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Preparing to move to Romania involves a significant amount of planning. Of particular importance are securing and making copies of important documents. Make at least 3 copies of your passport, visas and other key documents. One should be kept with you, another in an accessible but safe place such as a safe deposit box, and the third one left with a relative or trusted friend so somebody can access the information in case something were to happen to you or the other copies.

A checklist of other things to consider:

1. Passports: Check expiration as they must not expire within 6 months of your arrival.
2. Secure medical insurance and travel insurance to prevent unmanageable medical bills and enable entry into other countries.
3. Research and apply for a Visa (mind delays, sometime several months).
4. Get all vaccinations and medication. Make sure that your are up-to-date with mandatory vaccinations. Visit a travel health clinic no less than 2 months prior to departure, since some vaccinations take a few weeks to become effective.
5. Save enough money to support your cost of living and lifestyle plus travel costs with enough of a buffer to be prepared for the unexpected.
6. Bring things to facilitate transition like a universal electric plug adaptor, any medications you take, or anything else to make you comfortable during the transition.

Financial Considerations

Before leaving, make sure not to leave any outstanding bills in your home country and make the necessary arrangements to pay any bills that may arrive after your departure. Take care of any rent/mortgage you may have and ensure that utilities are being paid while you are abroad. Notify important institutions like your bank of your change in address.

If you are retaining your bank account in your home country, enquire about fees for foreign transactions, additional credit card fees or any changes you need to make with your account. Inform banks that you will be using your credit cards while abroad, so as not to arouse any suspicions around the activity on your account, as anti-theft systems may consider transactions as unusual and block your account.

Tax Considerations

You should consider informing tax offices in your home country about your change in residency. Some countries may have reciprocal tax agreements that exempt you to pay taxes in your home country while you are away, while in some cases you may need to pay taxes both in your home country and abroad.

The National Tax Administrations will be able to advise you of what steps to take. American citizens should consult the IRS guide "U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Living Abroad" for information about filing tax returns while overseas.

Health Considerations

Make sure you are up to date on routine vaccinations like measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, varicella (chickenpox), polio and a yearly flu shot. Some health authorities also recommend a hepatitis A vaccine to prevent disease from contaminated food or water.

For concerns about your health, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes International Travel and Health which is available free online and is updated annually. MD Travel Health is another great resource which is updated daily and offers free, complete travel-health advice for every country.