Leaving the US? Here's how Americans can actually move abroad
Last checked: October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Lots of Americans are thinking about a fresh start abroad. Whatever your reason, the first thing to know is simple: a US passport lets you visit many countries, but not live or work there. To stay longer than a visit, you need a visa (or residence permit) — official permission from the country you're moving to.
1. Find the type of visa that fits your life
Most people qualify through one of these routes:
- Work visa: You have a job offer abroad, or a skill a country is short of. (33 in our catalog)
- Remote-work / self-employment visa: You work online for US clients or an employer, or run your own business. (14 in our catalog)
- Retirement / passive-income visa: You live on a pension, savings or investment income. (20 in our catalog)
- Study visa: You enroll in a school or university abroad. (2 in our catalog)
- Family visa: Your spouse, partner or parent is a citizen or resident there. (7 in our catalog)
- Investment visa: You can invest a large sum in the country. (17 in our catalog)
Answer a few questions in the Visa Matcher → It shows which visas fit your job, income and family.
2. Don't change your life before the visa is approved
Please don't quit your job, sell your home, take children out of school or book one-way flights until you hold an approved visa. Applications can take weeks or months, and some are refused.
3. Get your documents moving early
Most countries ask for official US documents (birth and marriage certificates, an FBI background check) with an apostille. These can take weeks to get, so start early. Our document hub explains each one.
See a full example for free
Our Czech self-employment guide is free to read. It shows the full depth: steps, official links, decision times, what happens if you're refused, and cost estimates. All prices on this site are estimates; confirm them with official sources.
Some routes Americans look at
- 🇵🇹 Portugal — Retirement / Passive Income
- 🇵🇹 Portugal — Digital Nomad / Remote
- 🇪🇸 Spain — Retirement / Passive Income
- 🇪🇸 Spain — Digital Nomad / Remote
- 🇩🇪 Germany — Digital Nomad / Remote
- 🇮🇹 Italy — Retirement / Passive Income
- 🇬🇷 Greece — Digital Nomad / Remote
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic — Self-employment (trade licence)
Moving with a dog or cat?
Pets can usually come too, with paperwork. See pet travel rules.