Emigration, moving and living abroad: general questions and answers
Living abroad, moving abroad and emigration: general questions and answers
What type of expat or emigrant are you?
What type of expat or emigrant are you?
What type of expat or emigrant?
Expats and emigrants have long since ceased to be only the agriculturists of the past: self-employed workers, hairdressers, nurses, physiotherapists, ict experts, pensionados, etc. also leave for long stays abroad these days, or emigrate. Aside from the question of whether “emigration” may always be permanent or also temporary, there are several types of expats and emigrants, such as:
- the deployed expat; think also of diplomats, journalists, professors, soccer players. Also called the “foreign assignee”: the employer sends out his employee for an (un)definite period of time.
- the self-employed expat: someone who finds their own job abroad. Also called the 'career expat'.
- the invited expat: someone who is invited by a local employer for a job. Also called the 'foreign recruitee'.
- the cross-border worker
- the second-home owner
- the young senior snowbird
- the seasonal worker
- the traveling spouse: the wife or husband who travels along because the partner got a job abroad.
- the romantic emigrant: someone who moves abroad for love, a (new) relationship.
- the family emigrant: someone who moves to another country mainly for family reasons (bringing the family together again, living closer to the family).
- the destination expat: someone who specifically wants to live in one particular destination, often out of love for that country. Finding work at that destination is then often a follow-up goal, but not the main reason. Also called the 'single destination expat'.
- the 'somewhere else is better' emigrant: someone who -by emigrating- seeks a better quality of life. Also called the 'greener pastures expat': elsewhere the grass is (probably) greener.
- a special group are the world travelers, also called 'globetrotters'.
- There is actually emigration without permanent residence in one specific country. A passport full of contiguous visas, foreign ATM withdrawals, temporary import/export proofs, doctor and dentist visits abroad, long-term stays in countries with friendly visa policies: it makes it possible to be away for years at a time.
- (Daily) life takes place outside the former country of residence. Only a bank account, a passport and travel/health insurance provide ties to the original country of residence.
- An additional group that often is not officially registered as an emigrant is called the 'semigrant'
- These are people who live partly abroad and partly in their regular country of residence. Think again of the snowbirds, those who have a second home abroad and the self-employed who -as digital nomads- carry out part of their assignments abroad.
What is the non-expat/emigrant: 'the commuter'?
- A type of “non-expat/emigrant” that is growing in number and is increasingly being referred to as “the commuter”: the employee who frequently crosses the border to supervise a project, but keeps the regular country of residence as his or her home base. They usually do not take their families abroad.
- Companies respond to this type by more frequently offering short-term assignments (usually 3 to 18 months abroad), or working with virtual assignments (exchange of knowledge and experience via ICT combined with short business trips).
- Yet, in practice, commuting often leads to premature termination of assignments; adapting and effectively doing business or achieving project results in the foreign environment proves difficult if you return to your home country during weekends, vacations, etc. Also, leaving partner and children behind often causes (too) much stress.
More and more attention is being paid to issues experienced by the 'remigrant': someone who has lived abroad for some time, but has returned to the home country.
What distinctions do you encounter when applying for visas?
Especially when applying for visas, you come across many types of migrants. Some countries have dozens of subvisa.
The most important, which you often encounter:
- family migrants: when you have a demonstrable long-term relationship with someone from the emigration country, who can sponsor you
- skilled migrants: when you have a professional education, specific skills, knowledge and work experience (often supplemented by local family, substantial assets and sufficient work opportunities in the country)
- business migrants: when you have demonstrably and successfully run your own business and will also start your own business in your country of emigration and have sufficient capital or want to invest in government projects.
- humanitarian migrants: if you have had to leave your own country as a refugee because of war, ethnic conflicts or human rights violations
- youth migrants: if you are a young person and want to study, work and/or travel in the country concerned
- retirement migrants: if you wish to settle as a pensioner in the country concerned. Often with additional requirements regarding assets, investments and health.
What are the main reasons for emigrating or moving abroad for an extended period of time?
What are the main reasons for emigrating or moving abroad for an extended period of time?
What are motives for emigrating or moving abroad for an extended period of time?
