Planning the Move to Another Country
You've lived in the United States your whole life. You've visited everywhere: New York City, California, Florida, purple mountains and the plains. You've seen the Grand Canyon, you've skiied the best slopes. Now, you're ready for a change. You want to move to another country. Before you can make the move you need to plan things out.
Things You'll Need To Do
Make sure your passport or travel documents are up to date. For most trips outside of your country, especially long-term or permanent moves, you will need a passport issued by your country of citizenship. Check the expiration date and renew your passport if necessary. Begin the application or renewal process before you make travel plans, as the process may take several weeks or months
Acquire a visa if necessary. Almost every country requires long-term visitors (and often short-term visitors as well) to apply and pay for a visa, or authorization document. The process involves varies greatly depending on your destination, your country of citizenship, and your purpose for traveling. Research which visa application fits your requirements best online, or contact the nearest embassy of the country you are traveling to.
Research health concerns, and vaccinate if necessary. Research disease and health concerns at your destination. Serious health concerns can be avoided or mitigated by safety practices, often as simple as boiling water before drinking it. Protect yourself from other diseases found at your destination by getting vaccinated before your departure. If you don't have health insurance, look for walk-in clinics in your area that provide vaccination services.
Understand tax laws. If you plan to earn money while living overseas, understand how you will be taxed by your country of citizenship and/or your country of residency. You may wish to consult a tax preparer or lawyer for advice, or ask your new employers whether they provide tax assistance for foreign employees.
Seek out additional advice on logistics. If you know someone in your destination country, or if you can find traveler's advice forums online, have a long conversation about life there and how to prepare for it. If you can't find anyone to talk to in person, research your destination thoroughly from up to date online and printed sources (preferably published no more than five years ago).
Make your travel plans. Once you've made your decision and have all the logistics worked out, book your travel. Keep in mind that tickets tend to be cheaper the earlier you book them. A return ticket may be a wise investment and back up plan, and may be reasonably priced even compared to one-way tickets. One-way plane tickets can have strange pricing depending on the airline, so use several ticket-finder websites to avoid getting charged four times as much as you should.
