When leaving your country for more than 3 months, the number of things you need to think of grows exponentially. Having to go through the process of moving abroad right now, I am learning a lot about all those tricky things we need to keep in mind. Here's a quick list of tips you should keep in mind when you make the big move.
1. Visa
As soon as you find out your destination, apply for your visa. This can take a while and it's a lot of stress not knowing when you can leave. It could prevent you from getting your plane ticket at a good price...
Side note: Canadians requesting a US visa can apply for their visa directly at the airport (which means skipping the interview process at the embassy) provided that they bring the right forms with them at the airport.
2. Health Insurance
Check with your province/state about your public health insurance coverage (in locations where it applies). They have strict regulations and it can be tricky finding a way to not lose your public protection shall you have any health issues while you're abroad. Dig a bit more and you'll find out if you fall under certain exceptions (which is great!).. otherwise you might have to fly back into the country not to lose your privileges.. NOT cool. Internships or study semesters abroad are some of the potential exceptions you could fall under.
3. International Drivers License
(PCI in French) are a cheap and easy way to be able to drive abroad without having to argue with the car rental companies or the authorities. The IDL is basically a distinct card that you get that works as an appendix to your regular drivers license. You will still need both as your IDL is basically a translated copy of your regular permit. That means you have to pay for your regular license to be renewed if you want the IDL to be effective. It's not a replacement...
4. Plane tickets
They can be tricky to purchase. Unless you have an unlimited budget, resist the temptation to buy right away or the easy way. To save money, use different search engines, check daily a couple days in a row to see the price fluctuations, compare your prices, your schedules and the number of stops. I found my cheap flight on cheapoair.com. It was my first time hearing about it and I found flights that were much cheaper.
Warning: Make sure you are aware of if you have to do an airport switch or not. As an example, in New York, there are 3 major airports (JFK, Newark in New Jersey and La Guardia). You might have to switch from one to another which is not too bad except when you are MOVING. That means lots of heavy luggage. Not convenient in the subway and everything. In that case, it is wise to pay a bit more but to save the hassle of transfers.
5. Luggage allowance policies
When shopping for a plane ticket, it is smart to take a look at the different luggage allowance regulations offered by the different air carriers you are comparing. A cheap flight with company A might end up more expensive after you add the luggage fees than if you had flown with company B. It takes time to do but it can end up saving you some bucks.. As an example, some companies do not charge anything for the first cargo suitcase but charge 25$ for the second one. Most airlines do charge fees since laws were changed in November 2010.
6. Drug prescriptions
If you are under some prescription drugs, thing about having a little chat with your doctor and pharmacist to make sure you will get access to your drugs while being abroad. Many options are possible: you can ask your pharmacist to provide you with enough pills for the whole trip (which is a lot of pills if you leave for a year), you can also ask him to provide you with a way of confirming to your abroad drugstore what you need or you can also go see a doctor while being abroad and do the whole exam and everything.
7. Legalities
You may want to sign a paper allowing one of your family members to do some actions in your name while you are abroad. In French we call this a "procuration". It's a document that you sign (ideally in front of a lawyer) that states that a person you designate can represent you. Ex. cash in checks, sign papers, fill out official forms, etc. This can be useful while you are abroad with either limited means of communication or potentially urgent needs.
8. Passport
Make sure you have one. If you do, make sure it won't expire when you are abroad. If so, you CAN do the renewal process from there but it's a lot more trouble. You can do an early renewal (like I did) if you prove that you have a good reason to do so.
This is it for now! Hope it will save you some headaches!
p.s. Don't forget to get your ticket for my fundraiser event! Only 11 days left before the big day!
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