So You Are a Black Woman Who Wants to be Black and abroad?  You deserve to be a Black woman living abroad. You are magical and your life should be too.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m a Black woman living abroad and even more importantly, I’m a Black woman thriving abroad. In fact, I love being black and abroad.

Covid19 won’t be around forever. Will you be ready to be a Black woman living abroad when international restrictions are lifted? Here’s my list of 15 Things You Can Start Doing RIGHT NOW Covid19 During Restrictions to Prepare to live your best life abroad.

Here is a list that I initially wrote on being Black and abroad for Travel Noire that I have updated with a few bonuses for Black women living abroad.

You may have been thinking about moving abroad for some time.  You may be a seasoned traveler who is looking for new adventures. Or you may be someone who’s thinking the US is a mess and you are ready to be out! Or perhaps, you are someone who has just longed for more. Covid19 has squashed many folks dreams of ever being able to move abroad  anytime soon.

I slow travel-full time with my toddler and I’m here to tell you that all is not lost when it comes to travel.  In fact, Covid19 is giving you the time and space to really plan your BLAXIT.  Perhaps, you don’t know where to start. I’m here to help! I’ve outlined 15 things that you can do before international borders worldwide open to begin planning your move abroad. Being Black and Abroad is increasingly becoming the norm for lots of people.

1. Black and Abroad: Understand Your “Why”

Moving abroad isn’t for everyone. I will repeat that – Moving abroad isn’t for everyone!

Who reading this one has told a friend, colleague or family member that you want to move abroad and been met with the following:

• Racism is everywhere!
• How will we see you?
• You don’t know anybody there!
• How will you support yourself?
• You trippin!!!
• You will get raped, robbed, murdered etc!
• You are taking your baby where?
• Why would you leave your job?

The people who make these comments to you aren’t the folks that should be moving abroad.  They are locked in a narrow mindset.  

Moving abroad requires a mindset shift, you have to want it and fully understand why you want it. The beautiful thing about stepping into your authentic self and living life on your terms is that the choices are endless.Your ideas, dreams and thoughts don’t have to match those of people around you.

Spend a week journaling why you want to move abroad. List every single reason you want to move abroad both big and small. Get crystal clear on your why. The only person who has to believe in your dreams is YOU and ONLY YOU. Naysayers can go on for days about  the  way they want you to live your life and knock all your dreams. Ignore the noise. They aren’t moving abroad. It isn’t their dream, so they don’t have to understand it, but you do.

Also, write down your biggest fears from moving abroad. For example, if your biggest fear is running out of money, write down a minimum of 10 ways that you can earn money.

2. Black and Abroad: Make the Decision and Stick with it

Now that you understand your why, make the decision that you are moving and commit to it.  Most people will tell you that once they truly committed to moving abroad and started taking steps to making it a reality, doors  literally started opening for them.

3. Black and Abroad: Choose a Country/City

Start researching countries and cities/towns. Remember that visiting a country is very different from living there full-time. So make a list of at least 3-5 countries and write out the pluses and minuses of each country. If you have narrowed your focus down to a specific city/town, research the pluses and minus of that city/town. Pluses and minuses will vary depending on your why. For example, if one of the reasons you are moving is to escape the traffic of Los Angeles, then Lagos, Nigeria would be a horrible choice for you because the traffic is some of the worst in the world.  If you want to escape Buffalo winters, then you may not want to move to Patagonia, Argentina, because it is pretty cold all year round.  And if you are moving to escape the harsh realities of American racism, then you should be well informed of the history of indigeneous and people of color in the country to which you want to immigrate. There is tons of information on just about every city/country in the world thanks to search engines like Google, Facebook travel groups and Youtube. Use them diligently.

4. Black and Abroad: Find Out Visa Information

Research the types of visas available in each of your countries and the cost and timeline for obtaining one. Decide what visa would work for your particular lifestyle choices, for example, some people live in a country on a tourist visa and simply make visa runs to a border country every 90 or 120 days. Some people come to countries on a tourist visa and find employment during their stay and get sponsored for another visa type.  Know and understand the visa types for each country and what particular protections they offer.

5. Black and Abroad: Create A Budget

Perhaps you have been able to narrow your list down from 3-5 to 2-3, but It is okay if you still haven’t decided on a country or city.  Create a budget for each country that you are interested in living.  Use this budget to figure out how much income you need to generate to live the sort of life you want to live abroad.  Be generous with your budget.  Take the time to envision your life abroad:  Do you want a nanny? Eat out frequently?  Housekeeper? Frequent travel? Etc? Use this budget to determine how much income you need to earn to live in your chosen country or countries.

