Moving Abroad Checklist & Guide – Practical Expat Roadmap for Any Country | Printable PDF

Move abroad with a plan – not chaos.

Dreaming of a life abroad, or already planning it? Then you know how many questions hit at once: Which country fits me? Which visa is realistic? What happens to my pension, health cover and taxes? What do I cancel, who do I notify, and what goes in the suitcase?

This practical roadmap walks you through every stage – from the first idea to your first 90 days in your new country – with 13 checklists to print and tick off. Written for an international audience and any destination.

Written by Mark C. Gaan, a German-Filipino who recently moved from Germany to the Philippines (Tablas Island) himself – honest, practical, no rose-tinted glasses.

What's inside:

• Reality check & self-test with scoring ("Am I ready?")

• Choosing a country: 10 criteria and a weighted scoring matrix

• Visa types explained: work, retirement, spouse, digital nomad, investor – with example countries

• Notifying authorities and leaving properly

• Pensions & social security: coordinated areas, agreements, life certificates, indexation (US & UK examples)

• Health insurance abroad: expat cover, gaps, keeping a way back

• Taxes: tax residence, tax treaties, exit taxes – plus a box for US citizens (worldwide reporting, FBAR) and questions for your tax professional

• Banking, driving permits, apostilles & translations, children & school, pets, voting from abroad, mail

• Budgeting with a method (no unrealistic promises), start-up costs & safety cushion, working & online income

• Housing: rent first – foreign ownership restrictions in some countries

• Your first 90 days, culture & language, culture shock phases

• Mental health & homesickness – gentle and honest

• Emergency plan and return option

• Checklist pack: 12/6/3/1-month timeline, documents, authorities, cancellations & contracts, packing list, first week, budget calculator, country comparison matrix, emergency contacts, my roadmap

• Researched official links (international, US, UK, Canada, Australia, DACH) and glossary

Format: PDF, A4, 61 pages, English – read on screen or print.

Instant download after purchase.

Note: General guidance only – not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; always check with official sources (updated October 2026). For personal use only.