Myth vs. Fact: You Don’t Have to Quit Everything to Move Abroad

Myth: If you want to retire or move abroad, you have to sell everything, quit your job, and go full-on Eat Pray Love.

Fact: You can totally move abroad and keep working—on your own terms.

The truth is, not everyone wants to go off-grid or start a YouTube channel about van life. Some of us just want fresh bread, universal healthcare, and a workday that doesn’t feel like it’s trying to kill us.

Let’s Talk About Flexible Income

You don’t have to be retired—or rich—to move to Europe. What you do need is income that doesn’t tie you to one location. And no, that doesn’t mean you have to become a dropshipping mogul or run a crypto empire (unless you want to, of course).

Here are just a few examples of flexible income streams that work from anywhere:

Freelance work: Writing, design, marketing, consulting, coding—you name it.
Remote employment: Keep your current job if it’s remote-friendly, or find one that is.
Online services: Coaching, bookkeeping, tutoring, virtual assistance.
Digital products: Courses, templates, art, photography, printables.
Rental income or investments: Real estate, dividends, etc. if you’re already set up for that.

The goal? Build something you can manage from a laptop in a sunny apartment with bad Wi-Fi that you will 100% complain about but still secretly love.

But What About Balance?

Ah yes—the million-euro question. How do you work and still enjoy living abroad?

Here’s the secret: you don’t need to hustle 24/7 just to “deserve” being in Europe. You’re allowed to build a work schedule around your life—not the other way around.

A few tips that help:

Pick your hours, then protect them. Morning work, afternoon beach walk? Yes please.
Find a routine, even if it’s flexible. Predictability is your friend when time zones get weird.
Say no to burnout culture. You moved for a reason. Do not recreate the chaos abroad.
Find community. Other remote workers and expats can keep you sane (and caffeinated).

Bottom Line?

You don’t have to give up your career, your identity, or your income to move abroad. You just have to reimagine how your life could look—and then build a little runway.

Inside Retire to Europe, we talk about all of this: