Top Tips to Meet People in a New Country

Moving to a new country is mostly an exciting adventure, which brings with it many rich experiences and new opportunities. It does also come with many challenges such as finding accommodation, learning a new language, finding a job and meeting new people. If you have ever moved to a new country where you know little to no people, you will know that initially it can be somewhat isolated and feel overwhelming. It is common for people who move to new country to start to feel more settled once they have started to establish a network of people and make a few new friends. Not only is this positive on a social integration level, but it is also an effective way to get to know the ins and outs of a new country. These are top tips of how to meet people in a new country.

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Join Facebook groups

Social media has fast become one of the most effective ways to connect with people around the world. In almost every country in the world, some form of Facebook expat group will exist. These groups are used for making connections, asking questions, giving advice, sharing information, advertising job posts and accommodation for rent. Joining a relevant Facebook group just before moving over to a new country is a helpful way to not only get some advice and guidance, but also as a way to start building connections and reaching out to people. Most people who have moved to a new country were in a similar position to you and are more than happy to help in whatever way they can.

Use apps like Meetup

This app aims to bring people together in thousands of cities to do more of what they would like to do. This is a brilliant way to meet like-minded people with similar interests and hobbies. Anyone can join Meetup for free and gain access to a wide variety of Meetup groups around the city ranging from running groups, fitness classes, creative writing and film studies meetups. There are also career accelerating groups such as networking and professional development meetups. This is not only a great way to meet new people, but it is also an opportunity to try new things.

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Reach out to friends of friends

You would be surprised as to how connected we really are. If any of your friends and family have connections in the country you are moving to, it would be worth it to reach out to their connections. The more people you can meet and introduce yourself to in a new country, the better. You never know what, where or who a new connection may lead you to.

Get involved with language exchange

It is a fairly common phenomenon for expats to gravitate together in a foreign country. If have moved to a country with a different language and you would like to meet some locals, then language exchange is a good way to do so. These type of interactions will help you meet locals, and practise their language. There are many organisations such as Conversation Exchange and Mundo Lingo which focus on uniting locals and internationals in cities across the globe.

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Have Fun

Moving to a new country can be quite stressful, and the amount of time is takes to feel settled is different for everyone. There is often a lot of administrative task and logistical issues to sort out initially, and sometimes these can be very time-consuming. Although these are important aspects to get in order, try not let them take up all your time, preventing you from having fun and in some cases cutting you off from potential new friends. The key is to find the balance between sorting out the things you need to and making the time to socialise with new people.

No matter how many people you talk to, or how many articles you read, you will never truly be prepared for moving to a new country. Meeting new people is one of the most important ways to start feeling settled in a new country. You will not only start to have more fun and feel more connected, but you will most likely gain invaluable advice and tips from the people who are currently living in the country. Can you think of any other things which helped you to meet people in a new country?