Advice about Living and Working Abroad

If you’re considering making a dramatic change to your life and would like advice about living and working abroad there are many places for you to do your research and find out about what you can expect from the various countries and careers you’re considering.

This article offers an overview of how to go about researching the practicalities and realities of living and working abroad.

First things first, depending on the country you herald from you may be restricted when it comes to moving to, living in and working in certain other countries overseas.  Countries like America, Australia, Canada and New Zealand all have well publicised visa programs to which people can apply for temporary or permanent residency.  If you’re considering moving to a country where you believe your entry may be restricted you should contact that country’s embassy to find out about the requirements you will have to fulfil to gain unrestricted entry.  You can find the majority of embassies online – try http://www.embassyworld.com/ - or you can call, visit or write to the country’s embassy nearest geographically to you.

Those who come from within the European Union and who wish to live and work in another European country will find their passage should be unrestricted because of the European Parliament and Council Directive 2004/38/EC of 29 April 2004 which guarantees the right of European Union residents to freely move and reside within the territory of the member states.

Once you’ve decided upon a preferred country and believe you will obtain the level of residency required to live permanently and work abroad, you may wish to research the housing, education, employment and general standard and cost of living options that that country offers you before you commit to moving to live abroad. 

There are expatriate forums on the internet where expats from around the world gather to chat online about their experiences of living overseas.  These forums are a great place to learn about others’ first hand experiences and to air any concerns that you may have yourself.  Forums generally attract those who know what they are talking about and often the moderator will jump in with advice and assistance or point you in the direction of alternative sources for the information you are seeking.

Depending on where in the world you’re considering moving to it may be that someone who has gone before you and made the transition to live a new life abroad has written a book about their experiences.  Amazon have books about living abroad in France, Spain, Australia, America, Switzerland, Singapore etc., etc., and it’s worth having a browse through reader reviews to see whether any of the titles that appear to be applicable to you are actually recommended by those who have already used them in their research. 

Once you’re fairly certain about the country you wish to move to you might like to begin preparing for moving abroad by applying both for employment and for housing.  If you’re considering moving abroad temporarily or are unsure of whether you will commit to residing overseas for the long term it can be wise to rent property abroad before buying a home overseas.  When you first move to an area you may find it doesn’t suit you and you can then simply use your rental home as a base for getting to know your new country and deciding on which part of the country you’d most like to make your home in – then you can purchase property overseas when you have a better idea of which areas are suitable for you, your family, your work and your general lifestyle requirements.

If you’re thinking of going to live abroad and you have children you should research the education options available to your child.  Are there international schools available, how much are the fees, are your children eligible for entry into the mainstream schooling system, when can they join the school term etc., other considerations will include the language barrier and whether you and your family will encounter one…if so can you take lessons before you move to live abroad?

In terms of finding work overseas it’s always easier once you’re living in the country because then you can network, find out about which agencies and newspapers advertise jobs in your particular sphere of expertise etc.  But for some it’s essential to have a job in place before they move abroad.  The majority of the world’s leading recruitment agencies have an online presence and some of the largest recruitment agencies in the world like Monster are actually 100% online!

So, it seems that if you’re seeking advice about living and working abroad you need to hone your typing and surfing skills and get online!