If you are making the exciting leap to live in another country for a year, you will probably have lots of plans for how you are going to make the most of the experience.
Whether you are taking a sabbatical to travel to new places, are working abroad for a period or studying at an overseas education institution, the opportunity to try a new way of living is a life goal for many people.
Making plans for your time overseas will be a lot of fun but there are also some less exciting aspects to planning your trip. From arranging accommodation to making sure you have all the correct paperwork, getting prepared in advance will reduce the hassle and ensure you do not waste time working through things when you get there.
This checklist covers off some of the most important preparations for leaving the UK for a year abroad:
Travel Documents
The most important area to start preparing is travel documentation to ensure that you have all the documents required to enter and live in the country you are planning to stay in. These include:
- A valid passport – You will usually need your passport to have an expiry that ends after your planned return date. The rules around passport length requirements vary across different countries so you should check the specific requirements for the country you are travelling to. You may need to renew your existing passport to ensure it has the required validity length.
- A visa – You will need to arrange a visa based on the purpose of your travel, such as a working or student visa. Some countries have strict eligibility criteria for visas, so start your research as early as possible to understand whether you are likely to be granted a visa and what the application process involves. You can check the details on the official website for the consulate or embassy and you may need to attend a visa interview.
- Visa supporting documents – Depending on the visa type you apply for, you may need to provide supporting documents such as a letter confirming a job role, a study course acceptance letter and proof you have funds to cover your accommodation and living expenses while in the country.
Some countries may request that you provide apostilled documents for passports, visas and supporting documents. This is a way of legalising a document to show that it is an authentic document.
Accommodation
Once you know that you have the right travel documents to allow you to live in the country you are travelling to, you will be able to start looking at accommodation options. For students, you might already have the choice to stay in university accommodation or if you are relocating for work, your employer may provide corporate housing for the duration of your stay.
If you are arranging your own accommodation, it is better to start looking well in advance and making sure that you have any paperwork that you might need such as references from previous landlords or employers, to provide when you apply to rent a property.
Finances
Before you leave the UK, you will need to instruct banks, utility providers, memberships and any other organisations you use that you will be leaving the country. You may want to keep a UK bank account open until you return but to avoid paying overseas transaction fees, you will need to open a local bank account in the country you are going to live in.
You will also need to check any tax implications of moving abroad, especially if you will be earning income while you are abroad.
Healthcare
If you are going to be out of the UK for a whole year, you may need to use healthcare services, so you should check whether you need a Global Health Insurance Card or an alternative way to access local health services.
Find out how the healthcare system in the country works, as countries like the US require private medical insurance and not taking this out could result in large medical bills if you do need healthcare while you are away. Registering with a doctor and dentist before you travel is also recommended.
Gather Paperwork
You should take important documents such as your birth certificate, driving licence and copies of qualifications with you. Also, make sure you have all your passwords for accessing the digital platforms you will need to use while abroad.
These are some of the important but less exciting elements of preparing for living outside of the UK but once you have these sorted, you can get back to planning all the fun experiences you will be able to have in your new country.