Everything You Need to Know About Moving to a New Country
So, you're thinking about packing your bags and uprooting yourself.
Maybe you feel like your life has turned into Groundhog Day; you're sick of doing the same things in the same place with the same people week after week, month after month, year after year. Maybe you're looking to embrace a new culture and learn something new about the world. Maybe you just want a fresh start.
Whatever the reason, your heart is telling you it's time to move. Problem is, you know absolutely nothing about how to go about it.
What are the risks, the benefits? How much will it cost? And where do you even begin?
This article will extensively cover every important thing you need to know about moving to a new country: how to do it, why you should – or shouldn't – move, and how to get settled into your new home.
Reasons to Move
The first time I moved countries, I did so because I was bored of my job, bored of doing the same thing every weekend, and bored of watching the years of my life blur into a single indistinct memory set in the same place with the same people.
I was only 21 years old, had never travelled without my family before, and had no idea what I was doing. But I had enough money, nothing to lose, and an incessant voice in my head daring me to do it.
It was the best decision I've ever made in my life. Five years later and I'm now living in my fourth country, on my third continent, with no plans on slowing down anytime soon.
Ultimately for me, it was boredom that led to buying a one-way ticket from New Zealand to the UK in 2016. For you, it could be any number of different things.
Here are some other great reasons to thrust your life into a couple of suitcases and tackle the great unknown:
New job opportunities
Philanthropic endeavours
Personal growth
Exploration
Better scenery
Diversify your friendships
Of course, not everyone should move overseas. Sometimes it can actually be an awful thing to do.
Here are a few terrible reasons to move to a new country:
Abandoning a child
Running from the law
Avoiding debt collectors (okay, this one could be argued)
But as long as your reasons are virtuous, or in the very least, random, then it might be time to bite the bullet and buy your ticket to a new life.
Choosing Your New Home
You've decided to take the plunge. Awesome. Now, where the hell are you going to go?
There are many factors worthy of consideration when deciding which country to move to. It all comes back to the reason you're leaving your homeland in the first place.
If you're looking for work, you have a better chance of finding a job in a place where you speak the common tongue. If you're after a culture shock, perhaps the opposite is a better fit for you.
Some of the most important things to consider when choosing your new home:
Visa options
Language
Climate
Community (do you have friends or family there?)
Lifestyle
Landscape
Budget
Dangers
Don't rush the decision; use the internet to research which destination suits your needs the most, and how difficult it is to get residency.
When I moved to Germany in 2018, I didn’t know whether I was going to live in Berlin, the capital, or Hamburg in the north. I knew there would be more job opportunities and fellow-expats in Berlin, but after two years in London, I wasn’t so sure the Big City Life was for me. After all, I grew up on a farm in the middle of Nowheresville, New Zealand; waking up to car horns and people arguing in the street was once impossible to imagine.
After several recommendations from friends that had visited Hamburg, I packed my bags and spent a couple of weeks in both cities before making my decision.
In the end, I chose Hamburg. It was greener, not-so-busy, and had a unique sense of culture that appealed to me. I do not regret taking some time to check both cities out before making my decision. To this day, Hamburg remains the best place I’ve ever lived.
Preparation
Okay, so you've chosen your new home. Now it's time to get ready.
There are 3 important things that you absolutely must prepare for when moving abroad. Let's take a look at each of these in turn.
Visas
Most countries require a visa to live there unless you’re already a citizen. Often your nationality will play a huge role in what kind of visa you can get.
Most of the countries that are a part of the Commonwealth, for example, offer 1- or 2-year Working Holiday Visas that allow citizens of these countries to move somewhat freely between them.
Some visas can take months to process, others only a few days. Many require you to provide lots of different documents, such as birth certificates, bank statements, and passports.
This is why it’s essential to be aware of all the things required to obtain a visa well in advance of your scheduled moving date.
Country Knowledge
You’ll also want to make sure you’re prepared for what life will be like on the other side. Well, as prepared as you can be at least.
If the culture is quite different from your own, it’s very important to know what’s acceptable and what isn’t. If you’re moving to Japan, say, it pays to know that it’s considered rude to eat in public – especially while you’re walking.
Some important things to learn before you go are:
Public transport available (will you need to buy a car?)
Specific regional laws
Average rent prices
Quality of life
Work available
Languages spoken
Thanks to the internet there are millions of blogs, videos, and e-books out there about every country on Earth. As long as you do your research first, you’ll be fine.
Funds
Perhaps the most important thing to plan before you go is how much money you’re going to need. Make a list of as many expenses as you can, and be sure to take a bit extra with you for security. For some ideas on how to prepare yourself financially, check out my 12 Helpful Tips for Saving Money.
