Your Guide to Moving to Another Country Alone

The idea of moving to another country alone can be petrifying.

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You’re leaving every comfort zone you’ve ever known. Friends, family, your home, you name it; you’re jumping from familiar surroundings into the unknown.

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But....

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That’s where the magic happens.

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The new experiences, new friendships, new relationships. The job you enjoy. The trip you’ll never forget. It’s all dangling in that area we can’t reach when we’re in our comfort zone.

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To get there, you’ve got to make the leap.

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You may feel like there’s a million and one things to think about, but most can be considered before even flying. So if you’re moving to another country alone (whether it’s your first or fifth time), have a read through and get yourself comfortable before your trip of a lifetime.

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Preparation is the ABSOLUTE key part.

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You can’t predict the unknown, but you can prepare yourself as best as possible. By giving yourself the relevant knowledge, you’re armed with a strong plan and then backups for anything that might end up going wrong.

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1. Finances

Get a pad, or your laptop and get them all down.

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I’m talking about everything.

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How much flights are, what are the visa fees, travel insurance, the cost of your accommodation for a month or two.

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Are you doing any extras when you get there, do you need new clothes for it? Have you budgeted enough spending money?

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From this, you can work out how much you need to save, so no getting excited and handing that notice into work early! Always overestimate your outgoings, as if they come in less, you’ll have more money to play with.

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2. Emotions

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It’ll be the time of your life, but as with anything, it’s not going to come easily.

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You’ll be away for an extended amount of time, so prepare to be away from emotional connections, such as family.

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It’s tough, but remember they’re only a phone call away.

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At worst-case scenario, no matter where you are in the world, it takes a day (at most) to get back, that’s it.

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Of course you’ll miss them, but they’ll be ready to hear your stories when you’re back, so until then, make the most of FaceTime!

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3. Reasons

Most will do it for the right reasons; that in one way or another, you want to grow as a person and have the most incredible, life-changing experience.

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But it’s important to know your ‘why’. If your ‘why’ is to push yourself and try new things; then do it!

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Don’t go to a new country and sit in your bunk on your days off, you can do that at home.

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Try a hike. Take a walk. If you’re wanting to grow your social skills, join a few Meetups or local groups.

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Remember why you’re doing it and follow through with it.

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4. Visas

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When you’re ready to completely commit, you’ll no doubt have a visa high on your list.

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Being able to work abroad isn’t as straightforward as you’d hope, so you’ll need to look into specific visas.

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From here, you can check which ones allow you to work and which you meet the criteria for.

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This will determine everything, from the date you have to enter the country, to the duration you can work for an employer.

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This is super important, so ensure you give it the correct amount of time in getting it right.

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5. Plans & itineraries

You can’t just rock up somewhere.

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What happens if you turn up to an accommodation and its reception is closed because your flight got in at 2am?

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You need to plan your route, dates and times. Bear in mind time differences, clock changes and stopovers.

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Flight companies are good at informing you of local times of arrivals, so make sure you account for it all.

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Also, keep in mind key dates. Is it a public holiday when you arrive? Is there a major parade on?

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All these things can affect your Plan A, so do your research.

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6. Insurance

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Most visas will require you have insurance, but it’s completely stupid to not get it anyway.

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Whether to cover your actual flight, through to medical cover when you’re away, you must have that security of being insured.

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You can rack up serious medical bills in the unlikely event of needing to go to the hospital, so it’s sensible to be safe and sure.

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7. Accommodation

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I’ve heard of stories where people expect to rock up after a day’s worth of flying, walk into a hostel and get a bed.

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The reality is that these places are busy, they’re full and even if they’re not, they won’t have people checking in until gone 2pm.

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Because of this, these travelers end up wandering around a new city, getting lost, whilst jet-lagged.

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Prepare your accommodation in advance. Booking a night won't be enough.

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Give yourself at least a few days, as if you like it, you can extend your stay.

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If not, it gives you time to look elsewhere.

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8. Jobs

To do all the amazing things each country has to offer, you'll have to be able to fund it.

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Work to your strengths, or work to the country. America offers loads of opportunities to work at summer camps, whereas New Zealand offers great chances to work ski seasons.

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In every country, there are loads of different roles going, from office work to ranch work, so decide what you want to do and start looking for avenues into it.

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9. Bank account & tax number

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To get yourself a job abroad, you’ll have to ensure that you have a local bank account.

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These tend to be rather easy to set up, with some online registration needed before a local, in-country-in-bank appointment to open it.

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This does vary from country to country, so doing your research will get you ready.

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Once you've done this, you can then look at getting your relevant tax number.

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It's called different things dependent on country, in the U.S it’s a Social Security number, New Zealand it’s an IRD number, whereas in the UK it’s your National Insurance number.

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This tends to be an in-country process, so again, make sure you do your research well in advance.

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10. Contingency plans

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You can’t predict the future, but you can do your best to plan for things that may go wrong.

