The world is moving fast and there’s no telling what will happen next. If the global pandemic in 2020 & 2021 have taught us anything, it is if you are unhappy somewhere, then you’ve got to change it. In this blog on “How to Move Abroad during a Pandemic”, we’ve compiled 4 simple steps to help you move abroad sooner rather than later.
If you’ve been considering a big move abroad, then just do it! Life is too short to have regrets. In this blog post, we’ll discuss 4 simple steps to move abroad during a pandemic.
Move Abroad during a Pandemic: 4 Insanely Simple Steps
Commit to moving abroad
First, you must commit to moving abroad. Let’s face it; moving isn’t always easy. Set a timeline like 2 weeks or 6 months. Buy your tickets!
After that, you can build your timeline like how to get rid of the stuff you won’t take with you, getting your updated passport, contacting your physician for recent medical records, etc.
Convert your currency to the foreign currency for the best rate
The next step is planning how to import your currency so you’ll have enough foreign cash on hand when you move abroad. Depending on the country you’re traveling to and the current bank you work with in your home country, you could face high conversion rates. You may also run into issues getting a new bank account in your new country.
When we relocated to Sweden, we struggled opening a bank account without a personnummer (like a social security number), even though Ingrid is a citizen of Sweden. Once you have that, then you have to wait 4-6 weeks in some areas just to meet with the bank to get the account. After that appointment, then they want you to wait another 4-6 weeks to review your bank statements from your home country to make sure any money you bring in isn’t illegal.
Sweden is a paperless country and a socialized nation, so they are very strict on their rules, despite speaking with 6+ banks to see if they would make an exception.
This will vary from country to country though, so try and do your research on the front end.
Chase Sapphire Rewards Visa
We had no issue paying for anything since we arrived with credit cards. We were also able to access our funds in our home country easily; however, we were hit with higher conversion rates.
Prior to our move abroad, we were approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa card.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening — that’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Chase sapphire rewards visa website
We use this card for our day-to-day purchases, and those add up. We were able to meet the entry criteria within 2 months since we use our credit cards for 99% of our purchases.
Wise (Money Transfer)
Once our Swedish bank account is open, we will bring the money in through a third party bank called Wise. They offer conversion rates that align closer to the market, thus saving us a huge amount of cash.
Confirm there are no travel restrictions
Finally, confirm there are no travel restrictions to your destination. With the COVID-19 global pandemic continuing as quickly as it has been moving and negotiations with countries not panning out how we want them too, then you’ll need flexibility.
Before you book your flights, confirm you can enter that country. If you can’t enter the country you want, don’t despair! There are hundreds more to choose from, and many of them are open. Switch it up a bit.
Find remote work
Many companies are hiring for remote positions. You could find work in the country you move abroad to, of course, but you may pigeon-hole yourself to one country. Instead, open yourself up to the entire world and the abundant opportunities that exist, whether as an employee, freelancer or entrepreneur.
You can find freelance remote jobs from your personal network or on sites like Upwork, Fiverr and maybe even LinkedIn.
I hope this blog on “How to Move Abroad during a Pandemic” helps anyone looking to move abroad. My biggest regret is that we didn’t do this sooner, though I’m eternally grateful that we are here now.
Thanks for following our journey. – Ingrid and the HildeFam
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