The Expense of Moving Abroad

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Lots of people dream about moving abroad to a better climate and cheaper living expenses. There are lots of people that make this dream come true, and you do not have to retire to do this. There are a lot of Digital Nomads that have the ability to work online where ever there is an internet connection, allowing them to work in lots of different places around the world. If you are in this position or even if you are retiring, and are considering a move abroad, you will need to work out the cost of moving in order to check the potential viability of a move abroad.

 

Visas and Travel Expenses

One thing that many people overlook is acquiring a long term visa before they arrive at their country of choice. This is something that you will need to check at the initial enquiry stage of your possible move. There are agreements all over the world which allow people of certain nationalities to visit or even reside in different countries. You will need to check in your own country with the embassy or consulate of the country that you wish to move to, and see what the requirements are for getting a long-term visa, and what this allows you to do. It may be the case that you will need a work permit so that you can work online legally, but there are different options available depending on your country of choice. It is worthwhile checking this out before you before you book your tickets to travel, as you could end up spending a lot of money on flights, only for you to not be able to get the required visa for whatever reason.

Transporting your Belongings

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The cost of moving your possessions abroad is all going to depend on how much you are going to take with you, and also your method of transport. The most expensive way is going to be packing boxes and taking these with you on an airplane, where you will be charged for excess baggage. One of the cheapest ways to move your things will be to get some cheap moving boxes from Moving Boxes Co. and use a shipping company to forward these to you overseas. Air freight is again going to be expensive, so if possible and you are not going to be in too much of a rush for your items, try to send them via sea freight. This can take considerably more time for them to arrive, but the cost will be cheaper than sending them by air. Another benefit of using a company to ship your boxes is that they can also arrange for them to clear customs, which could save you a number of headaches!

Planning for your Arrival

When working out the cost of your move, you will also have to make an allowance for when you first arrive. It may be the case that before you find somewhere suitable to rent that you will have to stay in a hotel, which can be expensive. Depending on how you shipped your belongings you would also need to take into account how long it will be before they arrive with you, so you may have to purchase things like bedding and extra clothes until your shipment arrives. If your country of choice does not have English as their first language, you may also benefit from taking a language course when you arrive, which will help you to settle into your new home. Before you know it, your belongings will arrive and you can settle into your new home, and see how much greener the grass is on the other side of the fence!