How to choose a country to live: 7 tips from people who moved to Europe

It was important for me to have the opportunity to realize myself in a new country - be it study, work, dating, sports, travel. In Italy everything is fine with this. Traveling to Russia used to be simple too: I visited home twice a year, and family and friends visited me. Now the frequency of meetings has noticeably decreased. But online communication saves us: a daily flow of voice messages for 10 minutes is our story. We also try to organize joint trips. And they haven’t stopped visiting each other at all - for example, in the spring I came to Voronezh, and now I’m waiting for my best friend to visit.

Germany is not the best choice for business, but it is an excellent choice for people who want to work in a corporate environment. Everything in the career here is stable and transparent. There is no need to expect any unpleasant surprises from employers. Plus there is a feeling of social security - this will especially appeal to those who don’t like to be nervous.

My family and I always wanted to try living by the sea, and I also dreamed of my daughters studying at an international school. In the spring, we held several rounds of discussions and at the family council we decided to try to move to Spain. The city was chosen specifically based on the school: they were looking for one with instruction in English, a convenient location and good reviews. Other features were also paid attention to. For example, in one of the schools, the uniform for girls included only skirts. When I told the children about this, they became sad and said that it was much more comfortable to walk in pants. In the end, we chose a great school in Barcelona, ​​taking into account both my criteria and the wishes of the girls.

I've been to Portugal several times: I really liked the vibe, the smells, the language, the nature. But those were emotions on vacation. Life is different. For example, climate. They say that Portugal has an average of 300 sunny days a year. At the same time, in autumn and spring there is a strong variation in temperature: in the morning and late evening it can be up to ten degrees Celsius, and in the afternoon - twenty-six. With the arrival of autumn, the humidity made everything in the apartment damp, so I bought a dehumidifier. And winter is ahead without central heating. It's tough, but solvable.

The climate was perhaps the most dramatic change. Limassol has the same blue sky all summer, without cloudy days, rain or even clouds. It sounds like paradise, but in reality the days are greatly shortened. If you didn’t have time to finish things outside the house before it got hot, it’s better not to go anywhere. As a result, I learned to get up at 7 and do shopping, jogging and walking until 9 am (well, I almost learned).

I would advise you to definitely learn the local language and strive to use it to the maximum - this gives you the opportunity to integrate into society and feel like a full participant in any events. For example, when I was just starting to learn Italian, it was difficult to engage in dialogues and joke fully. But when the level of the language increased, I began to feel at ease. Italians are very welcoming and friendly - that helped.

The community helps a lot to understand the still completely blind spots, and it’s always supportive. Plus, they are clearer and, of course, more familiar: a common language and cultural code are incredibly valuable. So far I communicate mainly with people who speak Russian, but I’m trying to correct this. Existing only in a familiar bubble significantly slows down integration into the local environment.

My social circle mainly consists of other Russian-speaking immigrants. Of course, this helps, because we are united by a common context of moving, views, and language. Social connections are not yet as strong as with long-time friends, and this is unusual: it seems to bring a lot of things closer together, and relationships begin faster, but the distance still remains. Nevertheless, new acquaintances are the most valuable thing that can be found in emigration.

It seems to me important to preserve old connections. We try to meet at least once every six months, even when we are in different countries - this is very supportive.

Some features of Germany at the start are scary. For example, renting a house is a whole quest. There is even a joke here that interviewing for a job is easier than interviewing for an apartment. Yes, it is the landlord who decides who to rent the property to. It was also difficult to get used to medicine: you can’t just go and buy anything at the pharmacy. But once you understand the system, everything becomes easier.

Before moving, you should definitely go through a check-in - it’s always easier to talk about health in your native language. It’s also better to fix everything that needs to be done at home - treatment abroad will be more expensive. If you are taking animals with you, look at what documents they need to cross the border and live in a new country: usually this is an international veterinary passport with all vaccinations, a rabies antibody titer test and a certificate for departure from RF. Well, don’t forget about your documents either. At a minimum, birth and marriage certificates definitely need to be apostilled, but in general the list of documents depends on the country you have chosen and the method of legalization in it.

I always joke that an immigrant's problems become a little easier when they are eaten with seafood pasta or goat cheese. But you still need to prepare for the peculiarities of the local culture. And it is important to look at the country through the eyes of a resident, not a tourist. For example, Italy is a paradise for a vacation trip. But daily life here is different. Complex bureaucracy, high taxes, rules that are unusual for us. This can be overcome, but for some it may be a disappointment.

There are jokes everywhere. In Lisbon it’s Portuguese randomness: anything goes any way, but not as written in the rules or planned. And it's a never-ending lesson in acceptance. For example, according to the rules, a residence permit card under my article is prepared within three months. But I know people who waited about a year, and I myself received it in just a week.

But if you are planning to move, I advise you not to be afraid and just try. Be prepared that even the coveted residence permit card does not necessarily mean that it will last for a long time or forever. But after completing the moving quest once, the next time it will be much easier.