How Much Money Do You Need to Move Abroad? Real Numbers
To move abroad you need two amounts of money: what the visa makes you prove, and what the move actually costs. As of November 2026 the proof ranges from EUR 920 a month of passive income for Portugal's D7 visa to CAD 15,263 in the bank for Canada's Express Entry and EUR 28,800 a year for Spain's non-lucrative visa. On top of that, the three worked budgets below need roughly USD 9,000 to 31,000 for fees, deposits, shipping and a few months of runway, and the biggest swing is whether you ship a household.
Key Takeaways
- Two pots of money. Proof of funds or income is what a consulate checks. Moving costs (fees, documents, deposits, shipping, insurance, runway) are what you spend. Plan for both.
- Minimums are legal floors, not budgets. Canada's CAD 15,263 covers under 5 months of average rent and utilities in Canada, by the site's data.
- Government fees vary more than tenfold: a 3-year UK Skilled Worker visa costs GBP 3,924 per adult with the health surcharge, while a Spanish digital nomad visa costs a US citizen USD 190.
- Shipping is the swing item. A 2-bedroom home from the US to Western Europe costs USD 5,000 to 9,000 door to door, per one large mover.
- Deposits are capped in most of Europe at 1 to 3 months of rent, but you also pay the first month, and sometimes more in advance.
- Bring a buffer: 3 months of costs if your income continues after the move, 6 months if you will look for work.
Not sure which country fits your budget? The Relocation Wizard matches you with countries based on your income, savings and visa options in a few minutes.
Money you show vs money you spend
Visa rules ask for one of two things. Savings (a balance, sometimes held for a set time) or income (a regular amount, usually averaged over several months). The rules on how you prove it matter as much as the amount:
- Holding periods. The UK wants Skilled Worker funds held for 28 days in a row, ending within 31 days of your application. Thailand's retirement extension wants the money in a Thai bank 2 months before you apply and 3 months after approval.
- Averages. Portugal's D8 looks at your average income over the last 3 months, Colombia's nomad visa at 3 months of statements, Costa Rica's at the last year.
- Ownership. Canada does not let you borrow your settlement funds from another person or count home equity, and the money must be available to you both when you apply and when your permanent resident visa is issued.
The money you show is usually not lost. For most people it becomes the landing money that pays the deposit and the first months of rent, which is why the minimum is rarely enough on its own.
Proof of funds by visa (November 2026)
If you will work or study
| Visa | What one person must show | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Express Entry (skilled worker, trades) | CAD 15,263; CAD 19,001 for two, CAD 28,362 for four | Not needed for the Canadian Experience Class or with a valid job offer and work authorisation. Table of 7 July 2025, still in force (IRCC) |
| Canada study permit (outside Quebec) | CAD 23,448 a year plus first-year tuition | From 1 September 2026, up from CAD 22,895 (IRCC) |
| UK Skilled Worker | GBP 1,270 held for 28 days | Not needed if your sponsor certifies maintenance (GOV.UK) |
| UK Student | GBP 1,529 a month in London, GBP 1,171 elsewhere, for up to 9 months | Rises to GBP 1,570 and GBP 1,203 on 30 November 2026 (GOV.UK) |
| Australia Student | AUD 29,710 a year | Set in May 2024, no later change found (Study Australia) |
| Germany Opportunity Card (job search) | EUR 1,091 a month, EUR 13,092 for a year | Often shown with a blocked account (German embassy Cairo) |
| Germany student | EUR 11,904 a year in a blocked account (EUR 992 a month) | 2026 amount (German embassy Tehran) |
If you bring your own income
| Visa | Minimum for one person | Family | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal D7 | EUR 920 a month passive income | +EUR 460 per adult, +EUR 276 per child | The London consulate's checklist also asks for EUR 11,040 in a Portuguese bank account (checklist) |
| Portugal D8 (remote work) | EUR 3,680 a month, 3-month average | 4 times the 2026 minimum wage (visa portal) | |
