Of my two girlfriends who moved permanently to Europe, both married local men (seriously).

I am moving back to Barcelona this weekend, and I am doing it "the hard way" (ie: not marrying a local for paperwork). A lot of my educational background is in Spain (high school and my master's degree), so getting into the workforce was not particularly difficult for me. However, once in it was very hard for me to get my paperwork and make things happen. It took a lot of patience, but was relatively cheap (compared to others I know) because I did a lot of the legwork myself.

If you go to the website of the consulate of the country to which you want to move, you will find your options there. You can apply for a non-lucrative visa (no working but extended stay), a student visa, or a residence permit. And if you want to stay longer, you will want to keep extending it or apply for citizenship.

The easiest thing for one to do is find a degree program and do it. Student visas often allow for part time employment, and you can freelance however much you want as long as you pay your taxes in the US.

Basically, unless you have a cushy deal with a company (transfer or somthing like that), you need to be ready to rough it or have enough money to be immune to the frustration and disappointments along the way.

Best "moving wishes", laclaire! Can't wait to hear more about Spain from you once you get settled!

laclaire- my friends did not marry a local "for the paperwork". i didn't mean my post to sound that way. in both cases they met someone while traveling and fell in love, then later decided to make it permanent.

Paucie: living overseas IS lots of fun, for those who like adventure! We were expats for 5 yrs in the mid 70's..3 yrs. in Dakar, Senegal (the Paris of Africa) and 2 yrs. in Lisbon, Portugal. Loved every minute..Our kids were ages 8,9,l0 when we went and having children in school was a great way to integrate and make friends. The travel experiences are super. My husband was with a major American oil company, doing exploration work.

17 yrs ago our daughter, after 2 yrs. out of college, applied with DODs (Dept. of Defense Schools), to teach at a military base. They use to have many applications for the few new teachers they accepted,,,,but it might be different now. Of course a lot of the applicants ask for Germany (with it's many bases and close proximity to travel within Europe) Our daughter was assigned to Ankara, Turkey...a surprise at first,,,but she LOVED it, wonderful living, and the experience was unmatched. Yes, applying as a counselor in an American school on a base would be a wonderful way for you to live overseas.
Sometimes a spouse get a job also as a Civil employee .
There are other non military related jobs overseas, but those that use to be advertised so glamourously often had strings attatched or turned out to be "scams".
Good luck in your pursuit.......I hope it works out.......but there is a lot to think about. It's difficult to venture out " on your own",,with all the logistics, insurance, housing, visas etc......and much better to have a large company (or the government) to "take care of these things".

SloJan, where are you moving to?? Will you be staying in Europe? What a shame to be leaving beautiful Slovenia just before it joins the eurozone!

Our own story is pretty well known to most Fodorite regulars: in the late 1990s, my husband was headhunted by a high tech company in Brussels. We lived there for five+ years and about six months in Germany, and then moved in late 2004 to the UK. However, we still have an apartment in Brussels because my husband continues to do a lot of work there and one or both of us is on the Eurostar between London and Brussels every week.
Although I'm American (and my husband has UK Right of Abode but not a British passport), I had little trouble getting job offers from companies in Belgium and Switzerland that were willing to go through the work permit process (I have the right to work in the UK, no need for a permit there). Unfortunately the jobs didn't work out (taxes made the one in Belgium not worth it financially and the workload at the Swiss company was simply ridiculous and different from what I was hired to do). Since then, I've been freelancing for the international editions of magazines I wrote for in the U.S., doing media relations for an Italian pharma company, and other various writing jobs, including writing for radio.

We're living in a suburb about halfway between London and Oxford. If we stay in the UK, we'll probably relocate to the Tunbridge Wells area, which will cut down the time spent traveling between home and Brussels and will also be much easier for us to get to Gatwick airport (for flights to visit my mother in Florida) and for us to drive to the coast to pick up the channel shuttle train to France.

We have no plans to go back to the U.S. anytime soon, except to visit family and friends and for business.

>workload at the Swiss company was simply ridiculous and different from what I was hired to do
Up to now, I faild to find jobs that don't fit this description. What do I have to do to get a nice, well paid job there? ;-)

suze- I did not interpret your post that way and hope I didn't offend you. When I wrote that it is because I know quite a few people who are living fake marriages for the paperwork and will soon dissolve them into divorce. I think it is very sad, but it is what they "had" to do.

My big joke with my friends and family is "si yo me quedo en España, me quedo vistiendo santos" (if I stay in Spain, it is to dress Saints), which basically means that I am not going to marry just for the papers.

Logos, the job I had was well paid, but nobody would consider it "nice." The firm has incredibly high turnover, has filled and re-filled the position I held at least 6 times in three years and of the staff that were there when I joined the company, I've been told that only two are still there (and one of them is the owner).

Thanks for all the great responses. Even though some of your stories make me green with envy, I do enjoy reading them!

SloJan, I agree - I'd settle for just about anywhere we could get jobs.

And, no worries about hijacking the thread. I'm interested in hearing how anyone has made living abroad work for them, not just counselors and accountants (although, those are wonderful to hear from, too!). ;)