Travel Advice

Moving to another country can be an exhilarating experience that gives you and your family a whole new start in life; but it will be the biggest decision and the most complex move you ever make - and it can have disastrous consequences if things go wrong.

So if you are seriously considering making that move you need to approach it realistically, examine your motivations and be quite sure that it is the right thing for you and your family.

Don`t get beguiled by travel brochures, TV shows or even holiday experiences. Two weeks of white sand and blue seas in a hotel which provides all meals and comforts is one thing; finding yourself living in a busy, noisy and dirty city miles from that beach is something else altogether.

Research your chosen destination thoroughly. Understand its religion, its history and its politics and remember that it will come with its own distinct culture. Customs and habits can be very different as can the legal and education systems. You must adapt to them because they will not adapt to you. And, at the start - or at least or until you have made friends - you are likely to have few people to whom you can turn in times of trouble.

Thought and preparation are all important and while potential problems can never be wholly eliminated they can be mitigated to a considerable extent if you do your homework properly.

All countries now keep a tight rein on immigration and for a successful relocation to another country you will not only need to possess a skill that nation needs, you`ll need a firm offer of a job, too. If you do get offered a job you`ll need somewhere to live, you`ll almost certainly need a car, you`ll have to find schools for the children and have enough money in the bank both to tide you over until pay-day and provide for any unseen expenses that arrive - and they certainly will.