How to Move to Europe

Get your justification for having a visa. This could be either studying at a European university or institute, or working. Either way, you need to have a sponsor for the appropriate visa, which means either acceptance to a study program or a job.

Apply for the visa before you leave. In some respects, this is required, but even if it is not, it is best to at least start the process of getting a visa before going to Europe. Some European bureaucratic cultures are nightmarish (Italy and Greece have especially awful reputations), and you will probably find it easier to deal with the embassy before leaving than dealing with the immigration service once you are in Europe. The minimum documents for a visa application will include your passport, a criminal background check, proof that you are free of infectious diseases and two passport photos.

Take maximum advantage of the luggage allowance of the airline. The way to do this is to determine what you need to take immediately, and pack it in boxes that are sized and weighted to the airline's specified limits (usually 50 lb. per item). Then pack more of these boxes, and leave whatever you do not take with whoever is certain to visit you. Seal them across every flap, joint and opening with packing tape. Transatlantic flights have a free two-item luggage allowance as a standard, which means you can bring a big bag and one of your boxes.

Store your basic furniture and other nonmovable items, or sell them. The cost of shipping anything that bulky and not irreplaceable by sea and especially air will prove to vastly outweigh the cost of replacing it.

Do not take pets to the United Kingdom or Ireland. These islands have a six-month quarantine requirement, which means kenneling your pet for half a year and being forced to pay for the privilege.

Do take your pets to continental Europe. The EU only requires recent proof of a rabies vaccination and an electronic tag for the importation of pets. The documents proving both of these things will need to be certified by the U.S Department of Agriculture, however, so plan these arrangements in advance. Past this, airline requirements vary, but you will need an airline-friendly pet crate.

Do not shut down your banking arrangements along with everything else before leaving. It will take you time to set up a new bank account in Europe, and in the meantime, you will need a checking account of some kind. ATMs in Europe and North America are on most of the same networks, so you can access your accounts through them for an international transaction fee of $3 to $5 per transaction.