But there are no short answers on official documents. Visiting “home” over the holidays is glorious, but it’s also an insight into how your “old life” isn’t a thing anymore. I left the leafy suburbs of Toronto five years ago. 1. Documents, processing fees and waiting times can’t intimidate you if you’re really going to make this happen. Becoming a durable and sustainable expat is all about preparation, with a dash of flexibility and risk involved. Verge believes in travel for change. In some ways, it’s harder than dating. 4. Are there expat agencies? The latest openings overseas—direct to your inbox. You’ll be able to learn a new language, partake in delicious local cuisine, and go on exciting vacations in a new landscape. Before you even consider “leaping” to another country, get a copy of our 138-Point Master Guide and Checklist for Employees Contemplating Expatriate Assignments. If you can’t speak in the local language, learning a few key phrases to at least exchange pleasantries in first-time interactions before you reach your destination can be helpful. Taxation What rate of tax will you be paying? There can be many obstacles in your path of being a global nomad. Weirdly, moving home also requires you to ask yourself a lot of the same questions as moving abroad: Can you restart? After arriving, you can go the whole hog for language classes. Everywhere you go, there you are, and if you are not happy with yourself, this is magnified a bajillion times in a foreign place. 6. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Tell me about your last overseas assignment, from the time when you first learned about the possibility of going to _____ _ 2 What did you think when you first heard you were going to -----3. Learn more about expat kids. I don’t want to discourage people from moving abroad. Check out various expat guides online or read what the expats have to say about a particular destination in the bulletin boards. Are you running? Moving overseas is a major and exciting life change. Check out the cost of obtaining a new global health insurance plan and see whether it is affordable after your new salary package. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Making friends as an adult is a bit like dating: you need to meet people, get to know them, casually exchange phone numbers, get them to like you and hope you see them again. Your stay abroad should be planned carefully and wisely. You need to pay for a visa, plane ticket, shipping, deposit on a new flat. If you think you are becoming an expat because of running, please, please, rethink this decision. Along with jumping on every social activity that your newly found group of friends suggests, you’ll also need to make (and keep) Skype dates with the friends and family back home. But in return there are so many benefits to being expats. However, there are several things many expats wish they knew before they flew. What are you going to do about health insurance? Before accepting any work overseas you should thoroughly research the policies, cultural expectations, social environment and politics of the country to which you are considering relocating. You can ask details, information and post comments on the forums.. This article originally appeared in Verge's Winter 2017 issue. Travel and Moving Related. This site uses cookies. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. What were the first few days like? How good are you at making new friends? Does your expat destination have a reciprocal agreement with your country so you avoid double taxation? What's your best tip on becoming an expat? Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Expat Financial can help you make your experience memorable as an expat. Reach out to people who you feel can bail you out of difficult times. That’s also assuming you are going to spend some time job-hunting in the new city. Can you communicate in the local language? . One of my clients said that the single most important question he needed to ask himself before he moved abroad was about his lifestyle. “The loneliness of the expatriate is of an odd and complicated kind, for it is inseparable from the feeling of being free, of … Some things to research and consider: How will taxes work in your new country? Similar to purchasing property, location is a significant factor when you are planning to move abroad. Here’s a roundup of expat tips for anyone thinking of leaving home. Things may not turn out as you anticipate. Many dream of becoming an expat, but it is sometimes not possible to just pack and go. Whether you are being employed in the country, accompanying a spouse, retiring, or moving for pleasure these questions are likely to affect your expat experience. What is motivating you to go abroad? more forms. Your motivation to move abroad may include career and financial growth, better lifestyle, lower cost of living, suitable weather, etc. MagazineOverseas program finderGo Global ExpoTravel Intelligence Bulletin, Subscriber careAdvertiseWrite for usSubscribePrivacy policy, Teach English All Over The World With ITTT, 6 Questions to Ask Before Becoming an Expat. You should always make sure to ask questions to a company about their mission and vision, why they want to bring you on board, how many team members you will work with, who you will report to, etc., but we commonly see the questions above overlooked because people are simply new to the process and are unprepared with their genuine curiosity (it’s a good thing!) Physically moving somewhere doesn’t mean you’ve stopped having the same expectations you did back home. Your international assignment is a big step in your career, life, or even retirement. Living life as an expat may be exciting and fruitful for you. I asked the members of my “Canadians in London” Facebook group for their input on what to consider when choosing the expat life. Travel opportunities. In some ways, it’s harder than dating. From the bottom of my backpack, I believe the most important item on any traveler’s packing list is an open mind. International experience creates global citizens, who can change our planet for the better. And resettling back in your old life may be harder than you think. Becoming an expat should be because you want to experience, not because you want to escape. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. The policies we offer via TFG Global Insurance Solutions Ltd. or its related web sites are not available to citizens currently residing in the USA when taking out the policy. Giving into her wanderlust, she packed up her life in Canada and is currently doing a cross-continental MA through the Erasmus Programme that will take her from Denmark to Australia to England. Let them know the positives of being an expat and help them strike a rapport with diverse communities that suit their interests. If accommodation is not provided, ask if there are any supports to assist you with finding somewhere to live. Short answer: many. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Before I launch into the 19 things no one tells you about being an expat, I want to note that, of course, this is specific to our situation. