Part 2 of What’s Keeping You from Moving Abroad?

Do you have a job that you can do from anywhere? Are you prepared to leave friends and family and create a new life in another country? Then, why are you still hesitating? Maybe you have a pet or two. Maybe you haven’t fully researched the financial implications for an international move. Or maybe the whole idea seems overwhelming.

In part 2 of What’s Keeping You from Moving Abroad? we’ll examine additional factors to consider when you think you want to move abroad, but you’re not sure if it’s the right move and the right time. If you haven’t read Part 1, please read that first.

There is a lot to consider when moving to another country. Here are some of the most important factors:

• Cost of living and financial considerations

One of the most important things to consider is your financial situation and how that may or may not change when you move to another country. Start with the cost of living. Unless you are moving to a major city like London, you’ll most likely find your money goes farther. However, if you’re moving for work, your salary may not be as much as you were making in the US.

If you are retired, you’ll want to have not only the amount of passive income required for a visa, but enough income to live comfortably in that country. Your passive income can include your social security, a pension, rental income and investment income.

Well before you make the move, I urge you to talk to an expat financial planner and/or a tax attorney familiar with the country you want to move to. You need to know the financial implications for your investments, estate planning and taxes, and to make any modifications in these areas months before you move. For example, France does not recognized a trust, which is a popular estate planning option in the US. And If you wait to sell your home until after you move to France, you’ll pay a higher rate of capital gains tax. Plus France’s inheritance taxes are light years higher than in the US.  

• Sorting through all your stuff

The thought of having to move everything you own overseas is daunting, as well as extremely expensive. Putting your stuff in a storage facility is also expensive and you often end up paying more in storage fees than what it would cost to buy everything new again. My advice is to rid yourself of anything you no longer use or need. The decluttering and downsizing process can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Spend a couple hours each weekend cleaning out a closet or cupboard and you’ll soon reach your goal.

In the end, you may decide it's not worth the cost of shipping larger items overseas, especially items you can easily replace in your new country. Don't move appliances as many countries (including all of Europe) are on a different electric voltage. If there are personal items you want to keep, but not move to another country, ask a friend or family member if they can store them.

I’m fortunate to have a home in the US that I rent out, and where I can store my things as I slowly bring them over two suitcases at a time. But I drastically downsized over two years and then continued the purge until I moved full-time to France.

Whether you decide to move abroad or not, weeding out unnecessary items from your life will free your mind and your time. In the end it’s only stuff. And I’ll take new experiences over stuff any day.

• Moving with pets

Another reason I was reluctant to move to France in 2004 was I had two cats. My best chance for an international job was in the UK, but back then they required a six-month quarantine for cats. There was no way I would have done that to my beloved kitties.

Today France and the UK accept pets with the required vaccinations and paperwork, and there is no need for a quarantine period. Be sure to check the rules, vaccines and paperwork required for the country you are immigrating to. If you have more than one small pet, you can enlist a friend to put a second carrier under her seat. It’s an incredibly long journey for a pet. But if I’d had a good job opportunity in a country that didn’t require pets to be quarantined, I would have moved over with my two cats all those years ago.

• Having a medical condition

You may be wondering if you can find the same medical care abroad. The quality of care varies from country to country and from area to area within the country. If you require a medical specialist, research this ahead of time. You may be better off living in a major city or within 30 minutes of one.

France has some of the best medical services in the world, but there are medical deserts in some areas of France. I live in a rural area and within my first year I found a generalist doctor, a gynecologist, a psychical therapist, a sleep specialist and a dentist. However, I’m still looking for a dermatologist as there is a shortage in France. I have to admit, I was worried about finding doctors as I’m not fluent in French. But so far, I’m pleased with all my medical professionals, and they all speak some English.

In most countries, medical services are a small fraction of what they cost in the US. In France, the government pays 70 percent of the base cost of a doctor’s visit that is usually between 26 and 30 euros ($30.42 and $35.10). I have a mutual for 121 euros ($141.59) a month that covers the rest. If you have a serious illness like cancer, the French government pays 100 percent of your medical expenses. Imagine having a serious illness and not having to worry about the medical bills.

• Stepping out of your comfort zone

How well do you deal with change and the unfamiliar? Moving to a new country means stepping out of your comfort zone in a big way. Are you willing to learn new ways of doing daily activities? Are ready to spend hours trying to find reasonable facsimiles of the toothpaste, breakfast cereal or cake you like? Can you deal with frustrating bureaucracy and official websites that don’t function? Are you ready to embrace cultural differences, such as restaurants that don’t open for dinner until 8 pm and stores that close in the middle of the day?

Visiting a country is not the same as living there. In the country we grew up in, we can step through our day pretty much on autopilot. When we’re in a new country, where all familiarity is gone, and we’re forced to communicate in a new language, daily tasks and errands take a tremendous amount of mental energy.

Maybe you’re someone who welcomes the challenge, and enjoys the daily stimulation of staying on your toes. I know I do. But I balance that with time spent relaxing alone or with friends. The day-to-day challenges of being an expat are important to consider when deciding if life in another country is right for you.

• I’m too old to move to another country

Like anything, if you think it’s true, it is. But the reality is you’re never too old to make a change. After my great grandfather died in 1913, my great grandmother left her home in Sweden and moved to American at the age of 81. All nine of her children had already emigrated, so she had family to greet her. Yet, I’m sure it couldn’t have been easy.

I moved full-time to France in my mid-60s. Although it can be stressful at times, learning a new language, making new friends and having new experiences are helping my brain and body. For me, making this life change has been a fountain of youth.

I hope this post helps you make the right decision. I realize not everyone can pick up their life and move it to another country. But if it’s something you really want to do, and you have the courage, persistence, strength and determination to do so, I hope you will follow through. But if now is not the right time, that’s okay too. It’s your life and your decision. Maybe you’ll decide you’d rather spend a few months each year in a different country, or to be a digital nomad for a year, or to have a second home in another country. As always, dear reader, I’m here to inform, encourage and inspire.

Be sure to read part 1 of What’s Keeping You from Moving Abroad?