The advantages of moving abroad are numerous for those who try the adventure!
But going to live and work abroad also requires taking on some challenges, and it is better to be well prepared in order not to spoil this beautiful experience.
Let’s look at it together!
The professional opportunity: at the top of the list of advantages of moving abroad
A boost to your career
One of the many advantages of moving abroad is that it offers the opportunity to develop a professional career. An employee who moves abroad to work often does so to take on a position with more responsibility.
This is a positive experience that can be used for future career advancement and is particularly rewarding for young graduates.
If moving abroad allows access to higher-level jobs, it is also synonymous with significant benefits that the employee should not hesitate to negotiate:
- Higher salary
- Transportation or moving bonuses
- Help with children’s schooling
- Etc.
Job skill development is another advantage
Another advantage of living and working abroad is the acquisition of skills that are particularly appreciated by recruiters: a period of work abroad translates into the ability to be autonomous and to adapt to contexts and work methods that are different than those practiced in your home country.
It is also an opportunity to expand one’s professional network by creating links with colleagues or foreign clients, and with other expats.
A human and family adventure
Change of scenery and cultural immersion
The advantages of moving abroad also include personal development. Whether the adventure is done alone or with the family, it allows you to create many unforgettable memories, and to live unique moments with the local people or other expats like you.
It is an opportunity to discover a new way of life which, depending on the country of residence, can be very pleasant, especially when it takes place in a sunny country, in a large dynamic city or in a country where the cost of living is low and allows for a comfortable living.
It is also a chance to experience a change of scenery on a daily basis and to combine work and travel by discovering one’s new country of residence, but also by visiting neighboring countries during weekends and vacations.
Learning a language, an undeniable advantage of living abroad
Obviously, we cannot list the advantages and disadvantages of moving abroad without mentioning the open-mindedness and language skills that such a stay brings.
You are faced with another culture, and the differences can be considerable for certain destinations.
The immersion is total and allows you to discover a new culture with its gastronomy, its customs, its music and its literature, or its way of life.
Of course, learning the local language is another obvious advantage of living abroad, made possible by the courses taken before or during the stay in the host country, but especially by regular interaction with the inhabitants.
Learning is more natural and fluid than in a classroom or on a website.
Advantages and disadvantages of moving abroad
Integration is not always easy
Even if only a small minority of expats say they want to return to their home country as soon as possible, the experience is not easy every day, and the first few days in particular can be difficult.
Integrating into a new team, a new work environment or getting familiar with the host country can take time. Culture shock and homesickness are disadvantages of moving abroad that one rarely escapes.
It is even more obvious when you do not know how to express yourself in the local language.
Among the disadvantages of moving abroad, you should not neglect the return to your home country, which can sometimes be difficult when you have become attached to your life away from home, or when you struggle to find a professional situation that is as satisfactory as it was during your time abroad.
Complex administrative procedures
Another disadvantage of moving abroad is the difficulty that you can experience with the administrative procedures, which can be numerous. For example:
- Obtaining a work permit
- Housing
- Children’s schooling
- Bank accounts
- Insurance
- Etc.
Already tedious under normal circumstances, they are even more so when they must be carried out in a foreign language and when one does not master the institutional particularities of the country.
In general, expats lose their home country social security coverage
A confusing subject that is far from being an advantage of moving abroad is the question of social protection. An expat, if not on secondment, loses his or her affiliation to the social security system of the country of origin.
Therefore, you must find out about your pension rights and, above all, about the health coverage of all your family members, because without insurance, and with a few exceptions, all health expenses will be at your expense.
Fortunately, international insurance solutions designed specifically for expats do exist, whether it is to purchase a private insurance policy or an international one.
However, to be on the safe side, it is better to settle this question before departure, by using, for example, an online comparison tool that will help you find the offer that best suits your needs and personal situation.
