Could You Move from North America to Europe – Part 9
Do you see a realistic path toward long-term residency?
Welcome to “The Journey”, a newsletter from my little corner of the internet!
In this issue, I’m continuing to discuss the topic of “could you move from North America to Europe”, first raised a few months ago in a thought-provoking post by Gregory Garretson. The question this week is, “Do you see a realistic path toward long-term residency?”
Life at Large (This section has been temporarily commandeered to discuss the query “could you move from North America to Europe?”)
So, you're thinking about moving abroad. You have chosen the location, and now you are anticipating the food, the adventure, the fresh start—it’s all exciting. But before you start packing your bags, there’s a critical question you need to ask yourself:
Do you see a realistic path toward long-term residency?
This isn’t just a paperwork issue. It’s about your legal status, your finances, your sense of belonging—and your identity.
Residency can be a bureaucratic scavenger-hunt, and in conversations with those who have navigated it, it’s often cited as the most stressful part of moving to a new country. Most countries have a maze of steps to move from visitor to legal resident, and those steps need to be diligently followed, even when they may seem unreasonable, or unduly expensive.
Michal and I were fortunate as we were moving to an EU country, and Michal is already an EU citizen. The path to residency was simple for him, and then I could apply for residency through a “family reunification” process. It’s not so simple in other cases.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine your administrative pathway to residency:
Do I qualify for a visa—work, student, family, investor, etc.?
Will I need background checks, translations, or medical exams?
Can I move from temporary to permanent residency?
What are the deadlines/timelines for renewals or paperwork?
What’s the path to citizenship, if I want it?
And the big question, will you do it yourself—or hire help?
Some people thrive on DIY bureaucracy. Others prefer to hire a vetted immigration lawyer or service. Both are valid. What matters is knowing which path suits you—and your risk tolerance.
Michal and I did most of the process ourselves, but there were two occasions where we hired a consultant to help us when we hit obstacles. We were satisfied with the service they provided, and their assistance ensured I received my residency card, which was a significant milestone for us on our journey.
Despite the “milestone” status of getting a residency card, there is so much more to residency in a new country, and much of that is a very personal experience. You’re choosing to shift your identity in big and small ways:
Updating tax and banking information
Giving up health benefits from your old country
Exchanging your driver's license for a local one
Accepting that you’re now a visitor when you return “home”
And a big one–when someone asks, “Where are you from?” your answer becomes longer, layered, and more complicated than before, particularly in a new language!
If you are still in your working years, there is a whole list of additional considerations for you as you contemplate a move to a new country:
Will I be legally allowed to work?
Is my income source stable and valid under local rules?
Do I understand the tax implications in both countries?
Will I need an accountant who specializes in foreign income?
Many new residents get caught off guard by dual taxation, or the need to report assets and income back home. Don’t let this part sneak up on you, we did a LOT of research, and there were still surprises.
And then there is the “life” element, of, well, LIFE! You get sick. A parent needs care. Your priorities change. As a recent Relocurious podcast guest, Georgeanne said, “Life happens, and it happens even after you move.”
Questions you can ask yourself about bigger life questions:
Will I have access to quality, affordable healthcare?
Can I easily return “home” if I need to?
What would repatriation look like if I move back?
Leaving your home can be hard. But going back? Sometimes even harder—logistically and emotionally.
And then the biggest question of all, is this move what you truly want?
Beyond logistics, the big, existential question remains:
Do I truly want to be a resident of this country—or am I just passing through?
Residency takes commitment. If you’re hesitant to give up your old ID, your old symbols of identity, or the idea of “home” as a fixed place, that’s okay. Just be honest with yourself, and keep checking in with yourself over time. Humans are exceptionally bad at predicting how future events will impact us, in good ways or bad. A move we may anticipate as scary and stressful may actually be far more enjoyable than we predict, and the “move of our dreams” may end up disappointing and leave us miserable.
Residency is not a stamp in your passport. It’s a shift in how you live, work, belong, and define yourself. Before you make the move, make sure the path to residency is not just legally available to you based on your circumstances—but you are open to it emotionally as well.
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Projects and Events
Over the last two weeks we have either had guests, or, for the last week, I have been a quest myself. I have spent the last week in Ottawa visiting a dear friend. I have managed to edit a few podcast interviews, but I have taken a short break on the remainder of my projects.
We did publish a new podcast episode on Relocurious, and also a post titled “The Privilege to Move”.
We have taken a short break from recording new interviews for the podcast while we are travelling back to Canada, but we have more interviews scheduled for mid-June when we return to Porto. We have been loving the energy and the insights our guests have shared with us in the interviews so far!
Writing
As mentioned above, I have not been spending much time on projects over the last few weeks. I have had time to sit with a friend and discuss ideas for the novel I have on my mind. It was very energizing, and I keep getting more excited about the possibilities for a future fictional project.
When I get to my parents’ place next week, I need to buckle down and make some serious progress on my Dad’s story, especially while I’m right there to ask questions as they come up. I have had enough of a break from that project now that I’m anticipating getting back to it.
Photography
I have been enjoying making digital collages from some of my photographs. When we had visitors a few weeks ago, we spent a few hours at Jardim do Palácio de Cristal, and of course the peacocks were strutting and shrieking, as they do in the spring.
One in particular put on a great show for us, and I was pleased with his portrait:
Last week, on a rainy afternoon when I was staying with my friend in Ottawa, we decided to make art–she wanted to paint, and I had an idea for a collage. Here is what I made that afternoon:
The project nudged me to go back through my images and look for things that would make good backgrounds, textures, or additional elements like leaves or flowers. I found a few images and made warm and cool toned versions. Now I just need a project where I can use them.
Now I’m motivated to look for interesting patterns when I’m out and about.
Final Thoughts
I have been on the move a lot over the last few weeks, and I crossed timezones again today, so I’m a bit discombobulated. I haven’t made a video this week, but I’ll get back on the program in the next few weeks!
Thank you for following along as I share odds and ends from life and creative pursuits, and to those of you who opted in for a paid subscription, THANK YOU! There is a small token of my gratitude on its way to you in the mail for new paid subscribers.
As always, I love hearing from you - your comments, questions, suggestions, or just a quick hello. They are all very welcome!
Até à próxima! (Until next time!)
Kathy
I really liked this, Kathy, and I love the patterns in the photos! 😍 I hope you’ll find a good use for them.
We retired abroad five years ago from the states and had no family connections. After extensive research into communities that had a high number of “retirement demographics” such as exceptional healthcare, walkability without needing cars, affordable housing, quality food ingredients for cooking, clean water and air, and abundant cultural offerings such as live music such as a symphony orchestra, to name just a few, we visited each place for two weeks. During those visits we met with immigration attorneys, tax professionals, and household goods shippers, as well as expats who were established in those locations and had a positive experience in integrating into the culture, not into “neocolonialism” seen in so many well known expat enclaves. We picked the winner and returned to the states to begin the temporary visa process, which involved collecting the required documents, having them apostilled, getting FBI background checks, and sending them to the attorney’s U.S. office, which handled mailing them overseas. We got our temporary visas at the consulate in the U.S. before we moved. The rest of the process was continued abroad. We not have permanent residency and can apply for citizenship if we choose, but we are unlikely to pursue this because it requires a rather large financial commitment that we would rather not commit to. We are very happy here and have no reason to return to the U.S. other than to visit family, and they have visited us. Our financial resources will remain in the U.S.