How to Move Abroad

Last updated on February 7th, 2024 at 10:19 pm

This year, Luke and I made the transition to living nomadically when we decided to move abroad. We have been living in Bali, Indonesia since the beginning of May and we will be traveling around the world for about a year, moving locations about every month. If you have been dreaming of long-term travel, becoming a nomad, or moving abroad, this guide is for you. 

I love traveling and have always dreamed of living somewhere that I could fully immerse myself in another culture, even if just for a while. Luke and I have been talking about moving abroad for a long time and there were so many different iterations of this trip (my family and friends can attest). Originally we planned on moving to Spain with the non-lucrative visa, then we were going to move to Portugal with the D7 visa, and then we decided to take a chance on the cheaper cost of living in Southeast Asia and staying in multiple places for a month at a time. 

Read More: Why we decided to spend two months in Bali

There are so many things that you need to consider when you decide to move abroad or travel long-term and it can be a really overwhelming process. The result is so worth it, however. Moving abroad to travel long-term is not a decision that you make lightly and it can take several months of planning. Read about what we were thinking about three months before moving abroad. It is so important to plan appropriately because there are many things that need to be completed on a specific timeline.

How to decide if you want to move abroad

Before you start planning how to move abroad, you should make sure that you really want to move abroad and understand what you want to get out of the experience. Moving abroad is fun, exciting, and freeing, but it is also scary and difficult.

When I told people that we were moving abroad, many people responded by saying, “Wow, I wish I could do something like that!” I honestly believe that anyone can move abroad with proper planning. By saying that they can’t, they are limiting themselves.

There were also a few people who said, “Wow, I would not enjoy that!” when I told them we were moving abroad. That’s perfectly fine! People are different and long-term travel is not for everyone. If you know that about yourself, more power to you. You might be better off saving up and taking a few trips each year. If long-term travel is something you wish you could do, really think it through and make sure that is what you want. Then, stop wishing and start doing! Here are some things that you should think about to decide if moving abroad to travel long-term is right for you.

Understand why you want to move abroad

Get really clear on why you want to move abroad to travel long-term. You need to understand why you are doing it because people are going to ask. It will help the people who love you to understand if you can explain to them why you want to do it. Also, when things get hard while you are traveling or living abroad, reflecting on what motivated you originally will be a huge help. Check out my reason for moving abroad if you need inspiration.  

Determine what you want out of the experience

Understand what you want to get out of it. For example, our original intention was to spend one year living abroad in one city in Europe and use that as a jumping-off point to visit other places. This is not what we ended up doing at all. We ultimately decided to spend about a month in several different regions of the world over the course of a year so we could really take advantage of this opportunity. There are other phases in life when living abroad will still be possible, but traveling long-term and visiting many different places is more difficult and we might not get another opportunity like this.

Consider your current life situation and what might be feasible, but also dream a little. Do you want to be in one place and really get to know it? Do you want to see as much as possible? Maybe it is a bit of both. Do you want to volunteer? Do you want to focus on building a business? Learn a new language? Eat excellent food? Do you want to be in nature or a bustling city? Do you want a low cost of living or do you value the reliable infrastructure that is associated with a higher cost of living? These are all questions that can help you figure out exactly what you want to get out of this experience. 

Make a financial plan

Make a plan for how you will pull it off financially. Are you going to be working remotely? Do you want to save up a bunch of money so you can travel freely and comfortably? Do you want to save up and then travel on a shoestring budget? Are you looking to try out a place to potentially move permanently? Are you looking to get a job in the place that you want to move? Looking back on what you want to get out of it can really help you here. Assess your current financial situation to determine how you will prepare financially for the move. I highly recommend paying off any sort of debt before you embark on long-term travel. Luke and I pushed back our trip so that we could finish paying off our student loans and it was an excellent decision.

Once you have all your debt paid off, create a budget for moving and living abroad. If you plan to be working while long-term traveling, you may not need to save as much money, but it is always good to have savings in case of an emergency. Make sure that you have a good budget app to track your spending while you are on the road. We have been using EveryDollar for years and love it, but there are plenty of other options out there. You definitely want to be sure of how much you are spending, which can be more difficult when you are using cash and paying in a different currency, but don’t risk running out of funds!

