Whether it is for professional reasons or simply a strong desire to live abroad to discover a new culture and new surroundings, expatriation cannot be improvised. It is indeed necessary to ask yourself the right questions and to have the right reflexes before leaving in good conditions. Employment, taxation and housing are all areas that need to be considered. Here is a guide to prepare your expatriation and leave for new horizons with a light mind

Getting informed about the host country

If you have not had the opportunity to travel and spend some time in the host country, it is a good idea to find out about your situation and the rules in place in order to avoid a culture shock. To do this, do not hesitate to make your network work and talk to people who know the future destination well. It is also possible to find excellent tourist guides, most of whom do not hesitate to mention cultural specificities and to provide information on areas such as employment, social protection or the country's economy. And then there is the Internet, which is undoubtedly a gold mine for information about a territory. There are many sites for people who want to go abroad and it is very common to be able to register on forums and exchange with people who have chosen to go abroad before you

Take the time to do some administrative procedures

Before the big move, you should not forget that abroad, you also need social protection and to know how you are going to organize yourself fiscally. Whether you are leaving because your company has accepted a request for a transfer abroad or to look for work elsewhere, you should not forget to visit the main French administrations, which are able to provide information on expatriation. Make an appointment with the tax authorities, the CPAM, Pôle Emploi or the Caisse d'allocations familiales to find out where your income should be declared, what social security cover you will receive, whether you will still be entitled to family allowances if you leave home with your family, or whether you will be entitled to unemployment benefits if you know that you will eventually return home

Anticipate his move and his arrival in his new home

This is a very important point, before you leave, you want to know where you're going to put your suitcases. First of all, you should take stock of how much time you will spend abroad. If you are leaving for less than a year, it is advisable to choose a furnished apartment and to rent a storage space in France for your personal belongings. For a medium stay, the semi-furnished apartment is adapted so that you can add furniture to your taste once you are there. Finally, if you are sure you are leaving for a long stay whether you are being sent to another country by your employer for several years, or because you have found a well-paid job on the spot with a long contract, no rush, you take temporary accommodation for one or two months before finding the apartment or house of your dreams on the spot. Then you can call on moving professionals like Nextories to bring your furniture and other bulky items to your new home. We do not hesitate to make 3 to 5 estimates to compare prices. Asking for a professional is very important and even if it has a cost, it allows you to concentrate serenely on taking up your new job and adapting to your new life.