How to Move Abroad: 6 Different Ways
Do you want to move abroad? Well, I lived overseas for over seven years and I’m so excited you’re starting to research your next big life chapter!
These days, there are many ways you can live and work abroad and in this article I will share SIX options with you. I know you will find at least one option here that fits your life and your living overseas goals.
How to Move Abroad
#1 Move Abroad with an Employer
This is the way I lived abroad for seven years. The company my husband and I worked for had multiple offices globally. He saw some job openings in Angola and decided to try for it. The rest is history!
If you want to move abroad with a company, there are two ways to go about this.
1) In order to become an expat with your current employer, you need to focus on adding value. The more valuable you are to the company, the greater chance you will have to move abroad.
Your company wants to send employees abroad that are hard workers and can handle adversity well. They know moving to a new country, starting a new job and assimilating themselves and their family to a new country is not an easy task.
If you raise your hand to take all that on and do a good job for several years, you’re more likely to be promoted when you move back home. For many larger companies, expat assignments can be a way to look for future company leaders.
2) Look for employers that have company divisions and jobs overseas.
If you are working for a small company that doesn't have any global opportunities, you’re going to need to search for a large company that has offices globally.
This may not be as difficult as you think. Most large companies have a footprint in many countries. After you’ve worked in the headquarters location for a few years (and you’ve made yourself valuable to the company) then start seeking out global positions.
Tell your boss you’re interested in applying the skills you’ve learned in one of their global divisions. Tell them you want to improve your mentoring skills. Most global expats are expected to help mentor local less skilled or newer staff.
#2 Seek Overseas Positions
If you want to move abroad quickly with a company, then seek global positions online. When we moved to Angola, I searched LinkedIn for available HR opportunities. To my surprise there were many listed and I had several interviews lined up for when we arrived in Luanda.
As someone that’s always looking to live globally, I’ve seen HR jobs that look interesting in foreign locations such as Mexico, Venezuela, Anderdeen, etc.
If this is your plan, be sure to read the job descriptions/qualifications carefully. Sometimes there will be a language requirement. And other times, they will specifically say if you need to hold a passport or visa for that country already (i.e. they aren’t open for expats - locals only).
When you find a job you’re interested in and you qualify, go ahead and take a shot at applying. You’d be surprised at how few people will apply to overseas jobs because they assume they are not qualified.
#3 Work Remotely and Live Anywhere
The pandemic seems to have opened this one wide open for a lot of us. After working remotely for years, a lot of companies are realizing it’s totally possible for their workforce to work remotely and still be successful, if not more productive than before.
I think this is a great way to live abroad and keep your current job. And when you arrive in your new country, you don’t have to worry about making money since you already have a job!
Another perk is that you will be paid in your home currency. So for many of you reading this, that is American Dollars. And dollars or euros will get you much further in different countries.
When I lived in Argentina, you could buy a very nice steak dinner with 3 courses and wine for about $80. Well, that same meal in the US would easily cost twice as much.
Depending on where you decide to live, you may find your salary increases your purchasing power greatly.
*In 2022, it’s probably easier to find a remote job and work from any country you wish than to find an employer that offers expatriate jobs.*
One thing to remember is that you will need remote equipment - including a laptop. There are some employers out there that will call the job “remote” and then only provide a desktop computer. If you plan to move around or want to work outside of your home office, then be sure you are confirming the work equipment you’ll receive before you sign an offer letter.
Another thing you need to consider is time zones. If your work team is in the USA, then it would be best for you to live in a country within the same time zones or as close to it as possible. The best locations would probably be Central and South American countries.
Of course you can live anywhere, but be prepared to be working weird hours if you live in India and your employer is based in Los Angeles!
#4 Teach English
This option may not seem as glamorous but I have met several people that have learned to travel the world by teaching English. Most countries offer programs like this, however try to focus on smaller more remote countries as they need the most help with English because less of their population will speak it. For example, consider looking into Morocco versus Germany.
I’ve heard that many of these English teaching companies will pay you a small salary plus pay for your accommodations. So it’s clearly a great way to be able to live abroad and minimize your living expenses.
You may also be on a school schedule. Meaning you will have holidays and summers off. You can use this time to visit home or even better, explore nearby countries. While I never thought I would be good at teaching, I can definitely see the allure of teaching abroad and having so much extra time to travel.
Teaching, but not necessarily English
When I lived in Luanda, there was an international school where most of the expats (and wealthy Angolans) sent their kids. And they were always looking for new teachers that were willing to move there and teach. In fact, the salaries were pretty good - so were the hiring bonus’. Let’s be honest, it takes a very adventurous person to move to Africa and teach.
Cities with a lot of company expats will have a need for teachers. Companies are willing to pay large school tuition fees for their employees to feel confident with the education their children are receiving abroad.
Consider looking for these opportunities in the Middle East or Africa.
#5 Mini Retirements
This trend seems to be here for good! Mini retirements are when you work and save extremely hard for a few years and then use that money to live off for a certain amount of time while you travel.
For example, let’s say you have a super high savings rate for 5 years and save up $12,000. Folks practicing mini retirements will take this $12,000 and plan a 1 year hiatus trip around Asia, Europe, Africa, wherever!
However, this may be tricker for some to pull off with their employer. If you’re interested in taking this route, it may mean you’ll have to quit your job and then look for a new one when you go back home. But if you’re lucky enough to have an employer that’s willing to give you an extended leave of absence then I say - go for it!
My brother did this twice in his 20’s. I admire him so much because he saved his money super intensely and then had the guts to quit his job and travel Europe for 6 months. I’m sure he was nervous to do it but the experiences he had on that trip will serve him well and last him a lifetime. Plus, he found a great job when he moved back to the US.
The mini retirement option is especially good for those of you that have yet to be tied down with many responsibilities such as a mortgage or children. It’s much easier to break your apartment lease (or wait until the lease is up) and move abroad. But if you have a family to feed or a mortgage to pay monthly you may be less inclined to take the risk of quitting your job and moving abroad for a year.
#6 Retirement
And the last way to move abroad I will discuss is retirement. It’s no secret the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement is huge right now. There are many people out there that live very minimally and save the majority of their salary. Once they’ve saved and invested $1 million they want to “retire” and live in a low cost of living location.
Well, there’s no way to get a lower cost of living than moving to a more remote country. Especially when your dollar or euro will provide you with more purchasing power. Rent in some countries may cost you half of what it does in the US, especially with rents skyrocketing.
I think this is an exciting option for some of you. If you’re willing to put in the hard work up front and save most of your money, you will be able to make your dream a reality. I suggest getting plugged into the FIRE community. They will give you so many ideas and keep you motivated on the hard days.
Speaking of motivation, that is exactly what you will need to find a way to move abroad and stay abroad when the challenging days come.
Moving abroad isn’t the “normal” thing to do. You will be the outlier among your friends. You will need to take different actions than them. But in doing so, your life will be so full and beautiful. And most importantly, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you had a dream, you worked hard to make that dream happen and then you lived your dream out.
Be sure to download my overseas packing checklist to help you pack all the essentials you’ll need abroad!
