Moving abroad means making calls you cannot avoid

Every new expat hits the same wall: there are some things you simply cannot do by text or email. You have to pick up the phone—often in a language you are still learning, with someone speaking fast on the other end.

Here are the 5 phone calls every new expat dreads, what makes each one hard, and how to make them easier. At the end, one tool that quietly removes the language barrier for all of them.

1. Calling the landlord

This is usually the first dreaded call. You need your home to work, and that means talking to a landlord or property manager who may not speak your language.

Common reasons you have to call:

  • Reporting a repair — heating, plumbing, appliances, locks
  • Booking maintenance — scheduling someone to come fix it
  • Explaining a problem — describing exactly what is wrong

How to make it easier: Before you call, write down the issue in one or two short sentences, plus your address and the best time for a visit. Describe the problem simply ("the heating does not work," "there is a water leak under the sink"). Confirm the appointment date and time out loud before hanging up.

2. Calling the bank

Money calls are stressful in any language. As a new expat, you often cannot avoid them.

Common reasons you have to call:

  • Opening an account — questions about documents and requirements
  • Credit card — activating, blocking, or asking about a charge
  • Account problems — a failed payment, a frozen card, or a fee you do not understand

How to make it easier: Have your account or card details and ID information ready before you dial. Ask the agent to repeat any number slowly. For anything sensitive—fraud, disputes—write down a reference number at the end of the call.

3. Calling the hospital or clinic

Health calls feel the highest-stakes, because a misunderstanding has real consequences.

Common reasons you have to call:

  • Booking an appointment — and explaining briefly why
  • Insurance — what is covered, what you must pay
  • Test results — getting and understanding them

How to make it easier: Prepare the key symptom or reason for your visit in a short sentence. Have your insurance and ID details handy. For test results and diagnoses, repeat back what you heard to confirm you understood. For anything clinical or legal, a certified medical interpreter is still the right choice.

4. Calling the school

If you moved with children, school calls come fast—and they matter.

Common reasons you have to call:

  • Enrollment — registering your child and asking what documents are needed
  • Courses — schedules, classes, and requirements
  • Talking to teachers — progress, problems, and meetings

How to make it easier: Note your child's name, age, and grade before calling. Ask which documents you need to bring and by when. For teacher conversations, write down your main question first so you do not lose it mid-call.

5. Calling the insurance company

Insurance calls combine money, paperwork, and specialized vocabulary—a perfect storm for a language barrier.

Common reasons you have to call:

  • Claims — filing one and checking status
  • Renewal — keeping your policy active
  • Questions — understanding what your policy actually covers

How to make it easier: Have your policy number and any claim reference ready. Ask the agent to confirm next steps and deadlines clearly. Write down the reference number for every claim conversation.

The one thing that makes all five easier

Notice the pattern: every one of these calls is a live phone conversation to a real number, often with someone who does not speak your language. You cannot solve that with a text translator or a chat app.

Real-time phone translation tools can help bridge language gaps during these conversations. With a phone call translator like AI Call, you dial the landlord, bank, hospital, school, or insurer directly, speak in your own language, and they hear theirs in real time—on a normal phone call, with no app required on their end.

That turns the five calls every expat dreads into ordinary tasks you can handle the day you arrive.

👉 Download AI Call and make every expat phone call in your own language with free minutes.