There are always pluses and minuses surrounding emigration or a long stay abroad. It takes an average of four years before emigration plans are realized, according to both research and practice. The first two years are usually an orientation phase, where potential emigrants do online research and visit the country in question whenever possible. In the following two years it is time to make the decisions and take care of all kinds of regulations.
What do you want to achieve in essence?
If you are in the orientation phase, first determine the main purpose of the long stay abroad or emigration for you and your partner and children. What do you or do you want to achieve?
- Keep this main goal in mind; consider at all stages of your preparation, but also regularly after arrival abroad, whether you are still in line with that main goal. Or is it perhaps time to adjust your main goal?
- Underlying motivations, like the main goal, are of course personal. They are also good to identify for yourself and any family members.
To get you started with your personal list, here is a list of the "advantages" that many emigrants mention:
- the long-awaited adventure: everything will be new, everything will be different.
- more space, more beautiful or more easily accessible nature.
- you are closer as a family, you have more time for each other and for the children.
- less rat race, less career, less wanting more.
- people in your new environment often give you the benefit of the doubt, because you dare to take the step.
- more freedom and less hassle to start your own business.
And remember: if it doesn't work out...you can always go back again...
Quote
"Life consists of chapters. Our children were heading toward high school and we were thinking about their and our future in another place. It was searching for the next phase in our lives, with less time in the office and fewer emails. And above all, we wanted to avoid those long gray winters."
Spain emigrant
What are the main reasons not to emigrate or move abroad yet?
What are the main reasons not to emigrate or move abroad yet?
What are the main reasons for not choosing for a long stay abroad or emigrating yet?
Motivations are, of course, personal. To get you started with your personal list: in general, many emigrants mention the following disadvantages:
- you get relational problems.
- your partner or children get bored.
- your children cannot catch up at their new school.
- you have to deal with illnesses or divorces in the family.
- you will lose relationships with family or friends, because 'at a distance it is different anyway'.
- you will not be able to adapt to local circumstances.
- wherever you are, you take yourself, your problems, your routine with you.
- you are always on your own, no family or good friends nearby.
- abroad you will end up either in a gigantic city or somewhere isolated in the background.
- abroad it is just hard work, or even harder.
- a very strong bond with your children or grandchildren, family or friends and already dreading the lack of contact can certainly factor into your decision whether to emigrate, and if so where to.
And please note:
- a low-cost airline ticket for a 2-3 hour flight offers more opportunities for regular (mutual) visits than an expensive intercontinental flight with multiple transfers and long travel times.
- some emigrants like the idea that "Homeland" is within a foreseeable number of car hours from their new place of residence, so that they are not dependent on (sometimes uncertain) flights, for example.
Quotes
"Anonymous persons at offices without addresses with unreachable phone numbers who make all kinds of demands on your emigration through incomprehensible forms. And this at considerable cost with the risk of land deportation or detention. The motivation to persevere in spite of everything sometimes had to come from our toes. It did not make us feel welcome, but now, once settled, it is wonderful to live and do business. The Canadian people welcomed us with open arms."
Emigrant in Spain
What might be motives for moving or emigrating abroad without a partner and/or children?
What might be motives for moving or emigrating abroad without a partner and/or children?
Several reasons for emigrating, temporarily living and working abroad alone
When you have a partner and/or children, there are a number of additional considerations surrounding the decision “to move abroad or not. Of course the starting point is often to move together with your partner and any children.
In some situations, however, partners decide differently. For example because:
- the country of destination is not safe (enough) for your partner and/or children -> you will have to weigh up whether the country is safe (enough) for you, what risk you are willing to take (together).
- your salary/expected income is not, or not yet, calculated for moving with the entire family; for example, if you plan to run a bed & breakfast or ho(s)tel abroad. You can then jointly choose to first start up the business alone, with your partner continuing to generate income in your home country. As soon as the business is well established and there is sufficient income to generate, your partner and any children will move too.
- your children are at an important stage of their education or there is no good or suitable education available at the new destination.
- your partner has a successful career and has no opportunities to develop it abroad or does not want to give it up.
- you expect different social acceptance: cohabiting or same-sex partners are not considered cohabitants in some countries.
- the period you are going abroad is expected to be of limited duration; for example, if you are being posted by an employer. The disadvantages of a temporary move with partner and children sometimes outweigh the advantages.
