Entering Your New Country

Arriving in a strange country that you’re about to call home can be extremely nerve-wracking for even the most calm individual. It is filled with questions that simply aren’t there when you’re only visiting somewhere on holiday. For most people the fear is that they’ll arrive there and not know what to do. The main thing to remember is that getting there is the first step, just take your time and everything else will follow.

Arriving at the Airport

On arrival, many people are unsure whether they need to enter the country through a special gate for migrants. Sadly, there’s no fast track for anyone coming into a new country as a migrant. You will have to queue with everyone else who is arriving and because you’re still on your UK passport, you will most likely need to wait to pass through immigration and customs. As you’re at the immigration desk, you may be asked why you’re arriving in the country. You can explain you’re immigrating and the official will check your visa in your passport and then run it through their machine. There’s no welcome committee, no other requirements for entry and no bells and whistles. You simply head through to customs.

Customs Requirements on Arrival

When you are moving to a new country, you’ll probably have already sent your items by plane or by sea. The goods you have on you however will be liable for customs charges dependent on the country and you will have to declare them. Always check what goods are allowed into your new country. Most won’t allow animal by-products or goods derived from plants or wood. You will need to discard of these before you’re allowed into the main arrival area of the airport. You will also need to pay customs on imported items where applicable.

Stepping Foot on Foreign Soil

When you first get out of the airport and find your way to wherever you’re staying, most people make the obligatory phone call home. It reminds you immediately that no matter how far away you are, you’re only ever at the end of the phone line. It’ll settle not only the people you’ve left at home, but put your own mind at ease also. The next best thing you can do is relax as there will be a whirlwind of form filling, appointments, researching and more coming up.

Sort Out the Official Side First

Within your first few weeks, you’re likely to still be in holiday mode, but this is the best time to start setting in motion the long term plans for staying. Obtain as many official forms of ID as you can, including a local driving licence, medical coverage if available, register for tax or obtain a social security number and anything else you can think of. This will help with becoming recognised as a local citizen and can only benefit you in the long term. It will also help you feel more at ‘home’ and can help if you’re applying for jobs when you get there. Other than that, the main thing to do when you arrive is get to know you’re local area and get a feel for your new culture. Hopefully you’ll love what you find there and will want to stay.

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