This time, I’ll share what I prepared before my departure for my working holiday. Hmm, I feel like there were more things, but I’ll add them later.
- Preparation for resigning from my job (how to resign and preparation of necessary documents)
- Paperwork procedures such as resident registration and driver’s license
- Health check-ups
- Reviewing cell phone plans, subscriptions, and credit card contracts
- Opening an online banking account
Preparation for resigning from my job
I believe that when you decide to leave for a working holiday, it is essential to consider things like wanting to take paid leave, not wanting to lose out on unemployment insurance payments, and having an enterprise pension fund that you don’t want to miss out on. It is crucial to thoroughly research this aspect (from my experience). I only thought about taking paid leave and neglected other things, which I regret now, by the way. However, I did make sure to use up my paid leave.
Regarding the timing of resignation, after roughly deciding on the departure date, I determined the number of days I wanted to take as paid leave and calculated the resignation date and the desired final working day. Then, about 2-3 months before the final working day, I informed my boss about my plans, which made the process of leaving smoother. As I was in sales, I wanted to ensure that I didn’t inconvenience my team and set my final working day at the end of the first quarter, at the end of June. I told my boss about my decision around the end of March. Although we usually didn’t meet face to face due to the pandemic at that time, I asked for a meeting and told them directly. It was nerve-wracking! They seemed to have noticed it before I said anything, but they encouraged me, so I’m glad I told them directly.
After that, it was a process of handling paperwork. In my company, we didn’t have to write a resignation letter; we only had to apply through the system. (Perhaps because it was a large company with many people quitting) I completed tasks such as returning company items before the resignation date and officially left the company a week before my departure date. (I didn’t receive any retirement benefits.)
Afterward, I received many notifications about the enterprise pension fund, but as I had already left for my ESL school, there wasn’t much I could do, which is why I don’t strongly recommend resigning just before the departure date.
Paperwork procedures such as resident registration and driver’s license
During my paid leave, I took care of some administrative tasks. Since I initially planned to study abroad for about a year, I didn’t want to pay local taxes in Japan, so I submitted a notification of moving overseas. (However, I did end up paying for the first year, which was painful!)
This was quite straightforward. I just went to the municipal office and said “I am going to move overseas”. Note that the fact that you’re moving overseas will be indicated on your My Number Card, which the most important card these days, making it unusable. So, if you plan to use an overseas remittance service, be cautious. (I’ll discuss Wise, a popular overseas remittance service among international students and the service need to submit your my number card information as your configuration, later.)
Then, there was the thing that almost everyone does, getting an “international driver’s license.” I did it too, but in conclusion, it wasn’t necessary. If you plan to stay for more than six months and already have a Japanese license, you don’t need an international driver’s license in Vancouver! Let’s change it to a BC license! It costs about $37 to get it changed! With an international driver’s license, you always have to carry your passport, but with a BC license, it doubles as an identity card. (By the way, I got it a year after my arrival. Silly me.)
Health check-ups
Personally, I highly recommend this—health check-ups. Not just regular health check-ups, but also dental check-ups and visits to the hospital for any medications you regularly take. Of course, you can do it after you arrive at your final destination, but there may be concerns about English or differences in medication components, so be sure to see your doctor before leaving.
If you have any concerning medical history, please ask your doctor to write a medical certificate or something similar. You don’t know what might happen when the environment changes. Even if it was under control or even past cured medical history, there is still a possibility of a recurrence. Having something you can explain at that time will provide peace of mind. Please prepare thoroughly, without taking it lightly.
Reviewing cell phone plans, subscriptions, and credit card contracts
This goes without saying, right? Since I didn’t have much financial flexibility, I wanted to save money, so I reviewed and canceled things I was unknowingly paying for, like my cell phone plan and subscriptions.
First, I switched my communication from SoftBank to Rakuten Mobile. I didn’t want to change my phone number, but paying the usage fee seemed foolish, and it was annoying to pay almost 2,000 yen per month just to keep my number. At that time, Rakuten Mobile had a one-year free usage campaign, so I switched to it. It does cost me money now, but as the SIM card in Canada only offers 5GB, I’m managing with Rakuten Mobile’s 2GB.
Next, I reconsidered my subscriptions. I canceled many subscriptions, such as Hulu, YouTube, and Spotify, leaving only Disney Plus and Apple Music. Also, I shared these two subscriptions with my family, and we split the cost.
Lastly, I canceled all the credit cards I had impulsively obtained during my time as an office worker, leaving only one Visa, one Mastercard, and one JCB card. Well, this is the ideal, right?
Opening an online banking account
I felt a slight resistance to continuing to use a mega bank account with high fees and low interest rates, so I opened an account with Rakuten Bank. It was genuinely a good decision. It’s convenient for sending money from Canada, and I find it very useful.
In this way, before my departure, I eliminated unnecessary expenses and swiftly completed necessary procedures. Even though I used about 15 days of paid leave, it was quite a hectic time. I think it’s best to prepare as much as possible in advance.