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Planning Travel To Portugal

Most travellers will choose to fly direct to one of the country’s three major international airports: Lisbon, Porto and Faro. When planning to buy or sell property in Portugal, proximity to one of these can adversely or favourably affect the price. Any location within an hour’s drive is usually an acceptable distance – beyond that,...

Get Access To A British GP Without Returning To The UK

Access to healthcare is a one of the uncertainties for British expats living in other EU countries, particularly if there is a no deal Brexit. GP On Demand can give expats access to British qualified GPs to get the health advice they need. Written exclusively for Expat Network by Paul Barry, Managing Director of GP...

Healthcare For Expats In Russia

Life in Russia is undoubtedly a unique experience for most expats. Russia is a distinctive country with a history strongly shaped by socialism – which, among many other things, has led to a healthcare system that provides a complete range of state-funded free medical services. But is this really as good as it sounds? Can...

Moving Abroad Checklist

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.