What you need to know about moving abroad: important tips

About the reasons for moving

According to different data from 5 to 10 million Ukrainians live and work abroad. Each has its own story, but in the rating of answers to the question "Why?" the two leading ones are:

• For the money. These are, as a rule, seasonal workers and people who go "to earn money" and then return;
• for comfort. This category includes IT specialists, scientists, artists, businessmen and other people who do not see a future for themselves and their families in Ukraine. Often their financial situation does not improve (and sometimes it worsens): the salary remains the same, while expenses grow. But the profit is not in money, but in the feeling of security, access to quality medical services and education.

When deciding to move, it is important to remember the inevitable losses along the way:

• You lose stability for a while (this is exactly what is called "leaving the comfort zone"). Yesterday you were a full-fledged citizen, spoke the language, and knew where to run to in case of emergency. Tomorrow you are a foreigner with a temporary residence permit, actively using sign language and trying to understand the laws and culture of a foreign country. The financial situation at the start can also deteriorate, because there are a lot of expenses, and the salary is often small at first. There is always the risk of spending too much unknowingly: connecting to the most expensive internet provider just because they spoke English in their office, or buying tickets every day instead of buying a year-long pass. "Chips" that help you save money come with experience;
• family and friends stay in Ukraine. Yes, the visa-free travel has made spontaneous trips more realistic, but everyone has a job, vacations are not endless, and tickets are expensive (unless you are lucky enough to settle in a city where low-cost carriers fly).

A separate story is parents, who, alas, are not getting any younger. They may need constant care: you will have to either pick them up (and moving at 70-80 is even more difficult than at 30), or live in two countries for a while.

It is possible to move an elderly parent to your home if a number of conditions are met. For example, in order to obtain a residence permit in the Czech Republic, he or she must be either over 65 and single, or unable to take care of themselves due to illness (no age limit). It should be borne in mind that before obtaining a residence permit only commercial insurance will be available, which for the elderly costs about 1,700 euros per year and does not cover treatment of chronic diseases.

You can book a hotel with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

As long as the situation does not require a permanent presence, you can help with money. There are a lot of options at the disposal of those who have left: from transferring money with a bus driver or postal transfer to modern services like TransferGo, which works on the principle of "local in - local out": the sender transfers money to an account in his country with minimal fees, and the recipient in Ukraine receives it on his Privat card.

Where and how to emigrate

There are 2 approaches:

1. Decide on a country, study its immigration policy and choose a suitable way to move.
2. Start with the grounds for moving, then find countries where it is feasible to go on this basis, compare and stop at one of them.

Grounds for moving

If we do not take into account the presence of "roots", marriages with foreigners and multi-million dollar investments, there are 3 most realistic ways to move to one of the European countries:

• get a job;
• go to university;
• open a business.

Choosing a country

Not everyone has a "dream country", how to choose from a large number of options? On tourist trips, we see a different country from the one we will live in later: we settle in the center, walk and eat there, and hardly ever cross paths with locals who do not work in the service sector. All the more painful then to face the reality where English is not understood by everyone, and we have to regularly go through the doorsteps of government offices with stacks of documents in our hands.

There are two sources of information that can help you make a decision:

1. Blogs and forums (not travel blogs, but those where expats socialize) - you'll learn about the pros and cons of the country firsthand. Just first decide what is critical for you and what you can live with. People are different: some will complain about winters without snow, while for you it is, let's say, the optimal option.
2. Ratings. For example, the Quality of Living City Ranking from Mercer, which is aimed at expats. Analysts compare 231 major cities based on criteria such as safety, level of medicine, air quality, cultural life, transportation system, availability of international schools, housing affordability, and so on. In 2019, the first place for the tenth time in a row went to Vienna, the second place went to Zurich, the third place was shared by Munich and Vancouver.

Another prestigious rating is compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit consulting company. It compares 140 cities on 30 parameters related to five categories: stability, health, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

The Social Progress Index is an assessment of a country independent of economic indicators. It takes into account the level of medicine, crime and traffic situation, environmental conditions, average life expectancy, level of tolerance and approach to the protection of human rights. Ukraine's index is 69.3, Germany's is 89.2, Austria's is 86.76, the Czech Republic's is 84.6, Poland's is 81.2, Slovakia's is 80.34, and Hungary's is 80.11. The closer to 100, the better things are in the above spheres.

Forums and ratings have one common disadvantage: other people's opinion will not necessarily coincide with yours, so the only "iron" option is to go and try, but do not burn bridges. If you don't like it, you will come back.

The country has been chosen, what's next?

Residence permit

Study the list of documents and requirements for candidates for the type of emigration you have chosen. A detailed description of the procedure, as a rule, can be found on the website of the embassy of the country of destination in Ukraine and the website of its Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Do not rush to pay intermediaries: if you know English and allocate time to study the information, you can understand the procedure on your own. This is not only cheaper, but also safer - you will not run the risk of deportation if you work in Germany or the Czech Republic on a Polish visa.

Living expenses

In addition to the size of your future salary, it is also useful to find out about your basic expenses and then try to make ends meet (on paper, for now). If they do not add up, consider whether you are willing to sacrifice your usual standard of living: give up your car in favor of public transportation (according to statistics, about 80% of Parisians and about 75% of Vienna residents do so), go to restaurants less often or live in a less expensive neighborhood.