- your partner is not allowed to work in the intended new country of residence, or because there are too few (volunteer) work opportunities for a meaningful daytime activity
- the motives or wishes of you, your partner and any children differ too much, or the desire to live abroad is simply not shared.
A survey of HR expat managers from more than four hundred companies worldwide found that 53 percent of employees declined a deployment because of the lack of work opportunities for the partner.
Something to consider in this situation is tax liability.
- Depending on individual circumstances, your income abroad may also be subject to tax in your home country. And that is not always 'fiscally attractive'.
- In particular, the implementers look at “what is the country of residence/living center of your total family.” If your partner continues to work in your original home country, or if your children continue studying there,etc., this original 'home country' may also be considered your center of life. Even though you yourself live abroad.
Quote
"My new partner had been active in Germany for years; first as an intern, later as an independent entrepreneur. My love for him was enough for me to take the step; I quit my job and went after him. Exciting, because I had to give up a lot and in the beginning I didn't know what I would get in return. I started working at the local supermarket; sitting at home is not for me. After legalizing my qualifications at the court, a few months later I was able to join the village nursing home as a nurse."
Germany emigrant
What are additional points of interest when mapping motivations for a long stay abroad or emigration?
What are additional points of interest when mapping motivations for a long stay abroad or emigration?
What are additional points of interest in your motivations for going abroad?
Once you have created a good overview of core purpose and motivations for leaving or not leaving abroad, also check the following points of interest:
- do you share enough overlapping reasons with partner and children? Are there no (suitable) alternatives to emigration to still achieve what you want?
- give a value to all your motives for leaving and rank your motives according to those values: what is most important to you, what is also important but less essential. Keep those motives in mind when orienting yourself on what location and environment to live in, and compromise on less important aspects.
- save the list you make somewhere online so that you can look at it again in later moments of doubt or phases of homesickness.
- above all, make that list your own, personal list. Do not base it too much on what you have heard from other emigrants, fans of a particular country or vacationers who always go to the same location. Recent migrants will generally mention the downsides or setbacks less, stories are colored, going on vacation is not the same as emigrating.
- it is always good to make yourself aware of the pitfalls surrounding emigration. But at the same time, don't let yourself get too discouraged. Realize that on blog sites, on emigration forums and in TV programs it is mainly the "failures" that get attention.
- some returnees indicate that they have not or not sufficiently realized that the problems they encountered before leaving the Netherlands were caused by their own character, dissatisfaction with themselves. You don't solve that by emigrating, your own personality naturally moves with you and doesn't change that quickly.
- if you get the idea that the decision will be in the direction of "doing it", start keeping an emigration diary; write down as much as possible: the tips and practicalities, but also the considerations, the choices, the doubts, the emotions, the successes, the arguments. With your diary, also collect the articles, blogs, lists, tips, advertisements, etc. that give you inspiration.
- if the regulatory burden in your country of residence is one of your motives for wanting to emigrate, try to familiarize yourself in advance as much as possible with the written and unwritten rules in your intended new country of residence. Watch documentaries, read books or delve into background articles that zoom in on that topic. And ask yourself if you are comfortable with those "different" rules, in your new daily life.
Quote
"Emigration creates a new starting position, you are freer to tackle new things, to explore. You are not stuck in your current profession, waiting to retire."
France emigrant
What skills and competencies do you need when spending a long time abroad?
What skills and competencies do you need when spending a long time abroad?
The ideal emigrant
The ideal expat or emigrant...there is obviously no such thing. The competencies of a doctor who is the only non-African working in a small hospital in Eastern Kenya are obviously different from those of a start-up entrepreneur who wants to set up a joint venture in the booming Chinese market.
A list can be compiled of skills and competencies it is nice to have as an expat or emigrant:
- being authentic; staying true to yourself with an open mind towards others and other cultures, awareness of one's own strengths and shortcomings.
- being involved; taking responsibility, being loyal, stimulating the involvement of others.
- be able to communicate; intercultural communication skills: be open to other cultures without prejudice.
- being creative; thinking in terms of solutions, coming up with ideas.
- flexible, willing to adapt; 1) adapt to daily life and general living conditions in other culture 2) adapt to other forms of interaction with people from the host culture 3) adapt to other working conditions.
