So you want to move abroad...
I get you. The appeal of travel has inspired many to entertain the idea of moving abroad. Maybe even more so because of the current pandemic we have been through these past two years. It seems as though everywhere you turn on social media, you see beautiful scenery and exciting adventures that many have been able to experience. Does moving abroad sound intriguing but also intimidating to you? Merida wasn't the first place we thought of moving to. We have always had the idea that we wanted to move to another country and have thought of several different places to attempt it. It took further research and decision making to finally settle on Merida.
But where do you even begin to decide if a certain place is right for you? What things do you need to look out for? Here is our experience and what steps/research we did. They helped us and I hope they can help you too.
1. Visa requirements
This should be the first thing you look into. You may think, "oh yes, this place looks perfect". You do your research and do some of these other steps below and you are raring to go, only to find that you don't meet the qualifications to be approved for a visa for long term stay. But wait, you think, that's ok that you only can stay the 6 months or so. But what happens if you really, I mean really, love the place? How disheartened would you feel knowing you can't stay longer? That you have to uproot everything again because you know you won't qualify for a visa?
This is why this is top of the list. Start googling and researching visa requirements for the location you have in mind. Some countries have a straightforward, easy process. Others have more detailed requirements and "tiers" depending on your job or your age. Some want to make sure you can support yourself sufficiently so as not to be a burden on their society. Others want you to be a contributing member to their community and have a prestigious or high-demand occupation. Some want you to have a minimum amount in savings or a minimum monthly income. If you haven't already, check out my post about our visa experience for Mexico here:
Our Visa Experience
So again, make this the first thing you start researching and then you can move down the list.
2. Cost of Living
The average cost of living for a country can, on the surface, seem to work perfectly for what income you have. Try and pick a couple of cities within the country that you are interested in living and THEN see what the cost of living is for that particular place. Once city may cost more than one 20 minutes away. There are many "compare cost of living" websites where you can compare 2 cities. See how it compares to where you are living now. Try and find people who live there and discuss what they spend each month on bills, food, and recreation. If you will be able to make it work then move to the next step.
3. Daily Life
This goes hand in hand with step number 2 above. What are you planning on doing in this new country? Going about your same routine as wherever you are now? Our routine as a family of 4 is generally staying home throughout the week doing school, work, housework and the weekends are when we explore and go out(more so before the pandemic). When we are in Mexico however, there are a lot more outdoor activities for us to do. Going to the beach, swimming in cenotes, and visiting ruins will be on our list. We may eat out more since it's sometimes cheaper than cooking at home. The place you are researching may give you easier and cheaper access to other countries to visit. Where will you shop for groceries? Will you go to a more expensive store geared towards expats or will you shop as the locals do? Think about what your daily life will be like and what you will want to do on a regular basis and make sure your income will allow you to do it.
4. Language
What is the main language that is spoken in your city of choice? Are you going to learn the language? Do they also speak your mother tongue so you can at least get by to start with? Is there an expat community where you can feel a connection with ones while you are in an unknown and brand new situation? These are important questions to ask yourself. Can you start taking language lessons before you go? This would be very helpful to get you on the stepping stones of living in a new community. I know that many locals appreciate when we all at least do our best to speak their language. I have to tell myself often that, although I probably speak much slower than normal and that I stick out like a sore thumb, that it shows I have genuine effort and genuine interest in them as a person and in their culture and community.
5. Weather
This may not initially be something you think of as being important when you are researching places but it is a VERY important consideration. Ask yourself about the climate you are in now? How do you currently tolerate it? How often does this new country have rain, snow, or natural disasters? How cold or hot does it get? I know from our research and visit that Merida is hot and humid. We are used to the dry Texas heat but also Florida's humid weather. We had an idea going into it what to expect and, let me tell you, Merida met our expectations.
It is definitely hot! But, we weren't surprised by this and wherever you are looking to go, you need to be prepared for the weather as well. If the weather does get extreme, either fiery or frigid, is there a way that you can cope with it? For us, we learned that during the hottest part of the day no one does anything! People take it easy and don't exert themselves too much. Pools are a necessity instead of a luxury. Thank goodness the beaches and cenotes aren't far from us either. There isn't central air there but there are individual a/c units in bedrooms and fans everywhere. So think about what you can and can't handle to help you decide if a certain place is right for you.
6. Insurance and Healthcare
Something to think about is if you will need additional insurance living abroad. Do you need personal insurance or will your job cover it? Will your current insurance cover you? In Mexico, if you are a temporary or permanent resident you can sign up for the governmental healthcare or you can buy personal insurance. Some don't even do the above as they just pay out of pocket when they go to healthcare providers. Dental cleanings are around $25 USD, yearly checkups are around $60. Also research what kind of healthcare is in the area. Will it be sufficient? If you have a certain medical condition, can that location provide what you need? Definitely important things to know.
7. Transportation
How will you get around in this new place? Is there public transportation such as taxis, buses, or trains, or will you need a vehicle? Can you walk to most areas? We, ourselves, would prefer to not to have to buy a car if we can help it. So our plan is to find a rental that is within walking distance to groceries, parks, and other places we visit often in order to minimize the need of a car. Now a motorcycle or scooter we aren't opposed to. 😁
There is uber and indriver which we will take advantage of as well to get from point A to B. When we want to visit a cenote or go to ruins or the beach, it's quite cost effective to just rent a car for the weekend. We will try it out and see how it goes but it's important to have a plan B if your initial thoughts don't work out.
8. Ease of Access
Ease of access you say? What do you mean? Well, how difficult is it to get in and out of your country? Do you have to fly to a major airport, get in a puddle jumper, get a taxi, catch a bus, and hop on a boat to get to the city you have in mind? What if your family back home has a medical emergency and you need to get back home asap? Are there regular occurrences of riots or strikes that shut down the community? Think about what's important for you and if this is one of them. For us, Merida is a mere 2 hour flight to Houston and this is important for us considering this whole living abroad thing is new to us still and all of our immediate family is in the Texas area. It may not be that much of a deciding factor for you. Maybe you don't mind being secluded. Maybe you don't really want people to easily come visit you. That's ok too!
9. Visit
This is the last step to deciding if you will move! It is also, in my humble opinion, completely necessary to do. Everything can look great on websites and lists and in pictures but nothing compares to being there, in person, to experience it yourself. Give yourself a week or two or longer! Take some days to enjoy the vacation and be a tourist, but also, make sure you try and live like you would in your everyday life. If you work online, make sure the connection is sufficient. Go buy some groceries and cook yourself some meals, make sure they have some staple food that you are used to or willing to try. Eat out and order in(if that's a thing there). It's not until you are there to see all the sights, to smell the smells, to interact with the community and people, that you truly get a sense of what your life could be like living abroad.
I hope you enjoyed my top steps to do before moving abroad! Have more questions? Suggestions? Let me know below in the comments! See you next time!
~Bee🐝
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