Living in Europe

Well, you can't move to another country "just because" unless you have a job lined up or some way to get a residency permit or a 2nd passport. Otherwise there would be lots of people moving to the US cause they think it would be fun to live there. One of the easiest ways to move to Europe is to find a job teaching at one of the International Schools. Look for those type of schools in large cities. England probably won't be one of those places looking for native English speakers though. Have you been to England yet? The reality of living in another country is nothing like visiting the country, or wanting to live there because of seeing it in movies or on TV. The culture differences can be overwhelming sometimes.

What Jo said. Unless you can claim refugee status, you can't just move to Europe. On most of the continent, in order for the move to be legal, you need either employer sponsorship or a strong family connection- ie, your spouse or someone who can claim you as a dependent already resides there legally. Now that being said, nearly every ex-pat I've talked to on this matter made the move primarily because they wanted to live in Europe. For the most part, employment opportunities in Europe for Americans don't just fall into their laps. Each ex-pat probably made the decision that they wanted to live in Europe and lobbied hard with their employer for an international transfer, or searched diligently for a hard-to-fill job for which they possess the unique skills. Even among the military people I've met over here, now that the troop numbers have dwindled to a small fraction of what once were, it seems most of them received a European posting as a reward for a deployment, or taking another difficult job. That might be less true for the lower ranks, but I haven't encountered many of them. And as Jo noted, living in Europe is a completely different experience from vacationing over here. But... it does make exploring much easier.

I agree with Jo and Tom. I fall into Tom's category of having wanted to live overseas for a long time before it happened. I spent years building-up my resume' and applying for every international job that fit my skillset. There was a lot of rejection along the way. But now I'm here, so it is possible. We have seen some folks who get so frustrated with the bureacracy, language, etc., that they don't last for more than a year. Several cases, in fact. I've never regretted the move. I still find the history, architecture, culture, language fascinating and it enriches my life. At this point, however, it's no longer about me. It's about my kids who are now bilingual and have travelled Europe A-to-Z and have friends from all over the world. Their outlook is much broader than mine was at that age. So, it is possible. And I think it is rewarding. But you have to be determined, do your homework, pay your dues, and be persistant. Good luck!

P.S. – I first saw the job that got me to Europe in the "International Career Employment Weekly": http://www.internationaljobs.org/contents.html

...plus my mom wouldn't be happy with me if I took her granddaughter that far away... Understandable but on the other hand if you moved to Seattle the flight time from Atlanta would probably equally as long as if you moved to Ireland or the UK. In the Western world we're priviledged to having great communication companies. Included with my landline telephone contract is a full flat for all EU countries plus Switzerland PLUS the US and Canada. I just wanted to take a little of that distance thing out of the equation.

I lived in Paris for a couple of months last Fall (after many short, vacation-type visits) and even from that short time agree with those who say it's quite different living there as opposed to visiting. It was somewhat frustrating trying to figure out the French equivalents of my favorite grocery products, how to mail a package back to the US when all the machines at the Poste are in French (I know just a little), how to dry my towels at the laundromat when the instructions are in French (hint: camera and Google translate), etc. But it was also VERY rewarding and empowering to know that I (a lady of a certain age) COULD and DID figure this all out! I volunteered at the American Church (a wonderful resource for expats), which gave me more of a sense of living there rather than just visting. And I acted as "tour guide" when friends and family came to visit, introducing them to my favorite city. If I had the money, I'd move to Paris permanently but need to come back and work part time, saving up to go again for as long as the money lasts. So follow the suggestions mentioned by others above and then go for it! Your daughter will thank you as you expand her horizons. As for your Mom, what an excuse to travel abroad! Bon chance!

