The American’s 12-Step Relocation Roadmap
The order of decisions for moving to Europe from the United States, in 26 pages: income routes, visit rules, the first-year budget, documents, U.S. taxes, Social Security, Medicare and your first weeks after arrival. Every rule and figure is numbered to one of 54 official sources, checked September 25, 2026.
Twelve Steps, in the Order That Works
Choose a country before you understand your income route, and you may plan a life the visa will not allow. Order documents too early, and some expire before your appointment. The roadmap puts the decisions in sequence, says which official rule applies at each step, and gives you worksheets to fill in.
- Answer the four questions
- Match your income to a residence route
- Shortlist countries on the official basics
- Plan a scouting trip within the visit rules
- Build the first-year budget
- Gather documents in the right order
- Know your U.S. tax obligations
- Arrange Social Security abroad
- Decide on Medicare and health insurance
- Rent first, and know the deposit rules
- Pets, driving and shipping
- Arrive and register
- A month-by-month timeline, from 12 months out to your first 90 days
- Ten mistakes that delay moves, each tied to the rule behind it
- Worksheets for your four answers, your shortlist and your one-time costs
- Questions to take to an immigration lawyer, a cross-border tax adviser and a local accountant
- Worked 2026 examples from Portugal and Spain, in euros and dollars
Croatia is in the EU, Schengen and the euro area, yet it has neither an income tax treaty nor a Social Security agreement with the United States. If you will work for yourself there, U.S. self-employment tax still applies to all your net profit. The sources are on our destinations page.
Get the Roadmap
Enter your name, email and phone number and we send the roadmap to your inbox straight away: a link to the PDF, US Letter, 26 pages. Check your spam folder if it has not arrived within a few minutes. The monthly Dispatch is optional; the roadmap never depends on it.
Quantum Jetset is a digital brand of Mega Commercial Enterprises Limited (Ireland). We use your email to send you the free roadmap and, if you check the box, the monthly Dispatch. We use your phone number to call or message you on WhatsApp once or twice about your move; you can ask us to stop at any time. Legal basis: your request for the roadmap; for the phone or WhatsApp follow-up and for the Dispatch, your consent. We keep roadmap requests for 24 months unless you join the Dispatch or become a client. They are handled for us by our web host, our website delivery and security network and our email delivery service, and the Dispatch by our newsletter service. Our services are intended for people aged 18 and over. See our Privacy Policy for your rights.
Questions About the Roadmap
Is it really free?
Yes. You give us your email so we can send you the roadmap; you do not have to join the Dispatch, and there is nothing to buy.
Is it about one country?
No. The steps apply to any European move. Where a rule differs by country, it uses Portugal and Spain as worked examples and tells you what to check for your own destination.
How current is it?
Every rule and figure was checked against its official source on September 25, 2026, and the sources are listed at the end. We publish a new edition when the rules change.
Can I share it?
Yes, unchanged and in full, with its source list. Please do not sell it or publish edited versions.
Rather Talk It Through?
A free 30-minute video call about your goals, timeline and income, with first thoughts on which countries deserve a closer look.
Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice.