The first year of living abroad is unlike any other year most people experience. It contains everything: the excitement of a genuinely new environment, the exhaustion of practical setup, the disorientation of cultural adjustment, the slow building of new connections, and the gradual shift from visitor to resident. Most of it is manageable. Very little of it is predictable.

This guide walks through what most expats encounter across the first 12 months, the questions people most commonly have, and what makes a real difference to how the year unfolds.

or a full walk-through of what to expect when your company moves you abroad, see the complete guide to international employee relocation.

The first month: logistics and orientation

The first four weeks are typically the most practically intensive period of the entire expat experience. Most of your energy goes into the immediate administrative and logistical requirements of establishing yourself in the new country.

• Temporary accommodation while permanent housing is arranged
• Registration with local authorities, where required by the destination country
• Bank account setup and financial access in the host country
• Healthcare registration or international health insurance activation
• School enrolment for children, if relevant
• Orienting to the neighbourhood: transport, shops, local services

For corporate assignees, the destination services provider coordinates most of this. For self-initiated movers, it requires independent research and management. Either way, the volume of practical tasks in the first month is significant, and most people underestimate it before they arrive. Our expat checklist covers everything to organise before and after the move in a structured, phase-by-phase format.

For a full walk-through of what to expect when your company moves you abroad, see The complete guide to international employee relocation.

Give yourself permission for the first month to be primarily about logistics. Deep professional engagement and social connection come after the foundations are in place.

Common questions about the first month

1. How long does it take to feel settled in a new country?

Most people report that the acute settling-in period, during which everything feels effortful and unfamiliar, lasts between four and eight weeks. The broader adjustment to feeling at home in the new environment typically takes between three and six months. This varies considerably depending on language proficiency, cultural distance, family circumstances, and the quality of practical support in the first weeks.

2. What should I prioritise in the first two weeks?

Housing confirmation, healthcare access, and, where relevant, school placement. These have the longest lead times and the most significant knock-on effects if delayed. Bank account and registration requirements vary by country but should also be addressed early. Social connection can follow once the foundations are in place. For a guide to the full range of insurance products expats need when living abroad, see our guide on insurance for expats.

3. My household goods have not arrived yet. What should I do?

Sea freight shipments typically take between six and twelve weeks depending on the origin and destination. An air freight essentials shipment, where included in the relocation package, is designed to cover the gap period. If you are in corporate-sponsored accommodation and your goods are significantly delayed, contact your mobility team or relocation management company for guidance. For a full breakdown of how international household goods moves work and what to expect at each stage, see our guide on moving household goods internationally.

Months two to six: adjustment and building

Once the practical foundations are in place, the adjustment phase begins in earnest. This period is where most people encounter the emotional and social dimensions of living abroad.

• Cultural adjustment: The sustained effort of operating in an unfamiliar cultural environment is more tiring than most people expect. Different communication styles, professional norms, and social conventions all require active navigation. Language learning at this stage makes a significant difference, even if you are working in English. For a deeper look at the mental health dimension of international assignments and what organisations should be providing, see our guide on Expat mental health during international assignments.
• Building social connections: This requires deliberate effort. Expat community groups, professional associations, language classes, sports clubs, and employer social networks are all practical routes. The tendency to wait for connections to happen organically is understandable but consistently produces slower results than proactive engagement.
• Family adjustment: Partners and children may be adjusting at a different pace from each other and from the primary assignee. Checking in on how each family member is doing, and accessing support where the adjustment is proving difficult, is more effective than assuming time alone will resolve it. For a broader look at how organisations structure family support within a relocation programme, see our guide on Expat relocation: supporting employees and families abroad
• Professional establishment: In a new office or market, the first few months are typically spent establishing credibility and understanding how the environment works. This takes longer in a new cultural context than in a familiar one. Most people report a confidence dip during this period that resolves once they have established relationships and a track record. For more on how organisations can support assignee wellbeing through this phase, see our guide on promoting work-life balance for expatriates.

Common questions about months two to six

1. What is culture shock and is it normal?

Culture shock is the psychological adjustment response to an unfamiliar cultural environment. It typically involves a combination of disorientation, frustration, fatigue from constant adaptation, and periods of missing home. It is extremely common and does not indicate that the move was a mistake. It tends to ease significantly once a social network begins to form and daily life routines are established.

2. How do I meet people as an expat?

The most consistently effective routes are: joining an activity-based group related to a genuine interest, attending employer-facilitated social events, connecting through international school parent networks where relevant, and using expat community platforms and networks in the destination city. Most major international cities have well-established expat communities across multiple nationalities.

3. My partner is struggling to adjust. What support is available?

Where the move was employer-sponsored, check whether the relocation package includes partner support: career transition coaching, language training, or a community connection service. The destination services provider may also have local community connections to offer. Where the move was self-initiated, expat partner networks and local professional associations are the most practical starting points. For a full breakdown of what structured partner support involves and why it matters for assignment outcomes, see our guide on trailing spouse support in global mobility.

Months six to twelve: finding your rhythm

By the second half of the first year, most people have moved through the acute adjustment phase and are beginning to find a rhythm. The new environment starts to feel less effortful and more familiar. This is also the period where the deeper rewards of living abroad start to become apparent.

• Social connections are becoming more established and less effortful to maintain
• Professional confidence in the new environment has typically recovered and grown
• Language skills, where being developed, are becoming practically useful
• The host country starts to feel like home rather than an extended visit
• For corporate assignees, thoughts about what comes next, extension, further assignment, or repatriation, begin to arise. For a comprehensive overview of how long-term assignments are structured, see our guide on Everything you need to know about long-term assignments.

This is also the point at which corporate assignees on long-term assignments should begin a conversation with their HR team about career trajectory and what the assignment is building towards professionally.

Common questions about months six to twelve

1. I am starting to feel genuinely at home here. Does that mean I should extend?

That is a personal decision shaped by professional circumstances, family preferences, visa terms, and what the next step looks like professionally. If you are on a corporate assignment, the extension conversation with your employer should start well in advance of the assignment end date to allow adequate planning time. If you are self-initiated, the visa renewal terms and your professional situation in the host country are the practical anchors for that decision.

2. What is reverse culture shock and should I prepare for it?

Reverse culture shock is the adjustment challenge many people experience when returning to their home country after a significant period abroad. Home has changed, and so have you. Many people find it unexpectedly difficult. Preparing for it means acknowledging it is likely to happen, maintaining connections with people at home during the assignment, and having EAP or support access available for the return period.

3. How do I make the most of the professional experience I have built?

Document the skills, cross-cultural competencies, market knowledge, and leadership experience you have developed. For corporate assignees, ensure these are reflected in your performance record and discussed in career planning conversations with your HR team. For self-initiated expats, these capabilities are commercially valuable and should be central to how you present yourself professionally both in the host country and on any eventual return.

For corporate assignees, the quality of support in place during the first year makes a measurable difference to how the year unfolds. MOVEPLUS™ coordinates every element of the relocation experience through our relocation service coordination offering offering from visa and immigration to destination services and settling-in support.

Get in touch to find out how MOVEPLUS™ can support your next relocation.