If you are unsatisfied with a week of vacation to your favourite destination, you may plan to live there and enjoy the beautiful environment for the rest of your life. Doing so gives you enough time to enjoy the food, watch the sunset, and explore everything in your new home.
If you have already packed your bags and are now ready to leave your home country, we are here to equip you with some important logistics to consider in moving to a new place as a first-time ex-pat. Indeed, there are several ways to consider to ensure that you can manage the entire process smoothly.
Here are some of the essential steps you should take as a first-time ex-pat:
Save For Your Move
Moving into a new country is undoubtedly costly. Generally, living costs associated with moving into a new country include transportation, movers, and housing deposits. But that does not end there. You must also pay for additional documents, including international insurance and visa documents. In line with that, you may also need to work with a lawyer for immigration London.
With all these costs you need to cover, saving for at least six months or more becomes essential. But before that, you must be equipped with the correct information regarding the exchange rates for that specific country and the cost associated with living in your new home.
Setting aside some of your income or monthly salary for six months will help you prepare for any surprises you may encounter during your move-in journey.
Renew or Apply for a Passport
Before applying for any visa, such as an unmarried partner visa or family visa, you need to have one valid passport. Depending on the country you are eyeing to live in, you may need to hold a passport with six months of expiration after your expected travel date.
On the other hand, if the validity of your passport expires or does not feature a return date while you are in a foreign country, you may go to the local consulate or embassy to request a passport renewal.
Get A Visa
Most first-time ex-pats have a nerve-racking experience in getting their visas. This is because some agencies would deny your visa application or renewal anytime for any reason. However, you can avoid this by checking the official website of your target destination to know what documents you need to prepare to apply for a visa.
Aside from that, you might also be required to visit the United States Department of Homeland Security support centre for your biometrics submission. Mainly, the biometrics you need to submit include your photo and fingerprints. Ensure you have completed collecting all the necessary documents before applying for a visa to avoid denial of visa application.
Talk With Your Phone and Bank Providers
Many professionals and ex-pats recommend anyone who plans to move into a new country keep their bank provider. This ensures that it won’t affect their credit scores while still having direct payments for any current loans or bills.
However, notify your credit card and bank company regarding your move. An international credit card is also essential to keep you from paying foreign transaction fees.
On the other hand, many ex-pats also recommend you talk with your phone provider and request if they can unlock your mobile phone before your trip, considering that foreign phone plans are expensive. Once you reach your dream destination, you can replace your newly purchased SIM card with the one you have on your phone. This will allow you to make local and international calls easily.
Create Copies of Essential Documents
When moving to a new country for good, you must have backups to your documents, such as your visa information, immunization records, birth certificate, driver’s license, and passport. Keeping copies of these documents would give you less stress in setting up residency appointments.
You can keep these documents online. However, if you cant do it, ensure to store them on a secure website that will give extra protection to your personal information and documents.
Setup a Goodbye Party
The last thing you can do before leaving your home country is to have a meaningful and memorable party with your relatives and friends. Prepare all your favourite foods and invite them to come over for your last hurrah.
Also, you can tell them that they are free to visit you in your new home. Although this is a little sad for you and your friends and relatives, remember that many good things in the future will give you so much joy and new memories.
Final Thoughts
So, those are the most important things to remember when moving to a new country as a first-time ex-pat. Follow those steps to have a smooth and seamless moving-in process.
