Be Ready: How to Prepare for Temporary Working Abroad

May 15, 2019

This is a featured article

There are many reasons to get a temporary job abroad. You can do it to keep yourself busy over the school holidays, to gain new skills or experience or even as a way of financing your trip. Your employer in your home country can also send you for an assignment in a foreign country. Regardless of the reason, proper preparation is essential. The last thing you want is to get stranded in a foreign country with no family and friends. Thus, once you have identified a suitable job opportunity, talked to the employer and finalized the offer, consider the following planning tips.

Get a Work Visa

Most countries require foreigners to apply for work permit visas before taking up most jobs. Where the work visa is mandatory, make a point of getting one. If you get a job without a work permit, you can be deported, fined and even banned from returning to that country again. Your employer in the foreign country can help with your work permit application or you may have to do it by yourself. Either way, you should start the application as soon as possible since the process takes time. Also, take time to understand the conditions of the work permit before submitting your applications. In some countries you will not be allowed to change jobs during your stay and thus if you are fired or when you resign, you will have to return back home. In addition to the work visa, check if there are any other legal requirements you need to fulfil before getting a job in that country.

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Documents and Paperwork

Next prepare all the documents necessary for international travel and what you need for your job. Check the expiry dates on your passport and see how far they are from your date of travel. Passport validity rules are different for each country. For some counties it’s six months whereas for others it’s three months. Thus, check the requirements before you book your flight.

Save Some Cash

You need to save some extra cash for working abroad for two reasons. One, it might be a while before you get your first pay check. Two, some jobs may not pay a lot of money. In order to know how much you need to save, start by estimating the cost of living abroad. Take into account the cost of housing, food, transportation, entertainment, internet and healthcare.

Get Insurance

When travelling abroad for work, consider getting travel and health insurance for expatriates. Travel insurance covers trip cancellation, travel delay, accidents, lost luggage and medical emergencies. Read the policy document well to see what is included before buying a cover. Health insurance for expatriates is important for a couple of reasons. For instance, expats in China should get this to ensure that they get medical attention fast and without straining their finances in case of an accident or serious illness.

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Know Your Legal Obligations

Get to know the legal obligations you have as an employee in a foreign country. Paying taxes is the key legal obligation you have to fulfil in every country where you work. Thus, familiarize yourself with the tax laws; know how much tax you will have to pay and how to submit your taxes.

Make Friends Before You Travel

Before you travel abroad, go online and make some friends. By making friends early, you will feel less like a stranger when you arrive in the new country. You will have people to show you around, keep you company and teach you about the culture. Finally, remember it is not every day that you travel abroad and thus make good use of every minute you spend there. Other than work, have a list of places to visit, things to do, what to buy, meals to try and what to learn. If you are not familiar with that country, use the search engines to find places and activities.

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