Why do so many people talk about moving abroad like it’s just a matter of getting up and leaving?

@Sharptonguedwoman- I know two people who trained as teachers with an eye on moving to Australia. It was the easiest way as a UK graduate to hit the points to go. (One then made the mistake of falling in love with a Kiwi so not making it all the way to Australia!)

On a sidenote I think the old "oh, I'd just get a job stacking shelves, if I had to" shows a complete ignorance of how the world of work has changed.

I suppose the people most likely to say it are the people for whom it’s an option.

What you need to factor in OP is that in some industries, they are being heavily targeted for overseas recruitment.

Agree. Very high hurdles, not easily attainable. 1. Find a country accepting incomers, 2. Speak the language mother tongue to be able to get job on same level or 3. find job with international firm with english as business language 4. have your qualifications recognised by target country, 5. have sufficient funds to pay for move, fund gap between employment, set up / initial health care costs etc. Certainly not doable for majority.

Really? When I was rather younger I looked at moving to Oz, I have a big family there. Basically, not a hope. They didn’t need my wok skills at all. Can’t remember the other criteria but it would have been really difficult and expensive to move. Plus you need a mega savings account.

Do you think he could get that same job now, post-Brexit and in this currently gloomy economic environment, which includes Germany?

To those that are saying majority of your contact circle have dual options, you are living in a bubble. Outside of London it is a very small proportion that have such options. None of my circle of friends, family and acquaintances do in non-London location. It is very difficult for those people to make a move. Not impossible, but difficult enough and limited options which may not be more attractive than current location.

Nobody is saying its easy are they?

DH got a job in Germany when we were 35. It was a process that took a few months and on a practical level it wasn’t easy, but on another level it was.

We got fed up with things and decided to move to Germany, so we did.

I think that’s what people mean. Nobody is just packing a bag and leaving tomorrow.

Sigh, no it isn't.

The tories have screwed the country, labour come a far second.

Which for "ordinary" people isn't many, at least not if you want a western lifestyle and human rights.

Literally any other country in the world where you can get a job and meet entry requirements?

‘Some of Europe will’ - I know all about nomad visas in detail -Scandinavia is a no no regardless of cash you have. Netherlands very fiddly too even with a business, even the ones that do offer digital nomads visas , it’s a year at a time usually and strict income requirements plus pay in health and some have weird conditions - Italy for instance you have to have a full years accommodation (that counts , so not Airbnb etc) all signed up for at the point you apply - so if refused you are stuffed with either using it for holidays or losing quite a lot of money

‘Some of Europe will’ - I know all about nomad visas in detail -Scandinavia is a no no regardless of cash you have. Netherlands very fiddly too even with a business, even the ones that do offer digital nomads visas , it’s a year at a time usually and strict income requirements plus pay in health and some have weird conditions - Italy for instance you have to have a full years accommodation (that counts , so not Airbnb etc) all signed up for at the point you apply - so if refused you are stuffed with either using it for holidays or losing quite a lot of money

‘Some of Europe will’ - I know all about nomad visas in detail -Scandinavia is a no no regardless of cash you have. Netherlands very fiddly too even with a business, even the ones that do offer digital nomads visas , it’s a year at a time usually and strict income requirements plus pay in health and some have weird conditions - Italy for instance you have to have a full years accommodation (that counts , so not Airbnb etc) all signed up for at the point you apply - so if refused you are stuffed with either using it for holidays or losing quite a lot of money

Yes, but China is also a nightmare if you want to change cities internally, so it's all relative.

I think people just love to over-simplify things.

Slightly more paperwork than moving city…can’t say it was like that when we moved to China.

Ps the country we are seriously considering isn’t the one we have right of abode but they will happily give us residency because we don’t need to work on condition we have private medical insurance

We did, pre-kids. Sat on the sofa, frustrated and furloughed in Covid, I said to DH - this country looks great and I'm confident I can get a job, do you wanna go? DH: "yes, fuck this shit".

Yes, it took another 6 months (Covid delayed things a bit) to get a job and a work visa.

But it really was that simple. We packed our stuff and arranged storage. We put our flat on the market to be rented with an estate agent.

New job bought plane tickets and gave us an apartment for the first month.

Easy.

When you have a child though, totally different.

Depends on your attitude to stuff and your passport situation. If we wanted to we could get on a plane tomorrow as dh is dual nationality and the country in question allows spouses in for 12 months on an e visa approved in approx 15 minutes. Two suitcases each and sell belongings (or put into storage) hand keys to estate agent to rent out property, how do I know? Because I have asked at the estate agent, they (for a fee) sort everything you need to be an accidental landlord. Other people are more sentimental about stuff than me, I’ve moved multiple times including intercontinental so I’ve learned to let go

Most of Europe will accept digital nomads or well-to-do retirees who can meet the income/assets requirements. While Brexit has made it more complicated, it is still possible, given determination, as long as you are young and educated or wealthy.

We could still move overseas, but our intentions have changed in the last decade, mainly down to climate change and DH's health issues.

My DSis moved abroad a few years back - her DH had done all the arranging at his end and she went off to join him.
Unfortunately nothing had been done about their home in this country apart from contacting an estate agents and leaving the keys and our contact details with them.

And also - where would you go?

Australia as you said is hard to get into.

Norway & Finland are very expensive.

Ireland maybe?

So you were able to transfer your minimum wage job in Poundland or Greggs or Wetherspoons to your new overseas job in Denmark? Or you did a social housing mutual exchange with someone in France? And of course you were able to speak fluently the language in your new country. And your new country excepted your childs health issues, yes?

The reason I used these specific povvo examples , is because none of these ☝️circumstances would stop you from moving from England to Scotland, it's about more than that and I think you know that.