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In a technological world, most tickets and bookings you’ll keep on your phone.

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What happens if you’ve phone dies? Get stuff printed out.

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What happens if you lose your wallet with your travel cash?

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Split your money up before travelling and keep some in different places. It’s a case of having backups, so you’re ready for all scenarios.

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95% of the above can be done well before you even book your flight, let alone fly.

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The funny thing is though, that most of it could also be considered ‘optional’, so it depends on who you are.

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A seasoned veteran of travelling may take more risks in ‘winging’ it, but this is from their previous experiences in moving abroad.

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I’d even take a guess that these experienced travellers enjoy their trips more because they’re prepared.

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For those who are moving to another country alone for the first time, it pays to prepare.

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Spend that extra couple of weeks researching, Googling and planning. It’ll make the whole process a lot smoother.

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Breaking it down into manageable chunks will allow you to focus on the main part; which is enjoying a trip of a lifetime.

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11. Dealing with jet-lag

Although getting to a new place will get the adrenaline going, that first spurt of energy will die down and you’ll be knackered.

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Not just physically from a lack of sleep due to all that travelling, but mentally too.

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You’ve been through a lot of different emotions in the past 48/72 hours and it will drain you.

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Be sure to have a bit of self-care and look after yourself once you’re settled.

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A nice sleep in, a good meal and a bit of a chill will work wonders.

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Jet-lag can make you a bit snappy and can make you miss the familiar environment of home in the first few days (it definitely did for me!).

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It’s important to work through it. It’ll be a little tough moving to another country alone, but looking after yourself will make it easier and quicker to overcome.

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12. Adapting to a new culture

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This can take so many different forms.

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In different countries, some of the simplest things can be different, which can seem difficult.

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Being in America, it took me so long to get used to looking the right way when crossing the road, let alone driving over there.

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The local humour could shock you, or the speed of everyday life could be different from what you’re used to.

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It can all seem a little daunting at first, but you’ll come to grips with it all a lot quicker than what you realise.

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13. Getting set up

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When you arrive, you should have given yourself a few days to settle and recover.

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In this time, you want to get a few of the essentials sorted, including your bank appointment and your tax number.

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On top of that, start looking at longer-term accommodation, if it’s not included as part of any package you’re on.

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This can be through local listing sites, facebook groups, accommodation providers and more.

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Be sure to get to grips with average costs, what’s included and how much an average deposit should be.

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But most of all, be patient! This is all part of the process, get over the little frustrations and you’re then in a great place to enjoy the upcoming ride.

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14. Discovering your way around

Getting to know the transport infrastructure of your new area is a sure sign that you’re settling in.

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Some areas have local transport cards (Like Oyster cards in London), which tend to work for all public transport and will save you cash.

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In your first few days, don’t be scared to Google a few places and test out your new transport card.

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The quicker you feel comfortable in your local area, the quicker you’ll settle.

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15. Getting used to new things

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Anything from mobile phone networks to grocery shops will be different.

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It’ll be daunting at first, not seeing any shops that you know.

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It’s another level of familiarity that you've left at home.

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But the optimist will say it’s a great excuse to go checking out all the new local shops!

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One word of advice; shop to the value of your new currency.

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It’s so easy to say “this comes to x amount back home”, but that’s a slippery slope as they’re different economies.

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Shop around, compare prices and start getting used to using your new currency.

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You'll find certain things might cost more, but it works out better in comparison to the wages you earn.

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16. Embracing Independence

One of the scariest, yet liberating, things about moving to another country alone is the independence.

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It can be scary not having someone to lean on, but then you’ve also got absolute freedom to be ‘you’.

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There's no need to pretend or act. You can do exactly what you want to do and not worry about what others think.

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This is one of the great things about travelling, is you’ll find everyone is in this exact same boat.

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So the friendships you do make, tend to be genuine, deep and based on you both being yourselves.

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So if you’ve always wanted to go zip lining; do it! Fancy going to a ski town and shredding the slopes? Do it!

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17. Dealing with missing home

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Every single person will go through this.

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It might not manifest itself in the same ways, as someone may be super close to their mother, whereas someone else has started crying because the cup of tea they’ve had doesn’t taste anything like Yorkshire Tea (honestly speaking from the experience of seeing it..)

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It’s important to realise that everyone will miss home and it’s 100% normal.

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Times like this, connect to the Wifi and call home for a chat. You’ll find everything is exactly the same as when you left and there’s not much going on.

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You’ll also hear how much people 'would love to be in your position', so take a moment, chat it through and get back to kicking it in your new country.

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Once you’ve got through these two main areas, of "Preparation" and "Settling In", you’re right around the corner from the time of your life.

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Being settled means you can focus on growing and enjoying your time, so don’t rush it; it’ll come!

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You’ve done the preparation, you’ve settled in.

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The new area is great and is becoming familiar, you’ve got a steady job abroad and your long term accommodation is sorted. Getting through these major milestones really is growth in itself, so well done!

