Yesterday, I realized that in terms of planning and work, taking a one-year sabbatical in another country is similar to migrating to that country. You need a visa, a bank account, a place or places to stay, decide what to do with your home/sell it/cancel the rent, a car, and perhaps some more. The past week, one of the things we were not so successful in was finding a bank to open an account. Having an account here would greatly facilitate large payments for buying a car, paying the rent, or making a deposit. … More Opening a bank account