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  • Day 2

    London

    April 26, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    10 Things You Need to Do Before You Move to a Different Country

    Moving to a different country requires a lot of forethought, and there may be some things you don’t even consider before you get to that point. To ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible, follow these 10 tips to check off your list.

    1. Visit the country
    This is a little obvious, but some people still don’t think of it. How do you know you will enjoy living there if you don’t go and check it out first? Even if you are moving for business, you can ease the culture shock if you take a trip and see what to expect before you move.

    2. Research your requirements
    Do you need a Visa to live there? How much is the average cost of living per person per month? What papers do you need to file before you move? Being prepared is so important – you don’t want to get stopped at the border because your papers are incorrect.

    3. Start saving
    There may be a period of adjustment where you don’t have income coming in, or you may have underestimated the cost of living. In order to offset this, build up some savings before you go. You need to make sure that you have some income, so you could try investing and trading (https://learntotrade.co.uk/) as a way to earn wherever you are in the world.

    4. Sort out your accommodation
    You need to have a place to stay as soon as you get there! Even if you aim to stay in rented rooms or a hotel for a month while you look for something permanent, be sure to have that plan in place as early as possible. Set extra money aside in your budget just in case, too.

    5. Practice the language
    It really helps if you can speak the language of the place you are going to! Even if your new country shares your mother tongue, there may be differences in dialect and pronunciation (http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/strine.htm), as well as idioms.

    6. Clean house
    We don’t mean your actual house – although that would help. Cancel any accounts you don’t need, stop your subscriptions, tell everyone you’re going, end your rental contract or sell your house, and so on. Make sure there’s nothing left behind that might cost money or cause inconvenience once you’re gone.

    7. Sell or store your things
    You can’t take everything with you, and you will probably find that you don’t want to. Sell the things you no longer want at all. Look into storage if there are items you don’t need yet, or don’t want to bring but still need to keep hold of.

    8. Get a new phone
    Your phone probably won’t work in your new country, and if it does, it will cost you more (https://www.cable.co.uk/guides/5-best-mobile-ne…) to use it. Get a new phone set up for your new country – you can do all of the paperwork during one of your pre-move visits.

    9. Copy your documents
    Get copies of your passport, insurance, and other important documents before you go. If they get lost in transit or are delayed, you will at least have one copy of everything that you can use while you wait for replacements.

    10. Change your bank
    You will probably also need a new bank account! Move your money, or just set up a new account with enough for the first few months. This will help you pay for things as soon as you arrive.

    There’s so much to sort out, it can feel overwhelming. Work through this list point by point and it should feel a bit easier!
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