List the aims of the exchange. Having a clear idea of what you want to achieve is essential. Writing them down can help clarify your thoughts and you can discuss them. They should be as clear and precise as possible. All parties involved in the exchange should be aware of them.
Talk to your employer/manager. Before you can really proceed, it is very important that your interest is known to your employer. An exchange cannot be undertaken without their agreement. What you are seeking, in the first instance, is an agreement in principle to an exchange. Such an agreement will depend on a suitable candidate being found.
Keep talking to your employer/manager. As you make the various arrangements, your employer's continued support will be very important. It can also help make the exchange a success. Good communication is vital to this process. It is a good idea to send regular progress reports to your manager whilst you are away. Keeping in touch with the office back home will help you to re-adjust on your return.
Work permits & Visas. You will need to establish work permit/permissions. This can be time consuming and you will need to find out how long before departure you will need it, so it is a good idea to find out about this as soon as possible. Please note, CILIP cannot provide advice on this. This will have to be done through the relevant authorities i.e. the country's representative in the UK. For contact details consult Whitaker's Almanac or search the Internet.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website contains a lot of useful country information and advice. See www.fco.gov.uk/ under Travel Advice, or Tel:0870 606 0290.
The Department for Education and Skills has a useful website which provides information on the rights and requirements for people with professional qualifications gained in one EU member state who wish to work in another member state. It includes links to the websites of designated authorities, including CILIP. http://www.dfes.gov.uk/europeopen .
The UK Passport Office: www.ukpa.gov.uk .
Make sure you have adequate health insurance coverage. You may well have to shop around for a good deal.
Personal Finances. Do seek advice on your tax situation. Otherwise you may end up being taxed twice by both countries. To avoid unnecessary tax liabilities, visit the Inland Revenue website: http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk . Look for Non–residents information.
You will also need to know what the pension arrangements will be during your stay abroad and how it will be treated for tax.
Opening a foreign bank account can be time consuming. Some banks offer a multi-currency bank account. This means you can take care of your finances at home and abroad. Or consider setting up a foreign currency account in your own bank.
Qualifications. You will probably need to ensure that your UK LIS qualifications transfer overseas. CILIP can help with this. Please send the exact title of the award, date and place obtained to CILIP's Qualifications Department. Email: quals@cilip.org.uk .
Try to obtain written confirmation from both employers to the exchange. This can show the employer's commitment to the exchange. You may also need to confirm accident and employee's liability insurance will cover both exchangers. If there is a personnel department, it would be a good idea to discuss the exchange with them.
Family. There will be personal and family issues to consider such as finding a suitable school for your child/children. Some schools only take applications once a year, so do check the deadline for this.
Plan ahead. All the above can take time. Having a schedule is a good idea as it can help to make your exchange go more smoothly. You will need to build in time to do things such as getting work permits/visas, opening a local bank account and getting a local driving license.
And finally..... .... Don't forget that your international work experience can be a real asset to your personal professional career development. Whether it is for reference in your Chartership report, inclusion in your fellowship portfolio or an enhancement to your CV, writing it up for publication in Update or another professional journal or the CILIP website (see exchange reports page) would be excellent evidence of this.