Expat family - how to start your new adventure?

Choosing the right school and time to move

Chances are that you are not travelling abroad alone to work as an expat. Taking your family into account along the way is of major importance. Are there children going with you, then you must make sure that they have the opportunity to get education while living abroad. It’s better to sort out all regulations beforehand, to choose a local school or an international school where classes are thought in English. You can also opt for home schooling, however there are better ways to immerse your children in their expat country. Instead, we would recommend to hand them opportunities to get to know other children for instance in class or by signing them up for hobbies or sports classes if they are interested. 

Moving abroad during school holidays may sound attractive, but it could provoke loneliness for your children since they do not know anyone on arrival and it could be harder to get in touch with other children since they are spending more time in their new home. It could be hard to move to a foreign country and to go to school in a new place right away, but it is the best way to adapt to the new situation.

Tips for making everyone comfortable

Besides the practical aspect of expat life, there are a few things you can do beforehand to help your family to understand this new exciting but scary situation: 

• Make room for discussion and be ready to answer questions, especially from your children. 
• Try to understand the country you are moving to, it will help your family too. 
• Assume nothing, especially with young children. Prepare for explaining a lot. Young children do not understand time or distance, nor other cultures, so there will be questions. 
• Wait at least a few months before visiting your home country again, since seeing friends and family again could make things harder for your family, especially if you have to go back to your expat country very soon. 

Make sure your children feel comfortable along this adventure and furthermore; don’t worry about adapting since children adapt very quickly, they are open to learning new things and they are very fast in learning a foreign language through daily life.

Building a new life in a foreign country comes with tension and tons of emotions, but by arranging as much as possible in advance and by diving deep into local regulations and obligations, you will have everything going according to plan.

Try to make your home away from home as pleasant as possible and enjoy these new surroundings, new culture, meeting new people and just enjoy the expat adventure!

Tips to make everyone feel at home

Here are a few things you can do to make your family and yourself feel at home in a foreign country:

• Be socially connected: It may ask for some effort but try to be social in every possible situation, for instance by having a chat at the grocery store, by inviting the neighbours over or when bringing your kids to school. 
• Be open to this new culture, try local food, get to know the city and the people by doing what locals do in your new home town. 
• Study the language, it will help you to connect with local people. You might want to sign up for language classes, which is a great way to make new friends as well. 
• Find out if there are any expat Facebook groups or local Facebook groups at your destination. Besides that you can download a few apps designed to meet new people, like 'Meetup'. 

Life as an expat could be quite challenging, but by being patient and trying your best to be connected to your new environment, you will soon enjoy your new neighbourhood and the culture in your expat country. Making your move succeed depends a lot on your involvement and attitude, building a social network is the first step. 

You accepted a (temporary) job offer abroad, congratulations. Your first step to being an expat is completed. Now it is time to start arranging a few things in order for your depart. Think of a (temporary) residence permit, a work permit, a visum or work visum and a valid passport for you, your partner and your children.

Start on time

Applying for all those obligations right on time is recommended to prevent unnecessary stress and arrangements before leaving your home country. Make sure you are updated on all regulations in your destination country since no country is the same. You can contact the embassy of the country you are moving to in your home country before leaving. They will most likely be able to provide you with all necessary details and requirements for your expat adventure.

Check the visa en work permit requirements

Most countries provide all kinds of visas or travel documents, depending on the amount of time you will be spending there, what you and your family will be doing and so on. Think of temporary visas, work visas, student visas, visas for temporary workers etcetera. Make sure to apply for a work permit as most countries require so for expats or for family members of expats as well. 

Visa application processes can take time, so we recommend to complete your applications at least six months in advance, as soon as you are updated about which kind of visa or permit is necessary for the country you are (temporary) moving to. 

Always check the expiration date of your visa as well to make sure it covers your whole stay as an expat or to renew it in time. In some countries, you can apply for citizenship as an expat too, which is something to keep in mind when deciding to go on an expat adventure.

Other, important documents you might need

(Whether to apply for a visa or permit or to move as an expat);

• Passport and visa
• Drivers license
• Health insurance card
• Birth certificates
• Medical records
• Marriage certificates
• International insurance card
• Social security cards

Providing a copy of all these important documents before leaving the country could be useful anytime, so this is highly recommended.

In order to make your expat adventure as pleasant as possible you should arrange appropriate housing for your family beforehand. Most expats abroad choose for renting a house, because often their stay is only temporary.

Furnishing your new home: buying or renting?

Partly because of the temporary aspect of being an expat, buying new furniture and electronic devices might not be the most efficient and financially interesting solution. Looking for a fully equipped or furnished apartment or house could be the more interesting choice in many cases. However there are some disadvantages associated with a fully equipped apartment; First of all it is really hard to evaluate from a distance in what state the apartment is and if it meets the quality standards you would expect. Besides that, there is in general a high demand for furnished apartments and for this reason it might be rather hard to find one, especially outside of the bigger cities. Fully furnished apartments come with a higher rental cost as well and additionally the choice of which kind of furniture and its style is not yours. 

Advantages of furniture rental

Although you might not be very familiar with renting furniture, it could be a great solution for furnishing a temporary home. It allows you to choose a furniture package that matches your style and taste, it prevents the need of buying lots of new furniture and electronic devices to cover just a few months or years and it allows you to look for accommodations to rent that are non-furnished. 

Furthermore, renting furniture is a cost-efficient and sustainable solution for expats with tons of advantages:

• Renting furniture is the perfect temporary solution to make you feel at home elsewhere. 
• It is a sustainable way of furnishing your house, since furnishment could be re-used several times.
• It offers flexibility since there are different packages available and even customized solutions if necessary. 
• Furniture packages are available in different styles. Also electronical devices are rentable.
• Renting furniture offers you the opportunity of enjoying quality products without having to spent a fortune.