The prospect of moving to another country can be very exciting. But you need to be aware of a few things before emigrate. The culture and laws can be very different to what you are used to and you have to decide first of all if you can cope with that.
Do Some Research
Do some research into the country you are considering emigrating to. Remember, that as a UK citizen you get many things that you probably take for granted. Free healthcare for instance, is something you may not be entitled to in the country of your choice. In some, Spain and Portugal being examples, their health care is excellent, but you only get any free entitlement if you are paying into the tax system. Otherwise, you need private healthcare and that is something you will need to factor into your living costs.
Then there are things such as rights of residency, work permits and visas, all of which you have not had to consider as long as you stayed in the UK.
Can You Afford The Move?
Moving abroad is expensive. You either take as much as you can with you, which can be costly to get moved, or you take just your clothes and buy everything else new when you get there. This can be even more expensive depending on which country you have chosen. You may be thinking that shipping my car to Cyprus, for example, is the right thing to do. If that is the country of your choice, and the car has been on the roads in the UK for at least 6 months before, it will be able to enter the country free from any import taxes, but that is not the same in every country. You need to check this information for where you have decided to emigrate.
Can You Cope Without Your Family And Friends?
Living in a new country such as Bahrain means it will not be so easy to pop and see you mum or your best friend. They will be too far away for that. Of course, there are ways to talk to them over the Internet that are completely free of charge, and there is no doubt they will visit you from time to time. But will that be enough?
You need to think really hard about this point as it is why most people who emigrate and it does not work out, end up going home. You will make new friends, both English and locals. There are lots of expats in nearly every country in the world, and if you make an effort to learn the language of your adopted country, you will find the locals are usually very friendly as well. They do not expect you to speak their language fluently, but they do appreciate you making an effort.
It Could Be The Best Thing You Ever Do
Moving to another country could be the best thing you ever do. Their culture might be different and you might have to learn a few things about their laws that vary from the UK. There are many people who have made this move in the past though, and who have never regretted being brave enough to live somewhere other than the UK.