Expatriation requires 3-6 months preparation across legal, financial, healthcare, housing, social.
10 steps across 1 sections
1. Steps Guide
- Clarify priorities — Lifestyle, climate, jobs, safety, cost
- Visa and residency — Research, apply early
- Tax obligations — U.S. files regardless. FEIE, FBAR
- International banking — Notify, fees, pre-arrival account
- Health insurance — Cigna Global, Allianz, William Russell
- Housing — Short-term first, then long-term
- Healthcare — English-speaking providers, prescriptions
- Logistics — Movers, customs, prohibited items
- Current home — Sell, rent, or manage
- Legal — Will, POA, multi-country estate plan
Common Mistakes
- Emotional difficulty underestimated
- Double-taxation misunderstanding
- Lease before visiting
- No apostilled documents
- Ignoring local language
Pro Tips
- Expat forums months before
- Offline maps, translation apps
- VPN for home services
- Social goals first month
- Cloud storage for docs