amy radcliff writes:

I am seriously considering moving to Europe (from the States). The
problem is of course the details--its overwhelming all the questions
that emerge.

You need a job and a visa, both of which are extremely difficult to
obtain.

The fastest way to obtain the right to live in Europe is to marry a
European national. Once you have the right to live there, you have
the right to work there, although having the right to work doesn't
guarantee that you'll ever find a job (you still need useful skills,
including language skills, and the job market in most European
countries is very weak).

The most efficient way to obtain a job is to join a large
multinational in the States and negotiate a transfer. This will cover
both visa and work-permit issues, and from there you can sometimes
negotiate a permanent position abroad. However, this option is
usually available only for highly-skilled jobs or management, and a
lack of language ability is often a deal-breaker for some companies.
And if you move from a foreign-service status to a local employee
status (for permanent employment abroad), you can expect a huge drop
in income, too.

Could anyone recommend a place to get started?

There are books on the topic. Search Amazon.com for "working abroad"
or similar terms and dozens of titles will show up.

If it matters, employment is not a huge problem ...

If you are independently wealthy, all you need is permission to stay,
which greatly simplifies things. In some countries, you can get
permission to stay just by proving that you don't have to work.
Marrying a local will also give you permission to stay.

I'm more interested in questions of residency status ...

In most cases what you would want is permanent residency status,
although it is called different things in different jurisdictions. It
usually requires a lot of time and effort to obtain.

... tax issues (do I pay taxes there or in the States, for instance) ...

The USA is one of the few countries in the world that taxes its
citizens even when they live abroad, so you probably will have to pay
taxes both in the USA and in the country in which you're living.
There are some provisions to help diminish double taxation and allow
for lower incomes, but you still have to file returns in most cases.

... qualifying for health care ...

Generally if you are a legal resident you qualify for something, in
countries with national health care systems. Working is a better
guarantee of qualifying for health care. Health-care systems are
often very different from the United States, for better or for worse.
The usual pattern is more universal and less expensive health care,
but longer waits, fewer personal choices, and somewhat lower
standards.

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