| Spain digital nomad | EUR 2,442 a month at consulates | +EUR 916 first member, +EUR 306 each other | Advisers filing inside Spain often use EUR 2,849 (consulate Washington) |
| Spain non-lucrative | EUR 28,800 a year, savings or passive income | +EUR 7,200 per dependant | No work allowed (consulate Washington) |
| Italy elective residence | More than EUR 31,000 a year passive income | Applied per person in Boston and New York | No work (consulate Boston) |
| France long-stay visitor | EUR 1,477.93 net a month (EUR 17,735 a year) | No work (Service-Public) | |
| Thailand retirement (Non-O, age 50+) | THB 800,000 in a Thai bank, THB 65,000 a month income, or a mix | About USD 23,600 or USD 1,900 a month (consulate Los Angeles) | |
| Thailand DTV (remote work) | THB 500,000 in savings | Washington accepts USD 16,000; criminal record certificate since 31 August 2026 (embassy Washington) | |
| Mexico temporary residency | MXN 79,771 a month income or MXN 1,344,373 in savings | 680 or 11,460 days of the UMA (DOF). San Diego asks USD 4,510 or USD 75,950, New York USD 4,200 or USD 71,500 | |
| Costa Rica | Pensionado USD 1,000 a month; rentista USD 2,500 a month for 2 years; digital nomad USD 3,000 | Nomad families USD 4,000 | Social security (CCSS) enrolment required (DGME) |
| Colombia digital nomad | COP 5,252,715 a month (3 times the minimum wage) | The 2026 wage decree is still before the Consejo de Estado (Cancilleria) | |
| Panama Pensionado | USD 1,000 a month lifetime pension (USD 750 with property over USD 100,000) | +USD 250 per dependant | Indefinite permit (SNM) |
USD conversions use the ECB reference rates of 13 November 2026. Consulates set their own dollar figures, and they move: San Diego's USD 4,510 is about USD 220 more than the peso amount at the ECB rate, and an older San Diego sheet still online says USD 4,049. Show the figure your consulate publishes, with room to spare.
What the move itself costs
Government fees
| Route | Fees per adult (November 2026) |
|---|---|
| UK Skilled Worker, 3 years, applying from abroad | GBP 819 visa + GBP 3,105 health surcharge (3 x GBP 1,035) = GBP 3,924. Children pay a GBP 776 a year surcharge (GOV.UK) |
| Australia Skilled Independent (189) | AUD 6,135 main applicant, AUD 3,070 per adult dependant, AUD 1,540 per child, from 1 July 2026 (F2026L00874) |
| Canada permanent residence | CAD 1,590 per adult, CAD 270 per child, biometrics CAD 85 (CAD 170 family maximum) (IRCC fees) |
| Spain digital nomad / non-lucrative visa, at US consulates | USD 190 / USD 140 for US citizens, USD 106 for most other nationalities, USD 963 / USD 691 for UK citizens |
| Portugal D7 or D8 | EUR 110 visa (fees), plus the residence permit fee (reported at about EUR 150 to 250; AIMA's own table did not load for us) |
| France long-stay visitor | EUR 99 visa + EUR 300 validation tax since 1 May 2026 (Service-Public) |
| Germany national visa | EUR 75 (Federal Foreign Office) |
| Mexico temporary residency | USD 56 visa + MXN 11,141 for a 1-year residence card |
| Thailand, at US missions | Non-O USD 80, O-A USD 200, DTV USD 400 (fees differ by embassy) |
Documents and tests
- Police certificates and apostilles. An FBI Identity History Summary costs USD 18 and a US apostille USD 20 per document. UK legalisation is GBP 45 per paper document or GBP 35 for an e-Apostille. India's police clearance certificate rose to INR 750 on 1 July 2026, per legal press. Add sworn translations where the country requires them.
- Skilled migration extras. A WES credential assessment for Canada costs CAD 264 plus tax and delivery, IELTS General costs INR 19,000 in India (IDP), and the immigration medical exam is set by the panel doctor, not the government.
Shipping your things
- US to Western Europe, door to door by sea: USD 2,200 to 6,000 for a 1-bedroom home, USD 5,000 to 9,000 for a 2-bedroom and USD 9,000 to 15,500 for a 3-bedroom, in 4 to 8 weeks, per International Van Lines. Air freight runs USD 4,000 to 14,000.
- From the UK: comparison site Sirelo puts a 20ft container to Australia at GBP 4,069 to 6,093 door to door off-peak, or GBP 2,275 to 3,255 for 15 cubic meters in a shared container. May to September costs about 17% more.
- Read quotes carefully. An ocean-only price (IVL lists USD 1,174 for a 20ft container from the US East Coast to Germany) leaves out packing, delivery and customs.
