So, you have thought about moving to a new country and want to know what the moving checklist and bets steps to take to begin your process of moving overseas? Well you might have stopped by the right place!
I have officially moved and lived in 3 different countries; South Korea, Japan and now Australia. One of the main questions I get often is asking how I managed to move over seas. So now that I feel experienced enough, I will be sharing my top moving checklist for preparing to move to a new country!
Moving Checklist for Overseas
Are you curious on how to move to South Korea? How to move to Japan? or even how to move to Australia? Well here you will find my moving checklist on how I successfully managed to move to these countries as a Canadian Citizen. Please note that I am Canadian which plays a part in these steps.
TL;DR? Watch the video instead!
1. Start Saving Money
As soon as you get the idea and really want to work towards living abroad, then you better that hustling to save money immediately! Moving overseas is not cheap and comes with a price. You will need to pay for the plane ticket, luggage, visa applications, travel insurance and have enough money to cover you immediate cost of living once you arrive in the country. Plus you would make sure you have enough money for a return ticket in case thing’s don’t go as you hoped (emergency money).
Which brings me to my next moving checklist item.
2. Visa Research & Embassy’s
Now that you have started to actively save your money (or at least make a note to), then it’s time to start researching your visa options.
“What’s a Visa?”
When you hear visa, you might immediately think of the credit card, but it is completely different. A visa in this case is a document that allows you entry for a certain period of time in a country. Think of it as your key to entering a country and being allowed to stay in that country. If you plan to stay in any country longer then the visa free period, then you will need to apply for a visa. For a Canadian like myself, most country’s have a visa free entry period of 3 months. After 3 months you need to leave the country. If you wish to remain in that country and live there, then you will need to leave and apply to a proper visa that will allow you to live there more long term.
Your particular visa options depend on your nationality and the country you’re choose to reside in. This is where you need to do your research. I cannot give you the answer to this by telling you which visa you can get or should get. However I can give you tips.
Find the Embassy & Apply
So you know what country you want to live in? Now head to google and search the embassy of the country you want to live in. For example “Japan embassy Toronto”, “Korea embassy New York” and so on. Google will provide you with the website of the official embassy closest to you.
On the embassy’s website, you will find all the visa options you are able to apply for, plus the printable application forms. Some countries such as Australia allow online application, but other countries require you to visit the embassy in person to apply.
So be prepared to print off a ton of paper work and fill it all out, then make a trip to the embassy. There usually are a lot of requirements when applying to a visa. Such as having sufficient funds (the money you have been saving), having good health, a valid passport, reasons for why you want to live in that country, a sponsor, planned employment and much more. All these requirements differ depending on which visa you can get or choose.
For me as a Canadian, I always had the working holiday visa. This visa allows 1 year in the country of choice. However every country has different rules to this visa. Some countries allow an additional year extension, some only half a year and some just 1 year.
If you are a Canadian Citizen and under the age of 30, you can look into this visa option for the country you are interested in. This is all the assistance I can provide when it comes to visa’s. So you must discuss and research via the embassy.
3. Discuss moving overseas with family & loved ones
Remember, moving abroad doesn’t just affect you. It is important you discuss this decision with your family and any partner you may have at the time.
If you are living with your family, then they may be able to help you with preparing for your move. If you have a loved one, then this is a very big step in your relationship and needs to be addressed properly. Your partner may want to move there with you. Or they might not be strong enough to do long distance, they may need some emotional support from you. Make sure you figure out your options with your loved ones. There is always a way to work things out.
4. Sell & Pack
So you have your visa and are ready to move! Originally living with family? then you don’t have to worry about selling your belongings, well maybe. If you live alone then you will need to sell belongings, store them or give them to your family if possible. If you plan to move to a new country for a very long term stay (over 2 years or more), then you can ship all your belongings by sea. Simple search your countries postal service and check there “land” rates.
However if you need to travel light and need to sell most of your belongings, then Facebook buy & sell groups are your answer! Simple go to the groups section on facebook and check out the buy & sell section. You can sell your items easily there!
5. Find a Hostel, Airbnb or ROOMMATES
Finding an apartment before you’re in the country you plan to move to is next to impossible. Landlords are not very keen to agree to renting to someone outside of the country. So Make sure you know your options on where you will stay when you arrive. Hostels are affordable, airbnbs are a bit more pricey. If you have friends in the country you plan to move to, you can ask to stay with them until you get on your feet. Or you can try to find roommates online on facebook groups or google. Of course this will be easier to do if the country is English speaking.
If you are moving to he country to work and the company has provided you with room and board, then you don’t need to worry about this.
6.Finding Work & Making Friends
So you have done everything in the moving checklist, you are in the country and all set up. Now you need to make friends, this can be tricky. For me I made friends through social media such as Youtube and Instagram. I also made friends through work. Social media is the new way to meet people and make friends and Instagram has been my #1 way, making i my top recommendation! Search for people in the city you moved to, follow and contact them and see you they want to meet up.
Or you can make friends at your job, but first you need a job. If you have a working holiday visa you can apply for jobs like you normally would in your country. If you got an English teaching job then it will be easier to make friends with other English Teachers. Making friends is hard, even I struggle with it but those are my recommendations based on my experiences.
You’re Set!
That is everything on my moving checklist for moving overseas! I know this article was a long one, if you didn’t read it then I hope the video was helpful to you! Please feel free to ask any questions in the comment section bellow. Just remember, I can’t really help you with Visa since I am not a government official for your country or the country you want to live in.