Looking to make the leap and move abroad? That’s awesome, good for you! Living abroad opens up your world to new experiences, cultures, and points of view that you might not otherwise get. Many people think to move abroad, you need to have a ton of money or a high-flying job, but that’s not necessarily the case. So, how can you move abroad without a degree?
Let’s dive in and find out more!
How to Move Abroad Without a Degree: Is it Permanent or Temporary?
First up, you need to ask yourself if this is a permanent move or a temporary thing. If you’re moving permanently, there’s a lot of paperwork, financial information, and job stability that you need to set up before you move.
You’re likely going to be looking for a longer visa which has more caveats and hoops to jump through.
This doesn’t mean that you’ll need a degree, but you probably will need to have a sponsored job lined up, unless you meet different visa eligibility criteria.
If you just want to try living abroad for a year or two, that’s completely fine, it just means that your requirements are going to be different.
You won’t be looking for a permanent job, buying a house, or going for longer-term visas.
This means that you have more flexibility, which is a great thing when you’re moving abroad.
That being said, you’re going to need to have a strong initial plan for working out there if you’re going to get a visa that allows you to make money.
Where Do You Want to Move to?
Some countries are much easier to move to than others, but if you’re determined and sure that you want to move to a certain country, you may be able to make it happen!
Here are my guides on a few places that you could look into:
I have a ton for moving to London, whether you want to move there without a job, for just one year, or even just six months.
I‘ve lived abroad for many years and love helping others find work abroad and figure out their “Move Abroad Plan.” Check out my class below to get you started ASAP!
How Are You Going to Be Making Money and Which Visa is Right for You?
This is the big question. Moving abroad isn’t cheap, and while you don’t need a degree to move abroad, you do need a little bit of a plan.
If you don’t want to work while you’re over there, you need to save up a ton of money to ensure you have enough to live on.
You’ll also probably be on a tourist visa if that’s the case, so you won’t legally be allowed to work if you run out of money, so make sure you have enough saved!
If you can work remotely for your company in different time zones, you’re pretty much set.
There are a lot of countries that are launching digital nomad or remote working visas, so you can apply for one of those.
On average, they last a year and you can often bounce from one country to the next.
The caveat is that they all have minimum monthly income amounts or bank balance amounts that you need to hit.
This is to prove that you can support yourself and won’t be a burden to the country you’re living in.
It varies with each country, so check out our digital nomad visa guide for Europe.
If you’re working for a company with international offices and can be transferred and sponsored, that’s ideal as many companies – especially in Europe – aren’t big on giving out visas to Americans.
You need a company to vouch for your financial security, they’re not just going to let you in without a job and wait around while you find one.
If you’re moving as a student, many places have student visas where you can learn the country’s language and you can work for up to 20 hours a week to help support yourself.
This makes it viable to work in a whole host of part-time roles including admin, hospitality, retail, and more.
It’s great because these kinds of roles are difficult to get on a sponsored basis as there are plenty of locals who are suitable for these jobs, so why would they spend time and money on paperwork for foreign workers, right?
Do You Have Any Family Connections?
The other alternative for moving abroad without a degree is if you have existing family connections.
If you have a foreign spouse, child, parent, or grandparent, many countries have specific visas for these kinds of familial connections.
It gives you the opportunity to look for work when you’re actually in the country and takes off some of the time and financial pressure of other visas.
If you have family connections abroad, it’s well worth looking into.
Moving abroad without a degree is a cinch – really there’s no need unless you want to do a very specific kind of job.
Degrees are less of a big deal when trying to get visas, it’s your financials and job prospects that are more important.
If you have all your paperwork and plans set up correctly, you should have no problem moving abroad, degree or no degree!
Vanessa Wachtmeister is a travel tech professional and the creator of the wealth & wanderlust platform, Wander Onwards. Vanessa is originally from Los Angeles, California, she is a proud Chicana, and she has been living abroad for the last 9 years. Today, she helps people pursue financial and location independence through her ‘Move Abroad’ Master Class, financial literacy digital products, and career workshops.