How to Plan an Open-Ended Move to Another Country

Are you considering a one-way move abroad without planning on returning? 

A one-way trip is not the usual type of move. You are not going for a six-month visit or a two-year contract. You are leaving and do not know when you will return to the United States. 

This will be a difficult journey, operationally, due to the size of your property back in the US, your finances, your visa status, and what to do with your belongings. 

Here’s how you can do this correctly.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Your US home is your largest anchor; selling to direct home buyers can free up the essential capital needed for an international move within days. 
• US citizens are required to file tax returns regardless of where they live; hiring an expat tax specialist is mandatory to avoid federal penalties. 
• Avoid entering on a tourist visa with the intent to stay; instead, secure a digital nomad, golden, or retirement visa to ensure legal residency and peace of mind.

Why More People Are Making Open-Ended Moves

The numbers don’t lie.

Approximately 1,285 citizens of the United States renounced their citizenship in the first quarter of 2025. This figure represents an increase of 102% from the preceding quarter in 2024. Moving abroad without a definitive end date has now become a common practice for many individuals.

Many individuals are moving abroad to take advantage of the lower costs of living, enhanced quality of life, the ability to work remotely, or simply to experience something new. The trend of Americans living abroad is a significant one and does not indicate any signs of slowing down. 

According to estimates from the Association of Americans Resident Abroad (AARO), there are an estimated 5.5 million American citizens living overseas, representing a larger population than most states in the United States.

Here’s the thing: A relocation package is not a vacation or short term work contract. Direct home buyers can play a large role in that, since your existing home equity is often the largest single anchor keeping you rooted to the ground. 

If you’re located in the Midwest, partnering with a service that can sell your Minnesota house quickly can help you avoid the usual listing process and free up the funds you need for your move. Direct home buyers can close within days rather than months — which is significant if you already have a visa or departure deadline in place.

Getting Your US Home Sorted First

Your home is usually the biggest decision of the whole move.

You basically have 3 options:

1. Sell it
2. Rent it out
3. Leave it empty

Option 3 is almost never a good idea. An empty house is a money pit — taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance — and you won’t be around to fix things.

Selling Your Home

Selling your property provides for a clean break. You will receive cash for your property, no longer be responsible for tenants and property management companies, and will be provided with the opportunity to utilize this income for your new life outside the United States.  

If you have the intention of returning to the United States, then renting your property may be a prudent decision. However, managing rental properties from across an ocean can create significant complications. 

Renting Your Home Out

Many individuals living or returning to, the United States have retained financial interests  to the United States. It includes but not limited to; personal income taxes, pensions, and investments; all of which must be considered when making decisions regarding your property.

Time zone differences, repairs, late rent, etc. all feel 10x more stressful. If you’re going to rent, use a legitimate property management company.

The Finance & Visa Side Of Things

This is where most people get tripped up.

Open A Proper Bank Account

You need a bank account in your new country. Most expats also keep their US account open. They still have financial ties back home — taxes, pensions, investments. Use a service like Wise or Revolut to move money between the two without huge fees.

Get Your Visa Sorted

Every country is different. Some visas worth looking into:

• Digital nomad visas — great for remote workers
• Golden visas — for people who can invest a chunk of money
• Retirement visas — if you have a steady pension income
• Work visas — if you have a job lined up

Individuals moving to a new country should refrain from entering the foreign country holding a tourist visa with the intention of staying; doing so can create a significant number of issues in the long-run. 

Budget For The Actual Move

International moving isn’t cheap. Your international relocation budget can be in the tens of thousands of dollars depending on location, services and shipment volume.

Disclaimer: All citizens of the United States are generally required to file US tax returns while living outside the United States regardless of foreign citizenship; therefore it is a very good idea to hire a tax preparer who specializes in expatriated US taxation.

What To Do With All Your Stuff

Let’s be honest: you can’t take it all. Shipping an entire house is exorbitantly expensive. So you need to make some choices.

The 3 Pile Method

Put everything you own into one of these piles:

• Ship it — Stuff you love and can’t replace
• Sell it — Stuff with value that doesn’t justify shipping costs
• Donate/toss it — Everything else

Be ruthless with pile #3. The more you bring, the more you pay.

Shipping Options

You basically have three options:

1. Full container (FCL) — Fast and secure, but expensive
2. Shared container (groupage) — Cheaper, but slower
3. Air freight — Fast but really expensive (only for small stuff)

Receive quotes from three different international movers before settling on one mover’s price as they can be all over the map, i.e. wildly different!! 

Settling In Abroad Without A Return Date

Once you land — the real work begins.

Find Accommodation (But Don’t Rush)

Do not sign a two (2) year lease until you actually see and experience the area you will live in. I suggest you book an AirBNB or short term rental for the first month or two in order to get to know the neighbourhoods, what your commute will be, meet people. To avoid having to rent an area that you may really dislike.

Build A Social Circle Fast

Loneliness is the #1 reason people move back home. Make friends early.

Join:

• Expat groups on Facebook
• Meetup groups for your hobbies
• Language exchange meetups
• Co-working spaces (even if you don’t need one)

Learn The Language

Short, simple sentences are very beneficial if you want to become fluent in that language on day #30 of moving to that country. Now you may not be able to speak fluently but learning enough to be able to order food, ask for directions and to be a decent and courteous person will improve your life one hundred times.

Give It Time

The first 6 months are tough. Culture shock is a very real thing. Don’t make any big decisions during this phase. A lot of people have the “I want to move back” phase in the first 3 months and then the “I LOVE this place!” phase in month 8.

Bringing It All Together

Open-ended moves will require more advanced planning than a normal move. Since you will be living in a new location with no set return date, making each decision will affect your life in a more negative way than if you are moving back to where you currently live. Sell the house or rent it? Ship the furniture or replace it? Try one country or several?

To recap, here’s what you need to sort out:

• Figure out what to do with your home
• Get your visa and banking in order
• Budget properly (always more than you think)
• Be ruthless with your stuff
• Don’t rush the settling-in phase

People who are successful in their open-ended moves are those who had the foresight and planned appropriately during the first few days after arriving at their new place to live. Your future self will appreciate the effort you made to make the right decision before you left your current home. 

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