Another way you can get an EU passport is if you have one grandparent who is/was a citizen of an EU country. The details, however, vary from one country to another. I know several people who hold EU passports which they obtained with very little trouble, because of an Irish grandparent. I looked into it, on the strength of two maternal grandparents born in Lithuania and a father born in the now Ukraine, but then Poland. I found that the Lithuanian connection would work only if they had been there after 1919. Since my documentation clearly shows my mother was born in 1906 in Minnesota, that was a non-starter. The Polish embassy site made it pretty clear that one would have to convince them you intended to live in Poland (I was thinking of the south of France), so no soap there, either. Any Irish in you? Going the job route is also rather difficult. Employers are supposed to be able to prove that there's no EU citizen available who can do the work. In these times of high unemployment, that's unlikely, unless you have very special skills. Most ESL teaching jobs are filled by the British or Irish. The competition for international school slots is fierce, and they do expect you to be a trained teacher.
If you are serious about living in Europe, you need to research the possibilities and requirements (unless you've got that Irish nana) and develop a long term strategy.

I lived and worked in Paris for a year when I was 18 and loved it. I'd like to move back when I retire and have done a little research. What I found for France... if you have a large amount of money, can support yourself without working, and have your own health insurance then you can live there. I'm interested to know if what I've learned is wrong?

My husband works in advertising and his boss keeps talking about how much his career would advance if he is sent abroad for a few years. He works for a huge worldwide agency with offices in most major worldwide cities, so working for a company of that size is definitely a factor that can help with this goal. In this case, the person who had is job a few years ago is now in Paris, and won't be in Paris forever, so I am crossing my fingers. I too worried about my mom if I move away, but I promised I won't go farther than Europe (she is on East Coast too) and in my case there won't be grandkids. I am an only child and she's a widow so it's a bit tough on her, but after twelve years she is used to living away from me. The chance for her to visit a place like Paris will soften the blow. But since I am her next of kin I don't want to be more than a 7 or 8 hour flight away. Alas, that has killed my husband's chances of living in Singapore!

Thanks everyone! Since I wrote that late last night after chasing my 2 year old all afternoon I didn't even think about the legality of it :) It was always a dream but it will never be anymore than that. I'm a stay at home mom and my husband's company, even though they are based worldwide, what he does would never get him a position overseas. The closest we would ever get would be to possibly buy a vacation home. Plus I would have a hard time deciding between England or Germany. I love going to both!!
As for my daughter we have already opened her eyes up to the world. She's been to Europe 3 times if you count the trip when I was pregnant. We plan to go as much as possible, its important to us that she learn about different cultures and places, hopefully she'll enjoy it as much as we do!

International Living is another good resource. Living in a city is expensive, but living in a small, not touristy village, not so much.

@Susan, Small, non-touristy villages get old very fast. Just saying....

I hear you Bets, but not for me. As long as it's within an hour or so from Paris. I grew up in St. Germain-en-Laye, right outside Paris, and before that, Chavenay, a tiny village 20 min from St. Germain. I loved it. I go to visit every time I'm in Paris and it hasn't changed.

There are lots of online sources for information about what it is like to live overseas. If anyone is interested in living in Germany, you can't beat Toytown for information. Even if you are just traveling here, it is a good source for information about all the cities here, using the forums and their own wiki. www.toytowngermany.com

As my husband and I approach retirement age, we've dreamed of living in Europe as well. But the reality as others have pointed out is the cost which would drain our accounts as well as the cultural differences are wonderful to see on vacation, but a culture shock to live in. We also would miss our children and watching our future grandchildren grow up, not to mention all the legalities to deal with and health insurance issues. Instead of moving, we've decided we are going to pick different locations and find a vacation rental for 3 months every 1 or 2 years. We can then immerse in the area, enjoy touring around between relaxing days off or go a bit further afield with the wonderful train system for 1-2 day trips.

Kathy, that's what I hope to do as well later on. I'd like to spend just under 3 months in the UK, then return to the U.S. for about 3-4 months, then back to a Euopean destination for about 3 months. Rinse and repeat. Taking the Schengen Area restrictions into account, of course. Dreams can and do come true. I hope yours does. :)

Just to chime in: if you are a legal resident of some EU country, you can use their local health care scheme. Some are more costly, some are "free" at the point of use, but none is anywhere as expensive as the cost for US health insurance.