Moving Abroad (Part I)

You may be uprooting yourself for any of the following reasons:

1. Experience : Travel and adventure

2. Career : Work as an expatriate

3. Relationship : Marriage to a foreigner

4. Identity : Start life anew

5. Rest : Retirement plan

Whichever your reason, being well-prepared beforehand will give you peace of mind. Being unprepared can be costly. It’s not only about spending more than you should or wasting time but it can also be a matter of survival. Once, I threw caution to the wind and went for a leisurely swim in the cold river nearby and almost passed out after I got out. On hindsight, I showed signs of mild hypothermia, and it could have been avoided by using earplugs and staying in the water for an hour at most. I could also have avoided three huge bruises on my legs had I known that there are large jagged rocks on certain spots of the riverbed.

This checklist is extensive so that you may choose to ignore certain items instead of missing something. For the ease of use, this guide has 2 parts, which begins with the 4-section Overview covering all possible items you may need to address.

Overview: Preparing for your move

PAPERWORK

Finance

1. Bank accounts
2. Credit cards
3. Tax planning
4. Investments
5. Mortgage
6. Estate planning
7. Pensions

Immigration

1. Passport and visa
2. Personal documents
3. Driving license
4. Register to vote
5. Immunizations

• Insurance
• School
• Work

BRIDGE THE GAP

• Climate difference
• Diet
• Electronics
• Friends
• Healthcare
• Housing
• Language
• Telecommunication
• Transportation

TIE UP LOOSE ENDS

• Bills and subscriptions
• Family and friends
• Housing
• Mails
• Your stuff

TRAVEL TIME

• Air ticket
• Check-in luggage
• Cabin luggage
• Pets

 

PAPERWORK

Finance

1. Bank accounts

Keep your home bank account if you have ongoing transactions like income from freelance work, rent or direct debits.

Open an international bank account to help with the movement of money and upon arrival open a local bank account for day-to-day banking. Withdrawing money from your home account is also possible in an international bank abroad, although it’s not practical in the long run or for larger sums. Be aware that in some countries, ATM machines only accept a 4-digit password.

2. Credit cards

Inform your credit card company that you’ll be moving abroad so that your card won’t be blocked when you try to use it. You may want to take measures to prevent fraud in your destination.

3. Tax planning

Find out about the tax rules as a non-resident in your country regarding your savings and income made from the disposal of assets. Familiarize yourself with the tax rules of the country you’re moving to, in order not to risk fines or even imprisonment.

4. Investments

Discuss with your financial advisor regarding the management of any monetary investment you may have, like mutual funds and stocks portfolio.

5. Mortgage

Inform your mortgage provider to ensure that you do not break the terms of your loan and risk repossession of your property.

6. Estate planning

Seek help from your financial advisor regarding the management of your estate to minimize tax liabilities and in creating a will.

7. Pensions

Discuss with your financial advisor about the options and opportunities available to you regarding your pension should you choose to retire abroad.

Immigration

1. Passport and visa

Make sure that your passport is updated, it’s much easier to renew it in your home country than at the embassy. Sometimes your country’s embassy may only be found in a neighboring country. Check entry requirements and apply for the right visa before leaving, especially if you intend to work in the new country. Although some do take advantage of the 3-month Tourist visa and make several exits and reentry, it’s tedious and the immigration officers reserve the right to not extend your visa. The fine for overstaying can be expensive and you don’t want to be blacklisted.

2. Personal documents

Compile your birth certificate and other identification documents, university degrees etc. in a hard-cover multiple-sleeve folder. Also scan or take photographs of them to keep a soft copy with you and uploaded to an Internet storage account.

3. Driving license

Apply for an international driving license before leaving, it is usually renewed annually. Alternatively, as a resident you could take a driving test and get a local driving license.

4. Register to vote

Find out about voting as an expat as your home country’s policy will still affect you via taxation, immigration policy and foreign affairs.

5. Immunizations

The best immunization against any disease is a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Personally, I’ve not bothered with any vaccination that may be “required”. However, if you believe in their effectiveness, consult your destination’s embassy about the relevant vaccines.

Insurance

Double-check your insurance policies (Life, Health, Personal Accident) regarding their coverage as an expat. If unsure, consult with your insurance agent. Also get informed about your short-term eligibility for medical care and social security benefits of your new country. However, if you’re going to stay long-term, you must either integrate with the local insurance or take out private insurance.

School

If you have children at school, arrange for their records to be transferred to the new school. If you’re homeschooling, it’s good to find out in advance if there is any homeschooling community in your destination.

Work

For future expats assigned abroad, get all relevant documentations (Work visa etc.) in order.

