Relocation Q&A for grown-ups
Moving abroad,answered in plain English.
Whether it is a new job, a partner’s posting or a long-planned retirement, ask your question the way you would ask a friend who has done it. Then compare countries on visa routes, cost of living, healthcare and tax residency, and work through the first 90 days.
General information with links to the official source. Not immigration, tax or legal advice.
Compare countries
Six questions to put to every country on your list
Most relocation regret comes from comparing the wrong things. We line countries up on the same six dimensions, so a sunny brochure and a hard visa rule end up on the same page.
Visa routes
Which door fits you: employer-sponsored work, remote or self-employed, family reunion, or retirement / passive income.
02 · costCost of living
Rent, groceries, transport and utilities in the city you would actually live in, not the national average.
03 · healthHealthcare access
When newcomers can use the public system, what it covers, and what private insurance has to fill.
04 · taxTax residency
When the new country starts taxing you, whether the old one stops, and how pensions and foreign income are treated.
05 · settleBanking and housing
The chain that trips people up: address, local ID number, bank account, lease, phone.
06 · familyFamily and retirement
Schools, a partner’s right to work, bringing parents, and whether a pension can be received abroad.
First 90 days
The order things usually have to happen in
Address before bank account, ID number before lease, health cover before the first appointment. The checklist walks you through it phase by phase and remembers your ticks on this device.
- Before you fly
Papers and money
Visa granted, documents certified or apostilled, a way to pay for the first month.
- Week 1
Register and connect
Local registration, a phone number, temporary housing that can take your post.
- Month 1
Bank, health, home
Bank account, health system enrolment or insurance, a longer lease.
- By day 90
Settle the long tail
Driving licence, tax registration, school place, telling your old country you have left.
Ask a question
Start with where you are, not with a form
Tell the assistant your nationality, the countries you are weighing up, who is moving with you and roughly when. It answers in plain English, says what depends on your own case, and points you to the official page to confirm.
Open the assistantWhat we cover
Clear about the edges
We help with
- Comparing countries side by side on visa route types, cost of living, healthcare access, tax residency, banking and housing.
- Moving with a partner, children or parents, and settling somewhere to retire.
- A first-90-days checklist: what to sort out before you fly, in week one, in the first month and by day 90.
We do not do
- Student visas and university applications.
- Investor visas, golden visas and citizenship-by-investment.
- Immigration or tax advice on your own case. We explain how things generally work and point you to the official source; a licensed adviser or the authority itself has the final word.
- Filing applications or acting for you with any government.
FAQ
Before you ask
Who is Overseas.chat for?
Adults who are planning to move to another country for a job, to join or bring family, or to retire. If you are applying to study abroad or buying residence through investment, this is not the right place.
Can you tell me which visa I qualify for?
No. We explain how the main types of route generally work and what they usually ask for, so you can read the official rules with the right questions in mind. Whether you qualify is decided by the immigration authority; for anything borderline, talk to a licensed adviser.
Where do the answers come from?
From official government sources wherever they exist, and we link to them. Rules change often, so every guide carries the date it was last checked, and you should confirm the current version with the authority before you act.
Is it free? Will someone try to sell me something?
Asking is free. We do not collect your contact details through the assistant, and nobody will follow up with a sales call.
What should I not type into the assistant?
Passport numbers, visa reference numbers, bank details or anything else that identifies you. Describe your situation in general terms: your nationality, the countries you are weighing up, who is moving with you and roughly when.