- empathy; being able to empathize with others, putting oneself aside at appropriate times, dealing with differences, pushing one's own traditions and opinions into the background.
- integrity; being honest, showing respect for others, acting in accordance with generally accepted norms and values of new home and work environment, being discreet.
- be willing and able to learn; be open to new things and experiences.
- to have courage; to dare to take risks, to have charisma.
- be able to network; build up new contacts, take time for meetings or when arranging things, take social initiative.
- to be environmentally aware.
- be able to make balanced judgments; be able to put things into perspective, choose different points of view, stimulate interaction.
- being able to plan and organize.
- be stress resistant; able to deal with setbacks, handle disappointments, put things in perspective and set priorities.
- be result-oriented; have perseverance, be flexible, be able to see the long term.
- can cooperate; be able to work in a team, stop being impatient.
- have self-confidence.
- technical skills; being able to master locally used apps and websites, translation software, and common payment methods
Research shows that the "critical success factors" for many expats and emigrants are concentrated around:
- local language skills.
- belief in own competences.
- interpersonal skills.
- sociability.
- degree of extroversion.
- flexibility.
- emotional stability.
- friendliness.
Previous international (work) experience is not a predictor of successful (work) performance in a new long stay abroad; especially in expats who have moved repeatedly, a degree of "adjustment fatigue" may also occur.
Quotes
"I had no foreign experience whatsoever. In order to advance with my employer, a multinational corporation, I noticed that foreign experience-unless it was pronounced-was a requirement. Through this employer I wanted to work abroad on my languages, cultural insight, management skills. Get a broader view. With the intention of returning to the Netherlands after a few years."
USA expat
"The most important skill, besides your online work abilities, that a global nomad needs to have is to be able to refocus. Every airport brings a new home and every seaport new faces and friends, and every town new workspace. You are in constant movement and constant adjusting."
Global nomad worker
If you have plans to do business abroad, consider new competencies, or deeper levels of the above competencies:
- the ability to communicate in the business language of your new country of residence.
- entrepreneurial competencies: identifying and seizing opportunities, anticipating, developing a vision, strategic thinking, administrative skills, persistence.
- analysis; making connections, complex analyses.
- creativity; innovating, solution-oriented.
- customer orientation; service orientation, stimulating others to optimize services.
- leadership; coordinating, stimulating, motivating, connecting.
- persuading; predominance, conflict management, negotiating, weighing interests.
- acting professionally; professionalism, showing initiative, excelling.
In addition to the extent to which you possess the above competencies and skills, the following factors, among others, also influence how successful you will be as an emigrant:
- how did you deal with moving earlier in life; did it go relatively easy for you or was it accompanied by many (mental) bumps?
- have you ever changed jobs and how did that make you feel?
- have you had setbacks in your life and how did you deal with them?
- do you generally like change, or do you always avoid it?
- to what extent did you know the country, language and culture beforehand?
- to what extent have you prepared yourself sufficiently for practical and emotional matters?
- to what extent does your partner and/or children have a shared desire to leave?
- to what extent can your partner also find a job ("dual career")?
A survey among 270 multinationals showed that the dual career desire in particular was an obstacle to the continuation of the posting of an employee abroad.
In what ways does your own personality influence (the success of) your long stay abroad?
In what ways does your own personality influence (the success of) your long stay abroad?
What you don't always realize as an expat or emigrant in-high-pressure-pre-departure-times is that, in addition to all your material possessions, there is something else that always goes with you in the “moving boxes”: your own personality (and that of any family members).
Some focal points:
- Not only your skills, competencies, nice character traits and useful skills go with you, but also your quirks, awkwardnesses and ingrained patterns move with you to your new home.
- If you had a full agenda in your (original) home country, it will probably also be full in your new country of residence after a period of settling down
- if you found it difficult to make new social connections, this will probably not be very different after emigration (although other circumstances may cause you to become more open, for example).
- Many expats and emigrants realize after a while that their lives have not changed all that much, apart from the different location, adjustments and expectations that may or may not have come true.
- In between the busy selection, packing and unpacking of all your material goods, take some time to think about what you want to take with you from your lifestyle or personal habits and unpack later, or what you would rather leave behind. In other words: what is desirable and feasible to change in your lifestyle?
