moving from a house of many years

Avoiding Pitfalls When Moving To A Country With A New Language

17 May 2016 by Siiri Salonen

Moving overseas, whether on your own or with your family, likely means a complete change in lifestyle. Especially if you are going to a country that has a native language that you still do not speak fluently, you will need to organize your life in a completely different manner. Here are a few tips on setting up your life when you are adjusting to overseas living and a brand new language. 

Live in the tourist area

Typically, when you move into a new area, it is advisable to avoid the tourist areas. The reason for this is due to the extra noise and the crowds that will be out and about as you are trying to go on with your typical work day. However, if you are not fluent in the language of the country that you are moving to, living in tourist areas is a good idea. Tourist areas are where you are likely to find people who speak many major world languages, including English. This will make it easier to communicate on a day-to-day basis with shopkeepers, restaurant staff, and more. It is also easier to exchange money and find other ex-pat friends when you live in a high tourist area. 

Find an English-speaking moving liaison 

When you are in between countries and you are shipping items over, you will need to have someone on the other end to help you receive your property. Find a moving company with English speaking staff and have your items shipped directly to their location. Renting out a storage facility with the company and then having your items delivered to the place will also make it easier to set up house when you get to your new country. Working with a company that speaks your language will mean that you can keep track of your moving deliveries and coordinate any deliveries to your new home with ease. 

Find a professional translation service

When you settle down in a new country, you will likely have to sign many documents. These may include lease or mortgage papers, papers for a new bank account in your new location, documents for citizenship or residency, and more. Depending on the language of the country, it may be a requirement that they have a signed copy of the document in the country's official language. In order to know what you are signing and get an English copy made, you should find a professional translation service. Keep both an English language copy and a native language copy of all necessary documents. 

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