People move overseas for various reasons. Maybe you landed a dream job with an international corporation or want to study for your doctorate without drowning in student loan debt for a lifetime. Many Americans choose the emigration option if they have chronic health conditions and an in-demand career or spouse with such a role—they can often obtain far better health care abroad for much less.
Save Up a Hefty Sum
A lot can happen when you move abroad and most of it costs money to resolve or fix. You’ll begin incurring expenses long before you depart. Establishing a comfortable life overseas can take a considerable sum and you must prepare for contingencies.Will you be working? If so, you’ll learn more about your banking options in the coming weeks. However, you might need more savings if you have already gone through the off-boarding process or plan to do so soon after arrival. Your ultimate nightmare is finding yourself stranded abroad with no work and no cash.
1. Passport and Visa Fees
You’ll need a passport to travel overseas. It currently costs $160 for the card and book set. Although either alone is less expensive, ordering both is imperative if you plan to move abroad. You can’t use the card alone for international air travel.2. Fees for Sending Money Home
It isn’t free to send money back home. However, you have some affordable options—yet another reason to get over your technophobia. More on that in a bit. Fortunately, technology makes finding the least expensive ways to send money back home easier.3. Shipping Fees
Are you planning on shipping your car or household furnishings? If so, prepare for sticker shock. It can cost up to $5,000 for standard ocean transport of your vehicle and as much as $40,000 to fly it to your destination.4. Insurance
You’ll need insurance for any property you ship and to cover your travel. You’ll also need to inquire about the coverage requirements for home and auto when you move.5. Cost-of-Living Adjustments
Inflation has stricken the globe but hasn’t impacted prices evenly everywhere. Hope for the best but prepare for potentially higher costs at the grocery store or eatery. Carry a bit extra to smooth the transition while you settle.6. An Overseas Emergency Fund
Food isn’t the only reason you might run into trouble before you get fully established overseas. You should ensure you have enough extra in a liquid account—or a secret stash of cash—for covering things like vehicle breakdowns or acute illnesses.7. A Back-Home Emergency Fund
You never know what the future may hold. You may need to return stateside at some date—and you’ll need money when you arrive back on shore. Keep several thousand in a liquid savings account you can’t access online. That way, you have no options to spend the money while overseas and it will await your return.Open a Local Bank Account
You need a local bank account in your chosen destination. Otherwise, you’ll struggle to make deposits and withdrawals and rack up a small fortune in ATM fees. You’ll also require it for direct deposit if you intend to work and not fully retire.- Two banking credit letters.A credit card may work if you only have one domestic bank account.
- At least one professional reference.Your foreign employer is a good choice if moving for work. Otherwise, the individual responsible for helping you through the visa process may agree.
- Two forms of photo identification.Typically, your driver’s license and passport.
- Proof of address.Most banks prefer you to have a utility bill in your name.
Keep Your Account Back Home
Once you establish a foreign bank account, you might feel tempted to cut the cord on your account back home. Resist the temptation to do so, even if you left the states as an angry ex-pat. Why? Here are a few good reasons you should do so:- Maintain your credit:It can be difficult—if not impossible—to reestablish your credit if you ever decide to return home but have closed every account. Doing so can take years, during which your financial options will be limited. You may not be able to get a home or car loan.
- Pay American bills:It’s much simpler to pay any outstanding debts you have stateside with American currency versus paying conversion fees.
- Take advantage of shopping: When the initial iTunes store premiered for iPods, it was initially only available in America. Other countries couldn’t take advantage, but American emigrants with an established account here could.
- Have a failsafe: You might not want to imagine it, but scams do happen. You don’t want to find yourself stranded in Bulgaria without a dime in your local account, no cash and zero purchasing power.
Get Over Technophobia
Today’s connected world makes it a snap to manage your banking and investment accounts from anywhere. However, you have to get over your technophobia to do so. You might be able to scrape by without such conveniences when you have a local branch right down the street whose employees speak perfect English. Trying to conduct financial transactions when neither party speaks the other’s language well is interesting, to say the least.If you haven’t set up online banking for your checking, savings, and investment accounts, do so before you depart. Schedule a time to sit down with your banker and review all the functions so you feel confident accessing your financial information from a phone or computer.