A trial stay that tests ordinary life

Choose the question before the apartment

Write down what you need to learn: whether a neighbourhood works without a car, how a home handles the season, or how you feel about distance from family. Choose a lawful stay and a rental contract that lets you test those questions. A trial stay has no special immigration exemption.

Try an ordinary week

Repeat a few everyday journeys instead of changing location every day. Record actual door-to-door time, cost, opening hours and whether the route still works when tired or carrying shopping. Include one quiet day with no planned activity.

• Food shopping, pharmacy and a routine appointment route
• A social activity you would attend repeatedly
• Evening, weekend and poor-weather transport
• Video call, internet and an ordinary evening at home

Test the season you would live through

If the move is permanent, one pleasant week cannot represent the year. Ask for heating or cooling records and revisit in a contrasting season where practical. Keep observed facts separate from promises made by a host or agent.

Make a decision record together

For each must-have, write confirmed, unsuitable or still unknown. A missing answer is not a positive result. Agree what evidence would change the decision and retain the option of another trial or staying where you are.