5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Moving Abroad

Moving abroad is one of the best life experiences that anyone can have — it’s also hella scary. It isn’t as simple as packing your bags, hopping on a one-way flight, and then you will automatically begin living your best life. There are a lot of things you need to consider beforehand and questions that you need to ask yourself. If you are seriously planning on moving abroad, here are 5 questions you need to ask yourself before you buy that plane ticket:

What do I want that my own country can’t provide?

There is a reason you want to move to another country instead of simply moving to another city in your own country. What is it that your country is lacking that another country can provide? If you’re like me, you probably want to travel and experience new cultures. This is why I moved abroad and it is also the reason that after two years I am still living abroad — the world is so big and there is just too much to see!

How much of a culture shock can I handle?

This is a huge question to ask yourself and it will help you determine what country you would like to move to. For me, I didn’t want to experience too much of a culture shock and wanted to have some familiarities. I felt that Asia would have been too much of a culture shock for me (having to learn a new alphabet, the customs, etc.) and decided Europe would be the best fit. What are you comfortable with and what are deal breakers for you?

How will I make an income?

If you don’t already have a job secured then this is another obvious question to ask yourself before you pack your bags. What type of job are you hoping to secure and what is the job market like in that country? Moving to a country without a job lined up can be very scary but it shouldn’t hold you back. When I moved to Portugal I didn’t have a job and started to apply to teaching positions right when I got here. It took me about a month to land my current teaching position and it was honestly extremely stressful. This is why you should definitely have savings (see below) and research your options for work. If you plan on teaching English, I always recommend getting started teaching online before you move in order to have some type of monthly income secured abroad. 

How much savings do I need?

No matter where you go, you should never move abroad without having some savings in the bank. It doesn’t matter if you already have a job lined up and know you will have a monthly income secured. Wherever you plan to move to, I would recommend having at least $2,000 saved before you jump on a plane. Startup costs can be expensive (like paying a security deposit for an apartment) and you never know if you will need to fly home for an emergency (or a global pandemic). Research what the cost of living is in the country you are moving to and have at least 2 months of that amount in your savings.

What visa do I need?

If you are moving to a country without a job lined up you will likely be entering the country on a tourist visa. For most countries, especially in Europe, you will be able to stay in the country legally as a tourist for only a number of days (typically 30, 60, or 90 days). Depending on the work that you plan on doing, like teaching English as a foreign language, it may be difficult to find a company that will be willing to sponsor your work visa.

One option is a student visa. This is what I did when I first moved to Spain. I was enrolled in Spanish classes that met the requirements for a student visa, the main requirement being that my classes were 25 hours a week. With a student visa, I was able to legally work 25 hours a week as well. 

Another option that many countries have is a freelancers visa. The main requirement for this visa is that you will need to already have a work contract to prove that you will be able to support yourself. This contract can be with a company that is based in another country and you are working for them online. So if you teach online with VIPKID, this may be a good option for you!

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