In the EU, household goods you have owned and used for at least 6 months can usually enter duty-free when you move your main residence there. For many people, selling furniture and shipping only boxes is cheaper.
Pets
The USDA endorsement of a pet health certificate costs USD 101 with no lab tests, up to USD 275 with seven or more. For the EU your pet needs a microchip before its rabies shot, a 21-day wait, and a health certificate issued within 10 days of arrival (Your Europe). Transport is the real cost: CitizenShipper put full relocation services for a dog at USD 1,000 to 6,000 (2023 prices).
Housing start-up costs
| Where | Legal cap on the deposit |
|---|---|
| Spain | 1 month, plus an extra guarantee of up to 2 months (LAU art. 36) |
| Portugal | 2 months, plus up to 2 months of rent in advance; a pending bill would allow 3 months in advance and drop the deposit cap |
| Germany | 3 months of rent excluding service charges, payable in 3 instalments (BGB 551) |
| France | 1 month unfurnished, 2 months furnished |
| Netherlands | 2 months of basic rent for leases from 1 July 2023 (Government.nl) |
| England | 5 weeks (6 if rent is GBP 50,000 a year or more); rent in advance capped at 1 month since 1 May 2026 (GOV.UK) |
| Ontario | Last month's rent only, plus a refundable key deposit |
Add the first month's rent and a few weeks of short-term housing while you look. Without local payslips or credit history, landlords may ask for a guarantor or the maximum the law allows.
Health cover before the public system
- Spain wants private insurance from an insurer authorised in Spain, with no copays, for non-lucrative applicants (consulate Los Angeles). Insurer Feather quotes about EUR 72 a month under 40 and EUR 239 at 65 to 69.
- Portugal: local plans cost about EUR 100 to 150 a month at 65, and many insurers stop taking new members between 65 and 70 (Feather).
- Canada: British Columbia makes newcomers wait the rest of the arrival month plus 2 months (BC) and Quebec has a waiting period too; Ontario has none.
- UK: the health surcharge you pay upfront gives you NHS access.
Moving the money itself
Canada's consumer agency finds bank currency markups are typically 1% to 4% over the mid-market rate: sending USD 1,000 a month costs about CAD 475 a year through a big bank against about CAD 115 with a low-cost provider. On a CAD 20,000 transfer, a 3% markup is CAD 600.
Runway: how many months to bring
There is no official figure, so use a rule of thumb. Bring 3 months of living costs if your income continues (a remote job, a pension), because deposits and set-up costs all land in the first month. Bring 6 months if you will look for work after you arrive, as on Germany's Opportunity Card or Express Entry without a job offer. Keep the price of a flight home separate.
Rent and utilities alone, from the site's data:
| Country | Average rent (USD/month) | Utilities (USD/month) | 3 months of both | Cost of living (US = 100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 4,078 | 263 | about 13,000 | 100 |
| United Kingdom | 2,764 | 326 | about 9,300 | 80 |
| Australia | 2,143 | 220 | about 7,100 | 72 |
| Canada | 1,994 | 190 | about 6,600 | 61 |
| Germany | 1,296 | 348 | about 4,900 | 62 |
| Portugal | 1,473 | 141 | about 4,800 | 47 |
| Spain | 1,440 | 159 | about 4,800 | 50 |
| Mexico | 885 | 81 | about 2,900 | 38 |
| Costa Rica | 745 | 106 | about 2,600 | 82 |
| Thailand | 566 | 89 | about 2,000 | 40 |
| Colombia | 407 | 88 | about 1,500 | 27 |
Food, transport and everything else come on top. Put your own numbers into the cost of living calculator to see what your current spending costs in each country.
Three worked budgets
Assumptions: the site's average rents, ECB rates of 13 November 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.105, USD 1 = CAD 1.426), and no flights.
1. Remote worker, US to Spain (digital nomad visa)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Must show | EUR 2,442 a month in income |
| Visa fee (US citizen) | USD 190 |
| FBI check and apostille | USD 38 |
| Private health insurance, first year, under 40 | EUR 864 (about USD 955) |
| Lease: 1-month deposit and first month, plus up to 2 months extra guarantee | USD 2,880 to 5,760 |
| Buffer: 3 months of rent and utilities | about USD 4,800 |
| Total spend | about USD 8,900 to 11,700, with suitcases instead of a container |
Our Spain digital nomad visa guide covers the documents and the tax side.
