There are a surprising number of people these days who want to move and work abroad. Perhaps they’re infatuated with another country’s culture, maybe they have a partner that has recently moved to a different country, or maybe they just want to get away and experience something a little different.
Photo by Mike Enerio
Tips on Moving and Working Abroad
The world is a place that consists of over 195 countries, each with its own unique stories, histories, and people. With so much to explore, it can often feel like you’re always being held back by limiting yourself to just a single country. That’s why some people that love to travel will always rant and rave about how amazing it is in other countries. They’ll talk about how things are extremely unique and different, and they’ll tell you all about their amazing experiences.
Traveling the world allows us to see a completely different side of life. In fact, it can often be the trigger that convinces you to move and work abroad for some time. But before you make that decision, we’re going to offer you some tips on how you can approach moving and working abroad.
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First thing’s first: how do you pick a country?
There are plenty of different ways to decide on a country to move on, but there are usually a number of different factors that will help you determine the best choice. Here are some of the things to keep in mind:
What language do they speak in your chosen country?
If they don’t have English as an official language then you might find it really difficult to communicate with the locals. There are some countries such as Singapore that have multiple different main languages, so you’ll be able to communicate with most people and get around the country, but it can still be hard to speak with the older population in certain areas.
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What reasons do you have for moving there?
Your reason for moving to a country can also be important. Some people chose a country because they have friends and relatives there that can help them, such as offering them a place to stay while they search for their own apartment. Others might choose a country because they know a bit of the culture or they know how to speak the language. There are loads of different reasons why someone might choose a specific country, so it’s best to make this decision early on.
Are there opportunities to get accommodation easily?
There may be occasions where you can get accommodation fairly easily in the country that you’ve decided on. For example, there are developments such as King Albert Park which are friendly towards foreign investors. Of course, this is going to require a serious amount of money, but it does go to show that you have many unique options available to you if you want to move abroad.
Do you have some kind of income ready?
Some people move countries because their workplace has something lined up for them, such as a position in an overseas branch. However, there are other ways to get income as well. For instance, some people might have their own business which can be managed over the internet, and others might find it easier to be a freelancer and work from a co-working space such as Outpost in Bali. Coworkings are fantastic places to make friends, learn new things and do a bit of networking which could help your businesses!
Choosing a country can be a challenge, but it’s often the first step to take when it comes to moving and working abroad. If you don’t have some kind of work or income in mind, then it’s best to get those priorities sorted as soon as possible before you decide to move abroad. There are also some legal considerations to keep in mind, such as how to get a visa and what travel documents you might need before you decide to move.
These considerations are extremely important to keep in mind because you don’t want to end up moving to a country with no knowledge of the language, culture, or even legal documents. Don’t expect to just take a plane and pretend that it’s a holiday, only to end up staying at somebody’s house indefinitely. You’re going to get caught and you’ll either pay a fine and get deported, or you could even be arrested in certain countries.
Preparing for life abroad
So how exactly do you prepare for life abroad? There are a couple of approaches that you could take, but we suggest the following tips to help you get started:
- Look for some employment opportunities overseas. Sometimes, you can get opportunities like teaching abroad or moving to an overseas branch of your company. It’s all about asking and looking around for different programs that could get you to a different part of the world.
- Make sure you have plenty of emergency funds stored up for when you move to another country. The last thing you want is to be stuck in a foreign country with no money and nobody to help you. This will make your travels stress-free and also ensure that you don’t run into difficult situations.
- If they don’t speak much English, try and learn the language. A couple of phrases can be great to learn, but you’ll generally pick up more of the language by socializing with locals and getting to know people.
- Are you sure you can say goodbye to your old life? There’s a saying that you never really know what you have until it’s gone. When it comes to traveling, people might be surprised to find themselves homesick more often than not.
- Get to know the locals or have a friend that you can speak to. It’s one of the best ways to network and you can start meeting trustworthy people to help you make life easier. Don’t be a stranger and learn to interact with others whenever you can.
Photo by Jarosław Miś – Pexels CC0 Licence
Hopefully, this brief post has given you some idea of how you can move and work abroad. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, but it’s certainly doable if you’re willing to prepare ahead of time and look for ways to live a safe and secure lifestyle in another country.
Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post.
