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Tips for moving to a new country?
For the first time in my life, I'll be living somewhere other than my hometown— going half the world away to London!
Having never moved further than like an hour away from where I grew up, I'd love to hear about experiences, tips, things to keep in mind when moving to a totally new place. Anything centred on London/the UK is of course very welcome, but I'm also really into hearing from people more generally :)
Find a Third Place, don't get stuck between your workplace and home, after the initial honeymoon sightseeing phase blows over.
Don't get discouraged by the bureaucracy if you have to deal with immigration authorities, it is what it is, it just has to be done.
That's such a lovely term, I'll be keeping it in mind! At least at the beginning much of my work is likely to be online, so even more important to keep in mind.
I've been considering just getting a bar job or something when I arrive, just to— well, have a second place I guess.
Hey, do you have any recommendations on how to find a good Third Place? I'm an immigrant as well (though to Germany rather than the UK, so there's a language barrier) and I've realized lacking any Third Place is a huge part of why my wife and I feel like we don't belong despite having some local friends. Obviously the language issue complicates things but if you have any more general advice I'm all ears.
As a fellow foreigner in Germany, you could try looking for other internationals in your city by joining groups in Facebook or Meetup. Or maybe go to bars where other internationals frequent like an Irish bar. I can’t highly stress enough how important it is to learn the language though.
oh yeah I absolutely know it's important to learn the language, I just don't have a lot of opportunities to get past my current B1-at-best level since I work in English. I've sort of stagnated since I got good enough to handle day-to-day stuff because that's all the German I need to live. I think I need a more concrete motivator to improve than just the abstract idea that I'd integrate better, y'know? But in the meantime I still want to have places to hang out lol.
I feel you. I also work in English and most of my friends speak English, so there isn’t really a lot of people I could speak German with. The only way I could is by talking to people who just don’t know anything else except German and is patient enough — and funnily enough it’s the older people :)
Ooh I live near an old folks home and I do always get to eavesdrop on their chitchat at the bus stop. They're like the only Germans who I hear having smalltalk ever lol... not sure I'm brave enough to start a conversation though, I'm too scared of Berliner Schnauze
The new citizenship law means I can get citizenship once it passes if I can get B1 certified and pass the test, though, so I think I might buckle down and pay for classes. I haven't taken formal classes since I was at school pre-pandemic and they'd be harder to avoid if I'm paying for them.
I am also not that brave in starting a conversation with others in German. The only thing I feel comfortable doing is making a side comment about something that affects people in groups, e.g., the bus being late or someone being obnoxious in public. 😂
The language is important in the citizenship process, so I definitely would recommend anything to move you further!
ngl I think the general no small talk nature of Germans can be nice in many situations, but it does not make it easier to pick up the language lol
Well, you gotta take the bitter with the sweet ;)
Bring enough cash for the first 2-4 weeks in case of weird ATM/CC shit. Otherwise hope you have family/friends who can Western Union you money.
Update any bank/CC accounts with your travel plans so the automated fraud detection doesn't instantly freeze your account.
Go all out on a nice carry on bag, and personal item bag. I am a fan of Chrome messenger bags (the big single strap over the shoulder ones), and the smaller Timbuk2 messenger hip bag. Keep small important shit in the smaller bag (passport, money, tablet, charging cables, etc. See next point though). Keep your laptop, degrees, an extra change of clothes, and a few toiletries in the larger one. If the airline bitches about the personal item bag... You should be able to cram it into the larger messenger bag.
A comfortable jacket with plenty of pockets is also good. It should have internal chest pockets that you can securely keep your money, passport, and phone in. I am a fan of the communist/biker 4 pocket overshirt style.
For checked baggage I really like military loadout bags. They have plenty of space, pockets, handles, shoulder strap, and backpack loops usually. Put clothes and anything you aren't worried about losing or getting thrown around in it.
If you are coming from the US set up a Charles Schwab bank/investing account. They are pretty much the best for expats if you aren't loaded (otherwise... HSBC if you have 250k lying around?). They refund foreign ATM transaction fees. You can also stick your money into ETFs or a money market account (reasonably liquid), so if your card is stolen, that money is mostly untouchable, only the money in your checking account is at risk. If you have 25k USD to throw around, you can open an international account at Schwab without being a US citizen.
Setup a Wise (TransferWise) account.
Maybe even Coinbase if you are into that.edit: ~DanBC said this can get your UK account frozen + fraud investigation.Update your addresses on anything to a family member's house, or look for a mail forwarding service.
