Want to move abroad but you don’t know how or where to start? This blog is for you!
Have you ever dreamed of moving to a new country? Maybe just for a blink of time or permanently. Do you know where you want to go and the why? Or are you just like me? Wanting to try out multiple countries and figure out where you want to move permanently. Honestly, I am still doing that! There are already strong contenders, but there are a few more countries I want to temporarily move to before I make a decision. If you’re in the same boat and/or are just starting out, then this is the blog for you!
Facts that should not be overlooked
First a few basic facts, just because they should not be overlooked, I have a strong passport (from the Netherlands) and I always have temporarily moved on a budget. Besides, I only move to places I could go to by train/public transport. Or well, that is as of right now. There is a country a “bit” further away that’s next on my list. However, I will only use examples of countries I lived in in Europe. Some of these examples sound like I am extremely lucky, and in a way I am, but please don’t forget: for a lot of that luck I worked extremely hard.
Blogreaders questions
Thank you dear readers for sending in these questions so I could make a blog about it!
“So, suppose you choose to live in Austria, for example, how and where do you start? How do you approach that? What do you have to think about? Also for example how do you look for housing, how do you choose the country, and what do you have to take into account? What insurances, visas etc. do you have to arrange? A kind of step-by-step plan for example, from A to Z. If that makes sense?”
My first response
I wished I had a deep answer to all these questions, but I am very chill in how I approach things. Especially since I have been doing it for so long that it is normal for me, kind of second nature. Plus, fun fact: in Europe if you are well insured, you almost never need extra insurance. As far as visas are concerned, as long as you know how long you are allowed to stay in a certain country and don’t overstay, you are fine.
Insurance
Honestly, if you think insurance is too expensive then don’t even think about temporarily moving abroad. You never know what can happen. There has been recently a report from Schiphol Airport about young adults passing away when they are abroad and the amount of them having no insurance was high. Meaning, their family had to pay well over 6.000 euros just to ship their bodies back. Does this sound haunting to you? Well good, moving abroad even if it is temporarily is not for the faint of heart. You need to consider EVERYTHING.
So get your insurance ready. And yes, this could mean you have multiple insurances. I have one for hospital visits (don’t forget your EHIC, for us from the EU), to cover lost or stolen items, insurance to cover my luggage for a certain amount of money and travel insurance. On top of that I sometimes take out extra insurance if needed. For example, when practising an extreme sport, you would be surprised what kinds of sports can already sometimes be part of that. Or in case you rent a car or something like that. Whatever you do, make sure you are insured.
Pay close attention to what is covered by your insurance(s) and add anything if necessary. In the EU there are not many special requirements (unless you practice an extreme sport). Don’t worry if you feel lost, for each country you can have a look on the government website. It also tells you what you need. So type in: stay in country [x]. And you will find all the information.
Vaccination(s) and medication
The government website also comes in handy in case you might need a vaccination(s), so make sure you get your shots in time and have the paperwork ready for when you travel. For us Dutchies it’s the yellow book!
In case you need medication… well honestly you know better than anyone what is allowed or not allowed. But please be aware that certain medicines are not able to go to another country. Sometimes it’s only allowed with a letter from your doctor. Nevertheless, always have travel documentation at hand. I even have travel documentation for my birth control pills.
Visas
My experience in regards to visas is zero. The thing that comes closest is my ETA for the UK. The thing is, I personally never stayed longer in a country than would be allowed without some sort of visa. As a Dutch person I can stay up to 3 months in Italy, 6 months in Germany, etc.
The only advice I can give is to pay close attention when you have to do the paperwork for visas and calculate the costs of it into your budget.
Now it’s time for the fun part…
Pick a country
How to pick a country… well actually you might have ruled out already a few after you thought about visas, vaccination, insurance, etc. Or maybe you have certain goals or dreams you aspire to achieve. In my case, I temporarily moved to Vienna, Austria last winter because I wanted to go somewhere new (a place I had never been before) in a German speaking country so I could level up my German. I do have to say that I might have overdid it to go to Vienna, since they speak Austrian German overthere, at least I had no other choice but to understand German quickly.
How I approach picking a country is by aligning it with my goals/dreams and what’s possible with my budget. Austria is more expensive than Germany, especially where I lived in Berlin and that summer I lived in the German countryside. On top of that, in Austria I had my own apartment and in Germany I shared.
Lastly, the seasons! Vienna was amazing in the winter, and even though I had an amazing time in Berlin during my long stay in the winter. The city is simply made for spring and summer. While I would not like to stay in France in the month of August, since most businesses are on holiday. The seasons are for sure something to take in consideration, especially if you are only planning to stay temporarily.
Housing
Actually, most of the time housing goes hand in hand with me picking a country. For example, the winter I lived in Berlin was actually not plan A. I wanted to go to Brighton, UK. But it was simply not in the budget. So while picking a country I mostly am already scouting for housing in a city/country in mind. Except last winter, I just really wanted to go experience Vienna in winter.
When it comes down to housing, I personally have mostly used Airbnb or I knew someone who knew someone. Some countries have their own alternative to Airbnb, so that means you have to dig a bit, but typing in a search engine “x country and their version of Airbnb” mostly goes a long way.
Make sure that the housing aligns why you want to rent it. Maybe you want a certain type of service, fast internet, dishwasher, in house washer (and dryer), etc.
Fun fact, in Vienna it is possible that the toilet is OUTSIDE the apartment in the hallway. It is still your own toilet, but it’s not inside your house. Luckily I was aware beforehand and made sure that I would only look for apartments with toilets inside, even if it meant my apartment had a weird layout. Make sure you know about these things before you book something.
Make it your temporarily home
I love this part so much. It’s always one of my goals to dive into a new culture. As soon as I can, I want to create something that incorporates my own routines but that works with the culture. Like Germany has a lot of (social)rules, so make sure you know those. Or the times I had Sunday roast dinner with my English family or kaffee und kuchen when I lived in the countryside of Germany. Or the way how Parisians go on about their evening activities (Yeah, I would love to explain, but honestly? You have to experience it!).
A kind of step-by-step plan?
Well, did I deliver? I probably only scratched the service. There is still so much more to explore. But this is the general idea when you don’t have a specific place in mind. Next I will explore working abroad. And maybe one day in the future I can go in depth about how to move to a country longer than just temporarily.
A woman who dares to dream, will make it happen one day…
Love,
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