Living in a foreign country will literally change your life forever, whether you are only going to be abroad for a few months or a few years. However, your transition will go much smoother if you consider the difficulties of living in a foreign country first.
By considering the difficulties of living in a foreign countries before your move you can anticipate the potential pitfalls and avoid them where possible. You can’t avoid every potential misstep, but who can in life.
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18 Difficulties of living in a foreign country and how to solve them.
1. Personal Support Issues.
We often take for granted the amount of personal support we have in the infrastructures we’ve built for ourselves back in our home countries.
These personal support structures include family and friends, colleagues as well as business relationships, your personal doctor etc. If you need a new service or something else, then you can usually ask for a recommendation from someone you know and trust.
However, when you come to a new country, you basically have to build your own personal infrastructure from scratch.
Everything you have back home that you take for granted, you will now have to build up piece by piece.
2. Worrying About Money.
Some expats already have a job lined up with a company. Their company basically handles all your logistics, so this isn’t much of a concern.
However, if you’re starting out on your own, work for yourself or you don’t have a job, you will constantly have to worry about money. Although if you decide to move to a country that is cheaper than your home, this actually becomes less of an issue.
Nonetheless, worrying about money does not necessarily mean worrying about where you’re going to get your next paycheck from.
It could mean simple things like access to hard currency, if you are in a soft currency country.
Being able to access your own funds from your own bank account back home in your new country.
Also paying bills, for things like this you will need to become acquainted with your new country’s payment systems or be able to work with a bank in your home country while abroad.
For example, in the last two countries I’ve lived in, paying for things like my cell phone, or my internet, I don’t need to mail a check to a company every month. Nor do I need to make a special trip to an office to pay.
I simply go to what’s called a “payment terminal” and put in my account number and insert cash into the machine. Of course these machines also take credit and debit card payments.
But I actually find these machines much easier to work with then worrying about sending a check every month to some company.
3. Building Relationships.
A new country means that you will have to reestablish personal and professional relationships.
This could be a challenge for some, but quite a refreshing experience for others as you can basically start fresh, remake your image etc.
Anyway, you’re going to have to meet new friends, establish new professional relationships and develop your own network from scratch.
4. Different Business Culture.
Part of what makes working abroad so exciting is having to work in a different business culture.
As exciting as that sounds, it doesn’t mean it’s not without its challenges, both positive and negative. You’re going to have to accept the way people do business on their own in your new country.
One of the pitfalls many expats fall into in a foreign country is expecting those in their new country to behave and conduct business the same way as it’s done back home.
Most of the time that’s not the case. The sooner you accept that, the easier your transition will be.
Things like punctuality for example. Some countries being exactly on time is the norm. In other countries actually being 15 minutes early to an appointment is the norm.
However, in many countries being 15 minutes, 30 minutes even an hour late is the norm. So you’re going to have to get used to a different business culture that you’re entering.
So if you’re a stickler for punctuality, you’re going to need to adjust your expectations.
5. Making New Friends.
Making friends can be challenging for some people, even in their home country.
However, in a new country you also have language issues as well as cultural and mentality differences that you’ll have to overcome.
In your new country you will be seen as a foreigner and may never become truly accepted in your new country by locals, regardless of how long you’ve lived there or how well you speak the local language.
This makes making new friends challenging.
However, it’s not impossible of course. You can make friends through colleagues at work. You can also make new friends through expat networks and expat pubs.
There are many ways to meet new friends, but it will certainly force you out of your comfort zone and that could be a good thing.
6. Language Barriers.
Language barriers are actually the number one, or at least in the top five difficulties of moving to a new country.
If you already speak the language of the country, you’re going to be far ahead of many who don’t.
Learning languages is never easy. Even with technology, people still value person to person contact without the use of a cell phone translator to communicate.
However, technology also makes it easier to learn a new language. There are some excellent online courses and language programs you can download.
The sooner you can get over the language barriers, the easier your transition to your new home will be.
7. Fitting in as a Foreigner.
As I have previously mentioned, in your new country you are basically a foreigner and will always be seen as such.
You need to accept the fact that you will never truly fit in your local environment. But then again, that’s what makes moving abroad part of the thrill and the adventure of never truly fitting in.
Though at times, it can be very uncomfortable and you will want to retreat back into the compounds of your abode.
That’s also perfectly normal and sometimes we do need that alone space to regroup.
But you need to accept the fact that fitting in as a foreigner, you will only fit in so much as a foreigner.
8. Culture Shock.
If you’re not used to traveling abroad and you’re going to move to a foreign country, one of the things you will confront first, is culture shock.
It could be little things such as the foods people eat, the way they dress, their behavior in public, to the way they conduct business as well as their manners or lack thereof.
These are all part of the culture shock that you may experience.
9. Overwhelmed by the changes of living in a foreign country.
When you move to a foreign country, it seems like all your senses are attacked all at once. As exciting as your new move is, all the new surroundings, language, sounds, smells, you can easily become overwhelmed by these changes.
But the real changes happen when you actually begin living your day-to-day life in the foreign country you chose.
You will soon find that simple things that you took for granted back home, have become challenges in their own right.
Something like going to the store and buying a few apples becomes a cultural experience.
Although it’s minor in my opinion, when you multiply all these new situations and attacks on your senses all while trying to get your bearings, it’s easy to become overwhelmed in your new country.
10. You’re a long way from home.
As exciting as your new move is, soon it will hit you that you are a long way from home.
You will begin to miss all the little things that you also took for granted back home. It could be as simple as going to your favorite cafe.
Seeing the same cashier at the bank that you go to or the local supermarket.
You’d be surprised by all the little things that will remind you that you’re a long way from home.
11. Family and personal relationships, losing touch.
Once you’ve been away for not only a few months, but a few years, you’ll soon realize that your family and personal relationships may become a bit strained.
