Exotic places to relocate from the US

The US is indeed a very big country. It is also home to people who have been living there their whole lives. However, no matter how big it is, it is still just one of the many places on Earth. A lot of US citizens are willing to leave the country, explore, and enjoy a new life in a new country. While this is one of the reasons, some people move abroad for work, education, etc. If you’ve been living in the US your whole life, you might want to move somewhere more exotic with the help of overseas movers and experience something completely different. So, let’s take a look at some exotic places to relocate from the US.

What to do before moving abroad?

Before we jump into the talk about exotic places to relocate from the US, there are things you should know about moving abroad. While it’s not too complicated, it’s not as easy as it may seem. Packing your bags and buying a ticket is one thing – while moving to another country is something completely different. Here are some important things to do before you move abroad:

• Start saving money as soon as possible
• Apply for a passport or renew the already existing one
• Apply for a visa
• Do your research
• Keep health care in mind
• Create copies of valuable documents

  

Start saving money as soon as possible

It is no secret that moving can be pretty expensive. Especially if you are moving out of the country. This is because moving abroad doesn’t only include hiring moving overseas companies. It also includes things like housing deposits, visa documents, insurance and potentially hiring a lawyer if you are in need of some extra help. Therefore, this is the reason why having savings planned especially for this purpose will come in handy. You should do research about the cost of living in the country you plan on moving to. That way you can create your moving budget and set a weekly or monthly goal for saving money. 

Apply for a passport or renew the already existing one

One of the most important things you need to have with you when traveling and especially if you are moving to a new country – is a valid passport. Before moving somewhere, you need to check if there are any special requirements regarding this matter. Why? Because some countries have a requirement of having a valid passport for at least six months beyond your final travel date.

However, not all countries have this requirement. This opens another question. What should you do if your passport expires while you are still abroad? There is a solution to every problem so there is one for this problem as well. If this happens to you, all you need to do is go to the local US Embassy and simply renew your passport. 

Apply for a visa

Something even more important than a passport is a visa. If you’ve ever spent a long time abroad – you know how nerve-racking getting a visa is. You also need to be really careful because they are can deny your application for many reasons. One of them can be that you haven’t done your research well on getting all the documents you need. This is the reason why you shouldn’t take this lightly.

When applying for a visa, make sure to check everything you need. How can you check this? Go to the website of the county you want to move to and see all the supporting documents you’ll need for your application. This is one of the ways to make sure you are on the right track and not missing anything important. Another tip for getting documents for your visa – start on time. And when we say on time – we mean as soon as possible. You might not need as much time as you think, but starting early can only be an advantage. If you choose to do this last-minute, you are raising your chances of missing something. 

Do your research

You’ve probably spent quite some time in the country you want to move to and are most likely very familiar with it. However, there are probably a lot of things you don’t know, whether you are moving from USA to Belgium or somewhere else. Some of them might be really important. This is why you need to do good research no matter how well you think you know the country.

Culture

One of the aspects you need to know a lot about is culture. No matter what country you are moving to, every single one has a culture of its own. There is a variety of customs you might not know about. Why is it so important to know this? If you are not informed about the country’s culture, you might end up doing things that are not socially acceptable. Some of them may even be illegal so it can get you into a lot of trouble. 

Transporting your belongings

When it comes to the transportation of your belongings, you have three options. You can transport them, store them or sell them and buy new ones. When it comes to transporting and storing belongings, it can get pretty expensive. This is why you may want to consider other options too. You can calculate how much every one of these options would cost you and choose the best one. If you are doing a more permanent move – it may be best to sell your things and buy new ones after you’ve settled down. But before you do that, check where you can buy all those things near your new location. 

This advice mainly applies to shipping very large items like big furniture because it’s not as easy as moving boxes overseas. Not only that it’s expensive, but it also takes ages to arrive. If something is of high emotional value you should think about transporting it. Otherwise – we don’t recommend it.

Keep healthcare in mind

Healthcare can be slightly or significantly different in some countries compared to one in the US. It is also possible that your access to the healthcare system of the country you have moved to depends on what kind of visa you hold. You can check with your current healthcare provider if they will cover your healthcare expenses while you are abroad. While you are checking that, make sure to see if there are any necessary immunizations you need to take depending on what country you are moving to.