Since it is a little easier to find a job in a new country once you’re already living there, I usually aim to bring enough money to last me 3–4 months of job-hunting when I move. That’s three months' worth of rent, food, transport, etc., as well as enough for a flight home in case of an emergency.
When it comes to financial preparation for a big move like this, you can never have too much.
What It Takes
Now, what do you need to stop this from becoming just another pipe dream?
Commitment
Once you've made your decision, you need to stick to it.
Naturally, you're going to have doubts; that's fine. Most people do. But moving countries is a big deal. There’s no room for fickle fellows and fence-sitters.
If you focus too much on the what-ifs and the maybe-I-shouldn'ts, you're going to start seeing every hurdle as a terrible omen. This kind of pessimism can cause you problems every step of the way.
After you've bought the one-way ticket, it's time to start treating your upcoming trip like getting dressed in the morning, or brushing your teeth: something you have to do.
Overcoming Your Fears
Mental fortitude is one of the biggest assets you're going to need if you plan on moving to a new country. The ability to face one's fears is one of the most valuable skills a person can have, and there's no better time to start learning it than now.
I've found the best way to mitigate fears and doubts is to deconstruct them, approach them rationally, one at a time, and remain optimistic.
Remind yourself of every brave thing you've ever done, of every challenge you've overcome, and of how many millions of other people have gone through the exact same fears as you're experiencing right now.
Most importantly, stay excited.
Keep your thoughts and energy focused on all the amazing new things you're going to do. Never forget why you’re doing this. Remember that fear is just an emotion, one that's almost as irrational as love, and that you have the power to overcome any emotion with logic and reasoning – it's what makes us human beings.
Rough Beginnings
Congratulations, you’ve made it to your new destination! Now what?
In my experience, this is the most testing part of the whole process. Those first few months after you touch down are what separates the weak from the strong. They can be gruelling, frightening, mentally draining, and frankly miserable.
All that excitement that drove you here in the first place has vanished, only to be replaced by an overwhelming level of stress and regret. You expected sunbathing on the beach and sipping margaritas; instead, you’ve found yourself in what I call the Welfare Paradox Loop:
You need a permanent address to get a bank account.
You need a bank account to get a job.
You need a job to find a permanent address.
No matter the country, I’ve found myself in this exasperating loop in one form or another every single time I’ve moved. Don’t worry – it gets easier.
The solution for getting through these early months of frustration is simple: grit your teeth, stay optimistic, do what you need to do to survive.
Once you’ve got everything sorted and finally got your life into a semblance of routine, it’ll all be worth it.
Making Friends
You’ve found a roof and a job, and you’re finally beginning to get the hang of your new world. Life’s good – well, almost.
Unfortunately, everybody you know is still back at home. And let me guess, it seems like they’re suddenly having more fun than ever, right?
Don’t worry; they’re not.
You’re just suffering from a temporary ailment known as loneliness. It’ll pass.
The best cure for loneliness is companionship, so it’s time to make some friends. Depending on your living situation, this can be hard. But there are dozens of ways to meet new people, you just have to give them a go. A few good techniques for meeting like-minded people are:
Hobby classes (dance lessons, group yoga, martial arts classes)
Join a local sports team
Public events tailored to expats and people looking to make friends
Facebook groups “(Your Nationality) in (your new city name)” I.e Kiwis in London, Irish in Vancouver, etc.
Talk to strangers at a bar (just don’t be creepy)
Dating apps
Volunteering organisations
Just be open, honest, and kind, and it will all work out, eventually...
Knowing When to Call It Quits
...or maybe it won’t.
Sometimes, things just don’t go the way we hoped they would go. That’s life.
After you’ve already put so much effort into the big move, it can be hard to know when to give up and go home, and when to tough it out and wait for things to get better. There are myriad reasons to abandon your dreams of living overseas and head back to familiar territory, most of which are deeply personal.
Just remember: having second thoughts, doubting whether you’re going to make it, and experiencing constant waves of homesickness are all totally natural things. Whether you decide to stay or not is up to you, but everybody goes through a little uncertainty in the early stages of living abroad.
And often when people do return home after spending time overseas, they start getting reverse-homesickness and wish they hadn’t left.
Always wanting whatever we don’t have is the crux of humanity; you learn to deal with it. But if you end up going home, for whatever reason that feels right to you, don’t be too hard on yourself. You did great.
Just the fact you gave it a go is a good enough story to tell for the rest of your life.
And now you’ll have a little more certainty about what you want in life. I’m sure at one point you had never eaten cake before. Can you imagine if you never tried it for the rest of your life, just because you were a little frightened?
Don’t just forgive yourself, congratulate yourself. You’ve done yourself proud.