2. Retired couple, US to Portugal (D7), with a 2-bedroom home and a dog
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Must show | EUR 1,380 a month in passive income (EUR 920 + EUR 460) |
| Visa fees (2 x EUR 110) | about USD 243 |
| Residence permits, two people | about USD 330 to 550 (reported fees) |
| FBI checks and apostilles | USD 76 |
| Private health insurance, first year, both 65 | EUR 2,400 to 3,600 (about USD 2,650 to 3,980) |
| Shipping a 2-bedroom home | USD 5,000 to 9,000 |
| Dog: USDA endorsement plus transport | USD 1,101 to 6,101 |
| Lease: 2 to 4 months of rent upfront | USD 2,946 to 5,892 |
| Buffer: 3 months of rent and utilities | about USD 4,800 |
| Total spend | about USD 17,200 to 30,700 |
Without the container and the dog, the same couple spends about USD 11,100 to 15,600. Read moving to Portugal from the US for the tax and healthcare details.
3. Software developer, India to Canada (Express Entry, no job offer)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Must show | CAD 15,263 |
| WES assessment with tax | CAD 298 plus delivery |
| IELTS General (INR 19,000) | about CAD 287 |
| Police clearance (INR 750) | about CAD 11 |
| PR fees and biometrics | CAD 1,675 |
| Ontario lease: last month's rent deposit | about CAD 2,840 |
| 6 months of rent and utilities while job hunting | about CAD 18,690 |
| Total | about CAD 23,800 (USD 16,700), plus the medical exam |
The point of this example: CAD 15,263 satisfies IRCC, but at the site's average Canadian rent and utilities (about CAD 3,100 a month) it lasts under 5 months, before food. Toronto and Vancouver cost more than the national average. If a job offer gets you high-wage CRS points, you may also skip proof of funds.
Common mistakes
- Budgeting the visa minimum. Portugal's EUR 920 a month or Canada's CAD 15,263 is what the law accepts, not what life costs.
- Showing money you will spend before the decision. Funds that drop below the threshold during a holding period (UK 28 days, Thai extension rules) can sink the application.
- Forgetting the family. Partners and children add income thresholds, visa fees and health surcharges; the UK surcharge alone is GBP 776 a year per child.
- Comparing an ocean-only shipping quote with a door-to-door one. Ask what is included.
- Ignoring the health gap. Plan cover for the weeks or months before a public system takes you, and buy senior plans before insurers' age limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money should I save before moving abroad?
Enough for the visa's proof of funds plus your one-off costs, then 3 to 6 months of living costs. In our examples that means about USD 9,000 to 12,000 for a single remote worker going to Spain and about CAD 24,000 for a developer moving to Canada without a job offer.
Can I move abroad with USD 5,000?
Only on routes where income, not savings, qualifies you, or where an employer sponsors you. Portugal's D7 asks for EUR 920 a month of passive income, though some consulates also want EUR 11,040 in a Portuguese account. Most savings-based visas in this guide ask for more than USD 5,000 before you count deposits or flights.
Does proof of funds money have to stay in my account?
Usually until you get the visa, and sometimes after. The UK checks 28 consecutive days, Canada wants the funds available when you apply and when it issues your permanent resident visa, and Thailand's retirement extension requires the money in a Thai bank before and after approval.
Which country is cheapest to move to?
In the site's data, Colombia (27), Mexico (38) and Thailand (40) have the lowest cost of living scores among popular destinations, against 100 for the US. Each has visas based on income or savings, so check that you meet the threshold before you choose on price.
Sources
- IRCC: Express Entry proof of funds and fee list
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa costs and Immigration Health Surcharge
- Portuguese visa portal: means of subsistence
- Consulate General of Spain in Washington: telework visa
- Mexico visa guidelines (DOF, 25 July 2025)
- BGB section 551 (German rent deposits)
- ECB euro reference exchange rates
- International Van Lines: moving costs to Europe
Your next step
Start with the visa: its threshold tells you the minimum, and your country's rents tell you the real number. Price your monthly life in the cost of living calculator, take the Relocation Wizard to find the countries your income qualifies for, and keep the moving abroad checklist open while you gather documents.
