who Need to Know You Are Moving
Besides, friends and family, you have to let the following institutions know you are moving:
- Your local authority (council, municipality, etc.)
- Your post-office.
- Your bank.
- Your landlord (if you are renting).
- Utility companies.
- Pension administration.
- Tax administration.
Don’t forget that you can still register to vote even if you leave the country.
How to Move Abroad
You can move abroad if you qualify for one of the following:
- You can apply for a work visa.
- You can apply for an exchange program.
- You can move for your studies (short-term).
- You can apply for family reunification (if you have family members in another country).
- You can apply for an investor visa (if this is offered from your destination country)
- You can get citizenship by descent (if applicable).
How Much Does it Cost to Move Abroad?
To move abroad, you need to have at least $20,000. But, the cost depends on which area you are moving to, whether you are renting or buying, whether you ship your entire belongings or not, and whether you are moving on your own or with family/pets.
If you find this page helpful, do a check on these 12 important points, and once you are clear on each of them, you can travel with ease. Kind regard!
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