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The initial teething problems can be the painful part, but once you’ve got that base sorted, you can start building upwards.

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Now, it’s about growing and the self-development that comes with travelling.

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Oh and the small matter of having the absolute time of your life.

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18. Growing your network

You will meet friends for life.

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When you start sharing traveling experiences with others, you’ll naturally become close mates.

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You're both going through the same ups and downs. You’ll have stories to tell and memories to make, which only a small proportion of people will have.

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Don’t stress about meeting people, it will happen.

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Whether on your first day in your hostel accommodation, or 3 weeks later in your new job, you’ll cross paths with people you vibe with.

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But there are also things you can do to meet more people.

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New cities tend to have 'Meetups', the popular meeting app, where you can go to networking events around your hobbies. Or, there are local sports clubs that love having new people join.

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Whatever your hobby may be (football/basketball/rock climbing/wakeboarding etc), they will all have beginner sessions and social meetups.

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Find your hobby and be sure to check it out.

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19. Adapting to a new work environment

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Like making friends, you’ll get out what you put into it.

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It can be hard at first picking up a new role, but that’s the same anywhere in the world. Be sure to make a good impression, but also put the hours, professionally and personally.

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Once you get to know your colleagues, you’ve got a further network of people to rely on.

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You spend a third of your entire week asleep, and another third of it at work, so it shows why it’s so important getting good work and home environments sorted.

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20. Reinventing yourself

The beauty of moving to another country alone is that no-one knows you.

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You can be yourself, but to also choose who that is.

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Back home you may not have had the chance to work on boats, but you’ve loved the water. Why not make that who you are?

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You'll have so many opportunities presented to you that you can sculpt how you move forward.

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I took up wakeboarding when I went away for the first time and when I got home, I trained up as a powerboat driver.

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That led me on to one of my favourite ever jobs, working as a water-ski instructor through Camp Leaders.

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21. Don't be afraid of making mistakes

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Everyone does.

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It sounds so cliche, but it’s honestly true that you learn more from your mistakes than anything else (for example, after trying it in Australia, I’ll never eat Vegemite EVER again, it’s terrible - controversial I know..).

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In all seriousness, there will be times you get things wrong.

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You may head to a new area for work and it might not work out.

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Learn from it, decide how to progress and use the mistake to inform your future choices.

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That’s the main part of it, if you’ve learnt from the mistake, it’s progress. Not so much if you keep making it over and over…..

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22. Becoming a local

Once you’ve spent a considerable amount of time in one place, you’ll end up developing an affection for your new home.

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You will have a link with this place which few of your network will have and because of this, it becomes ‘your place’.

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The number of times you’ll tell people a story saying “well when I was in……” (I had to learn to cut back on it) will be ridiculous.

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But this is because you’ll have experienced things that others would not have and they will be life-changing.

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Of course you’ll want to talk about them!

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You’ll also know the secret little gems that only the locals will know and you’ll take pride in ‘bigging it up’.

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Before you know it, you’re the go-to guide for friends and family who want to go.

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But no matter how many do, it’ll always be “your place”.

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23. Self development

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I could write a list of dozens of self-development areas that travel helps with.

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Yet they all depend so much on who you are.

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What areas do you want to grow in and focus on? Some want to travel to improve their social skills and meet new people.

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Others, want to further their professional career in a new country.

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By having some areas of focus, you can set your own goals and achieve them. But, regardless of what you focus on and realise, travel will provide so much more.

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Your ability to deal with new obstacles and challenges will grow, as will your versatility from dealing with new environments.

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You’ll pick up loads of new soft skills, as well as the hard, technical skills from being in a new role.

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As soon as you start growing as a person, it can make a big difference to both your confidence and your mental health.

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When you head home, you’ll be taking a bucket load of new skills, motivation and confidence to take forward.

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24. Create memories of a lifetime

Yes, it’ll be tough, but the memories you create will outweigh the challenges a million times over.

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You’ll see things that most will not and they will stick with you forever. Yes, they’ll be bumps in the road along the way.

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But I guarantee if you stay at home, you’ll get as many bumps as you would when you’re away. But staying at home won’t get the life-changing experiences that traveling will afford you.

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10 years later, you’ll still be able to tell the stories of what you’ve done and that will show the impact these memories have had.

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From 'Preparation', 'Settling In' to 'Growth', you can see that there is a bit to think about when moving to another country alone, but also so much to gain.

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There are so many ways of going about it and there’s a lot of help out there to make it as simple as possible.

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You can go solo, or look at ways where you can look at joining other solo travellers.

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There are brands that can provide you with a level of support that is unrivalled and can make sure that you think of everything needed before going.

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Whether that be going to America, Canada, China, New Zealand, Australia or wherever else in the world, get preparing.

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Whichever you decide, you’re in for the ride of your life.

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So get yourself prepared, work on what you can control and if you do, you’ll be able to focus on the most important part of it all; enjoying it.

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