For job hunters, there are two ways to get a job abroad. The first way is to browse job listing online and apply for them, get the opinions of other expats already in that country and ask for your embassy’s help in verifying them. You could also open a LinkedIn account to browse job listings.

BRIDGE THE GAP

Climate difference

Read about and get a chart of your destination’s annual weather pattern and study the temperature fluctuation and humidity levels to make an informed decision about the clothing you need to bring with you.

Diet

Adjusting to a foreign diet can make you homesick in no time, but less so when you can cook and the ingredients you use are widely available. That said, it helps to know which ingredients are not available and bring some of your “comfort food” with you, at least for the initial period of adjustment.

Electronics

Get a universal adapter and double-check the voltage difference of your electronic gadgets of your new country. You don’t want to end up not being able to charge them or worse, ruining your converter and power bar.

Friends

Make friends online, with travel bloggers for example. Check out local and expats meet-ups once you’re in the new country. It also helps to join a group with similar interests like hiking, cooking or knitting.

Healthcare

Make sure you have enough prescription medication you need for at least a month upon arrival. It’s a good idea to have your vitamins & supplements stocked up as well.

Housing

It’s advisable to rent at your neighborhood of choice for at least a year before deciding to buy a house. There are 4 ways to find housing: Through a real estate agent, the classifieds, recommendations from expats, or online housing providers. Try to get a local friend’s help to choose a good neighborhood and avoid being scammed. For rentals, you may have to pay a security deposit upon signing the lease and the rent of the first two months. Depending on the country, you may also be able to house-sit, you can search online with the keywords of “long-term house-sitting”.

Language

Start familiarizing with the new language at home. Language learning aids like audio-visual CD-ROMs, online lessons and audios with written transcripts are very useful. Spanish is my fifth language and it took me five months of immersion in the new country to be able to make a work presentation with it. Bear in mind that due to how the brain works, it’s easier to learn a third language than a second one but don’t be discouraged because knowing a new language opens up many doors and makes your life more interesting.

Telecommunication

Look into phone and internet plans (or pay-as-you-go SIM card) weeks before you arrive and check that your cellphone is unblocked so that you can use it in the new country.

Transportation

Determine whether you will buy your own mode of transportation, after weighing all the pros and cons. Get acquainted with local transport and check out the easiest and most economic means. For example, there may be monthly passes. It also helps to understand the driving behavior of locals for safety reasons. They may not be as law-abiding or courteous to pedestrians. There is more to get used to if you’re moving from a country of right-driving lane to a left-driving lane.

TIE UP LOOSE ENDS

Bills and subscriptions

Cancel newspaper and magazine deliveries. Unsubscribe from phone, cable and utilities. Notify financial entities of your change of address. Settle upstanding bills of the above.

Family and friends

Host a farewell party or something similar with your family and friends. Return all items you may have borrowed from them. Find ways to keep in touch with them, by emails, Skype etc.

Housing

List your house for sale with an agent or if you decide to rent it out, find a reliable agent to manage it. Buy suitable landlord insurance for your property.

Mails

Enquire about post redirection service at your post office so as not to miss important mails.

Your stuff

It’s best to only take things you can’t live without and sell off or donate the rest. By this I mean all essential items you can fit inside a check-in luggage and a backpack. However, if you choose to do an international home move, weigh the cost of moving your belongings against buying them new. Get estimates from international removal companies for the moving or storage of your bulkier belongings. Be aware of hidden costs like customs and storage hold in your destination. Organize a yard sale for things you’re leaving behind and donate the leftovers.

TRAVEL TIME

Air ticket

Get the best deal out of your air tickets by leaving on a Wednesday, flying out early morning or around dinner time, sign up for free alerts from sites like Airfarewatchdog.com, search for deals early morning, search multiple online-ticketing sites and book six weeks in advance.

Check-in luggage

Packing properly can facilitate your travel experience at the airport. Be aware of prohibited items in the check-in luggage, as carrying them may lead to fines or even arrest.

Cabin luggage

Carry all essential and valuable items with you. Check out the recommended items in the Timeline section of this guide.

Prohibited items: I’ve seen a 10 kg dumbbell and a saw among other oddities in the customs point discard bin. Be aware that the following items are not permitted onboard: Firearms, sharp objects, sporting goods, explosives/flammable items, carpentry tools, most liquids more than 100 ml. For additional information, check with your airline.

Pets

If you want to take your pet with you, it has to be immunized against rabies for at least 21 days before the travel date. Get a proper carrier and treats for the journey. Seek the help from a professional animal transportation company which can give you practical advice about transferring your pet.

Next: Moving Abroad (Part II) – Timeline & Complete Checklist