Wanted: Tips for moving to Europe?

You didn’t say where in Europe. Do you have a preference or are you without fetters and open to “anywhere.” Climate changes among north and south and east and west lands and flatland versus mountain regions are great. Do you have a desired location? Are sport venues important to you? For example, warm, sunny beaches abound in the Med, healthy hiking beaches are great along the North Sea. Skiing in the Alps and Dolomites is super. Sedate boating along the canals of France, Britain are matched by boating the great rivers such as the Rhine and Danube. Adventurous sailing can be found in the Baltic and amongst the Greek Isles. Actually, there is something for everyone in each country – one has only to look for it. Fascinating architecture and unparalleled history is everywhere.

Two items I highly recommend: 1) learn the language of what becomes your host country and 2) totally embrace and become part of its culture.

First, you need to know that it isn’t legal for you to work here without having a work permit and a visa that allows you to do so unless you’re from the EU. Generally, you cannot apply for a work permit yourself – the company has to apply for it which means you need to have a job lined up. Jobs for people outside the EU are difficult. EU citizens have the right to move and work within the EU, so there’s a much smaller burden for a company to hire someone from here than from the US. You have to have the visa before you arrive here. Here in Italy, you will also need to apply for a permesso di soggiorno after you arrive and get a codice fiscale (the equivalent of an SSN).

A good strating point for planning this type of move is to do some research on the expat websites for the countries you’re interested in. This is a good way to get current information and make in-country contacts. These are sites for expats in Italy with general info on living and working here:

http://www.us-expatriate-handbook.com/
http://www.expatsinitaly.com/
http://www.jobonline.it/
http://italy.jobs.com/

There are similar sites for other countries – just search for the name of the country and “expat”. a few examples:

http://www.expats.cz/
http://www.expatica.com/nl/main.html
http://www.expats.org.uk/countryinfo/fra...
http://www.spainexpat.com/
http://www.expatica.com/
http://www.escapeartist.com/

The trick is finding a job that pays enough that you can support yourself. I was fortunate enough to move here through my existing job. There are not a huge number of available jobs right now, and people from the EU will have preference. I already had a job here and the paperwork took 8 months. (Note – I’ve been here 9 years, but the process hasn’t changed much other than the specific forms changing).

As an American expat, you’ll have to file tax returns both here and in the US. You should also be aware that it’s more expensive to live here than in the US. For example, gas is roughly equivalent to $8 to $9 per gallon now.

Good luck!