Everything You Need To Know About Moving Overseas

Photo by Amanda Vick on Unsplash

There are many reasons that people decide that they want to move overseas or to another state. It may be that you are looking for a change of pace. Often, a different culture will offer a whole different way of living. You may be looking for an adventure or want to immerse yourself in a different culture. You may have friends or family living overseas, and you want to be closer to them, or you may have a partner that you are moving to be with. Whatever the reason for your move, there will be a lot of practical considerations that will need to be made ahead of the big move.

Visa Requirements
If you are moving overseas, you may very well need to get a visa. Different countries will have different rules regarding visas, and it is important that you do some research before you make any final decisions or commit yourself to the move. Some countries have very restrictive visas that might not make it possible for you to live in your chosen country. There are various passport ESTA issues to consider depending on what kind of citizenship and passport you hold, so it’s crucial to have all of the paperwork in place for your unique situation.

Do plenty of research into your visa. Find out whether there are any restrictions, how long you can live there for, and what you will need to do once your visa expires. It is essential that you apply for your visa early. Some countries have a considerable amount of red tape in their visa processes and it may take some time for your visa to be approved. By waiting until your visa is approved, you’ll be ensured that you will be able to make the move.

Looking For a Job
Once your visa is in place, you can start your search for a job. This may be quite a big challenge in itself as it may not be convenient for you to hop on a plane to attend every job interview. When applying for jobs, make sure that you state in your application that you are planning to move soon. Provide information about the date of your move and if you’ll be available for an interview before you move. If you are not available for an interview, find out if it is possible to have a Skype, Zoom or phone interview.

An alternative to finding a job overseas would be to find a remote working job that can be done from anywhere in the world. Some examples of this type of work include graphic designers, web and app developers, and freelance writers.

Finding a Home
Your next challenge will be finding a home to live in. Whether you are looking for a house or an apartment for rent, you should be able to find listings online from local agents. If you plan on visiting the area to attend any job interviews, then you could also view some properties at the same time. However, flying back and forth may not be something that you are able to do. You could see whether the estate agent is able to give you a virtual tour of the property via Skype or Zoom.

Alternatively, if you know anyone that you could stay with, you could do that when you first move and look for a place to live after you have arrived in the country.

Packing Up Your Old Life
When it comes to packing before your big move, there are some factors that you need to decide on. How much are you going to be able to take with you? Will you be taking everything that you own, or can you put some of your possessions into storage? Shop around for a quote from a range of different international moving companies and find out how much you’ll be able to move.

Packing to move is a good opportunity to downsize. The more you can get rid of, the better. Anything that you can sell will help fund the cost of the move. When it comes to actually packing, start off by boxing up anything that you plan on taking nice and early. Packing may take some time, and packing early will take the stress out of it. Pack in a logical manner and consider that boxes may well get damaged when they are on the move. Wrap up all of your delicate items. Make sure that you don’t overload boxes, and label all of your them.

This is a contributed post.