5 Things To Know When Moving To A New Country

The first and most important problem to be solved when changing countries is having your own place. There are few things that offer you as much comfort as sleeping in your own bed or using your own bathroom, so make sure you won't have to miss them too much.

Make sure you find a place before arriving there! Especially if you are on a limited budget and don't want to spend too much money on hostels/hotels. The internet is your friend. Almost all real estate agencies have web sites nowadays and there are tons of portals with accommodation offers for each city or country region. Facebook can help as well with many open groups in which people offer places for rent.

A tip for saving cash when arriving in a new place is knowing from where to shop, especially if the currency is different from the one you used at home. Big well known hypermarket chains can help you play it safe, but often what applies back home does not work somewhere else.

A simple internet search can help you with that or make sure to ask around when you get there. The safest approach is to just go along with the wave and buy what the locals buy.

Before leaving make sure to get some ideas of how is life in your future country as some may encounter something called a cultural shock. Document yourself on how people act, what is their attitude towards foreigners and what is their typical day like. For example northern Europeans are calm, well mannered and say what's on their mind regardless of what others might think, while southern Europeans are louder and have that "sangre caliente" attitude.

There is no better way of taking full advantage of the new experience than just going out. Either if you have or not friends there yet the best thing to do is just not to stay inside. Going for a walk, visiting or even clubbing will provide the best insight on how people are, what to do where and how things run. Take full advantage of the new experience before work or school starts filling up your schedule.

The last thing you want to have problems with is the legal system. Make sure you apply for your residency, yellow card or any other required document as soon as possible, as they will be needed on a daily basis. Most countries offer free medical support or other services for residents only, so in case of an emergency you might as well save some money instead on spending them of hospital bills.

Get informed on taxes that you have to pay for some countries might have very different legal systems compared to the one that you are used to. For example Denmark has many taxes that I never heard of in my own country, like the one called "media tax" which every person that has a tv or an internet connection has to pay.

I hope these five tips will save you some trouble and make your new experience so much better! Have fun!