When some people move abroad, they choose to do it permanently. But what if you just want to try it out or have an adventure for six months to a year? You want to know you have your home to return to whenever you want it, or perhaps just test out living abroad to see if it’s right for you. If this is something you’ve ever considered, you might think that it’s a lot more difficult with a family than it would be if you were on your own. While it can present its challenges, it is possible to do.

What to Do About Work

The first thing you need to consider is what to do concerning work or earning money. Maybe you’re considering moving in the first place because an opportunity has come along that will allow you to live somewhere new for a while.

But you could also be trying to plan something from scratch, with no real idea of what you’re going to do just yet. Making a temporary move is easier for anyone who can request a transfer at their job or for people who can work from anywhere. Plenty of people can do their job with just a computer and an internet connection or have skills that are marketable around the world, like teaching English.

Alternatively, you might be able to live on your savings or investments for a certain amount of time. This would mean you don’t have to worry about work at all and you could enjoy your time abroad before going home.

What About Your Home?

When it’s time to return home, if you decide that’s what you want to do, you need to know that you’re still going to have somewhere to live. If you own your home, this is a little easier. You might be able to rent it out, have a friend or family member stay there or get someone to check in now and then. However, if you rent, this makes things a bit trickier. You could speak to your landlord about subletting, and some might be open to it. Or you could let your lease run out and find somewhere new to live when you return. But this will mean storing your stuff or taking it all abroad with you.

Checking Visa Rules for Your Chosen Destination

If you’re set on a destination, you need to check the rules concerning visas for temporary stays and perhaps working. While the UK is still in the EU, any EU country is available for UK citizens to live in, although you might be required to register your presence after three months. In other countries, you might need to have a job or adequate savings if you want to stay longer than the maximum tourist period, which is usually about 90 days. It can sometimes be a complicated process to get the visas you need.

Finding Somewhere to Stay

As well as thinking about what to do with your house back home, you’ll need somewhere appropriate to stay abroad. Buying obviously makes no sense at all for a temporary move, so you’ll need to find somewhere to rent or perhaps even someone you know who has somewhere you can stay. You could be paying your mortgage or rent back home at the same time, so you probably don’t want to spend too much. You can use local sites like https://www.rumah.com/rumah/dijual to compare potential rental properties. You might want to consider what sort of tenancy contract you’re willing to sign. If you want to be able to go home whenever you want, you probably don’t want to be locked into a year-long lease. At the same time, you need enough security that you won’t need to move during your stay.

Organising Tax and Money Issues

You’ll also need to consider how to handle the issues of tax and money. You’ll need to find out where you’ll be paying tax and how. Before leaving the UK, you need to let HMRC know and fill out the correct forms if you’re going to be working abroad. You need to know what your tax residence status is, and you could still be regarded as resident in the UK for tax purposes despite being abroad. Another thing to consider is whether it makes sense to get a local bank account. It can help you to avoid bank fees whenever you use your debit card or withdraw money.

School

If you have children who are old enough to be at school or even preschool, you need to think about what you’re going to do while you’re away. There are a few options you can consider, including homeschooling, local schools or international schools. In some places, you will find British school options, which you might want to explore. Local schools can be a possibility, but for only a short time, it might not be worth it if there’s a language barrier. Of course, if you have little ones who are old enough for school you, you might just look for places you can go to together to meet other parents and toddlers or babies.

Socialising

No one wants to feel isolated, especially if you move abroad. It can take a long time to make new friends as an adult, and that’s doubly true when you move to a new country. Even though you might not become fast friends with anyone, you can still find a social group to spend time with. You might find these people through work, or perhaps you can look for social groups to join online. If you’re missing home, you can often find fellow Brits, some of whom might be there temporarily as you are and some who might be permanent residents. The people who live there permanently can give you greater insight into living there and could help you if you’re trying to decide whether you want to stay for longer.

Before you decide to move abroad temporarily, think about the logistics and issues you might need to have worked out before leaving.