Cultural Shocks Expats Face When Moving to Europe: A Complete Guide

It’s not only about Europe, but generally, when moving to a new place, it takes time to adjust and catch up with the pace of the society. Moving to Europe is exciting due to the high quality of life, stunning environment, rich art and culture, and numerous opportunities.  

Thousands of expats come to Europe every year. Regardless of whether you are coming from America, Asia, or any other continent, cultural shock is a real phenomenon, and you must deal with it. In this short guide, I will cover some dos and don’ts to overcome this and some of the most common cultural shocks that you gonna face while moving to Europe.  

Also Read: Moving to the UK as a Freelancer.

1- Language 

This is the first shock everyone feels when they land in any European country. The language barrier is real, and if you observe it, then you realize that every other country has its own language, like French is widely spoken in France and German in Germany. Apart from that, there are countries where you find multiple official languages, like in Switzerland, where German, French, and Italian are widely spoken.  

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Here, you can find a cultural shock in doing official paperwork and daily life communication with locals. Due to a language barrier, you may find yourself isolated first, and learning all these languages is not that easy. However, many Europeans understand and speak English. 

2- Public Transport and Walking Culture 

Owning a car is not common in Europe. You will observe that there is an efficient public transport system across Europe. There are buses, trams, and trains that connect the towns. Moreover, there are pedestrian areas, and you will see cycling lanes, which are famous in the Netherlands. And for cheap airport parking deals, you will see many options like Gatwick airport cheap parking by Ezybook.  

So, if you are coming from a region where you keep a car to move around, then this is not the case here. You have to build a habit of using public transport and walking, as this is a big part of daily life.  

There are differences of opinion in this as some people feel that it is a liberation while other feels that it is limiting. As a guy who is coming from a country where he moves around everywhere, just moving the steering wheel feels like a cultural shock here.  

3-  Work Culture 

In Europe, the work culture is smooth. Europeans usually prefer to maintain a work-life balance. In your first experience, you will see that many shops close in the evening. Long lunch breaks are also common here.  

As they prefer personal time, you will see that they take longer vacations for more than a month or so. If you are coming from a fast-paced work culture country, you may find it weird. But eventually, you will appreciate the way they prefer a balance between work and life.  

4- Small Housing 

If you are coming from the United States or Canada, the one thing you will find weird is small living spaces. Most of the houses have compact living spaces, small kitchen areas, and low storage spaces. Moreover, in many areas, you will find it difficult to find a house with low rental value.  

Europeans prefer a minimalist lifestyle; they like quality over quantity. If you are coming from regions where you used to live in large spaces, you will feel a sudden shock here. But with time, you will eventually find your way to adjust to the environment. 

5- Dining Habits 

Food is at the heart of European culture. You may find the taste of your local food items here due to the diversity in culture. But the dining habits are different even within Europe.  

For instance, in Spain, dinner may not start until 9 pm -10 pm. In Italy, there is a set time for meals, and eating on the go is less common. While in the UK, dinner is usually eaten between 6 and 7 PM. One thing that is commendable is that fresh food is valued highly, so there is a trend of weekly grocery shopping there.  

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