The following post is contributed (written by) by site supporters of Living Another Language, not me. :)
Moving house can be pretty stressful, but it is significantly more so when relocating to a new place overseas! Moving to a different country can be very exciting due to being presented with a range of new experiences and opportunities, but it does take a fair bit of planning. This often means dealing with a few headaches, but it can be so worth it when you arrive at your new home with most things under control.
In order to achieve this sense of relief, you will probably want to focus on the key points of getting both yourself and your belongings to the destination country. Here are a few handy tips that will help you to accomplish these goals with relative ease.
Check current visa requirements
It would be nice if you could move to any country in the world without hassle, but that just isn’t the way the world works; most places will require you to apply for visas if you are planning on staying for a reasonable amount of time. Each country will have different requirements so the best thing to do is to look online to get up-to-date information.
You should also be prepared to pay a fee for a visa application so you may want to check how much this costs before your plans go any further. It is always helpful to understand how expensive a potential move abroad could be.
Book tickets for travel
Once you have confirmation that your visa application has been successful, you will be able to get some more plans into motion. One of the first things to tackle is your tickets to travel – after all, it is fairly vital that you should get a space on a plane before there are no seats left. Sites such as amadeus.net can be helpful for finding available flights, so try this before you book direct with an airline – otherwise you may miss out on a better deal.
Booking your flights also allows you to have an official moving day, which makes your plans much more official.
Get packing
Soon it will be time to actually pack up your belongings – this is a job that many people avoid doing until the last minute. It can be easy to procrastinate here, but that can mean last minute stress and worry. By planning ahead of time you can sell items you no longer need, giving you a few extra pounds for the move.
You can also arrange to ship your larger items overseas if this is something you need to do, although you should make sure that you have all of your important items with you on the plane. You might need to pay for extra luggage allowance if you have a lot of belongings.
Say your goodbyes
When moving day comes around, you will have to face saying goodbye to your loved ones and friends. This is sometimes the hardest part about moving overseas so you will have to stay strong to carry through with your plans.
With video call programmes available on computers and mobile devices, you can still stay in touch with those at home. And remember, you can always visit once you have settled in!
How do you get ready for your move overseas?