expat network

Moving to New Zealand – What You Need to Know

So, you are moving to New Zealand!

Whether you are emigrating, taking a short term assignment or joining family in New Zealand we have put together the information you will need to make your move a smooth one.

How To Live Well As An Expatriate

There can be numerous advantages to moving to another country, from better financial prospects to fleeing a crisis. While there are potential advantages, there are also plenty of challenges facing expatriates living in a new country. Overcoming these challenges is essential to achieving your initial goals and a higher quality of life, and these…

6 Tips To Stay Healthy While Living Abroad

Expat life opens the door to a plethora of fresh adventures and exploration chances. It’s easy to overlook your health while relocating to your new home country and focusing solely on the present. Here we look at what you can do to ensure you stay healthy while living abroad. Learning about…

Health Insurance For Expats Doesn’t Have To Be Daunting

If you’re moving abroad, there’s a lot to think about. It can be a stressful process and one that requires a lot of time and energy – and that’s before you even arrive in your new country. Arranging healthcare might seem like another daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. …

5 Tips For Expats To Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle

Leaving your country to live in another one is a childhood dream for many. But when we actually shift to another country we realize what a challenge it is. Moving to a new country can open better opportunities for us and helps us grow bigger in terms of our professional capacity but living as…

7 Fitness Tips For Expats In A New Country

Moving to a new country is a challenging task. It means starting a new chapter in your life, changing your environment as well as your habits. While it’s a great way to broaden your views and explore new cultures, it also presents unique challenges. Everything is new and exciting, but also stressful. Additionally, you…

Wanting To Work As An Expat Partner? Do You Really Want To?

When your partner is offered a career enhancing opportunity abroad and you decide together to take the step, the family will enter a whole new phase in family life. If you are happy to leave your job behind and look forward to spending more time with the family and building a new life in the…

The Impact Of Giving Up Your Job To Become An Expat Partner

Not everyone outside the expat community responds positively when you talk about being an expat. Sometimes judgement is apparent; you can be seen as a spoiled, stay-at-home expat partner with no material needs or wants, spending lazy afternoons at the pool-side sipping cocktails with friends. This may or may not have been true many decades…

How To Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle As An Expat

Being an expat is both a challenge and a great experience. People who have been living abroad for many years have experienced countless adventures and have faced every opportunity for a better life. While these are just some of the positive impacts of living in another country, there are still considerations to reflect upon,…

7 Things You Should Know About Moving Overseas With A Pet

Moving overseas with a pet is an arduous task that requires a lot of forethought and planning. Most travelers leave their pet to a care facility to avoid all the hassles and loads of paperwork associated with bringing a pet abroad. However, parting ways can be a hard choice for people having a deep…

8 Essential Tips For A Stress-Free Family Move Overseas

You may have landed a job abroad, and you just want to settle in a different place. Regardless, moving overseas is a significant decision. That said, you should keep these tips in mind to ensure a stress-free family move overseas: 1. Check for Repairs When settling into a new home, especially overseas,…

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.