Get a VPN that has a server in your home country (Mullvad is cheap and good, Astrill is expensive and much better).
Do not pay for international roaming/data, get a data SIM ASAP in the UK.
Bring a few months worth of your favorite toiletries (or more if it's deodorant!)
Bring a years worth of your favorite socks and underwear.
Bring two pairs of your favorite shoes of each type.
Source: Living abroad, and moving between 5 countries over the past 10+ years. Most of that done with just the three pieces of luggage I mentioned above.
Amazing comprehensive answer, thank you! As a follow-up, what amount of clothes do you tend to bring with you? I'll be over there for 2 years (or potentially 3 depending on whether the youth mobility scheme includes an opportunity for existing visa holders to extend by one year).
Just to reiterate one of the guy's points - there will be some things you may not be able to get or easily get there. Think of any product you use day to day and try and Google search "where can I find ___" or 'wcif'. If you get search result hits and no one has a good answer, stock up on it. Also use a note-taking app and keep a "stuff I need to buy when I go home" list so you can always try again. At least going from (maybe) north America to the UK you probably won't have that problem but don't take it for granted.
Thank you!
Fair warning, I tend to fall into the weird Steve Jobs/Zuckerberg end of fashion (or lack thereof) and tend to stick to pretty basic samey clothes.
Since you are going to the UK sizes shouldn't be an issue, so you could always plan on buying anything you feel is missing there. Although I would expect prices to be higher than in Australia, maybe?
As a very rough estimate, for jeans and shorts I would bring three of each, +1 extra of each that you don't wear until one of the initial three is too worn out to wear anymore (this is also the reasoning behind two pairs of each shoe type you like in the original list, shoes can be harder to find, or just stupidly more expensive for no reason).
For work pants (trousers? dress pants? fancy pants!?), 3-5 (+1 backup as with jeans and shorts) depending on how frequently you do laundry, and how much you care about social stigma ("why does this dude wear the same pants every day?"). Again, in the UK you should be able to find more clothes easily if you didn't bring enough. I honestly tend to just buy multiples of the same same slate grey dress pants + one pair in black, and wear different shirts with them. Black is too hot in hot climates, white just gets dirty instantly, so grey is a good compromise (not really relevant to the UK though).
For shirts, whatever you want really. Enough dress shirts to get by, tshirts, long sleeve tees, whatever. Tshirts are super lightweight, so you can bring as many as you want, but remember you will also probably buy quite a few as souvenirs. I would personally recommend bringing some polo/soccer/rugby/sporty shirts that also look acceptable tucked in to dress pants, as you can wear these to more casual events, but still look vaguely like you give a shit. They are also extremely useful on hot days when you don't want to wear a collared shirt.
For jackets 2-3x, basically light weight, medium, and heavy. One of these you wear on the plane with you, so you really only need space in your luggage for 1-2. The lightweight one could even just be a hoody. Don't go out and buy a giant Canada Goose jacket though, it's a waste of money and space.
Bring lots of socks and underwear, unless they are brands that are common and easy to find.
Finally, consider any fitness clothing you might need if you are into that.
Anything too "cumbersome" you can also just wear on the plane to save space in your luggage. I usually wear a jacket, bring a hoodie (can be worn under the jacket), and wear my heaviest shoes on the plane.
UK banks will freeze your account and run a fraud investigation if they think you're trading crypto-currency, so be careful about linking accounts or transferring anything crypto related into your UK bank account.
Wow, did not know that. Usually it's US passports that cause problems with crypto/weird escrow sites (like AliPay <-> BTC).
As someone who travels decently often and is a communist, could I hear more about this communist/biker style jacket you recommend? I don't have much fashion sense so I'd appreciate a point in the right direction
It's just an overshirt in US terms.
Original Communist Version: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_suit
Fancy rando fashion from Google: https://www.thesportinglodge.co.uk/product/rrl-by-ralph-lauren-thacker-pocket-overshirt-dark-grey/
Motorcycle Gear Version: https://www.revitsport.com/en/motorcycle-riding-shirts-worker-2-dark-camel
ooh those look snazzy and comfortable, thanks!
No worries, glad it helped.
It's kinda corny and also can apply to almost everything in life, but when I moved abroad alone for the first time temporarily, the best advice I would give my past self: don't be scared, try new things and leave the comfort zone.
Just meet new people and try everything out, even if you don't expect you like it. One of my favorite memories from this period is sitting in a karaoke (I hate singing), drinking and partying (I generally don't like either) with complete strangers that I met a few hours before (very atypical as well, lol) and not taking the last subway home and being stuck there till 6am.
