10 Tips on Choosing a Country to Move to

How to choose a destination that best fits you.

Move to Paris photo courtesy of iStock

So, you want to be a digital nomad huh? You have found a way to work from anywhere and now you’re wondering…where do I go? Here are my top 10 questions to ask to help you find the perfect place.

1. Can you work there? If you are not one of the lucky ones that can work from anywhere, the first step is figuring out where there is a place that has a job market that is conducive to your skills. If you work for a large company, you can see if they have partnerships elsewhere. If not, and you’re ready to make a bold move, look at options to utilize your skills virtually in another way.
2. Why do you want to move? Are you seeking to see more of the world, do you need a place with better healthcare? Better school systems? Better scenery?
3. What is the language like there? Do you speak other languages? Are you willing to learn? If not then it may be best to stick to areas who are friendly to English speakers (it’s also helpful to at least learn the basics of the language before moving. I wrote about my favorite way to acquire the local language here).
4. What are the requirements to move and live there? My husband and I spent months researching the visa requirements to move to our chosen country. Make sure that you can move and live there for the duration you’re looking at, otherwise you’re looking at a travel visa and moving every 90 days. (Which might be fun…unless you’re a family of 5 like we are.)
5. What kind of lifestyle do you want? Do you prefer the convenience of city life and public transit? Slower paced living? Somewhere you can surf or ski? A place near the beach?

The view from our balcony in Altea Hills, Spain

6. How often would you need/want to travel to go back “home”? This was a big one for us when we prepared to move. We told our family in July 2021 that we were moving abroad, and we knew that with all of our friends and family in Dallas, we’d need to move to a place where either they could visit often, or we could easily go back.

7. What is the cost of living like compared to where you are? Can you sustain yourself on what you have there or do you need to find a lower priced home, or a higher paying position?

8. If you have children-what is the education system like? This can get complicated in other countries if you don’t know the processes. Make sure you give this question due diligence unless you’re planning on homeschooling. (Also, make sure that if you are planning to homeschool, that you look at the areas you’re in. There are some places where homeschooling is illegal.)

9. What are the costs associated with moving? Would you take all of your belongings, would you sell them and start fresh? What would you need to do to acquire transportation? (We are learning the hard way how hard it is to get a car in Spain. And renting a car for an undetermined amount of time is not exactly cost-effective.)

10. What is your exit strategy? If you sell all of your belongings and move to another country…and then realize you hate it…what do you do? Have a way to get back home. But also, if you love it, find a way you could stay.

Spain through my window. Photo by Petr Slováček on Unsplash

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