Health insurance system

The usual for us scheme "you got sick, went to the doctor, paid for treatment" does not work in Europe. The cost of medical services is high, clinics are not interested in providing them in debt, so a mandatory condition for citizens and foreigners is the presence of an insurance policy. As a rule, you can choose an insurance company, so it is important to carefully study the terms and conditions, compare them according to the criteria that are fundamental for you and conclude the contract consciously.

You will have to get used to calling an ambulance for every sneeze of your child and going to the doctor with a fever of 37.5, lead a healthy lifestyle (it is cheaper), get your teeth treated and replenish your medicine cabinet in Ukraine.

Language

How easy is it to learn it and how long does it take? Even if you work in an international or IT-company where everyone communicates in English, the state language will come in handy in official institutions, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and just on the street. In most cases, locals are much more loyal to someone who speaks with mistakes than to someone who doesn't even try.

Don't expect a miracle - immersion in the environment speeds up the process, but it will be difficult without a base. If possible, start learning the language on courses or with a tutor back in Ukraine, it will help to feel more confident at first, when there are already enough difficulties.

Availability of housing

Research results will help you to orient yourself in the situation. The company Deloitte, for example, found that in the Czech Republic about 15% of residents give for rent or mortgage more than 40% of their earnings, by this indicator, the country took the sixth place in the EU from the end, being among the worst. Own housing here will cost at least 11 average annual salaries, while the British can afford 9 annual salaries, and the Belgians - 3.

In Munich, the problem is not only the high cost of housing, but also the shortage of it - landlords are scrambling for tenants, and dozens of people can come to viewings at the same time. In Berlin the situation is simpler, but even there you will have to run in search of a suitable in location and price apartment, which you will be ready to rent, as well as to prove to the owner your financial stability and reliability.

An unpleasant surprise for the tenant can be a deposit of 2-3 months' rent, which remains with the owner for the entire rental period, and recalculation of the amount for utilities, which is carried out once a year. In the end, you may be refunded the overpayment (less common) or asked to pay extra (more common). In the first year you learn to dress warmer instead of turning the heating on full blast, to turn off the lights when you leave the room, not to wash dishes or brush your teeth when the water is constantly running from the tap.

Development of the sphere in which you are going to work

No employer gives a lifetime guarantee for a job, so it is important to understand the prospects. After dismissal, the holder of a visa or blue card is given a certain amount of time to search for a job, and if unsuccessful, you will have to leave the country. If you want to return, you will have to start the application process all over again.

Your status: abroad and in Ukraine

On average in Europe, to apply for a permanent residence permit you need to live legally in the country for 5 years (tourist visits are not taken into account). After another 5 years (10 in total) you can apply for citizenship. Permanent residence permit holders have the same rights as citizens, except for the right to participate in elections.

Sometimes it may take less or more time. For example, in the Czech Republic, studying at a university when applying for a residence permit is counted as half time - one year for one half.

What am I now for Ukraine?

Taxes

If a person lives in Ukraine for less than 183 days a year, he/she ceases to be its tax resident. Being a non-resident you, for example, will pay a tax of 15% of its value when selling an apartment instead of 5%, which is levied on residents.

Procedure for leaving Ukraine for permanent residence

Leaving Ukraine for good, it is important to comply with a number of formalities. The official procedure looks like this:

• Submit an application and a package of documents to the district body of the state migration service of Ukraine or the consulate of Ukraine in the country where you permanently reside.
• Having received a positive response, deregister at the place of residence in Ukraine.
• Submit exit declarations and receive a certificate from the State Fiscal Service.
• Receive a stamp in the State Migration Service in your passport on departure for permanent residence.
• Register with the consular authorities in the country of residence.

Travel abroad may be restricted in accordance with the law "On the procedure for departure from Ukraine and entry into Ukraine of citizens of Ukraine" if you have debts on taxes, alimony, etc.

Service in the army

Having passed the above-described procedure for permanent residence, a citizen of Ukraine is no longer subject to military service. But it should be taken into account that if a man of conscription age leaves for permanent residence, the military commission at the place of registration must give its consent.

Renunciation of citizenship

Some countries when assigning a foreigner citizenship do not require renunciation of the first, so many people live abroad with two passports without problems.

You can automatically renounce Ukrainian citizenship only if you obtain citizenship of a country with which Ukraine has concluded relevant agreements (Belarus, Georgia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan).

The others have to initiate the procedure of voluntary renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship. A mandatory condition is to go through the procedure of departure for permanent residence described above and obtain citizenship of another country. It is possible to submit a petition only through the consulate of Ukraine abroad, the decision is made by the President of Ukraine.

Required documents:

- application for renunciation of Ukrainian citizenship;

- photos;

- a copy of the foreign passport, including the page with a stamp on departure for permanent residence;

- a document confirming that the applicant has obtained or will obtain citizenship of another country.

The Consulate has a month to review the submitted documents, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the same amount of time to review them, and the Commission under the President can study the circumstances of the case for a year.

Do you have to register with the consular authorities?

No. But by doing so, you will receive a number of advantages:

- automatic inclusion in the voter lists at foreign polling stations (those who are not registered can also vote - it is enough to write an application);

- possibility to stay in Ukraine for 2 months a year with a car registered in one of the EU countries;

- operative communication with your relatives in Ukraine in case you suffer during a natural disaster, etc.

It is free of charge to get a temporary consular registration, while a fee is charged for permanent registration.

As you can see, moving abroad is not a panacea and certainly not a guarantee of a cloudless life. Whatever city and country you find yourself in, you bring there, first of all, yourself and your worldview, so if your soul is asking for changes, do not hurry to leave the country, but start with changes in yourself.