Moving to A New Country
Thanks to everyone who submitted their tips/tricks to our post!
“Take some passport photos with you, you’ll probably need it when applying for residence permit or whatever. Download google translator app and download the language, also google maps and offline map of your area - it saved my life. Check your bank - if your credit card works abroad, do they charge extra for currency exchange etc. Try to get local bank account and sim card as soon as you can. Save embassy number in your phone, just in case.“ - Anon
“Tips for moving to a new country (part 1): The sooner you unpack, the more comfortable you’ll be, honestly. Its hard enough adjusting to a new environment without being surrounded by just boxes of stuff. Get to know the area around your house on foot, even if you’re going to be driving. If you’re not in school, it can be harder to meet new people/make friends so signing up for evening classes/weekend courses can take you to a new part of town & help you make new friends at the same time.” - @bluewriters
“Tips for moving (part 2): If there’s a language barrier, make sure you know at least a few key phrases before you go (e.g. can you give me directions, please, thank you, sorry) and immerse yourself as much as you can once you’re settled in, cause thats the fastest way to start picking up the language. I’ve moved around a whole bunch so if there’s any questions people have I’m happy to try and help!“ - @bluewriters
“Living abroad tip by a person who moves a lot, especially if you move for work: Go to a local grocery store/super market (not chain) in the area you wanna buy your house. See the prices on the usual stuff you buy (I always check out cereal and chicken first). Now take into account your wage and ask yourself: Can my wage pay my bills, the rent, AND give me my required amounts of food in those prices? If the answer is yes, rent the house. If not, go to a different neighborhood.” - Anon
“So, about moving to another country. Visit before you just up and decide to move there. That seems obvious but apparently not. You have to make sure that the other culture is going to mesh with the way you live or be willing to adapt. And if you speak English thats normally a safe bet to get around for a while depending on the country but please learn the language. You will save yourself so much trouble and you should start learning months before you go. Moving so far isnt an overnight decision.” - @ghost-jokes
“Look up for groups/forums/chats about expats from your specific country to the one you’re moving to (there are endless possibilities but there is always at least a fb group) there people will share info and help with the most common issues you might encounter, or even look for apartment listings, they usually share tips and tricks for getting all the documents you are going to need and how to move around all that, besides getting to know someone before the move already” - @noideaitdoesntmatter
“You need to keep a bit of an open mind when moving to a new country because there will be small insignificant things that people will do differently than the way you’ve always done it. Get a general layout of the city you are moving into. Find the popular local dining and hanging spots, shopping areas, hospital, police station, etc. This way, you won’t ever be stuck if you can’t turn on the GPS. If the place you are moving into also speaks a language other than English, get an app or take classes to learn it, even if most people speak English. This will help you get an advantage and less people will think of you as a tourist. i.e. Less scams where they charge you super high prices or convince you of something false or when they talk to each other in another language you’re sitting there dumbfounded. Try to make at least one friend off the bat because at one point or another, you will need help finding a place or doing a thing because it is an unfamiliar concept to you. You can help each other out. Different countries have different laws. Understand the local laws. They may not be fair or certain things were legal in your home country and illegal in your new one, but it’s not worth getting arrested over because you didn’t know that it was illegal.” - @ur-hipster-mom
“Hey I’m moving to London from Poland for uni in a few days and I have a few tips! First of all don’t take all of your stuff in suitcases!! It’s much cheaper to send it in carton packages via DPD or some other company. Many people buy suitcases especially for this occasion and it’s expensive, you can fit fewer things there and in most student dorm you don’t have enough space to store the suitcases, but cartons are not a problem! Just more ergonomic.” - @fragile-luxury
“Also - figure out everything you can before arriving! Register with a doctor, apply for student funding if you’re studying, do everything your uni wants you to do!! Apply for an Oyster card or check out transportation you’ll have to use, look at bank offers and choose the best one (you can apply for some of the account online and just verify it once you’re there), check out different cell phone providers. It’ll make the transition less stressful if you come prepared.” - @fragile-luxury
“Hi! I moved from Ireland to the Netherlands, so it was pretty easy for me (thank you EU!) For moving between two EU countries the main things are: get a national number (NI, BSN, depends on country), get a work permit if you need one, get a bank account. Things you definitely need to do these things: birth certificate, marriage certificate, passport/ID. Hope this helps!“- @ninebeanrows