It's great for your personal growth and you might discover things that you'll like that you never thought possible!
I very much have all that on my mind, since the last place I lived in Sydney culminated in a tribunal hearing, with us trying to get our bond back from a realo who wanted to charge us for carpet damage. But I'll probably just be looking to move into an existing share house, for both price and convenience, and ime that's a bit easier with everything.
Having moved to another country myself, it's tempting to attempt to mentally mold the country to your perception of what your new home should be. The point is there is no should.
This can be anywhere from things like shopping hours, driving laws, speech patterns, to urban planning. Maybe there's a bit of history to a local behavior or custom, which sounds like a good chance to ask a few friendly locals about.
I've been in that spot and the temptation to compare is real. This thing should be like this. Why is this thing not the same as back in the country I left from? Why are they doing it this way? It ends with mental anguish and not being able to integrate to local life as quickly as you'd want it to be.
Keep an open mind. Drop preconceptions, accept things as they come until they're understood.
A bit off-topic, but I feel that this mindset is very applicable to all facets of life. It's a very "zen" way to look at things; just take them as they come.
This is great advice. I've lived in a few different places that would be considered quite culturally distant than where I'm from.
I've also seen too many people fall into this trap of constant comparison. This is no way to live one's life.
Something that we should all heed. But especially when living abroad.
Cultural more than practical advice: If you’ve never spent much time in the UK, something that takes Americans/Canadians by surprise — the meaner your friends/colleagues are to you, the more they like you. It’s a sign of comfort and bonding. This does not apply outside of work and social spaces, but relentless teasing and douchebaggery, even in white collar jobs/middle class friendship groups, is a way of life.
You must respond in kind or risk being thought of as an outsider.
I made a move in the opposite direction and needless to say, it was an adjustment.
Oh, and - visit Scotland. Take a week off and drive around the Highlands. Those mountains used to be the size of the Himalayas. It’s good for perspective.
Depending on whether there'll be currency exchange issues, or how much money you'll need to move around, I would consider opening an account on https://wise.com or a similar place. That way you'll pay fewer exchange fees, you can get a debit card that works in any currency once again with very low fees, and transfer money easily from one place to another (and you can simply change your residency status there without the need to open a new account once you move).
Thanks, yeah I've heard about Wise and I've also been recommended Monzo, although I haven't really looked into either of their details yet. I'll definitely have money to move about since I'll be casually working for my current companies remotely, and they'll be paying me in AUD.
I can wholeheartedly recommend Monzo, its fantastic at general personal finance, and has no exchange rate fees, and in my experience they have excellent (100% online) customer service
How early did you set it up, before you got to the new country, or after?
It was a long time ago, but I registered online using their App and then the card was delivered to me literally the next day. I did a verification on the app and I was manually approved within the hour
There will be things you cannot get that will surprise you, so stock up so you aren't suddenly left hanging in need for an adequate substitute.
I've moved country four times, and each time there's things that I am shocked to discover are not universally available: particular examples are deodorant that isn't a spray, or benadryl outside of the US, or Dorflex outside of Brazil.
My new normal is to think about all the things I use in a day that I absolutely cannot live without. Mostly this ends up being a list of hygiene tools as I'm pretty flexible about the rest, and then stocking up to a ridiculous degree before moving so I don't get caught in the lurch. (I think I brought something like six 1000-unit boxes of cotton swabs when we moved to Japan.)
There's lots of good advice already in the thread so I won't repeat it. Maybe just to add having a look at meetup.com if you want to find expat groups or groups of people interested in the same hobbies as you. It's a good starting point for meeting people in a new place. Also, I know a lot of people say don't mix work with pleasure, but if you're moving for work, once you feel comfortable enough, don't hesitate to ask your colleagues for tips and advice, especially other expats. Most people are happy to oblige. Some of my work colleagues have become lasting friends but ymmv.
Don't be surprised if you suddenly feel very homesick once the excitement has faded a bit. No matter how many times I've moved I was bound to get homesick at some point (usually the 6 month mark for me). You'll get through it, but be mindful of your mental health during this time, and don't forget to practice self care!
I've moved around quite a bit since I was young and lived in London for a bit (pre-brexit). I enjoyed living there, I felt like everything was so accessible. If I was looking for something, be it a specific type of club, a restaurant featuring food from an obscure country, or exploring something different and new, London had it all. I also appreciated that people would just let you be. You might look or be different, but people don't really care. I don't know how much that has changed post-brexit, but I have fond memories of the place and it's one of the few countries I'd go back and live. I hope you enjoy it!
