Whether you are a parent or a child, relocating to a new country will put you in one of two categories. Some find the whole moving abroad experience sad, intimidating and stressful because they are leaving their home, circle of friends, dear family members and maybe pets: basically their life as they know it. Others are ready for an adventure and look forward to their next destination as an opportunity to explore new cultures, surroundings and learn languages or perfect their professional skills and improve their CV/resume. Regardless of which group you fall into, what support can you get in order to make your transition hassle-free?
School options
Are you familiar with the fact that Excellence in Expat Education offers you the possibility of a DIY school assessment before moving abroad? Here is how and it’s FREE: How to assess a school before moving abroad. If you still need help with choosing the best school for your children, give them a shout via their email address at hello@eeeaward.com
Relocation dos and don’ts
Here is what to consider when moving abroad. It walks you through the process, having you start your preparation 9 months before leaving and takes you up to the very last few days. You’re going to find this checklist very useful: Checklist for expats before leaving
Embassy contacts
We cannot include all embassy services here as each country is a bit different and some embassies are more helpful than others. However, it’s worth mentioning that if you’re part of the EU and your country does not have an embassy in the country you’re moving to, you’re eligible for help of all kinds from any other EU embassy. Embassies are there to help you contact your family back home, in case you can’t do that yourself. They also offer free repatriation in specific cases, especially when your life might be in danger due to terrorism, natural catastrophes, illnesses, etc. They might give advice on safety, best schools and doctors or hospitals in the city/country.
Expat groups/support networks
Find expat groups of people in situations similar to yours. They will be able to give you first-hand advice on what it is like to live in a country. From customs, to visa issues, to employment opportunities, they are a better guide than any book you might find in a library.
Online services
2020 will go down in history as the year everything became possible online. I think that from now on, all businesses are going to offer at least part of their services online. You might find online doctor consultations, school recommendations, bank services, legal advice, etc. The best thing you could do is to collect numbers and email addresses from people you trust back home so you can always have them at hand, should you ever need them. It’s like the local number to call the police or the fire brigade,:you should always have these useful numbers at hand.
Money
What could you do if you run out of money? Can you access your money back home while living abroad? What companies/banks/money exchange offices could help you with that? Are there any humanitarian/religious organisations which could help you out?
Lawyers contacts
What if you have contract issues? Marital problems? Your lawyer back home might not be able to help you, but they might know who could do so.
Public health service
In many countries you might not need private medical care as the public one is great and running smoothly (for example in the EU). Some expats prefer private medical care as it gives them peace of mind that they can access the fastest and the best. Either way, ensure that you’re covered so you can make the most of your time abroad.
Wellbeing/counselling
In dire times, you might need a professional to help you make sense of your life away from home. Once again, online help is widely available and maybe it’s worth asking the company you work for if they have such free service as part of your contract. For example, British Council offer such free service to all their employees, guaranteeing secrecy and discretion.
This post is general because it tries to give you the idea that there is expat support available, you just need to know how to get it. Should you want to speak about specific support in a particular country, you may reach us at hello@eeeaward.com
