How to Move to Literally Any Other Country Right Now

Whether you’re an Emily in Paris fan, an avid reader of the Lost Generation, or just a relatively sane and thereby disillusioned American, you have probably pondered moving out of the United States. For many, these thoughts are mere fantasy, amounting to wistful daydreams of biking through Paris’s Parc des Buttes Chaumont or eating South Korean street food every night for dinner. But for others, expatriating may be an increasingly realistic option. In less than three months, the Trump Administration has fired thousands of essential workers, forced schools to end DEI programs and initiatives, and signed executive orders to allow discrimination against trans people. Plenty of Americans either no longer feel safe in this country, don’t want to stick around for its demise, or both.

In actuality, expatriation is a daunting task. You have to figure out which visa you want, order copies of relevant documents like your birth certificate, and in most cases, get a new phone number. Upheaving your life and everything you’ve ever known is no small feat. We reached out to expats from all over the world to hear their best advice for those seriously considering leaving the U.S. for good. Read on for 14 pieces of wisdom.

“Many people take a few vacations, lasting a couple weeks at a time, to a certain place and decide it would be a great place to retire. This gives you absolutely no sense of what actually living in a certain place is like on a day-to-day basis. I highly recommend ‘testing’ out a location for 2-3 months at a time, in different seasons of the year, to truly understand what it’s like.
—Karin Fuire, photographer, expatriated to Florence, Italy in 2021

“Yes, you'll feel and sound like a toddler, but the more words, phrases, and then full sentences that you attempt to string together in your new language, the closer you'll get to making your first non-expat friend. Listen to local radio or to podcasts in your non-native tongue when running, driving, or cooking. Passive learning is learning.”
—Christine Fadden, writer, expatriated to The Azores in 2023 and has also lived in the U.S., South Korea, France, and Holland

“Always have a basic foundation of the language, if you're in a non-English speaking country: greetings, numbers, directions (left, right, straight), how to order food, anything emergency-related like ‘doctor,’ ‘emergency,’ ‘police,’ and your address.”
—Imani Bashir, content strategist, expatriated to Cancun, Mexico and has also lived in the U.S., Egypt, Poland, China, and Malaysia

“The journey to getting a locally valid driver's license is very difficult where we live, but once we did, and we were able to buy a car, it was a major life upgrade. Now we're able to explore outside of the city so much more easily, and the road trips we've taken have been some of the highlights of our time here.”
—Arielle Diamond, communications manager, expatriated to Barcelona, Spain in 2021

“Sorting out taxes and retirement plans is certainly one of the less glamorous aspects of moving abroad, but it's also one of the most important. You may need to pay taxes in your home country, but some nations have reciprocal agreements that help soften the burden. If your country of origin has a national pension plan, look into whether you can (or should) pay voluntary contributions, especially if you think you may move home someday.”
—Margot Bigg, travel writer, lived in Delhi, India for six years and wrote the guidebook ‘Moon Living Abroad in India’

“The U.S. has incredible travel rewards credit cards. If your banking will primarily stay stateside, make sure you have a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees so that you can continue to earn rewards abroad.”
—Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief, expatriated to Doha, Qatar in 2020 and has also lived in the U.S. and Singapore

“The culture shock and daily difficulties involved in a vastly different culture can impact mental health. If you struggle with mental health or are in recovery, make sure you can access support (and your medication) if things go badly. I’ve seen too many people from my home country either fall apart or relapse, and there aren’t any English-speaking therapists or recovery groups [where I live].”
—Deidre Donnelly, writer, expatriated to Hai Phong, Vietnam in 2019

“Expats are like babies in a new world. They can only do so much without the help of others. In my experience, the locals were more than happy to help me. I just had to get out of my own way and let them.”
—Susan Guillory, expat coach, expatriated to Calabria, Italy in 2023

“[When moving to a new country], I'd always search ‘Expats in (insert city/country),’ and there would always be a Facebook group. I would often be looking for assistance with finding housing and what the proper rules were since a lot of places you're just dealing with cash to hand. I would also be looking for any news updates in places where I didn't speak or read the language, except China. China has their own app called WeChat and we had the expat groups in there. In Mexico, whenever there's due to be a hurricane or something major, people always post about it.”
—IB

“If you’re into climbing, join a local climbing gym or outdoor group. If you love music, find a choir or jam sessions. Shared interests are the fastest way to make local friends. Expats meetups are useful, but they often come with high turnover—people leave, and you’ll exhaust yourself building friendships that might not last.”
—Charlie Neville, marketing director, expatriated to Prague, Czech Republic in 2000

“Take what you can’t buy [where you’re going]. Often, expats will judge those who eat Western food when in a non-Western region. But when you’re far from home, getting your comfort foods suddenly takes on a new urgency.”
—DD

“There are Facebook groups especially for POC which are super helpful when it comes to sourcing traditional ingredients as well.”
—Lavinia Dsouza, business analyst, expatriated to the United Kingdom in 2011

"One of the biggest mistakes new expats make is assuming they can find all their favorite comforts abroad. Some things will be available, but others will be impossible to track down. Before you move, make a list of items you can’t live without—specific snacks, toiletries, or even kitchen staples. Then, figure out how to source them locally or coordinate with visiting friends and family to bring care packages. Over time, you’ll adjust, but there’s no harm in making sure you have those comforts, especially in the beginning."
—CN

“You will have to learn to give up a bit of control and put trust into your kids’ schools. Your kids will be going on magical field trips all the time without you knowing until you see photos posted of it after the fact. Oh you took a ferry boat? Went to the zoo? You don’t sign permission slips. [In Denmark], they just take your kid places.”
—Brooke Black, music publicist, expatriated with her family to Copenhagen, Denmark in 2020

“Expect to change a lot. If you spend many years abroad, your communication style and behaviors will adapt to the places you live in. You'll miss out on what's happening in your home country, and when you go back to visit, you might start to feel like an outsider. You may never feel fully at home in either your adopted country or your home country. Being an expat/immigrant is an identity of its own.”
—Dalia Goldberg, journalist, expatriated to Seville, Spain in and has also lived in Germany and Canada

“It can take years before you really feel settled, make friends, and have stability. We are four years in and often feel like we don't really have our lives totally figured out or set up here. How quickly the pieces come together depends on a lot of things—mainly luck and your specific circumstances like your work situation or relationship status.”
—AD

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