Determine where you want to travel or live

Determine where you want to be. This is the fun part! Enjoy it. It can also be really hard since there are so many awesome places to visit and/or live. How do you choose? Make sure you do your research on where you want to stay. Consider culture, language, cost of living, healthcare system, lifestyle, the entry requirements for the country, and how long you will be able to stay. If you are planning to get a job in the country, consider the job prospects and start looking at some of the job listings to see if they are a good fit. 

Determine duration

Determine approximately how long you want to be abroad and, if you are visiting multiple places, approximately how long you want to be in each location. This can be somewhat flexible or really rigid depending on your finances and the visas that are available to you. Many countries will let you stay on a tourist visa for about 30-90 days, but you are technically not supposed to work on a tourist visa.  

Read More: Locations we plan to visit in Europe during a year of travel

How to Move Abroad

Once you’ve made the decision that you want to travel long-term, the next step is actually planning to do it! Here are some logistical things that you need to consider to travel long-term or move abroad. 

Make sure you have a valid passport

Make sure that you have a valid passport and that it does not expire for at least six months longer than you intend to be traveling. Many countries require that you have at least six months and at least one blank page in your passport in order to gain entry. Check the specific entry requirements for the country you will be visiting. 

Determine visa requirements

Get a visa, if needed, for the country that you plan to visit. Check the entry requirements and make sure that you understand how long you can stay in the country. If you will be traveling on a tourist visa, remember that it is technically illegal to work while on a tourist visa, but many people do it anyway. Many countries have started offering specific digital nomad visas, such as Spain, Portugal, and Croatia, but these may require more time to apply for. For many visas, you may need to visit the country’s embassy in order to apply. Make sure you leave ample time to apply. In some cases, the embassy may hold on to your passport for several weeks after applying.  It can be helpful to hire an immigration lawyer to help you through the process, especially if it isn’t straightforward.

Find a place to live

Luke and I will be visiting several different countries, so we will be staying in Airbnbs. If you are staying in one place long-term, it may be better to find a long-term rental since they are often cheaper. This might involve getting a shorter-term rental first so you can visit the location and look for a suitable place to rent or buy. When looking at places to live, consider cost, safety, and proximity to activities and necessities.

If you are staying for a shorter amount of time, you might want to be closer to the touristy areas so you can maximize your time doing the most activities. Regardless of how long you will be in the location, make sure you understand the transportation options. Is there a train that can get you to most places you want to go? Will you need to rent or buy a car or a scooter? Are ride-share services available there? Is it a walkable town? Our place in Bali was a little bit outside the touristy area, which turned out to be great, but we definitely needed a scooter to get around efficiently. 

Research

Read as much about the place that you are going as possible to prepare yourself, but also keep your mind open. Familiarize yourself with the experiences that other people have had in regard to safety and health. For example, we read that in Bali the police will often take advantage of tourists and try to get money out of them. This hasn’t happened to us, but reading other people’s experiences helps us be more prepared for this sort of thing.

Try to get an idea of what the place is like ahead of time so you don’t have an idealized version of it in your head (I am frequently guilty of doing this), but know that you won’t be able to truly know a place until you are there. I recommend watching YouTube videos or reading blogs from people who are expats or digital nomads living in that location. 

Join a Facebook group or online community for expats

Join a Facebook group for expats for an extended stay in one location. There are plenty of Facebook groups like this for different places. People frequently share their obstacles and positive experiences in these groups so it is a good way to get the lay of the land before you get there. It also might help you meet people who are also living there. There are also online groups focused on being a digital nomad, so it may be a good idea to join one of these if you will be traveling long-term and visiting multiple places. 

Learn the local language

Start familiarizing yourself with the local language(s) if needed. Luke and I have been studying Spanish using the DuoLingo app, which provides short lessons so you can practice daily. Another good resource is Coffee Break Languages, which is a series of podcasts that jump into the useful phrases that you will need in your travels. There are fewer languages available, but I have found it helpful for learning Spanish. In preparation for our time in Bali, I also started learning some Indonesian, which was really helpful when it came to reading menus and signs. I always think it is a good idea to know a few simple greetings in the country’s language, even if they also speak English. Try to learn at least “Hello” and “Thank you”. People really seem to appreciate the small effort. 

