Eight things to think about when moving country

We’ve all moved at some point, whether that be house, school or a job. This author is currently in the middle of his third move, all of which have involved different geographical regions. “It seemed natural to share what I’ve learned, as well as some questions to ask yourself, in the hope it may help someone who is thinking of or is about to move country, ” says Ed Chapman.

When I left the UK in 2011 I had no idea how long I’d be gone for, therefore I was hesitant to sell my house, and my sister was looking for somewhere to rent, the timing couldn ’t have been more perfect and now it means that 10 years later I have a place to stay, occupying the back half of the upstairs, while waiting for my visa to Australia – which conveniently leads us to point 1!

1. Visas

This is a fairly fundamental point to moving country; you will need a work visa. Where you are moving to will depend on how much information you will need to put together, but it can include: countries travelled to and dates for the past 10 years, police checks for criminal records (how quick and easy these are to obtaindependsonthecountryprovidingit),copiesof all relevant qualifications to match those on your CV/resume, full birth certificate, marriage certificate if applicable, proof of past/present addresses, passport photo and so on.

Questionstoponder:ifyouaremarriedorinacivil partnership will your spouse be able to work on your visa? What are their rights and what do you need to provide of their information on the visa? What is the jobscenelookinglikeintheirfieldofwork?Doesanyoneatyournewclubhavecontactswithinthatindustry who can help or can they transfer with their current employer if a multinational?

How long will the visa take to be approved? How long will it take to get together all of the information for it? How does this relate to your current notice period? Will you have to post copies of everything, or can you email the required documents? If you ended up with 1-3 months between finishing your current job and your visa coming through can you: a) afford this; b) stay in your present country while not working for a long enough period if you have no normal rightofabode,orc)movebacktoyourhomecountry while waiting?

ForBritishpassportholderslookingtomovetothe EU this is now much harder due to Brexit as many British qualifications are not recognised because this was not negotiated as part of the exit. The British are classed as “third-country nationals ” , so work visas maybe needed (this depends on each individual member state). For some countries, such as China, having at least a Bachelors degree can be a requirement.

Technically speaking, a visa is a document that gives a person the right to enter or leave a country whereas a work permit is the generic term for any legaldocumentthatgivesyoutherighttowork.Many countries use these terms interchangeably.

2. Healthcare

Does where you are moving to have a good public healthcare system? If yes, are you automatically able to access it? If no, does your job come with adequate healthcare? Is your family covered on that? If you needed surgery, cancer treatment, or a week in ICU, is the healthcare provided enough to cover that or would you need to pay out a large amount to cover anything above the max payout? Is it outpatient or inpatient cover?

If you presently have any prescribed medication how do you get these in your new country? Is there a cost associated? Do you need to bring your current prescription or a letter from your doctor to be able to obtainthese?Areyouallowedtoimportasupplywith you?

Where will your nearest hospital be? If private, then what is the nearest hospital that you are insured to go to? A friend of mine got stung for £6,000 for 10 stitches because they got put in a private room in a hospital. It was not explained that this meant each procedure cost triple that of being on a ward. Insurance was only ‘inpatient’ which meant they had to stay the night (the public hospital they had gone to had a 12 hour wait in A&E), and only £3,000 was covered through their insurance.

3. Tax

How can you get your package put together to make it the most tax efficient? For example, in Hong Kong if your housing allowance is paid as a refund rather than upfront then this reduces your tax liability based onhowitisreportedonyourannualtaxreturn.What will your net salary be? Are there any retirement funds included that you can make voluntary payments to which are tax deductible? Will you still have any tax liabilities in your current country (e.g. rental properties)? Will how you need to report these change?

4. Utility contracts

Do you have any current contracts, (e.g. mobile phone) that you need to buy out of to terminate them? When you get to your new country what lengthofcontractwillyousignupfor?Orwillyouuse ‘ pay-as-you-go ’ for mobile? For things like internet it can be a balancing act of monthly costs being much cheaper with longer contracts but this will depend on howlongyouareplanningonbeinginthisnewcountry, whilst bearing in mind that plans often change! What is the range of broadband speed available in where you are looking to live?

How much notice do you need to give for your electricity, gas, water contracts? Is there a final payment to be made? Do you need to give a forwarding address for the final bill and can this be an overseas address? When I left the UK, British Gas wouldn ’t accept an overseas address to send the final bill. In Hong Kong there were various amounts of weeks ’ notice I had to give to different entities about my departure.

5. Banking

Willyoubeabletoopenabankaccountinthatcountrybeforeyougetthere?HSBC,forexample,offersan overseas account opening service in some countries. Other non-traditional options exist, like Wise which gives you account details but no FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) or similar insurance on your deposits. How easily can you access cash when you arrive? How long will it take to get a credit card? If you currently use American Express they operate a global card opening programme where you can apply for a card in some countries before arrival (and transfer existing reward points). Will you use your current credit card for expenditure? If yes, what are the overseas currency transactions fees?

6. Accommodation

How does the rental system work in your new country? How much security deposit will you need to pay? In Dubai you had to pay 1-2 months ’ rent security deposit and pay for annual rent in 2-6 post-dated

cheques. This could equate to a large amount going outinthefirstinstalment.Willanyservicesbeincluded in your rental fee or are they separate? E.g. aircon, electricity etc). If separate how much will they likely cost? Is there any additional costs associated with renting (e.g. in the UK you pay council tax on top of rent).

Speak to your new employer about recommended places to look at living, how the rental market works there, places to avoid, and any quirks to the system. It is especially worth leaning on fellow expats who have moved there. They may have more insight than people who have grown up with that system and see it as normal. You may want to move into serviced accommodation when you first arrive to give you time to scout out the local area before deciding on where to live; your new club may provide this for you.

Do they offer staff accommodation? If so, how good is it and will you want to live there? Will you be sharing an apartment…or a bedroom?! How clean is it and where is it located? If it is in the middle of nowhere, then is there transportation to your club? And how will you get around on your day/s off?

7. Cost of living calculator

Using a website like https://www.numbeo.com/costof-living/isagreattooltocalculatearoughcostoflivingcomparisonversuswhereyouarecurrentlyliving. You can also do a “fake ” online shop for your weekly groceries to get a feel for any differences based on your typical purchases. Depending on where you are movingto,buyingyourhomecomfortfoodsmaycost multiple times what they cost in your home country depending on import costs and the local market. Do you love Marmite enough to pay £10 a jar!

8. Shipping

Depending on how many belongings you intend on moving with, then you may need to use a shipping company.Getrecommendationsfromfriends,orata minimum check out the online reviews, maybe using trust pilot.

How long will this take to arrive? If it is likely to be many months and you ’ re expecting to be living in your new home before then, and you are shipping things like cutlery, then take a small amount of these in your suitcase to have available when you arrive. Otherwise you ’ll need to buy new cutlery to use for a month or two before then discarding them.

Depending on where you are moving to, how you areflyingandwhatluggageallowanceyouhaveinthe plane?Itmaybemoreeconomicaltoairfreightacouple of boxes to be there for when you arrive rather than take excess luggage on the flight.

Finally ... I hope this has given you some food for thought on any potential moves overseas. Feel free to reachoutwithanyquestionsyouhaveifyou ’ rethinking of or are currently moving country.

Assomeonewhohasn ’tmovedwithchildrenIhave omitted any points on them, however, this would carry a large number of considerations for any parents looking to move. <