Anonymous wrote:My DH works for a Swedish company and could basically put in to relocate to Stockholm, London, or Berlin at any point. Our kids are currently 5 and 2 years old. We've been throwing around the idea of moving to the EU since DH would already have a job, I own a small business and could easily work from anywhere, and the kids are not yet really established in the school district or with friends/activities. One major perk we discussed is if we stayed 5+ years and became dual citizens, the kids could go to college anywhere in the EU. Also, we're attracted to the work-life balance, opportunity to travel, healthcare, childcare available. If my DH moved to the European side of the company, he would get August off every year on top of his regular generous PTO. We do currently live within 15 mins of all the grandparents which would be a big change, but DH's parents are in the process of building their retirement home a few hours away. The kids don't have any cousins yet (Dh and I are both the oldest in our families).

Any thoughts or experiences?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH works for a Swedish company and could basically put in to relocate to Stockholm, London, or Berlin at any point. Our kids are currently 5 and 2 years old. We've been throwing around the idea of moving to the EU since DH would already have a job, I own a small business and could easily work from anywhere, and the kids are not yet really established in the school district or with friends/activities. One major perk we discussed is if we stayed 5+ years and became dual citizens, the kids could go to college anywhere in the EU. Also, we're attracted to the work-life balance, opportunity to travel, healthcare, childcare available. If my DH moved to the European side of the company, he would get August off every year on top of his regular generous PTO. We do currently live within 15 mins of all the grandparents which would be a big change, but DH's parents are in the process of building their retirement home a few hours away. The kids don't have any cousins yet (Dh and I are both the oldest in our families).

Any thoughts or experiences?

I don't think you will necessarily be given citizenship after 5 years, and being an EU citizen doesn't give you the right to college in any EU country. Do you speak German or Swedish? It's no picnic to pick up a new language at your age. Would these countries give you a work visa?

This. People - especially Americans - tend to forget about the whole language thing. Yes, the rest of the world speaks English and of course you can get by with English only or just conversational Swedish/German, but you can never truly integrate into a society without knowing the language. You will exist on the periphery and will be an outside observer to the country. Language learning and complete assimilation is hard at 40+, and most Americans just aren't up for that. They seem to be ready for an "adventure" and not the true life of an immigrant. True assimilation is tough. And it can be very lonely.

Anonymous wrote:I commented on moving to Germany with our kids. I know many people (mainly Brits after Brexit) who had lived in Germany for over 7 years and were able to obtain German citizenship. Or course it was a process. They had to pass language tests and civics tests. They had to go in for interviews. And... they had to have been registered as living in Germany for at least 7 years. I know that all European countries have different rules. But, if the OP is interested in moving to Sweden, or Germany, or the UK, and decides that they would like to pursue obtaining citizenship in their new country, it is possible. Like anything else, it requires commitment and time. I can't imagine that anyone who is thinking about uprooting their family (for an incredible life experience...I might add) wouldn't put in the work to learn the language, the culture, and all of the many regulations and requirements for citizenship if they choose to go down that path! I agree that joining an ex-pat community is a great first step. Getting to know parents at your children's schools will also be incredibly helpful! As for your home...rent it. We hired a company to manage ours while we were gone. We won't the flexibility of being able to move back to it. Also, dogs are beloved in Germany! I would read up on rules regarding your dog breed, and you will have to jump through some hoops with EU microchipping, and getting vaccinations right before you move, but plenty of people do it!

Anonymous wrote:Op here, thanks so much for all the thoughts. I wasn't saying you just get citizenship after 5 years, but that is the point where you can be eligible and begin the other parts of the process like language testing, background checks, proof of adequate salaries, etc.