Visit a public health clinic for a travel consultation

Make sure you are up to date on any vaccines and aware of any diseases that might be common in the areas you are visiting. Visit a local public health clinic or a physician for a travel consultation. I wrote a more in-depth post on the vaccines that we received for our long-term travels around the world, check it out for more information. 

Buy global travel and health insurance

Having insurance in case something goes wrong during your travels is really important. Depending on the company and package that you pick it will cover a variety of things, including evacuation, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, sports injuries, and more. We decided to use Genki in conjunction with our coverage from our Chase Sapphire Reserve card but Atlas Travel Insurance and Safety Wing were our second and third picks. Ultimately we chose Genki because it is primarily health/accident insurance and we have a good amount of travel insurance coverage through our Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Atlas Travel Insurance and Safety Wing provide travel and health insurance coverage, but they were more expensive. Additionally, if you plan on scuba diving on your trip, I recommend DAN insurance which covers diving accidents, non-dive accidents, and search and rescue. 

Genki offers a monthly subscription starting at $35.70 EUR per month that can be canceled at any time. With Genki, you are covered in any country except your home country for medical transport, care, and medication including emergency dental treatment, sports injuries, scooter injuries, and more.

Note that Global Health Insurance typically doesn’t work in the US unless you are paying a higher premium. If you plan to need medical care at any point in the US, it is good to have an insurance plan specific to that too. That will obviously depend on your personal situation since insurance is expensive in the US, but if you were evacuated to the US for some reason it is good to have coverage. Make sure you have evaluated the risk.  

Purchase a VPN

If you plan to be working while you are traveling, you might need to purchase a VPN, which stands for “virtual private network”. A VPN can make your connection more secure when you are using public Wi-Fi, which you frequently use as a traveler. Hackers may be able to access your data when you are using public Wi-Fi, but a VPN helps hide your online traffic. We are using Nord VPN and are happy with it. Nord VPN is the fastest VPN on the market, performing at speeds above 6,730 Mbps according to an independent study. We have found in our use of Nord VPN that it doesn’t visibly impact browsing speed. Nord VPN also has more than 5600 servers in over 60 countries, which gives you less lag and more options to connect. We paid $144 for two years, but there are a variety of plans to choose from. 

Plan for things you can’t get abroad

Make sure you have a plan for anything that you need to get you through the amount of time you will be abroad. Luke and I both have contacts so we had to get a year’s supply before going on this trip. If you currently take any prescription drugs, make sure that you have a plan to either get a year’s supply or to get your medication abroad. Here is a good guide that I found for this particular topic. Make sure that you have the physical prescriptions for any medications from your doctor when you are crossing borders, since some countries may not allow you to bring them in without the documentation.

Notify any relevant parties that you will be moving

This may include your employer, landlord, and your bank. Make sure to notify your banks that you will be traveling and where. Cancel any subscriptions and utilities as needed.

Set up a traveling mailbox

These services will provide you with an address in the United States, where they will receive your mail and then give you the option to either dispose of it or have them scan it and send it to you electronically. This doesn’t work for physical deliveries/packages that you may receive, so it is good to have another address where packages or things like a new credit card could be sent if needed. We are using Traveling Mailbox, which is $15 a month for the basic plan. So far it has accomplished exactly what we needed it for. Another option is to have mail go to a family member or friend’s house as long as they are okay with that. 

Update your mailing/billing address

You will need to update your mailing and billing addresses once you determine where your mail will be going. This is especially important for any credit or debit cards that you will be using while traveling. If you live in the US, also fill out a change of address so they will forward your mail for a year. 

Make sure credit or debit cards won’t expire

Make sure your credit or debit cards will not expire while you are traveling, if possible, or make sure that you have an address where you will be able to receive mail in your new location. Our Chase Saphire Reserve card, the main credit card that we use for traveling, was going to expire while we were on our trip so we called Chase a few weeks before our trip and asked them to send a new card. Make sure you specify that you will need a card with a new expiration date. 

Get a debit card with international benefits

Depending on where you are traveling, you may be in an area where cash is consistently needed. Make sure that you have a debit card that will allow you to withdraw money from an international ATM with fewer fees. The fees can add up quickly! Typically an international ATM will have a fee charged by the owner of the ATM and your bank will also charge you a fee. You want to avoid the fee that your bank will charge you (there isn’t much can do about the other fee).

