At Teuko, we’re proud to have such a beautiful worldwide community of lunch packing families. We would have never realized before, but many of us are expats!

Moving abroad can be an appealing prospect for many reasons. Some folks move for work, school, or to get a fresh start. However, moving is an enormous undertaking, particularly when you are moving to a completely new country. Below is some advice for moving to a new country.

Save Money Before You Move

Consider how much money it costs to move locally. Now think of how much it will take to get you to the other side of the world. Costs add up quickly: the visa application, plane tickets, international shipments, housing, and emergencies. Having six months’ worth of savings is a good start — and that should be a minimum when moving abroad. Research the exchange rate and the cost of living in your new home and develop a monthly budget plan. Be prepared to pay unanticipated costs for your first few months.

Organize Practical Matters

As you can imagine, moving to another country means moving to a new environment where everyday things can temporarily become a bit more complicated. Research how to take care of your health care, banking, and other key needs before you move. Also, consider results in financial changes when it comes to new costs, international and local taxes, and wills and insurance.

Buying a Home

Even if you can technically afford a $500,000 home in the location you’re considering, you’ll need to also think about a number of other factors before making the leap. Check out the cost of living and compare the cost of living in U.S. cities side by side. Explore towns next to each other and compare housing costs. Calgary homes for sale in the downtown tend to be more costly than homes in the residential, next neighborhood. Hire a good, independent, bilingual, local, in-country lawyer. You certainly want an attorney that understands the more stringent civil law proceedings.

Create a Familiar and Comforting Space

Wherever you’re living, you want your home to be a sanctuary that you can come to for peace and comfort. This reigns true when you’re living somewhere unfamiliar. Take extra time to make your new space feel like home, with a touch of your personality. Have comfy pillows and blankets, display photos, scented candles, fairy lights, adding in your own personality as well as things that remind you of what you left behind. You’ll always know that you have a place to relax that doesn’t feel quite so different and new. 

Do you have any additional advice for making it easy to move to a new country?
Let us know in the comments!