How to Prepare for Your Move Abroad & Checklist

Here is how to prepare for your move abroad. It can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. If you do not know where to start, read below and make sure to get your free Move Abroad Checklist.

Let’s get into how to prepare for your move abroad.

Financial

*Disclaimer: I am not a financial expert. Make sure to do your own research and consult with a professional if you need to.*

• Savings: This is different for everyone. For you, it might look like a travel/ experience fund or emergency fund. Especially for my fellow teachers, if you are teaching abroad, your monthly salary might not be that high. A savings fund will allow you to have the experiences you want. Let’s be honest; you should always have savings.
• Debts and Loans: They aren’t fun to have, and if I could tell my younger self one thing: it would be to avoid them. Nonetheless, here we are. Make sure you are allocating money to pay them or have an income-driven plan that works for you. Just make sure you have that covered. You do not want to fall behind when you are abroad, and unfortunately, an adventure abroad is not a qualifying reason not to pay. 
• Debit/ Credit Cards: I recommend having a travel credit card (where I can accumulate points or any perks) and have a debit card with low ATM fees. I like Charles Schwab’s debit card because you get any ATM fees you incur in the month refunded at the end of the month. 
•  International money transfer companies like money crop or wise that have low exchange and transfer rates if you want to move money between your US and current country bank accounts.
• Talk to your bank: Call your banks and let them know you are moving/traveling. 

Personally, even if you open a bank account in a country, I like to have access to my money in case of an emergency. 

TIP: I exchange money in my home country through my bank and take it with me. This way, you have cash for necessities and transportation for the first couple of days or weeks you are there. Just make sure whatever you do, don’t exchange money at the airport. 

Health and Medical

• Appointments: Get the check-ups you need. You will most likely have to get a medical letter/certificate from your doctor.
• Vaccines: Ensure your vaccines are up to date, or if there is a requirement for your country or any neighboring country you plan to visit, you get the required vaccines.
• Travel insurance: If your program or job doesn’t provide it, you will need to find coverage for the year. Check out this Forbes Article for some of the best travel insurances of 2021.
• Medicine Supply: If you take medications like birth control or anxiety medication ( for example), you might not have access to medicine abroad. Talk to your doctor and see if you can get a six-month supply of your prescription to get you started.

Documents

• Ensure you have your passport, visa, health certificate, vaccine passport, all those important documents. 
• Make copies of all important documents. I make at least three sets of copies.

TIP: One set I leave with my mom. The other two I take with me. Make sure to have digital copies of your documents too. You never know who might need a copy or if you lose one of your documents, and you might not have access to a printer right away. 

Technology and Apps

• Make sure you have your Laptop, Camera gear, phone, adapters, etc.
  • Phone: I’m passionate about this one (lol); you will see why. 

1. Unlock your phone: If you have AT&T like myself, you need to unlock your phone to put a sim card in from the country you are moving to. I know not every carrier requires this but make sure to check. 
2. Maybe suspend your phone plan/number if you have no interest in returning. There is no reason to incur additional expenses while abroad.
3. Bring a backup phone (if you can, but I highly recommend it). In my first two weeks in Chile, my phone broke. I had no phone and had to purchase a cheap phone. Then a couple of months later, my phone was stolen. Maybe you have better luck, but nothing is more anxiety-inducing than arriving in a new country, and your phone stops working or gets stolen. 

• Download helpful apps: This is personal to you. Consider downloading transportation apps, housing apps, currency exchange, or language apps. 
• Subscriptions: Cancel unnecessary subscriptions you can’t use abroad and save that money for trips/experiences or consider getting a VPN.

What to Prepare

• Research the area you want to live in, so you cut out sometime when you arrive.
• Join expats and apartment groups on FB to meet people, find out about events and available apartments. 
• Language: Brush up on key phrases, words, and slang used in the country you are moving to. Sometimes the Spanish you learn at home or school doesn’t prepare you enough, trust me, I know all about it.
• Make what I like to call an ‘Experience List.’ Make a day, evening out of it—research places you want to visit, foods to try, activities, etc. Get excited about your move!

TIP: Ask coworkers, classmates, and students (if they are old enough) about recommendations to have a more local experience.

What to pack for your move abroad.

• Two luggages should be good, remember some airlines now make you pay for luggage on international flights.
• Clothes for work or university. Research or ask about the dress code and culturally appropriate. 
• Pack active clothes, hiking gear, personal care
• Pack a small thing that reminds you of home. Building a routine is super important when you first move abroad, and so something that helps with that or will help with homesickness is essential to pack, in my opinion. Pictures or a fav mug you drink coffee out of every morning will do the trick. Don’t bring a Keurig, but your mug won’t kill you. I’m curious, what do you bring or what would you bring? 

Be strategic in packing. Pack things for your lifestyle, what you will be doing in the country, and the weather.

Keep in mind that depending on the country, some things are more accessible than others. 

You might not need to bring a year’s supply of deodorant or toothpaste but maybe a specific contact solution you use. 

TIP: When it comes to packing, I like to look at the weather all year round. I see what clothes I can overlap throughout the year. For example, I can easily layer a dress, turtleneck, some stockings, and boots for work in the winter. For men, a nice shirt you wear for a night out you can wear to work. 

I hope this free guide helps you prepare for your move abroad ( especially if you didn’t know where to start).

Suerte!

Get your free move abroad checklist here!