Last Updated on Apr 8, 2020 by James W
In recent years, the number of individuals and families becoming expatriates and moving abroad has risen. People are moving from their native countries to others to work, to retire, or for a new way to enjoy day-to-day life. Whatever your reason for moving abroad, it’s important to clue yourself up on the ins and outs of your chosen destination. You should think about the language of the country you’re moving to, and if it differs from your own then you should invest your time and effort into studying and comprehending it fluently. Research is crucial to knowing what to expect when you first arrive in your chosen country, from the cost of living to the employment process, so get ahead of the game and learn as much as you can before packing up your life and moving away.
Legalities
Although considering the legalities of moving abroad is not nearly as exciting as getting packed up and discovering the neighborhood, it is a necessary part of being prepared before moving abroad. Moving to a new country can have its own set of complications, and you could run into trouble when you’re applying and receiving your visa, for example, or with issues concerning amnesty or your citizenship and immigration status. These issues may well not ever be a problem for you, however, knowing where to turn to should you experience difficulty in the legal side of moving abroad then discussing your options and responsibilities at Verhaeghe Law Office could provide you with the crucial information you need for going forward in living and working abroad.
Renting Your Home
Many individuals leave their native country to find better work elsewhere, with the hope of finding better-paid work overseas, and many of these people move their families abroad and begin a new start. While this decision is not an easy one, the benefits can be plentiful. If like many expats you’re choosing to rent out your property in your native home to help fund the cost of moving abroad, then you need to get plans in place to ensure the running of collecting the cash sums and maintaining the property goes smoothly. Doing this can be a lucrative choice for you to make and one that will guarantee you a steady and reliable income. If your property is in the UK, for example, then the most common way of going about this is to employ the services of a letting agent who will take charge of elements, such as property upkeep and management, collecting rent and finding new tenants for a fee of between 10% and 15% of the rental income.
Tax Requirements
Remember that each country has its own set of tax rules for those who choose to move there, and there can be some considerable fines and even imprisonment for those who, unintentionally or not, do not adhere to these regulations. With this in mind, it isn’t worth not doing some investigative searching and reading around the subject to see whether you need to be declaring your assets and liabilities so that the tax offices of your new place of residence can determine how much tax you need to be paying. Seek advice from a local financial advisor even before moving away and starting a life abroad, as you need to ensure that you won’t fall short of any laws.
Right To Vote
Before moving away from your native country, you’ll undoubtedly wish to know your rights on voting from your new place of residence, and whether you can vote in elections and give your say in how you feel your native country should be governed. Now, the laws on such issues will differ depending upon where you’ve moved from and where you’ve moved to, so it’s worth, again, doing some extensive research on this topic as it’s an important one.
The Weather
If you’re moving from a county where the temperatures don’t exceed extremes and remain reasonably temperate, then be sure to find out the depths of cold and peaks in warmth you can expect from the country you’re emigrating to. If you’re moving to Canada for example, it may surprise you to discover that parts of this country can drop down to temperatures past -30 degrees and lower. As long as you research how best to cope with the weather conditions, you’ll be just fine, and you’ll soon learn how the locals tolerate any weather extremes simply by living and observing how proceedings unfold. The weather conditions shouldn’t be anything you can’t handle as long as you know how best to keep cool in the heat of the day, or how to dress for the bracing cold, and you’re willing to adopt a fairly tolerant attitude.
Different Customs
Customs differ wherever you go in the world, with actions considered friendly on one continent translating to being the height of rudeness and disrespect on another, so make sure you don’t offend people of your new dwelling and show willing to understand how to behave in a manner that is respectful of differences. The custom of tipping service workers such as bartenders and waiting staff is considered to be a necessary part of enjoying going out to eat and drink in many, but not all, countries around the world, and should be performed without question unless the service is bad. This is because people working these kinds of jobs often don’t receive a guaranteed livable wage, are expected to make up to half their wages in tips.
Languages
If you’re thinking about moving to a city where the official language differs from yours, then begin to learn the language before moving, as it is going to be hugely advantageous to your enjoyment of living, quality of life, and ability to integrate with others – from interacting with local shop holders to your neighbours. Street and road signs will appear in the official language of the country you’re moving to so it is crucial to understand the county’s spoken language. You want to come prepared, so learning such is going to be important, you can find online courses, like Rosetta Stone, or Open Culture to follow at your own pace and from the comfort of your own home. Duolingo is an easy to use app that can help you to brush up on your written and spoken language skills through using it on your smartphone, or tablet, for example.