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. However, US citizens will have to pay tax no matter where they live and work. How will you deal with common obstacles to moving abroad? But the expat lifestyle isn’t for everyone. She can’t understand how this happened, but she has managed to pick three of the most expensive places in the world to live as a student, but she is determined not to let that stand in her way of travelling. To live the expat life on the … For my UK visa, I needed to list every country I had been to in the last 10 years, supplemented with dates. After studying in Denmark and Australia, I “settled” in London three and a half years ago. They set out five questions to ask before deciding on an expatriate policy to … Do you want to swap your driving license for another one? We’re familiar with the good old “reverse culture shock”—readapting to your country and its culture is as challenging as embracing a new one. Delivered by Email – Instantly! Education, work experience, language skills, and physical and mental wellness are all perfectly legitimate answers. It’s a tough choice to give up one incredible place for another, even if temporarily. You discover so much more about life and yourself. Due to a growing cultural acceptance and more resources for expats, the number of people living abroad has exploded in recent decades. Expat Questions To Ask #2: Is Anything Preventing Me From Adapting To Another Culture? What to Know About Becoming an Expat During the COVID-19 Pandemic ... meet online to give prospective emigres the opportunity to ask questions. But if you’ve picked a popular expat destination like Singapore, UAE or Taiwan, you’ll find plenty of people in the same boat as you. ... residence can do so a month before … While I think many of these things are applicable to a lot of expats, I know they’re not universal. Nearly 10 per cent of Canada’s population lives, works or studies abroad. See if you can sublet your apartment for a year instead of selling everything you own. The quality of your life will be richer than it was before. You would need international health insurance to ensure that you are fit and healthy in a foreign land. On the whole, it has been a tremendously positive experience for me. Expat life may not be glamorous for everyone. We often forgot to just take a break, cook a meal and lay about the flat watching Netflix, and it was only until we had driven ourselves to the point of being run-down that we addressed this and had a good weekend of being couch potatoes.So if you get to the point where you can’t figure … You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. There is a difference between being an immigrant and an expat. 4. Why wouldn’t you want to use an opportunity to make new of friends, pick up a language and scratch more places off on your Luckies Scratch Map? If you or your company requires a policy that is billed to the USA, please contact us and we will refer you to a broker located in the USA. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Below you will find 14 questions that are considered extremely important to ask yourself before moving abroad. You will be surprised at how much more you will enjoy your new home and how quickly you will be accepted if you can engage with the locals in their own language. Is it for work, love, a better future, or maybe to study? As an expat, every weekend is a new adventure, capping off an intense work-week. Join our community of savvy travellers and put nearly two decades of inspiring articles, authoritative information and expert advice to work for you. Everything you forgot to ask about, and for, and then some! For any long-distance friendship to work, you need to put in the hours and the effort. Identifying your motivation streamlines your experience. Health insurance is an important option for expats and there are many providers offering different options. Job – If you’re not moving as part of an existing role, or moving for an existing post, start looking into your job prospects in your new country: what are the job sites? After all, you become an expat for a reason and you should embrace that. Consider whether you can put your car in your parents’ garage. Why do you want to move abroad? This nomadic lifestyle might sound dreamy, but it can be taxing and full of un-glamourous aspects. Making friends as an adult is a bit like dating: you need to meet people, get to know them, casually exchange phone numbers and hope you see them again. Choosing an expat tax preparer can be daunting though, as the consequences can be significant. Since we launched in 2012, we’ve answered thousands of questions from expats and non-residents around the world, creating a hub of useful content with the aim of supporting and simplifying the moving process. There is no hockey here, no panda-hugging prime minister and no grand lakes. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. But despite the feeling that I live in limbo between two places I love, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You may also be going abroad for a few years for extended travel. And let’s not discount moving abroad for love. Will my family/spouse travel cost be covered and what support will they receive? 10 reasons why you should become an expat: 1. 1. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. If you are are thinking of becoming an expatriate, there are questions to ask several things to look into before moving abroad: Check to see how much support your expatriate employer will provide you in your move abroad; Check with your spouse to make sure he or she is OK with this move abroad. You can check these in your browser security settings. My experience has been that befriending locals can be challenging. Knowing the accurate taxation policies of your expat destination will help you to be better prepared to manage your finances. When you have a rough day where you just want to give up and head home, reminding yourself of the why will encourage you to keep pushing your boundaries. At the same time, it has also been the best decision I ever made. Please contact TFG Global Insurance Solutions Ltd. for more information about your specific jurisdiction. Living as an expat in a country as central as Germany means endless opportunities for travel. Having sufficient money during your overseas visit will help you enjoy a hassle-free time in a foreign country. Country that you are agreeing to our use of cookies do it at once. I made this move you going to do about health insurance to experience, not because you want have! With diverse communities that suit their interests which has me convinced that your... Cost of living, suitable weather, etc community has given me the much-needed support for adjusting to new.... Be more satisfying than a late-night bender with new acquaintances option for expats, I ’... Nearly two decades of inspiring articles, authoritative information and expert advice to expats 10,. In form of substantial savings, a professional in Japan have to pay for a visa, I the! Refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain so you avoid taxation. About our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our privacy Policy page financial can help you every... An expat because of running, please, please, rethink this decision external services like Webfonts... No short answers on official documents will find 14 questions that are considered extremely important to ask #:! Put your car in your native place and use it as a financial lifeline to fall back on required!, shipping, deposit on a new browser window or new a.. 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