Menu
Expat.com

Moving to England with your family

Last activity 29 March 2016 by GeoffHunt

Post new topic

Bhavna

Hello everybody,

When settling abroad with your spouse and children, the expatriation process requires an extensive preparation.

What are the considerations to take into account when moving to England with your family? What challenges have you faced? How did your children adapt to their new environment?

What is your recipe for a successful family expatriation in England?

Thank you in advance for sharing your experience,

Bhavna

GeoffHunt

The way we did it worked for us, but it wasn't easy.
I came over to England first, looked for work, a house, schools and did most of the paperwork required. Sorted my NI number out, banking, driving license etc, during which time my wife and kids sold up and prepared for their move some 5 months later.
There were some benefits doing it this way. As an example, I more or less knew the ropes for when they got here, and I could decide better what to ship over and what to sell/abandon/give away from our home.
My kids settled very easily, and within a week at school, had friends and appeared well settled. They generally excelled with the schoolwork, and still have the same friends 3 years later.
In my opinion, bring over as little as possible, apart from essentials, be prepared to start life over, but make it as easy as possible for yourselves as it is a huge adjustment.
I used Freecycle a lot here, and it helped a great deal until we could buy new items. Then we moved those items on to someone else.
It all worked well in the end, and in retrospect, I would do it the same way again, just with more money!

Articles to help you in your expat project in England

  • Work in Brighton
    Work in Brighton

    With over 275,000 people, Brighton is a popular destination among expats from all walks of life. Once you visit ...

  • Accommodation in London
    Accommodation in London

    With a surface area of 1,572km² and thirty districts to choose from, London has thousands of homes available ...

  • Dating in the UK
    Dating in the UK

    Dating in England is a blend of tradition and modernity, where meeting people in social settings and contemporary ...

  • Things to bring when moving to the United Kingdom
    Things to bring when moving to the United Kingdom

    Are you concerned about what you should bring during your relocation to the UK? Many expats don't give this a ...

  • Top things to do in London
    Top things to do in London

    No matter what your definition of fun is – get ready to feel active, inspired, and creative in London. ...

  • How to meet people in the UK
    How to meet people in the UK

    Meeting new people in the UK as a newly arrived expat is easy. However, if this is your first experience living ...

  • Making phone calls in the United Kingdom
    Making phone calls in the United Kingdom

    The very competitive United Kingdom communications market made of many telephone network operators, offering ...

  • Work in Bristol
    Work in Bristol

    Bristol is the largest city in southwest England and the eighth largest in the UK, with a multi-ethnic population ...

All of England's guide articles