Moving to another city can be a daunting task. But moving to a new country, alone, well, it can either be a serious stressor or, if you tackle it with the right tricks up your sleeve, the best experience you’ll ever have in your life! Not sure how to plan for moving to a new country alone? We’ve got your back!
This guide will walk you through the two significant phases of a solo relocation journey. The first phase is preparing for moving abroad. The second is all about settling in in your new home country. And with this phased preparation guide, you’ll be able to make the most of the big adventure and move!
Essential Things to Plan before Moving Abroad Alone
Your Budget
The budget is the most important (and often the most stressful) element of any move. It can be crazy expensive to move abroad, so you’ll need to account for more minor expenses like plane tickets all the way to the costly expenses like shipping.
Your estimated savings needed to move abroad will fluctuate depending on where in the world you’re moving to. Luckily there are many online tools you can use to calculate the approximate costs of your move! Ensuring that you’ll have enough money to cover the move to the host country is elemental in the planning stage.
Location
In a perfect world, the majority of us would choose to live on tropical islands, but in the real world, it’s just not practical. When moving to a foreign country, you need to consider whether or not you’ll be comfortable with being immersed in the local language. You also need to consider the job opportunities, transport links, and healthcare facilities of the area you’re moving to, as it can have a massive impact on your overall experience. Other vital factors to consider include the culture and lifestyle, crime rates, social norms, the climate, politics, and your proximity to your friends and family. All of these can make or break an international move.
Paperwork
Getting all your immigration paperwork ducks in a row isn’t the most exciting aspect of moving abroad, but without it, you’re doomed. If you aren’t sure where to start, here’s a quick look at the basic documents you’ll need to move to a new country:
- Passport
- Visa
- National insurance number or identity document
- Birth certificate
- Medical records and immunization records
- Social security card
- Driver’s license
- Work permit or qualification documentation
If you’re moving to a country that doesn’t use English as the official language, you’ll also need legal translations done for each of these documents. You also need multiple copies of your original documents as well as a few supporting documents.
Aside from gathering all your important documents, you’ll also need to get the following sorted before you’re ready for the big move:
- Visa application
- Ensuring you’re covered for health insurance in other countries
- Closing your current bank account and moving money abroad
- Getting insurance cover for your valuables
- Ending any existing local contracts
Shipping
Wrapping your entire life up and shipping it abroad might seem like a mountain waiting to be moved. But it’s not as daunting as it sounds. Instead of shipping items you won’t need abroad (and unnecessarily pushing up your shipping costs), sell the belongings you don’t need. Take only what you need, and don’t forget to add a few familiar home comforts as they’ll help you settle in abroad. Here is a helpful resource to help you get an idea of what to budget for in terms of shipping, you can head over to and compare port-to-port transport costs for containerized shipping.
Tips to Help You Settle in Abroad
Do the Admin
It’s essential to try and do the important admin as soon as you set foot on foreign soil in your new city. You’ll probably need to register with the local government as soon as you land, so be prepared to tackle that as soon as possible. You also need to consider opening bank accounts, getting insurance, and buying a local SIM card.
Embrace the Local Culture and Make New Friends
Making new friends is very important for anyone moving to a new country alone. As soon as you’re settled, get out there and meet some new people! You can scan the local papers and lifestyle websites to get a sense of ex-pat meetups and local events in your new city.
Although it’s easy to gravitate towards ex-pats that come from your original country, it’s advisable to mingle with the locals in the new country so you can start learning the native language and fast-track your integration process. This way, you’ll have a better understanding of the local traditions and the country’s culture.
Learn the Local Language
Moving to a new country and starting a new life overseas offers you a wonderful opportunity of learning a new language. We recommend making use of on-demand phone interpreting while you’re finding your feet in the language. To use this kind of service, you can download an interpreting app for free and use it to help you navigate through the language barrier until you have a better understanding of the language. Learning the native language of the locals in your new country will benefit your integration tremendously and help you settle into your life abroad with the least amount of friction.
Consider the option to learn the language with Language Trainers if you want to fully immerse yourself in the culture and language of your new country. With the help of experienced instructors and a personalized learning plan, you can quickly improve your language skills and confidently navigate day-to-day activities like shopping, interacting with locals, and even securing a job.
Expect a Few Bumps in Your New Home Country
Moving to a new country on your own is a big deal. Once you’re there, it’ll take some time to settle in and adjust to the new normal. Be prepared for a culture shock and understand that you’ll often be pushed outside of your comfort zone during this process. Be patient with yourself. Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, your ex-pat life won’t fall into place without time and patience.
Expat forums like Internations.com, Expat.com, and ExpatForums.com are all great to use if you’re feeling a little lost living abroad in a new country. The wobbles you might experience during moving abroad and settling in are probably far more common than you think, and you’re very likely to find an ex-pat on one of these forums that have faced the same challenges. Even though you’re moving abroad on your own, you don’t have to feel alone in the process, knowing that there are others that have been in the same boat.
Ready for the Trip of a Lifetime?
When you’re ready to take the plunge and start a new life by moving abroad alone, remember that immersing yourself in the culture and language is one of the most important things to do once you set foot on foreign soil. Moving to a different country on your own can be tricky, but it can also be a super fun and rewarding experience. With these tips in the back of your mind, you should be able to plan the move with ease and have everything in place to start settling as soon as you arrive in your new country!