6. Black and Abroad Find a Remote Position or Ways to Generate Legal Income Abroad

Now that you have a budget, start looking for ways to generate income.  If you aren’t independently wealthy or retired, you can start a business, work remotely, or find a position in your desired country.

If you want to start a business, you have several options – to start an online business or start a business in your desired country.  Both options will require you to do research.  If you are starting an online business, there is nothing stopping you from starting it during the pandemic and beginning to generate income.  If you are interested in starting a business abroad, research the requirements and tax laws in those countries.

If you are interested in a remote position, start looking and begin your search with your current job. If you are currently working remotely due to Corbid19, ask your employer if you can work remotely permanently.  If that doesn’t work or you aren’t currently working remotely, start your search looking for positions that advertise as remote.

If you are looking for a position in your desired country, your best options are to search international companies, organizations, agencies and/or the US State Department and other federal agencies with personnel overseas.

7. Get Your Affairs in Order

Make sure you have a passport and it is valid for at least 6 months to a year. If you have children, make sure they have passports (both parents listed on the birth certificate will have to sign documents for a passport to be issued to a minor child) and that these documents are valid as well.  If you are not in contact with the non-custodial parent, check out the State Department website, there is a form called a DS-5525: Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances – Issuing a Passport to a Minor Under Age 16 that can be filled out.  

Always speak with an attorney if you plan to leave the country with a minor child/ren.  If you are a single parent with an existing custody order have discussions with your co-parent about moving abroad with your child and amending the existing order.  If no order is in place, but you are still co-parenting as for a letter of authorization from the non-custodial parent to move abroad with the child/ren.  

Get a will and power of attorney. If you  are a parent (married or single) prepare guardianship (directly who should raise your child/re and how you want them raised) for your child/ren should something happen to one or both of you.  

Make out a will and appoint a power of attorney.  A power of attorney is particularly important because it will enable someone in the US to handle your affairs should the need arise while you are abroad.

Be clear on your tax obligations when you leave the US. Speak with a tax consultant so you fully understand your tax obligations both in the US and abroad.

Check your bank for fees for international withdrawals. Many banks charge fees when you make international withdrawals.  These fees can add up over time and if you plan on keeping at least one bank account in the US, then you should switch to an account with no fees.

Make sure your cell phone is unlocked and download apps like WeChat and Whatsapp to your phone to stay connected with family and friends while abroad.

Get a virtual mailbox. Have important mail sent to your power of attorney and all other mail sent to a virtual mailbox.  Virtual mail services will accept mail on your behalf, scan it and make it available to you digitally.

Get a physical and make sure you have all the required immunizations to enter your desired country.  Research health insurance options within the country as well as travel insurance in case you ever need to be evacuated back to the USA.

Bonus

Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) through the US State Department.  It is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  The benefits include: 

-Receiving important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.

-Helping the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.

-Helping family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.

8. CONNECT WITH OTHER EXPATS IN THOSE COUNTRIES

Start building community before you leave the US by joining Couchsurfing, Facebook, Meet-Up and LinkedIn groups of expats in your country.  Some of my fav are:

Blaxit Tribe (https://www.facebook.com/groups/blaxittribe/)

We Out: Black Women Traveling the World (My Own – exclusively for Black women https://www.facebook.com/groups/weoutblackwomenabroad/)

Black Expats From All Over the World (https://www.facebook.com/groups/788887351272871/)

Brothas and Sistas of xxx (Various cities on Facebook)

Internations (https://www.internations.org/)

Schedule informational interviews with expats already living on the ground where you can chat via Zoom or Whatsapp and ask detailed questions.

9. PREPARE YOURSELF FINANCIALLY

Start saving money. A little bit of savings can go a long way in most countries in the world, so save as much as you can.  Use your budget as your guide. I recommend having at least 3 sources of some sort of income before you depart.

10. PREPARE YOURSELF CULTURALLY

Do not move to another country without a basic understanding of its history, people, languages, and culture.  Read books on the history of the country. Read news articles on what is happening there currently.  Watch movies. Follow any local and expat vloggers/bloggers in the country.

Start learning phrases in the language of the country you are planning to move to.  Learn to count from 1-100.  Learn basic greetings and to say, “I don’t understand.”  A little bit of a local language can get you far in terms of breaking down cultural barriers.

Bonus #1: Be curious and excited even while you are quarantining. Do not expect your new country to be like America.  Work on letting go of your own cultural biases.  Be realistic.  Reread your “Why” statement constantly. Stay safe and healthy in the US until international borders open and then BE OUT!

Bonus #2 – Gather and copy all your essential documents including certified copies of your birth certificate, state and federal criminal background checks for every state you have lived in over the last 10 years, passports and visas.