How to start your moving abroad or emigration process?
How to start your moving abroad or emigration process?
There are a lot of things to consider when you want to emigrate to another country. Maybe you already have a concrete plan, or know where to find the right information. If that's not the case, don't worry. Here are some tips to help you start your emigration process.
Emigrate: yes or no?
- It can help to get more self-insight; what are your competencies, your character, strong and weak points and what can be obstacles during the emigration process
- Start an emigration diary, blog or website to document your experiences. All this can be useful in the orientation process, but also for later.
- Read the experiences of other emigrants/expats. Visit emigration events, subscribe for emigration magazines or sign up on emigration forums.
Which destination to choose?
- There are a lot of factors that can influence your decision for a new home country. Your own preferences but also practical matters can play a big role.
- What are the push and pull factors of the destination? What are the immigration policies like, how about the language and culture. How is the healthcare system organised and what is the situation concerning safety and criminality.
- Read through guidebooks, visit websites or get involved in online communities to get answers to these questions.
- If you found good option consider the feasibility of an orientation trip.
What to do in your new home country?
- How are you going to generate income: own business, expat, job, pension? Make an estimation of the minimum salary that is needed to live in another country with your family.
- Check the expat policies at your current employer. If you want to start up your own business, ask for professional legal advice by a legal consultant. And get an insight into (local) insurances for business liability.
- What kind of activities is your partner going to undertake? Is he or she able to find a local job, are volunteer activities an option?
- Also take into account the extra training, the necessity of learning new skills and the other (work) culture.
When and how to inform others?
- Discuss the plan with the others involved and respect each other’s positive and negative feelings. Write down the things you discuss, this can be useful for the process or for a later moment.
- Involve your partner or a friend in the process from start to end. Don't forget to involve children, especially the older ones, in this process. Involve your younger children when a decision has been taken.
- Choose someone you trust, who is critical but can motivate. Authorize this person as a signatory to sign documents when you have left, such as tax documents.
- It can also help to talk to people who have been through the same experience.
- After you have taken the most important decisions, inform the people that you are close to. Consider organizing an information meeting. Do not defend yourself but respect all different kinds of reactions and emotions.
If you have experience with emigration and want to share, feel free to leave a comment! Or create your own Worldsupporter account to share your experiences and read the experiences of other emigrants/expats.
Advantages and disadvantages of involving outsiders in your emigration proces
Advantages and disadvantages of involving outsiders in your emigration proces
- Involving a relative outsider (e.g., a stay-behind person you trust well) in all the pre-departure arrangements is good for an objective opinion, fresh perspective or final check.
- Provide someone who can be critical but can also motivate you, someone who dares to oppose but also wants to delve deeper.
- Make a list of possible persons in order of preference, and start talking to them.
- It is doubly useful if you also authorize this person to apply for documents on your behalf; this prevents (many) delays once you are abroad and have forgotten to arrange certain items.
What to pay extra attention to on the day of departure for a long stay abroad?
What to pay extra attention to on the day of departure for a long stay abroad?
- On the day of packing or loading, reserve a clear place or closet for items that the mover must not touch. Think of that bag with important documents, medicines, your children's favorite stuffed animals: without a good overview, there is a chance that these too -for days or weeks- will end up in the moving van.
- Call the planning department in advance (1-2 business days) before the move for start times.
- Take down last remaining curtains.
- Walk around the house immediately after the movers arrive and make notes on final action or attention points.
- Walk a last-check lap around the house after the moving truck is loaded.
- Take meter readings and disconnect gas and electricity (if a new tenant is not moving in or not immediately).
- Drain the water supply in the winter (even if it is not freezing).
- Lock all windows and doors securely; hand keys to caretaker/new tenants.
- Say goodbye to neighbors, family and friends.
- Agree on an indicative time when you will let the home front know that you have arrived; point out once again that there may be time differences and mention that during the trip something may happen as a result of which you will temporarily be unavailable or less accessible, be delayed, etc.
- When you are emigrating with children, where possible discuss the course of the travel and arrival days again, so that they know what is most likely going to happen. As always when traveling with children, make arrangements about what to do if someone gets lost or lost (who to talk to, meeting point at the airport, etc.).
