Moving Abroad Doesn’t Have To Be Difficult

Sometimes, we visit a country for vacation and realize that we never want to leave. Whether you fall in love with the food, the culture, or the weather, you might make the bold decision to move abroad. Thankfully, there is plenty of advice online that is designed to help make moving home easier, though much of this advice doesn’t take into account those that may be moving to another country.  

With that in mind, here are some tips that can make moving abroad easier!

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1: Nail down the technicalities 

When you move to another country, you need to ensure you have all of the appropriate documentation required to live there safely and legally. This means you will need to obtain a visa. The type of visa you will need will vary largely on the country you are moving to, so ensure you spend some time researching visas until you find one that best matches your needs. For example, if you are moving to the UK, you can apply for a range of visas, including: 

• An artist’s visa
• Family visa
• Finance visa
• Spouse visa
• Unmarried partner visa
• Tier 1/Tier 2 Visa

If you have been living in the UK for five years, and continue to wish to stay, work and live within the UK, you can reach out to an immigration lawyer who can assist with your UK ILR application. This means the rules pertaining to your ability to work are the same as those that pertain to British citizens.

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2: Set yourself a budget. Stick to it. 

You’ve probably already figured out that moving abroad is going to be expensive. From visa fees to transportation costs, you’re going to need to dip into your savings a little to make it all possible. As a result, it is important that you reign in your spending wherever possible. One way in which you can do this is by noting down everything you need to pay for – from the cost of having your belongings shipped overseas, to the cost of living in your new destination – and curating a budget accordingly. There are plenty of budgeting apps you can download on your phone that make budgeting easy!

Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash

3: Travel Lightly

It can be hard to let go of your belongings, but moving your entire life abroad would be particularly costly, especially if you are planning on shipping heavy-duty items, such as your wardrobe and bed. As a result, you must travel as light as possible – bring with you the essentials you’ll need to go about your daily life, and nothing more. You can always ask friends and family to send over items later if you realize you need them. You can keep things you don’t bring along in storage, or if you no longer have use for them, donate them to local charities or sell them to earn extra cash before the big move. Remember, you’ll be able to buy new furniture, clothes and more in your new home. Not bringing everything along gives you a great excuse to go shopping!