Overseas Travel Tips: How to Prepare to Become an Expat

The moment has finally come—by the time you are reading this, the universe must have cleared the way, and you’ve received a “go signal” to become an expatriate. First things first, congratulations! We bet you’re excited to start on this new chapter, and you can’t wait to see what’s in store for you and your family abroad.

But before you get packing, you should be adequately prepared. Preps for the expat life should begin well before you say goodbye to your home country and step on the plane. Once your decision is more or less set in stone, we suggest you work on the following: your paper trail, your insurance plans, and the routines to be fulfilled in your new home.
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Here are our six essential overseas travel tips to get you started on the expat life!

1. Organize your visa, passport, and the like. Of utmost priority is organizing all the relevant paperwork for moving abroad. Obtain the type of visa you need, renew your passport, and advance copies of your employment contract and certifications to your new workplace. Make sure to scan and store backup copies of all these documents for yourself in case anything untoward happens.
   
   
2. Enroll in an international health insurance program. Another arrangement that should be of priority is your health insurance plan. Before you move, enroll in an international health insurance program like that of Now Health International—so that you can benefit from the inclusive coverage and the high standard of service delivery. This will ensure that wherever you are in the world, you and your loved ones can be at their happiest and healthiest.
   
   
3. Secure all your financial assets. Start making decisions pertaining to your assets in your home country, and what the status of these will be once you move abroad. If you anticipate being away for a set period of time, you might want to hold on to your house and properties; if you plan to settle down permanently in your new host country, perhaps it’s a better idea to sell them. Regardless, these will be the basis of expat taxes you will be paying while abroad.
   
   
4. Try to start figuring out a new everyday routine. Prepare yourself for your new home life as early in advance as possible. You can search online about where to take public transport, where you can do your groceries, where you can obtain potable water, and where you can have your laundry done. Also, take the time to learn at least the basics of the local language, as there’s a chance that English is not as widely spoken there.
   
   
5. Reach out to the local expat community beforehand. It’s a wise idea to contact any friends and family members living in your new host country—or better yet, to make new friends among fellow expats. Join a local club or chapter of fellow nationals, and get the best tips from them about how to navigate life in the local community.
   
   
6. Talk things over with your loved ones. If your family members will be going with you on this new journey, make sure that all of you are emotionally prepared. Feel free to speak about any problems that you might encounter along the way, such as culture shock and homesickness. The expat life has its growing pains, and moving abroad can inspire feelings of anxiety as well as of excitement. Encourage your family members to talk about how they feel and confront the hard questions. Above all, reassure them that wherever you will be going together, you will be “at home.”

​That said, expat life will be amazing. Get ready for the many surprises in store in your new home country, and we wish you a safe trip!