We use the Revolut metal card for this, which is $16.99 a month or $149 a year. This allows us to withdraw up to $1200 USD a month without fees. With the standard Revolut card (no monthly fee), you can withdraw $400 USD a month and with the premium Revolut card, you can withdraw $800 USD a month. This has been a big help to us in Southeast Asia because most places only accept cash.

Revolut also has other benefits for travelers too. Revolut provides fast and secure transfers in over 30 currencies. It is also very easy to freeze and unfreeze your card from the app. We usually try to freeze our debit card between trips to the ATM.

If you plan to move abroad and will be staying in the same location, you may want to consider getting an account at a local bank instead. 

Plan for phone usage

Make a plan for texting, calling, and getting data on your phone. We have T-mobile, which provides international data in 200+ countries. We heard in our research that they eventually cut people off if they use too much data in a foreign country, but this hasn’t been our experience. We have been out of the US for nine months and we are still getting data through T-Mobile. 

Another option is to purchase an eSim, which will provide you with data and a new phone number. Airalo provides local, regional, and global eSims. You can install and activate your eSim through their app. Alternatively, you can purchase an eSim in the country (they usually have shops at the airport) that you are visiting. Once you have your eSim installed, you can use WhatsApp or similar apps for texting and calling while on Wi-Fi. You will need your friends and family back home to download WhatsApp so that you can use this service.

Alternatively, you can purchase an eSim and port your number to Google Voice, which is a free service, so you can continue to use your existing phone number and apps for texting. This method still requires Wi-Fi. Make sure you also suspend or cancel the phone plan that you have in the US so you aren’t paying for it unnecessarily. This is our backup plan if T-mobile stops providing us with data. 

Get an international driver’s permit

If you have a US driver’s license and plan to drive outside of the US, make sure you get an international driver’s permit. It is a very simple process that involves going to an AAA and paying a small fee. You should have your permit on the same day. This can be issued up to six months in advance of the effective date and then the permit will last for one year.

This driver’s license is considered a valid form of identification in 150 countries and contains your photo, name, and driver information. It also translates this information into 10 different languages. It feels a little silly when you’re getting it, but I have heard of tourists in Indonesia getting in trouble for not having it when they are pulled over. 

Take probiotics

Start prepping your stomach for travel and different bacteria ahead of time by taking probiotics, especially if you are going to Southeast Asia. The germs are different in different areas of the world and it is possible that your stomach will not be able to cope, even if food and drinks are cooked and prepared properly. You can start taking most probiotics a month before leaving for your trip and continue to take them throughout the trip. Luke and I are currently kicking ourselves for not doing this after weeks of stomach issues in Bali. These are the ones that we started taking and have helped prevent further distress (paid link).

Downsize and store items

The difficulty of this will be determined by your stage in life and how much stuff you have accumulated. Luke and I had accumulated a decent amount after living in a two-bedroom apartment for five years so we rented a storage unit. It is ten feet by ten feet, and we just barely fit everything. I’m a little scared for when we have to go back and open it up again, since towards the end we basically started throwing things in. If you don’t have that much stuff and you have family or friends that are willing to store things for you, that may also be an option. 

Pack your bags

Make sure you have everything you need before you take off. If you are planning to visit multiple places, make sure to pack lightly but also bring everything you need. Remember you can likely get many things wherever you are going. If you are moving to one location, determine how many things you want to bring and decide on the appropriate transportation for your belongings. Also, make sure to arrange for any paperwork and check for customs requirements for your belongings.

Prepare yourself mentally

Mentally prepare for everything to not go as planned with your move or your time abroad. There are always going to be last-minute obstacles while moving. Also, prepare yourself mentally for your time abroad. Not every moment is going to be perfect. You will not get to do all the activities that you want. There will be bad days. This is still life and all the boring things that come with it will likely still be a factor. 

If you consider all these things before you move abroad, you should be more than ready for long-term travel! Have you ever moved abroad before? Are you planning for long-term travel? Did I miss anything in this guide on how to move abroad? Let me know in the comments!

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