Relocating Abroad After FIRE: 5 Essential Preparations to Complete Before You Leave
While I have covered visas and financial planning in previous articles, there are several other practical steps you should take before moving abroad.
Drawing from my personal experience relocating to Thailand, I have compiled a list of five essential tasks to complete while you are still in your home country.
Completing these steps will ensure a smoother transition and a more comfortable start to your new life.
While not all are strictly mandatory, the benefits—ranging from financial savings to administrative ease—are significant.
Moving abroad with FIRE | Recommended countries and preparations to avoid failure – Julius Co., Ltd.
5 Things to Do Before Relocating Abroad
Beyond the "obvious" tasks like moving logistics, tax filings, and international remittance setups, here are five often-overlooked items that can make or break your initial experience:
- Unlock Your Smartphone (SIM Unlock)
- Set Up Online Banking
- Mobile contract cancellation and phone number maintenance
- Dental Checkups and Treatment
- Aesthetic Medicine (Hair Removal, Spot Removal, etc.)
This article focuses on five often-overlooked points or things you don't realize until you start living there, rather than "obvious tasks" like moving or taxes. I will explain the reasons why you should take care of each item.
For each item, I will explain why you should do it.
Unlock Your Smartphone (SIM Unlock)
Unlocking your smartphone's SIM lock In Japan, it is common for carriers and smartphones to be linked; for example, you cannot use a SoftBank SIM card in a phone bought from Docomo.
This is because phones are locked to prevent the use of SIM cards from other companies.
If your current smartphone is locked, it will not function properly even if you insert a local SIM card after moving abroad.
Therefore, I strongly recommend ensuring you unlock the SIM before your relocation.
One point of caution is that depending on your plan, you may not be able to unlock the SIM for a certain period, or a fee may be required.
Since I had just bought my phone, the carrier wouldn't unlock it, so I used a "SIM interposer" in Thailand, which eventually slipped and caused a disaster where the SIM got stuck.
For those planning to move abroad, I recommend buying a SIM-free phone or joining a plan that allows for immediate SIM unlocking.
Set Up Online Banking
Today, many people likely use online banking, so it may not be worth mentioning, but if you haven't set it up yet, please do so before moving abroad.
If online banking is available, you can manage and operate your Japanese bank accounts even after relocating overseas.
Using credit card cash advances or international debit cards allows you to withdraw money at overseas ATMs, so life abroad is possible without online banking.
However, tasks other than withdrawing money, such as urgent expenses in Japan or deposit confirmations, cannot be done without online banking setup.
The process takes about two weeks; if you try to set it up after moving, you must return to Japan or seek third-party help, which is very laborious.
Therefore, it is best to complete the procedures well in advance before your relocation.
Mobile contract cancellation and phone number maintenance
Since you won't use a Japanese mobile abroad, check the cancellation timing; many plans have limited windows and penalties, so align your departure and cancellation dates.
For those considering returning to Japan after a few years, I recommend using the "Phone Number Maintenance Service" offered by various carriers.
You can keep your Japanese number for a few hundred yen per month, and upon returning to Japan, you can use the original number immediately after a simple procedure.
However, there is a limit to the maintenance period, usually up to 5 years; if you don't plan to return within that time, this service is unnecessary.
Dental Checkups and Treatment
Overseas medical costs are often high compared to Japan; since Thailand is no exception, I recommend treating any issues requiring regular visits before moving.
Dental care is often excluded from insurance or has low coverage limits, so be sure to complete treatments like cavity fillings before relocating.
Incidentally, I once saw a dentist in Thailand, and the cost for treating just a single cavity was approximately 120,000 THB.
Although my local insurance covered 20,000 THB, the remaining 100,000 THB (approx. 450,000 JPY) was out-of-pocket, which was a very painful expense at the time.
Note that if you continue to pay Japanese social insurance, you can get some reimbursement by preparing documents, so keep this in mind for medical visits abroad.
Please also refer to the following information regarding medical expenses in Thailand.
Aesthetic Medicine (Hair Removal, Spot Removal, etc.)
Various aesthetic treatments like spot removal and hair removal are becoming common for men as well as women today.
Thailand is a cosmetic surgery hub second only to Korea, so there are many clinics, but prices are higher compared to Japan.
While cheap clinics exist, there are concerns regarding the language barrier and the quality of the treatments.
High-quality clinics favored by Japanese expats with Japanese/English support often charge 2-3 times more than in Japan for any procedure.
Given this, it is better to finish major treatments in Japan and only do maintenance during home visits for both cost and quality benefits.
In particular, spot removal and hair removal are significantly cheaper in Japan.
Summary
Today, I introduced five things you should complete before moving overseas.
For those with no prior experience living abroad, I believe these points can often be surprising blind spots.
Personally, I highly recommend completing medical issues that require regular visits, such as dental care, before your move.
Many may find aesthetic medicine unnecessary, but if you've ever wanted to try it, why not do so before moving?
Not only is there a huge difference in cost between Japan and abroad, but the sense of security from direct Japanese treatment is vastly different.
While life goes on without these, they can significantly affect your comfort, so please remember this article when you start your relocation prep.
Author: Yuki Ishida
Writer based in Thailand
In 2017, I fulfilled my long-cherished desire to move to Thailand and have been working as a sales and career consultant at a Japanese staffing company there.
I began my activities as a writer in 2019 and mainly share information useful for living in Thailand and moving abroad through both domestic and international media. Based on my own experience of relocating overseas, I strive to provide realistic information to help those planning to move abroad avoid regrets, and I write with this motto every day.
The media I have contributed to so far are not limited to Thailand-related topics, but also cover a wide range including domestic and international travel, local governments, food manufacturers, and educational institutions.
