Living Abroad

Moving abroad is no mean feat at any age, but there is something especially challenging, and exhilarating, about moving abroad as a young adult. Having moved away from the UK twice now, it was somewhat surprising to me that the second time felt totally different from the first. I know that Covid-19 had a huge part to play in this as when I moved to Paris in January 2022 as a student on the Erasmus program, as the restrictions at the time were very strict. Moving away from everything that is familiar on your own is a big thing, and being prepared is vital.

It is a different kind of preparation when you’re going to live abroad, it is more complex, particularly as you’ll be staying there for an extended period of time so planning ahead is key. Not doing it could mean that you aren’t eligible to stay in a country for more than a set amount of time, which would cause a lot of stress and potentially make you miss out on an amazing opportunity.

This doesn’t just mean checking the FCDO Travel Advice website but also mentally preparing for a shift in culture and in my case living alone. Making some plans to take care of your mental health during your time away should be a huge part of that preparation, as looking after it whilst you’re living abroad will provide the foundation for you to enjoy your stay.

My experience

I jumped at the opportunity to take part in my university’s study abroad program. After living in the Netherlands for 7 years before moving to Glasgow for university, I knew what a positive impact immersing myself in a foreign culture could have. I was chosen to go to Paris to study with some of my peers at a French international University in the centre of the city. I was so excited to live in such a special place, I’m familiar with the café culture from living in the Netherlands and I love the atmosphere of European cities because of this buzz that that lifestyle brings. In Paris other cities in Europe it is so common to sit outside and soak up the city whilst enjoying a refreshment or some food and I think there’s no better way to enjoy a city!

My 3 main tips for living in Paris are:

• Get out there! Try and visit parts of the city that you’ve never been to before, youll probably find something incredible. The Navigo makes it so easy to access all of the best parts of the city!

• When eating or drinking in a restaurant you can usually get a carafe d’eau which is a bottle of filtered tap water, and it’s free! It can get seriously hot in the summer months and bottled water can be quite expensive so asking for a carafe d’eau is an easy and cheap way of keeping hydrated!

• Go to the markets. You can get some absolutely incredible produce in the open air markets and it’s usually about the same price as the supermarkets. The only thing I was say that was more expensive was flowers, so I would recommend you get them from the supermarket.

Visas

After the UK left the EU in 2021 something that was particularly important for my peers was getting a visa to live and study in an EU country. The FCDO website has loads of handy tips on how and when to get your long stay visa and is definitely worth a look at! For example, I wouldn’t have known that you can’t stay for more than 90 days in any country in the Schengen Area in the space of 180 days. This rule also applies if you’re going on holiday so make sure you’re counting the number of days you’re spending in the EU! Obtaining a visa can be quite a lengthy process so it’s worth preparing that in advance to avoid delays in the big move.

Healthcare

For France it is also vital that you register for healthcare if you are a student because travel insurance as health insurance usually covers holidays but does not cover you if you are living abroad! This was particularly important for me as I take medication that can be quite expensive so if I need to get a top up of the medicine I took with me I wouldn’t have to worry so much. There are a few regulations regarding medication when living abroad so it’s worth checking the Travel Advice website as it’s always better being safe than sorry!

Travel

Exploring Paris was such a joy, particularly in the earlier months as there were no tourists so it felt like the city was at its most authentic. As I was living there, I was allowed to purchase a Navigo card for the public transport, which was just amazing. Paris is actually a fairly small city and the metro made everywhere so accessible, and it really felt like there was an incredible building or area at every stop and the Navigo made it so easy and affordable. Covid-19 had an impact on my travel within and to and from France and the Travel Advice website is the best place to find up to date information, when I was living there it felt like the regulations changed every week!

I would encourage anyone to move abroad, especially as a young adult. It is fair to say that it does not come without its challenges but the best things rarely do. Mitigating these challenges through preparation and adaptation can make all the difference no matter how long you are staying in a country. A huge part of living abroad is respecting the local laws and culture, that is also the way that you’ll be able to make the most of living there. Regularly checking the Travel Advice website and local government websites is certainly the best way to do this. You could spend 5 minutes doing this in preparation or whilst you’re living in a foreign country and it could have 5 months’ worth of a positive impact - it’s a no brainer really!