- Despite all the emotions surrounding the actual departure: try to make sure that the "last memory before departure" is a positive one, one with a smile; that will make it a little easier for those left behind.
What to do the last few days before you leave?
What to do the last few days before you leave?
- Return any remaining library books.
- Redeem savings stamps from local retailers and online providers, insofar as you can no longer use them in or from abroad.
- Redeem last-minute gift cards (as a surprise, have your children use them to finance their last pre-departure purchases or presents).
- Inform the neighbors (well in advance) on which day you are really going to move, if relevant: the moving van can hinder you somewhat.
- Remove fixed lights, possibly remove the satellite dish from the roof.
- Get some simple meals, coffee, tea, soft drinks etc. in the house for the evening before the move and on moving day itself.
- Make a last appointment with the municipal waste disposal for remaining bulky waste.
- Secure the washer drum guard.
- Unpack and pack perennial garden plants (of course if the season is suitable and you want to take them with you).
- Empty the environmental box at the municipal depot.
- Defrost and clean the refrigerator.
- If necessary, screw the nameplate from the door.
- Keep a spot free in the immediate vicinity of your house for the moving van (about 10 meters) And arrange this in advance-if possible-at your new address.
- Study (again) the procedure for reporting moving damage and check the conditions of your mover (so you know on the day of moving and arrival how and within what time to act)
- Arrange -if you haven't already done so- a supply of passport photos of all family members; you will undoubtedly need these when arranging all kinds of administrative matters after arrival abroad.
- Make the last copies and scans of all relevant official documents of all family members; put digital files in a protected online environment (document storage); keep one set in your hand luggage and one set in the removal van or check-in luggage.
Moving abroad: what to arrange first when you arrive at your new destination?
Moving abroad: what to arrange first when you arrive at your new destination?
First things upon arrival
- Register as a new resident with the municipality in your new place of residence. In many countries, a registration number ("citizen service number") is essential for many subsequent administrative matters (e.g. utilities).
- Once you arrive, pay a visit to the town hall; still, especially in smaller towns, the mayor is a powerful person with whom you like to have a good relationship.
- Open a local bank account and provide your new account number to various organizations.
Transport
- If you have your own transportation (car), arrange for a navigation system or app with maps for your local area; you probably won't be able to find your way around without it at first.
- Is your car taken away? Have the license plate converted before you drive it. Rules vary, but usually this should be done within 3 months of settling in. Also arrange a new car insurance immediately. Don't forget to notify your own car insurance company, as soon as your car gets a foreign license plate. In some countries you must actively register for road tax yourself; you will not receive automatic notification.
Networking & relatives
- Make sure that you can be reached (again): for those left behind in your home country, for authorities in your new country of residence, for the nursery, etc.
- at least familiarize yourself with the telephone line, internet and mobile telephony; which techniques are most used locally?
- consider a pre-paid mobile subscription for the first period: this gives you time to study the better or most advantageous mobile subscriptions in your new country of residence. Preferably sign up for a one-year subscription in your first year; this will cost a little more, but you will have the option of switching to another, more advantageous subscription after one year. During the first period, gather tips from local or expat friends and acquaintances: they obviously already have experience in what to arrange through whom.
- Consider more data usage than you were used to in your home country: calling-via-internet, watching TV online, etc.
- Do you or your partner work for a local employer or an international (expat) employer? Find out if you can arrange subscriptions through that employer: costs may be fully or partially reimbursed, or there may be special favorable agreements.
- Depending on your familiarity with your new location—and of course based on your needs—quickly explore whether there are any (expat) groups, networks, or foreigner clubs after your arrival; they often offer a buddy system. If you sign up, you can request (or be offered) to be paired with an expatriate who has lived in the area longer and can help you get oriented in the first few weeks, assisting you with initial arrangements.
- Do you live in a smaller community and need practical help, for example around your house (handymen, electricians, etc.)? Or do you need to make larger purchases, such as for a welcome gathering? Preferably hire local services and shop with smaller suppliers. This promotes integration and generates goodwill, unlike when you only visit the large regional supermarket or hire people from outside “the village.”
- If you were used to it (or if it’s more common in your new destination): preferably through your new local network, arrange for a housekeeper.
