The Expatsi guide
How to Move Abroad
There's no one way to leave the country, but every move follows the same six stages. Here's the whole path, from daydream to settled in.
Some people finish all six stages in six months. Others take years, and that's fine too. Read on to see where you are, or get a guided walkthrough in our free weekly webinar.
Stage 1 of 6
Ideation: deciding you're serious
Every move abroad starts the same way: a thought you can't shake. Maybe it showed up during an election, a hospital bill, or a vacation that felt more like home than home does. The ideation stage is where you take that thought seriously and find out whether it survives contact with real information.
This is also the stage where you get the people you love on board. A move abroad that your partner or kids are dragged into rarely sticks, so start the conversations early and honestly. And start consuming real accounts of expat life, not just the highlight reels. Reddit's expat communities and Facebook groups for Americans abroad will show you the boring parts too, which is exactly what you need.
The fastest way through this stage is data about yourself. The Expatsi Test matches your budget, values, and lifestyle against 50+ countries and shows you where you'd actually fit. It's free, and it turns "somewhere else" into a short list.
- Name your reasons for leaving and write them down. You'll come back to them.
- Talk to your partner, kids, and anyone else the move affects.
- Follow expats who are living the life you want, and the ones who came back.
- Take the Expatsi Test to turn a vague dream into a short list of countries.
Stage 2 of 6
Planning: bringing the dream into focus
Planning is where you answer the three questions that shape everything else: when can you go, what can you spend, and what's your legal path in?
That last one matters most. Nearly every country admits Americans through the same handful of doors: you're retiring on savings or passive income, you work remotely, you're investing, you found a local job, you're studying, or you have family ancestry. Which door you can use decides which countries are realistic, so figure it out before you fall in love with a place. We keep live guides for each path: retirement, digital nomad and remote work, working abroad, investment and golden visas, and business and self-employment.
Then build the budget: moving costs, visa fees, rent and a deposit, health insurance, and a cushion for the months when everything costs more than you expect. The truth is most people need less than they fear and more than they hope.
- Pick your residency path first. It decides which countries are realistic.
- Set a target date, even a rough one. A date turns a wish into a plan.
- Budget the move: visa fees, flights, deposits, insurance, and a cushion.
- Check visa income and savings requirements against your real numbers.
Stage 3 of 6
Exploration: seeing it for yourself
No spreadsheet can tell you whether a place feels like home. Exploration is where you go find out, and where a lot of plans change for the better. The country that looked perfect online might feel wrong in person, and the backup option might surprise you.
Scout like a resident, not a tourist. Ride the buses. Walk the neighborhoods you could actually afford. Price groceries, visit a pharmacy, and sit somewhere ordinary on a Tuesday. If you can, meet expats who already live there and ask what they wish they'd known.
If you'd rather not plan that trip alone, our scouting trips take small groups of future expats to the most-moved-to countries with local guides, visa talks, and neighborhood tours built in.
- Visit your top picks before you commit. Rent an apartment, not a resort.
- Test the everyday: transit, groceries, healthcare, internet, noise.
- Meet expats on the ground and ask what they'd do differently.
- Join a scouting trip if you want the research done for you.
Stage 4 of 6
Paperwork: the red tape is the moat
Here's the catch: the paperwork stage is slow, picky, and different in every country. It's also the reason most people who talk about moving abroad never do it. If it were easy, everyone would.
Expect to gather birth and marriage certificates, FBI background checks, proof of income, and health insurance, then have some of them apostilled and translated. Deadlines matter, because some documents expire while you wait on others. This is the stage where an immigration attorney or relocation partner earns their fee many times over, and where our visa guides by path keep the current requirements, costs, and processing times in one place.
Don't forget the American side of the desk: you'll likely still file US taxes from abroad, and you'll want a plan for banking, your driver's license, and what happens to your voter registration.
- Read your visa's requirements twice, then build a document checklist.
- Order certified records early. Apostilles and translations take time.
- Line up proof of income, background checks, and health insurance.
- Talk to an immigration pro if your case has any wrinkles.
- Plan for US taxes. Moving abroad doesn't end your filing requirement.
Stage 5 of 6
Logistics: moving your whole life
If you know the puzzle with the fox, the chicken, and the bag of grain, you know what this stage feels like. Everything depends on everything else: you can't book the movers until you have a visa date, can't rent the apartment until you land, can't land until someone signs for the dog.
The big decisions are your home (sell it, rent it out, or let it go), your stuff (most people ship far less than they think they will), and your pets (import rules, vet visits, and airline arrangements all have their own timelines). Book temporary housing for your first month or two and rent before you buy, even if you're sure.
You don't have to run this stage alone. Our partner directory includes relocation companies, pet transporters, and home finders who do this every week.
- Decide what happens to your home: sell, rent it out, or walk away.
- Sell or donate most of your stuff. Shipping is priced by regret.
- Start pet paperwork early. Some countries need months of lead time.
- Book landing housing for month one, and rent before you buy.
- Carry your original documents. Don't pack them in the shipping container.
Stage 6 of 6
Settling in: making it home
The boxes are unpacked and the visa's in your passport. Now comes the part nobody puts on a checklist: building a life. The first months abroad swing between euphoria and "what have I done," and both are normal.
The practical list is short but real: open a local bank account, register with the local healthcare system or your insurer's clinics, get a local SIM, and learn how the pharmacy, the landlord, and the tax office work. Then the human list: start the language, even badly, because effort opens doors that fluency alone doesn't. Say yes to invitations. Find the expat groups, then make sure they're not your only friends.
Give it a year before you judge it. Most expats say the move got good right around the time it stopped feeling like a move.
- Set up banking, healthcare, and a local phone number in your first weeks.
- Start the language now. Ten clumsy words beat zero perfect ones.