You won’t be a part of everybody’s day to day or even month to month life anymore. People will have gotten used to you living away.
Although we have things like social media that make us feel like we are in touch, we’re really not.
Let’s face it most people only post on social media the things that make them look good not exactly on what’s really happening in their lives.
You really have to make an effort to at least establish some kind of routine where you have more meaningful contact with those you left behind.
12. Adjusting to the work culture in a new country.
When you first begin your job in your new country, you’re going to need to adjust to the local work culture.
All the little pleasantries, office type politics, even working hours and break times can be quite different in a foreign country compared to what you’re used to back home.
For example, in some countries employees can take up to two hours for lunch. Some offices don’t even begin working till after 10:00 in the morning.
Some companies work at least till 8:00 in the evening. Also, office parties, birthday parties etc. may involve alcohol, flowers and candy along with toasts to the subject of the party.
In some countries for example, if a holiday is on a Wednesday or Thursday the company or the country may designate that Thursday and Friday as off days officially. This is often referred to as a “bridge”.
However, the employees may be expected to work the following Saturday, the previous Saturday or even both. This is so that people could enjoy a 4 or even a 5-day weekend.
These are all the little things that you might have to get used to.
13. Housing.
The housing that you get might not be similar to the one you left behind.
For example, in many countries, the majority of the population live in apartment blocks and not individual homes or townhouses.
So getting used to neighbors above, below and to the sides of you may take some getting used to.
Speaking of neighbors, you will become very sensitive to those around you.
That means not only may you have one or two noisy neighbors, but you may actually be noisy yourself and not even realize it.
Also, if you are going to be in a more developing country, you may have to put up with power outages or water shut offs.
All these things you are going to need to take into consideration as far as foreign housing is concerned.
14. Never feeling truly settled in your new country.
No matter how long you have lived in a foreign country. No matter how comfortable you feel and how well you speak the language of your new adopted home. You may never truly feel settled.
Even if you buy property. Many countries have laws and restrictions as far as foreigners owning property, whether that’s commercial real estate or residential real estate.
Unless you carry a passport from that new country you are living in, you will never be a citizen. Even if you have long-term residency, you will never be a citizen.
Therefore, you will have less rights than native-born citizens do in your new country. So you may never truly feel quite at home.
15. Loneliness.
When you first move abroad, especially in the beginning, it’s hard not to feel a little bit of loneliness.
Even if you have a job all lined up and the company is laying out the red carpet for you and your family, you will be treated more or less like a visitor or a guest. Your new host’s mannerisms may be more professional than personal.
You will have to make new friends, establish new bonds etc. In the meantime, you may feel quite a bit alone until you do.
Even after you’ve established some friendships and a network, just being in a place where they don’t speak your native language, may make you feel a little lonely and homesick.
You come home after a long day, turn on the TV and there will be foreign programs in foreign languages.
There may be a holiday coming up, either one from your new country or your home country and you may not have a place to go and celebrate it.
All these things can bring bouts of loneliness in your new country.
16. Food.
You’ll have to get used to the local food. Believe it or not, in some countries you might not like the local food. I know my first country, the country of Ukraine. I didn’t particularly care for the local food myself.
Although some dishes were all right, I found the food too stodgy and bland for my taste. You may encounter that you move to a new country and the food is too spicy or they use herbs and spices that you don’t particularly like in everything.
Finding comfort food or international food for a pleasant distraction may be challenging. Also, foreign food in countries that are geared more for the local palate may be more expensive and not quite the quality that you’d expect.
Many restaurants specializing in international cuisine, especially in Asia, like Italian food etc. might not be the same as what you’re used to back in your country.
In addition, you may find that the only place to buy your food is at the local outdoor markets, not international supermarket chains.
If that’s the case and you’re going to have to adapt real quickly to the language and customs of that marketplace.
In some countries, you still have to negotiate the prices for meat and vegetables to get the price you want.
This can be very frustrating if you’re not used to negotiating, especially for the little things in life.
17. Safety.
Although personally, I’ve found safety issues to be quite minimal, nonetheless as a foreigner in a new country you’re going to be out of your element.
In addition, you may be a target for local, nefarious characters like thieves or violent groups etc. This can be especially true if it’s a very homogeneous society and your ethnicity makes you stand out.
So the best thing to do to combat this is to actually research the country you’re going to and check the various forums etc. and prepare yourself.
You may even have a change of heart about your chosen country, if there are too many risks.
18. Medical Care.
Depending on the country, medical care may vary from excellent and of the highest standard to quite poor and scarce.
Most countries, even poorer ones, do have Western style clinics, even hospitals.
However, you need to also consider what type of health insurance, if any, you may need to carry in your new country.
Some countries may actually require you to purchase local health insurance for your length of stay. Always check the country’s embassy’s website in your home country for details.
Most countries in the world have some form of socialized medicine. Though sometimes, that socialized medicine can be lacking especially in developing countries.
Many times you can pay cash for most health treatments or emergencies that you come across.
The good thing about a country that has socialized medicine is that fixed costs are already provided for by the government. Their medical infrastructure has already been developed.
Therefore, if you go in and pay cash you would be surprised at the high level of service and the care you can get.
I would always consult with the locals and other expats about their recommendations.
You may also want to read some of the forums and groups online to get a clearer picture of what you’re going to be walking into.
18 Difficulties of living in a foreign country and how to solve them. Conclusions.
Bottom line is, do your homework. You’re lucky that you have the internet and you can find plenty of information about most countries online.
You can even establish connections before you go. In addition, you can even learn or begin learning the local language before you arrive on the ground.
Preparation is key and anticipating any potential difficulties you may have when moving to a foreign country and living there.
You know what they say, “an ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure.“