So, you’ve wanted to make a big move for ages. Career-wise you’ve got it nailed, you love your job, and even if you don’t, you’re great at it, and it has opened up a lot of doors for you. The offices are global.
What comes next?
Checking out the global offices. You like the office; the vibe is relaxed, and they have a similar ethos and office atmosphere to what you are used to. The location is a nice breath of fresh air, and over coffee, you begin to picture yourself living here. Browsing the local shops, checking out the local attractions. Maybe you’re lucky, and there is a beach nearby. Whatever it is, you know that you want to make a big move, and it’s going to be here. So, your next steps are planning how to move from one country to another – in the most cost-effective way.
When you are moving to a new location, even though you might be tempted just to start the process as soon as you can, you should go back and visit a few more times. You need to get to know the area a bit better, where the best house prices are, where are the places that you should avoid (every city has them), where the best coffee is. Research pays dividends in the end. Think about what you are going to do regarding housing. Will you want to buy straight away? Or will you be renting for a while? Either way, you’re going to need to find an estate agent you can trust to help you take care of that while you’re busy wrapping things up your end. Be very clear about where you are deciding to move and why. Things to check out are:
- Local schools
- Transport links
- Are there any rubbish dumps or sewerage plants nearby?
- What is it like at night?
- Main roads – are they close by can you hear them?
You should aim to visit the country a few times at least before moving. It won’t be so much of a culture shock then.
Pay considerable attention to what the visa requirements are for that country, there is very little point in deciding to make a move, moving, and then within months, you’re being asked to leave. Make sure you follow the correct channels, apply well in advance and have a couple of copies of everything kept safely. You might want to look into companies that specialise in helping you move to a new country. While you’re keeping track of this, make sure your passport has plenty of time left on it too
The cost of living might be a little surprising, so when you are out there visiting, remember that while you’re probably spending ‘play’ money and don’t mind the cheese being so expensive when you live there permanently, that will be the norm for you.
Even though you are likely to be moving into an office within the same company, there are going to be some costly patches. Waiting to get your cable connected, needing to arrange travel passes or a new vehicle, replacing the electrics you maybe couldn’t take with you. Save well over 5 thousand dollars, and that will be your soft landing.
In all of your trips over, make sure that you are in contact with recruiters. You might’ve decided that while moving to a new country you might like to move job. Or maybe you’re going to make a seamless transition into a position in the same company, and it is still worth your time to create links elsewhere. Networking is one of the quickest ways to get yourself embedded in the scene there. Plus, it is a great way to make friends too.
If you have moved to a country that doesn’t have English as a first language you can do a few things – you can buy software and spend your nights learning, or you can find a local tutor and get some real face to face practice in.
Declutter your life before you move it. The moment you decide that you are moving, you need to start trimming down the fat. Cancel all of the accounts that you don’t need, check the rules on keeping a bank account though for when you visit ‘back home’ in a few months’ time. Remember to keep the end of the contract date as close to the date you leave as possible. Once you arrive at your new location, you can give them a call to ensure it has been taken care of. You will probably need to look at what you are taking because the move is to a different country, you’re going to need a specialist like 1st Move Shipping and Moving to take care of the big stuff.
Open a bank account and any credit lines in your new country. The chances are you might have to wait a little while before getting things like country-specific credit cards, or loans but a simple bank account will be fine since you have all of your other paperwork and a house already in order.
Stack your cash. Before you go, make sure that you spend some time getting the right currency in your wallet, so when you land you can treat yourself to a celebratory lunch while you wait for your luggage to arrive from the plane.
Take care of your health. Before you go, get all of the vaccinations you might need and check out the health insurance options that you have in your new country of choice. Make sure that you build health insurance to any expenses that you think you’re going to be spending.
Think mobile. Check out a new unlocked cell phone or get the one you have unlocked. Every country has their country code, and you’re going to need a new number that coincides with that. You might land lucky and be moving to a country that has much cooler mobile phones than yours, so you might want to grab some new tech instead. For a little while, you might want to keep both numbers, so that people can get in touch with you who might not have your new number just yet.
Before you leave anywhere, be sure to spend a lot of time with your friends and family. While an adventure is going to be really exciting, and the chances are you are raring to go, you might be surprised how much you’re going to miss them. Get a fireproof box and put a copy of all your essential documents in it and leave it with a trusted family member or friend, so that if you ever need something to be looked up you know that you have extra copies of the following documents:
- Birth certificate
- Insurance policies
- House deeds
- Degree certificates
- Visa
- Passports
- Travel documents
For the day after you leave your current home, book a deep clean for either your new tenants or the new owners. Get a friend to let them in, just to ensure that the very final step is taken care of. You can, of course, spend the time cleaning yourself, but wouldn’t you rather spend the last few days relaxing with the people you love the most?
Sometimes in life, you are ready for a big adventure, and when it comes to moving countries, there isn’t a much bigger adventure you can have. Once you take the steps above, you’ll soon be able to take the leap without worrying that you have missed something vital out.