I'm glad to hear those aspects haven't changed! Maybe I'll find myself living there again someday :)
It will be difficult to set up a bank account, so find out how to do that. (I think but I'm not sure that there's a catch 22 of you needing ID with your address to set up your bank account, but most of the ID that the bank asks for will be utility companies, and you cannot open your utility company account without a bank account. Or maybe the banks want a 3 month / 6 month history of being in the UK?)
Healthcare: Anyone can access GP care and Emergency Department treatment for free. Access to the rest of the NHS is based on being "ordinarily resident" (a simplification of this is "do you live here, legally, for a purpose". here's a tool to check Once you're ordinarily resident you get access to all of it. If you're admitted to hospital people might ask if you live here - make sure you tell them that you do live here, you're not on holiday. Be aware that at the moment the NHS is under huge pressure, so waits might be a bit longer. But you'll want to look around and register with a GP, and that's how you access much of your health care. Some services (are self referral, so it's good to check). Here's some useful advice from the NHS to overseas visitors (you're not one of these!) and people new to the UK: How to use the NHS
Lots of UK housing stock is old and poorly insulated. Avoid places with night storage heating. Look for somewhere with a gas combi boiler or better. Very few domestic homes have aircon. You could well be very cold in winter and boiling hot in summer.
Make sure you have an assured shorthold tenancy. This gives you better legal protections than some other tenancies.
Take photographs of the gas and electricity meter (and water meter if you have one) on the day that you move in. Check the prices of the companies that you're connected to. Many people get gas and electricity from the same company. You are allowed to switch to a different company, the landlord cannot stop you, but you might need to switch back when you leave. You'll want to compare the daily standing order charges and the unit pricing. There are many price comparison websites. You can't change your water company, but you could ask for a water meter.
Go through the inventory. KEEP A COPY of the inventory. Take copious photographs of the things that are in the inventory and their condition, but also any damage not in the inventory. Make sure the landlord / agency know about that damage.
London is big and busy and exciting. There's a huge range of food and activity and art and everything. If it gets a bit overwhelming there are trains out of London taking you to nature. Getting to places from London by train is pretty easy. Book seats if you can. Public transport outside London is good, but not nearly as good as London's transport. Please do take the opportunity to travel around the UK, London is great but there's a lot of different places to visit.
Lots of British people drink alcohol, and drink a lot of alcohol. It can take some people by surprise. This is split between people who binge drink on a night out, and people who just drink "modest amounts" but every day. (I was chatting to someone who said they didn't drink much, a couple of drinks per week, and that meant that they drank at least three bottles of wine every week.)
Welcome to the UK! I really hope you enjoy your time here!!
You've received a lot of really good tips already, but I wanted to add one more. I moved from the UK to a country in the EU and I made a firm pact with myself that I would stay, no matter how bad it got (loneliness, cultural differences, bureaucracy etc) for 12 months.
I've lived here for 17 years now, but the first 3 to 6 months were very difficult getting financially settled - there are so many unforseen costs when moving. But, I kept going back to the pact and was determined to see it though. It has been the most difficult, yet most rewarding thing I think I've ever done.
Do you happen to have a list of those unforeseen costs somewhere? It would be very helpful to know what to expect, because I'm moving relatively soon. Both my origin country and my target country are Schengen zone countries, but still.
I'll list out what I remember - but it was a while ago :)
All in all it was a massive learning experience and with everything I've learned, I'd never accept a relocation from a company again without going through everything with a fine tooth comb! However, I would never go back and undo it. I've grown so much since and a lot of that was learning to deal with things and get help/resources in a foreign country.
It was my own excitement and blindness that caused a lot of the stress but, as they say, you live and learn :).
Thank you a lot for the reply!
Haha, I actually had a friend tell me (about London specifically), "You'll love it for the first month, and then hate it for the next six. Twelve months in you'll either like it again or still hate it - don't decide before then."
Good advice for many big adjustments in life I think.
if you are looking for unique places to visit, i recommend this website https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/london-england
it's a list of weird and fun places outside of your usual tourist destinations.
Triple check that you’ve changed all of your two factor authentication before you cancel your old phone number. Pay as you go plans are cheap at Tesco (you’ll have trouble getting a long term anything (phone, internet, car loan) since you have absolutely no credit history. Most of the time you can use your UK phone for 2FA, but some require a US phone number that can use short codes. Without that, you might be unable to access your accounts online.
Looking at you, capital one who bought out my REI credit card. Now I have to check the balance by phone.