- Build routines: a market, a café, a gym. Familiarity makes it home.
- Mix expat friends with local ones. You moved for the second kind.
Want a guided walkthrough of all six stages?
Join our free weekly Move Abroad webinar. We'll walk the whole path live, answer your questions, and show you what to do first.
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Find your path
Which door will you use?
Retirement & passive income
Live on savings, a pension, or rental income. The most popular path for Americans over 50.
Digital nomad & remote work
Keep your US job or clients and take the laptop with you.
Work abroad
Get hired locally or transfer inside your company.
Investment & golden visas
Buy your way to residency with property or funds.
Business & self-employment
Start something where the market (and the visa office) wants you.
See it before you move there
Montevideo / Punta del Este: July 2026
Trade the familiar for something endlessly charming—this Uruguay trip blends Montevideo’s elegant urban vibe with beach-town glamour in Punta del Este and artistic energy in La Barra. You'll tour real neighborhoods, connect with locals and experts, and walk away inspired—with practical knowledge and support to make your move real.
From $3,799
Panama City / Coronado / Boquete: Aug 2026
Panama is one of the most attractive destinations for Americans looking to move abroad, offering modern infrastructure, a U.S. dollar-based economy, and some of the most welcoming residency programs in the world. This trip gives you a firsthand look at the country's diverse regions, thriving expat communities, and the lifestyle that makes Panama an ideal place to live, invest, or retire.
From $2,999
Porto / Lisbon: Sep 2026
Expatsi’s Portugal trips are designed to give you an authentic sense of life across the country’s most livable regions. From walking the tiled streets of Cascais or Setúbal to exploring Porto's riverfront neighborhoods and the artistic towns in between, You'll experience the full spectrum of Portuguese culture and lifestyle. Along the way, You'll meet relocation experts, connect with locals, and explore real estate options that make it possible to see yourself living in Portugal.
From $3,499
Netherlands: Sep 2026
Experience an intensive learning with everything you need to know to make the Netherlands your new home. You will get an immersive look at history, art, cuisine and more. The itinerary includes visits to up to eight cities and towns around the country where expats are likely to choose to live including Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. You'll also have workshops on topics such as the DAFT visa process, the rental and buying housing market, getting your children into the right schools, navigating US taxes and investments, and integration. You'll experience traveling through the Nethalnds via train as is customary. Before the end of the week, you will feel like a scholar of the Netherlands! Optional add-on day: Eindhoven: Eindhoven is a major city outside the Randstad, in the so-called, "Brainport" region. It is a major tech hub, featuring major companies like Phillips and ASML and a plethora of startups as well. It is also about an hour and a half from Amsterdam, and therefore less expensive. We'll hear from real estate agents, recruiters, and more about life and opportunities in Eindhoven.
From $5,349
Cuenca: Sept 2026
If you're ready to make a move sooner rather than later, this 6-day Ecuador adventure offers affordability, contrast, and community. You'll explore the highlights of Cuenca including homes, markets, and local insight, and learn what moving abroad really looks like—all while soaking up culture and natural beauty.
From $2,499
Netherlands: Jul 2026
Experience an intensive learning with everything you need to know to make the Netherlands your new home. You will get an immersive look at history, art, cuisine and more. The itinerary includes visits to up to eight cities and towns around the country where expats are likely to choose to live including Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. You'll also have workshops on topics such as the DAFT visa process, the rental and buying housing market, getting your children into the right schools, navigating US taxes and investments, and integration. You'll experience traveling through the Nethalnds via train as is customary. Before the end of the week, you will feel like a scholar of the Netherlands!
From $4,999
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Questions about moving abroad
How do I start the process of moving abroad?
Start with two questions: where would you actually fit, and what's your legal path in? The Expatsi Test answers the first by matching your budget and lifestyle against 50+ countries. Your residency path (retirement, remote work, a local job, study, investment, or ancestry) answers the second. Everything else in the six stages builds on those two answers.
How hard is it for an American to move to another country?
Harder than a vacation, easier than you fear. Americans can get residency in dozens of countries through retirement, remote-work, student, and investor visas. The hard parts are the paperwork (slow and picky) and the emotional work of leaving. Neither requires being rich or lucky. They require being organized and patient.
How much money do I need to move abroad?
It depends on the country and visa, so don't trust a single number from the internet. Most income-based visas want proof of steady monthly income, and most moves need a cushion for flights, deposits, insurance, and setup costs on top of that. Our visa guides list the current requirements per country so you can check your real numbers against them.
How long does it take to move abroad?
The fastest we see is about six months from decision to landing, and that's with money ready and a simple visa case. A year or two is more typical, and slower is fine. The stages aren't perfectly linear either: plenty of people are learning their new language (stage 6) before their visa is approved (stage 4).
Can I move abroad without a job lined up?
Yes, and most Americans do. Retirement and passive-income visas don't want you to work locally at all, digital nomad visas let you keep your US income, and student visas make school the deal. A local job offer is only one door of several, and honestly one of the harder ones.
Do I still pay US taxes if I move abroad?
Almost certainly yes, you'll still file. The US taxes by citizenship, not residence. Most working expats owe little or nothing thanks to exclusions and treaties, but the filing requirement doesn't go away, and some accounts trigger extra forms. Budget for a tax preparer who knows expat returns, at least for your first year.
What's the easiest country to move to from the US?
"Easiest" depends on your money source, your age, and what you want daily life to look like, which is why blanket answers ("It's Portugal!") get so many people stuck. Countries with popular income-based visas and big expat communities tend to be the smoothest, but the right answer is personal. That's the exact question the Expatsi Test was built to answer.
Stage 1 starts now
Where should you move?
Take the Expatsi Test to see which countries fit your budget, values, and life. Free, and it takes about 15 minutes.