One more important thing to think about is medication. You should check if your prescription medication is available in the country you are moving to, and if yes, how accessible it is. Otherwise, make sure to bring some additional supplies of that medication with you until you figure out how to solve this problem. 

Create copies of valuable documents

Before your move, make sure to create copies of your valuable documents. This includes your:

• passport
• driving license
• personal ID
• birth certificate

 These extra copies will be very useful for residency appointments. If you are someone who likes to store these things online without having to carry the papers around in fear that you will lose them – there is an option for that too. But be careful, make sure to use safe websites with two-factor authentication so your information and identity are not exposed since the internet can be a dangerous place.

What are some exotic places to relocate from the US?

Now that you are well prepared, we can talk about some exotic destinations for your move! When people want to move to change things up a bit, they usually look for some destinations that are a lot different from where they were previously living in the US. It’s something like a breath of fresh air – a new environment, people, activities, culture. All of these can improve your lifestyle if you choose the right destination for yourself and your family. 

Portugal

Portugal will be the first place on our list of exotic places to relocate from the US. We have some really good reasons for that. Portugal is known for mixing old tradition with modern inventions – which in this case works perfectly well! Therefore, it has its own unique charm. It is located in southwest Europe near the Atlantic ocean.

Why is moving to Portugal from US a good idea? To start off, we’ll say that it’s considered to be one of the safest countries in the world and is also highly developed. Another reason people choose to move to Portugal is its amazing weather. You’ll be able to enjoy sunny weather all year long and visiting the beautiful nature and monuments of this country will be always possible. What’s more, locals of Portugal are also very welcoming towards people that are new to living in this country. They are very straightforward and easy-going, so you don’t have to worry about fitting in at all! 

If you are someone who’s moving with your family, Portugal will be a great place for you. It is ranked as one of the best countries to raise a family according to the Family Life Index.

New Zealand

Surprisingly enough, New Zealand and the US are quite similar in many aspects – both have amazing nature, residents are mostly English speakers and people are easy to get along with. However, the reason you might want to move to New Zealand is that it is a much quieter place to live in. This is the main reason why it is on our list of exotic places to relocate from the US. People in New Zealand also know how to properly balance their work and personal life, so it will have a great effect on you too. It’s true that people in New Zealand are hard workers, but even in the largest cities, you won’t be far from a nice relaxing beach or a national park where you can enjoy your own peace. This is why you might like moving to New Zealand from US.

When it comes to politics, Kiwis(people from New Zealand) are much calmer and more democratic. New Zealand is located far away from many serious political problems going on in the world. However, they are always informed about it and try to make the world a better place by actively voting and peacefully debating. 

Luxembourg

Luxembourg is another country on our list of exotic places to relocate from the US. Something you’ll like the most about this country is that expats don’t face any restrictions when they want to buy a home in Luxembourg. This is why buying a home is a better option than renting one if you are permanently moving here.

When it comes to buying groceries, they can be very expensive. However, a lot of Luxembourg citizens take shorter car rides to neighboring countries to get groceries. That’s another benefit of living in Luxembourg. You can easily travel out of the country since everything is so close!

You don’t own a car? That’s certainly not a problem, Luxembourg is the first country in the world to have completely free public transport! Traveling inside the country is the easiest thing here. It safes so much money for people who are going to work, school or just want to explore the country. Luxembourg is also known for relatively high salaries, so you will be able to save that money for something else without having to worry about your budget! This is why we highly recommend moving to Luxembourg from US.

Australia

The main reasons people choose to move to Australia are its well-established economy and one of the strongest and safest currencies in the world – the Australian dollar. But that’s not all. Compared to the US, Australia has way less air pollution and its citizens are highly environmentally conscious. This means they are taking better care of their environment and nature. Moving to Australia from USA means that if you choose to live in a city, you don’t have to worry as much about air pollution. The air is not as polluted in New Zealand’s cities and you don’t have to move to the countryside to have better air quality. This is the reason why Australia is on our list of exotic places to relocate from the US.