Moving abroad and entering a brand new culture can be extremely daunting, exciting and nerve-wracking. When you are making such a big change, the best thing you can do to calm your nerves is to make sure you are prepared in every way possible. Here are a few of the best tips to prepare you for your move and get you excited to begin your new life!

Make a Plan

Once you’ve made the big jump and decided you want to move, start planning. This is a huge decision and something you can’t just wing, so start looking at locations, houses, school districts, communities and make sure that you have a range of options to choose from. To begin with, just write down everything you may need to sort out before the move and you can order it later. You can then start to put things into categories and tick them off as you go. There are so many things to think about, so make sure you keep organised and start planning early.

Have Multiple Visits

Once you move somewhere, it’ll take a lot of time and effort to move back. So, plan multiple trips to your desired location to make sure you can picture yourself living there. You may visit somewhere for a week and fall in love, but you may go back a second time for longer and have a completely different opinion. Having a few trips will help you to make sure that you have a genuine feel for the people and the place, so you have a clear idea of what you’re stepping into. Perhaps visit at different times of the year so you get the full picture!

Create Contacts

One thing that many people worry about before moving is whether or not they will fit into the community. To make sure you can easily make friends, before you make the move you should try to connect with people online. Use simple social media such as Facebook or LinkedIn to talk to people, get to know what the area is like and begin making friends. When you arrive, you will feel all the more welcome seeing a friendly face who you have started to get to know. Maybe even plan your first dinner party before you get there! You will settle in much quicker and your new life can begin straight away.

Cover the Important Bits

Following a lot of controversy this year, immigration has been a talking point. Due to complications surrounding Brexit, you need to make sure that you have all the important documents in place ready for when you move. You’ll need a valid passport, your visa or spouse visa if you’re moving with a partner, and be sure to set up any relevant insurance you’ll need. This can be complex, so your best option is to speak to a professional. There are many immigration lawyers London based, as well as around the rest of the country, so keep it simple and seek professional help.