5 Mistakes To Avoid When Moving Family Abroad - Moving Abroad From USA To Spain

5 Mistakes To Avoid When Moving Family Abroad – Moving Abroad From USA To Spain

5 Mistakes To Avoid When Moving Family Abroad - Moving Abroad From USA To Spain

Moving abroad with your family is an exciting and complex undertaking that requires careful planning and preparation. Ensuring that your move abroad is smooth (as smooth as it can be) for everyone in the family is something that can add a bit of stress in the process, especially when relocating with kids.

If you are planning to move abroad with family, I hope you read this blog post to help you conquer relocating overseas. In this blog you will find a list of mistakes to avoid when moving to another country (as well as some advices to help prepare your family for the move). In our case, our family moved to Spain, but this list can be relevant when relocating abroad in general. 

Moving Abroad Mistakes to Avoid - TIPS FOR MOVING

1) Don’t try renting a place to live from overseas!

Wait until you arrive to your destination country for the following reasons: 

  • First, online scams are a big thing. I explain this further in **Renting A Property In Spain – Use This Guide To Help Land Your Dream Flat!”**. If you want to get ahead of the game, I suggest scheduling house or flat showings from overseas right before your arrival in your new country. This way you will be able to have a few property showings scheduled out once your arrive.
  • Second, finding the right place takes time. Take the time to scout the neighborhoods during daytime and nighttime. Does it feels safe? Is it convenient? Is it accessible? Ask yourself these questions while walking these neighborhoods.  

Advice: If budget allows, plan a trip a month or two before your move to find a place to live. Do everything related to renting your place in that trip. 

That may include opening a bank account (you can open a bank account using your passport), and arranging a rental contract. In our case, we decided to look for a place to live at the time of moving. So we booked an Airbnb to stay for 2-3 weeks while we were searching for the right flat.

2) Avoid trying to pack all of your belongings.

I promise you don’t need everything you currently own. And, when moving to countries like Spain, where experiences are valued over material things, you will end up needing less things inevitably. 

Of course, this doesn’t apply for sentimental items. I’ve heard great and bad stories about shipping furniture and cars from the US to Spain. One thing I know is that it can be expensive! Do your research, get some quotes from different shipping companies, and decide if this is an undertaking you are willing to accept.

We personally decided to donate and sell some of our furniture, and kept the rest in our storage room. I started packing for our family two to three months before our departure. 

I started off with so many things packed, and the last week ended packing our whole lives in just six suitcases, two suitcases for each one of us. The amount of luggage Delta allowed to fly internationally. Lol! 

Advice: Start as soon as possible decluttering your entire home. It will help you see what is essential and what is not and can be replaced. If you need some guidance on what to pack when moving abroad with children, check out **”Our Essential Family Packing List For Moving Abroad To Spain”**.

What Country Can I Relocate To??

You can move to just about any country in the world if you apply for a specific visa for that country. You may not qualify for a given country depending on your situation. You need to look at both you government and the applying government’s website to see how you can qualify.

3) Not talking enough to your children about the big change

Moving abroad is a big decision. It is not the same as taking a trip for a few days where you always come back home. Fears of the unknown will rise, and it may seem more daunting for older children and teenagers than what it could look like for younger children. Take the time to listen to their concerns, and provide reassurance to the best you can. 

In our case, the decision to live abroad was one we made from the privilege position to choose. We intentionally chose to move and raise our son in Spain. I know this is not the case for everyone, as some families need to leave their home countries without much choice.

I had some time to prepare my then 6 year-old. His concerns were that he was going to miss his friends and family, and that he wouldn’t be able to make new friends. 

He thought that he would lose his friends back home. I reassured him that his friends will always be there, and that he would continue to make new friends without loosing the existing ones. 

I gave him the reassurance that we would give it a year, and if he wasn’t happy, we would go back to the US or Puerto Rico (most of our family lives on the island). 

Not going to romanticize it, he still misses family everyday. But to be fair, he adapted quite fast to new friends, and some of these friends became extended family already. 

I personally believe it’s far easier for children abroad to make friends especially when they are young. Having a young family made it easier for us to jump right in and meet expats and locals. 

Advice for relocating: Talk to your children often about the move. Make sure to explain to them how things can be different in the new country. Get them involve packing for their belongings, and tell them about the new things they will be doing in the new country to get them excited about the move. In our case, our son loves soccer (fútbol), so we told him one of our priorities was to find a good soccer club where he could play multiple times a week. And lastly, even after the move, continue opening the conversations about how they feel. 

4) Expecting things will be the same as they are in your home country

One of the biggest mistakes people make when moving abroad is not doing enough research about how things work in the destination country. 

It is crucial to thoroughly understand the country’s culture, customs, and laws before making the move. Especially when it comes to administrative procedures. 

Some countries, like Spain, are very well known for their bureaucracy. Come with an open mind! Don’t fight the system! It will get you nowhere and you will end up frustrated. 

Advice: Do your research before you move to a new country! Learn about, health care systems, administrative systems, and local customs to avoid any unnecessary complications. Join FB expat groups to connect with other expat families who have already made the move in your future country that could share insights with you. You will learn a lot from those FB groups!

Can I Just Up And Move To Another Country??

5) Not integrating enough in the new culture and the community/ Only hanging out with other expats from your country

I’m aware that language barriers can also pose challenges when moving abroad. And it can be intimidating to mingle with people from your new country when you feel like you can’t fully express. I get it! I have been there as well when I moved from Puerto Rico to the US.

You find your comfort zone, which can look like only hanging out with expats from your country, and not opening to new friendships. And I’m not saying to not build friendships with expats. Not at all! In fact, you need a support system! If you need some advice on how to make friends abroad, you can check out this article.

Building a support network in your new country is needed for your emotional well-being. But also, make an effort to engage with native locals; learn and experience the culture. 

Advice: Learn the language! Enroll in Spanish classes (or the language spoken in your new country), and practice it. Your language skills doesn’t need to be perfect, but getting yourself out there will only make you better at it. 

Note: I highly suggest reading **”The Best Way To Learn Spanish As An Adult”**. 

How Do I Move My Family To Another Country?

Once you have done your research (safety, cost of living, lifestyle, health care system, etc) to find the right place to live for yourself and family, the next step is to check the website of the consulate of that country in your current country of residence to learn about the visa options available to you. I

n our case, the Consulate of Spain in Miami serviced Georgia (where we moved from), so that was our designated consulate with the authority to process our application. 

Moving tip: While gathering your documents for your visa application, start packing simultaneously. The visa application process can be lengthy, and from a personal experience packing can take quite some time as well. This will make your family relocation go smoother!

Once your visa has been approved, you will have a specific amount of time to arrive to the country you’re moving to. 

P.S. Here at Simplify Abroad we have got different articles and videos done by a family of 6 (and three dogs), a family of 3 (and one dog) and a recent retiree. If you want to see more articles from us click here.

P.S.S. If anyone is interested we also have a YouTube channel where we cover different aspects of our lives / move overseas. Lastly if you have any suggestion for a new article or video you would like to see; please comment below or send us an email and we will see if we can make it happen!

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