About the reasons for moving

According to various data, 5 to 10 million Ukrainians live and work abroad. Everyone has their own story, but in the ranking of answers to the question "Why?" two are leading:

* for the sake of money. These are, as a rule, seasonal workers and people who leave "for earnings" and then return;

* for comfort. This category includes IT experts, scientists, artists, businessmen and other people who do not see a future for themselves and their families in Ukraine. Most often, their financial situation does not improve (and sometimes worsens): the salary remains the same, but the expenses increase. But the profit is not in money, but in a sense of security, access to quality medical services and education.

Having decided to move, it is important to remember the inevitable losses along the way:

* temporarily lose stability (this is exactly what is called "leaving the comfort zone"). Yesterday you were a full-fledged citizen, you knew the language, you knew where to run in case of what. Tomorrow you are a foreigner with a temporary residence permit, actively using sign language and trying to understand the laws and culture of a foreign country.

The financial situation at the start can also worsen, because there are many expenses, and the salary is often small at first.
Relatives and friends also remain in Ukraine. Yes, visa-free has made spontaneous trips more real, but everyone has a job, vacations are not endless, and tickets are expensive

Country selection

"Land of dreams" is not for everyone, how to choose from a large number of options? On tourist trips, we see the wrong country where we will later live: we settle in the center, walk and eat there, we hardly cross paths with locals who do not work in the service sector. It is all the more painful to face the reality, where not everyone understands Ukrainian, as well as English, and you have to walk through the thresholds of state institutions with reams of documents in your hands with enviable regularity.

The country is selected, what next?

Residence permit
Study the list of documents and requirements for candidates for the chosen type of emigration. A detailed description of the procedure, as a rule, can be found on the website of the destination country's embassy in Ukraine and its website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Living expenses
In addition to the size of the future salary, it is useful to learn about the main expenses, after which try (for now on paper) to make ends meet. If they do not agree, think about whether you are ready to sacrifice your usual standard of living: give up your car in favor of public transport (according to statistics, about 80% of Parisians and about 75% of Viennese residents do this), go to restaurants less often or settle in a less expensive area.

Language
How easy is it to learn and how long does it take? Even if you will work in an international or IT company where everyone communicates in English, the state language will come in handy in official institutions, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and just on the street. Locals in most cases are much more loyal to someone who speaks with mistakes than to someone who doesn't even try.

Tips for moving to a permanent residence in different countries were discussed above. Of course, each country has its own special requirements, which can vary quite a lot, so each specific situation should be studied in detail and carefully.

I hope you enjoyed reading and maybe some tips were useful for you.

See you in the next blog.
Your Irina