So you have told your friends and family your plans, now its time to set the date and start the long process of moving.

These are some things to consider before the big move…

One of the first big decisions to make, is whether you will rent or buy a house abroad. Hands down the best and smartest option is always buying, cheaper rent and the home is all yours… But you have to consider, will this long distance relationship work if you move in together? For most couples, you can be with each other every day and get to see all their personalities and have a true sense of if you could live with that person. Long distance relationships don’t have that bonus, most of these couples only have a few days together per month (if they are lucky). Renting was the safest option for us, that way if something went wrong we weren’t tied to a mortgage. The longest we had ever been together was 16 full days in almost a year so we weren’t a 100% sure what it would be like living together.

Next you need to consider if you need to apply for a visa. I am extremely lucky that the United Kingdom is a part of the EU and I am able to live and work within most of Europe visa free. Best way to confirm if you need a visa is to contact your local Dutch Embassy, they will help you with any forms you will need and also they can give advise regarding your qualifications. Most jobs in The Netherlands require a minimum education, you may need to consider going back to school to get the education you require for work.

After that comes the touchy subject… what are you going to take with you? If you know you’re only going to be traveling around then less is more! Think light… you can always pick up things you need along the way.  If you are more likely to be staying permanently then be realistic and take what you need but also take things that will help your new apartment feel like home. I was blessed that my mum offered to drive my stuff from Edinburgh to Eindhoven! I had a Transit van full of stuff I maybe took too much stuff but, it saved us a lot of money buying new furniture and having my own bed felt amazing.

When you are leaving your country you must inform the government, this is mainly for tax purposes. You may have to pay finally tax fees or be entitled to overpaid tax. Once you are ready to hand in your notice in at work you should contact your local job centre, and say you are going to be unemployed and moving to another country it might be worthwhile. If you live in the UK you might be entitled to 3 months of job seekers allowance while living in The Netherlands (I only found this out after I had moved).

You may need to make the decision if you are taking your pets or leaving them with a loved one. First of all you need to know if you can have pets in your new apartment and then make sure your pets have had all their vaccinations and have a passport! But please put your pets first.  Think about the travel, or the fact they may be stuck at the airport until all their papers have been confirmed and can be released. I had to leave my little gold fish in the UK, little Henk and Tash now live at my gran’s with their fishes in a huge pond. I miss them 😦

Lastly, you may already be learning some Dutch for your partner from self taught books, if you haven’t already then I suggest doing so RIGHT NOW. I made the mistake waiting till I arrived and what a shock I got. Yes 99% of Dutch people speak English but knowing some Dutch phrases will help you out.

Oh and be realistic, you need to consider time to save up money especially if your partner doesn’t have his or her own apartment yet. If the date you set is coming up fast and you both aren’t ready, it’s okay to move the date back a bit!  But having cold feet is different, moving to a different country is scary and you may have lots of what ifs.

N x