If you were to emigrate to Asia again

[DiDiddlyIDi]

Hi

My partner and I are about to emigrate to Hong Kong in July due to his job.

With heaps to think about such as packing, organising, finding a house and myself having to find a job. I would like to ask, if you we to move from the UK to HK or Asia again, what would you make sure you do/don't do?
Any general advice about relocating would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much.

PS we're moving from Clapham and thinking of living in Mid Levels as he works in Wan Chai and we're both young, not married and don't have children.

[AggressiveBunting]

For me personally,

• I was naive about how easy it would be to get a job at a salary I wanted. Certain sectors are not as well paid as the Uk- finance and IT for example, and others are pretty much closed off if you can't speak Cantonese or Mandarin. Definitely try to get some leads before you go. It can be a reality check otherwise. The head hunters can be a bit crap as well- won't put you forward unless you meet all 93 criteria.

-on that note, if you're living there on a 6 mth tourist visa, don't keep going in and out because it draws attention to how long you've been there and a few people I know got given a 7 day visa the first time hey tried to re-enter after 6 months of coming and going. It's also something of a pain not to have a Hong Kong ID card.

Do be realistic about rents and how expensive they are. Mid levels is great for your life stage but you could live in wan chai and it would be cheaper.

• don't go crazy and adopt a dog

• wait at least 6 mths before you buy a car

• don't bring a lot of winter clothes. It rarely gets very cold and it just takes up space. Bring one coat and a few jumpers.

[DiDiddlyIDi]

Thanks so much for this response, really appreciate it. When you say that it will be something of a pain not to have HKID card, what sort of things are you referring to, is it just medical care or other things?

[AggressiveBunting]

The medical care is one aspect- HKID holders get free treatment in the government hospitals (similar system to NHS) but tourists don't, so if you dont have a HKID, make sure you have really good travel insurance that covers extended stays. If, heaven forbid, you got appendicitis and ended up at Queen Mary's, you do not want to find that your travel insurance only covers 2 week trips. In any case, you will almost certainly have to pay medical costs upfront and reclaim so make sure you've got a decent limit on your credit card. Your bf may get medical insurance with his work, but it's unlikely to cover you, as you're not officially his dependent.

The other issue with no HKID are things like you cant be on a residential lease, you can't be on utilities, and therefore you have no proof of address. It can be hard to open a bank account- I suggest that if you're with HSBC, you open a HK account from the UK before you go - and almost impossible to get a credit card. You can't get a phone contract, although your bf could get one in his name and just give you the phone. Once you get a job, you'll get a HKID, so it's just a temporary annoyance, but one nonetheless. It is also theoretically illegal to look for work on a tourist visa, although not illegal to accept a job offer- in practice everyone does it, so dont worry on that score, just be aware of it.

The only other thing to consider is that some employers will have a strong preference for candidates who are either on dependent's visas (because they are permitted to work- employer doesnt have to sponsor) or who already have a work visa (Because transferring is much easier than applying from scratch). If you work in a sector where there is a clear skills shortage in HK or a high % westerners in the workforce (e.g. you're a lawyer in a magic circle firm or an investment banker), then this shouldnt be an issue. However, if you work in a sector where the employer can hire locally quite easily, then it could be harder, because they need to prove that they have tried and failed to find a local with that skill set. It's quite a process and some cant be bothered with it.

Another thing I thought about- if the company isnt paying shipping, consider buying your furniture here and just coming over with excess luggage. A friend of mine did that and it worked out cheaper. Also, western furniture tends to look oversized in HK flats, so king sized beds and 8 ft sofas are best left in UK.

Electric sockets and voltage are the same, so electrical stuff will work in HK.

[DiDiddlyIDi]

Thank you so so so much, have PM'd you

[JessieMcJessie]

So, are you all set to move now? Don't live in mid levels - it's overpriced and pretty barren for bars and restaurants. Look at Sai Ying Pun, Kennedy Town or Sheung Wan. Good luck !

[Gfplux]

Do let us know how you are getting on.

[SwiftRelease]

On a Very different note, be alert to how it may utterly change you both, remember to travel all you can (too easy to be a workaholic). Learn mah jong. Accept it for what it is - it can be hatefully crowded/hot/noisy/pushy/humid. And yet is wonderfully inspiring/invigorating, great for shopping/walks/culture/nightlife/fun!
I miss it forever. Those would be mine if i had my time again.

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

Happy valley and tai hang are a great alternative to mid-levels.
5mn into causeway bay snd 10mn into wan chai