- Get to know your immediate neighbors or consider a quick meet-and-greet with several neighbors at once. Examples of conversation topics (besides general introductions):
- Good places for small and large grocery shopping (supermarkets, department stores, specialty shops).
- Addresses for better hardware stores and/or specialized shops for specific topics, plumbers, electricians, etc.
- Contact information for arranging utilities: gas, water, electricity.
- Contact information for arranging telecom services.
- How public transportation works in the immediate area; where the nearest stops are, frequency.
- Getting familiar with the immediate neighborhood: what is available and where.
- Are there notable aspects regarding the daily routine: quiet hours, opening times, meal times, etc.
- What days is the garbage collected, waste separation, requesting containers.
- Good addresses for sports or hobbies.
- Who to contact in case of practical, medical, or safety issues; emergency numbers.
- Better addresses nearby for affordable gas.
- If your neighbors have lived there for a long time: what is the history of your houses and the immediate surroundings.
- Also explain why you chose to emigrate and why you specifically chose this location; there’s a good chance people will understand your choices better and find it nice that you chose "their" area.
- Besides practically organizing various matters, also take the time—whether with your family or not—to reflect on your departure period. Evaluate how everything went and what everyone thought about it: closing off the departure period gives you insights into first lessons learned, creates space for initial thoughts about the future, and helps you experience what’s to come more consciously.
Children
- Have you moved with your children? Establish regular routines shortly after arrival. There are already enough things to adjust to; try to maintain the familiar rhythm of your home country as much as possible in the first few weeks after your arrival. Think of certain eating habits during the week, a fun activity on the weekend, (re-watching) a specific TV show that you enjoyed as a family. Gradually transition to the rhythms and habits of your new country.
Taking into account a possible return, yes or no?
Taking into account a possible return, yes or no?
- many emigrants who have made the decision to emigrate logically focus on the new life in the new country of residence.
- the returnees , afterwards express regret that they did not maintain their network in their home country a little better.
- sometimes returning to the home country can be overwhelming, e.g. due to illness in the family or the home front, extreme homesickness, dismissal in the new country of residence, the outbreak of war, etc.
- at such times it can be useful to maintain ties with family, friends, former employers and other (professional) networks; this makes it easier to find a new job, house or temporary residence. At such times it can be useful to have maintained ties with family, friends, former employers and other (professional) networks in your home country; this makes it easier to find a new job, house or temporary residence. In this context, also consider maintaining your native language and following the news from your home country.
Emigration tips from experts by experience
Emigration tips from experts by experience
The tips below are from Emigration experts by experience might inspire you
- Never impose your pace on your partner when making departure plans and never force decisions: everyone has their own pace.
- Allow yourself setbacks or doubts; always give yourself the right to go back on a decision.
- Give yourself enough preparation time; plans can almost always be postponed for a while.
- Do not fight homesickness, it's part of expatlife experience.
- Don't assimilate. Instead you should blend your culture with the local culture. But never forget where you came from!
- Find a new hobby to keep you busy - be it learning a new language, cooking or running.
- Learn to laugh along with people who laugh at you, and you'll find they never meant any harm.
- BE FLEXIBLE! Plans change so frequently because, well, that's the way expat life works.
- In many countries lunch is typically cheaper than dinner. Use this to your advantage to explore the cuisine of your new home.
- Mindset: Think how you can contribute and make a difference in your new environment, rather than how you can benefit only.
- Smile! You might not be able to speak the language yet but your positive body language will set you up for success.
- Make a list of things you want to do/see/try in your new city and country. Pin it to the wall & do your best to follow through.
- Make local friends who show you around and make friends in different circles...
- Get local as fast as you can. Not by joining local expat clubs but joining local routines. Take sincere interest in local life.
- Don't let one bad experience determine your stay. There is always more good than bad.
- Keep a journal, record your honest feelings and insights. It is so great to read them later and see how you've changed.
- Volunteer your time or talents in support of local organisations. You'll make new friends and give back.
- When you are bored, look around you and you will notice enough things to do, to keep you busy, to make a difference and at the same time and to feel more at home at the new place you are living now.
Emigration, moving and living abroad: home bundle
Emigration, moving and living abroad: home bundle
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