I have seen numerous discussions on this and other forums about where to relocate to and which criteria to apply in the decision. Many of the opinions were from unexperienced wanna-be expats in search of "the good life", based on (often unrealistic) impressions of countries based on hearsay or short visits, and often focussing mostly on accommodation, legal and financial aspects, which - once you are in the country - usually turn out the least of your worries.
Therefore I would like to start a thread where experienced - and often serial - expats give their recommendation on what to check and take into consideration when selecting a country to move to.
This should NOT be a thread comparing one country with another, or saying "XXX is a good place": Only discussion of selection criteria, please!