January 2013 Expat News Archive

Archived Daily Expat News from the Expats Blog Newsdesk...

31 Jan at 6 PM

Shanghai local government response to virus threat wins expat praise

In spite of the world’s press having a field day over the spread of Wuhan’s coronavirus, expats in Shanghai are praising the city government’s and residents’ supportive responses. Everyday citizens in 13,000 communities along with the Shanghai government, volunteers and expat groups are all working to contain the virus, with all...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Does Brexit mean an expat buy-to-let free for all?

Will Brexit lead to even cheaper buy-to-let bargains for expats? British estate agents specialising in buy-to-let properties in the UK believe Brexit will lead to cheaper house prices and more expat investment opportunities. Now that Brexit is finally a reality, this year’s negotiations may exacerbate Britain’s already stalling...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expat local councillors forced by Brexit to stand down

Community-minded British expats are furious at losing not only the vote but also their entitlement to involvement in their local areas. One effect of Brexit which hasn’t been made much of in the media is that British expats in Europe who’ve integrated to the extent of serving on local councils must now give up their involvement in the...
30 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats on Cyprus mostly ignoring Brexit Day

For the vast majority of British expats living, working or retiring in Europe, tomorrow is the dreaded day when the UK finally commits to leaving the European Union. Hopes that Brexit wouldn’t happen kept expatriate Britons glued to every news report, negotiation, parliamentary riot and election, hoping against hope they’d be allowed...
30 Jan at 6 PM

UK coronavirus travel warning now includes Thailand

As the death toll and numbers infected by the coronavirus soar, the UK government has issued a travel warning including Thailand. Concurrently with the British travel advice, Thailand’s health minister Anutin Charnvirkul is being quoted in the media as saying his country cannot stop the virus’s spread as it's at present host to a huge...
30 Jan at 6 PM

China still refusing permission to evacuate for British expats

Expat Britons trapped in Wuhan are still not able to be evacuated. Several hundred British expatriates in virus-hit Wuhan are still not able to be evacuated due to China’s refusal to grant permission for the flight. The stand-off has continued for several days, although expat citizens of other countries including the USA have been...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Coronavirus bad news gets worse for expats still trapped in Wuhan

Expats in the many countries now listing coronavirus infections are fearful the outbreak may last as long as another six months. It’s not just expats living and working in Wuhan who’re afraid they may catch the newly-identified Chinese virus, as many other popular expatriate destinations are now listing increasing numbers of cases....
29 Jan at 6 PM

Kuwait plans sacking of 25,000 expats in favour of local labour

Kuwaiti MPs are discussing plans to sack 25,000 expatriate workers and replace them with local labour. The latest attempt to rid Kuwait of its high number of expatriate workers was the subject of a recent media report claiming the scheme would encourage Kuwaiti citizens to swap their jobs in the less demanding public sector for positions...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Costa Rica scores high in recent expat healthcare survey

Nowadays, affordable quality healthcare is a priority for would-be expats, especially if they’re looking to retire rather than work. The subject of healthcare costs as against the often inflated charges for private medical insurance is now at the top of many would-be retirees’ lists, especially as an increasing number of retirement...
28 Jan at 6 PM

Expat dog owners forced to clear up mess or face massive fines

A recent crackdown on expat dog walkies in Spain sounds just like Britain. The high level of fines recently imposed by Los Montesinos municipality on dog owners who allow their pets to urinate and defecate in parks and on pavements has caused expat shock and horror as well as approval in the popular town. Those not collecting faeces or...
28 Jan at 6 PM

Expat couple trapped in Wuhan arrange their own funerals

As China’s coronavirus speeds up its spread, British expats are making funeral plans just in case. British expats still trapped in Wuhan are taking the threat of the raging virus seriously enough to plan their own funerals. One Canadian teacher at the city’s Weiming International High School fears the local government is making...
28 Jan at 6 PM

Brit annual state pension increases agreed for expats in Europe

Brit expats living in Europe are to get annual increases in the state pension. Finally, the good news for British expats living in European Union member states is that the annual British state pension uprate will apply to all those in residence by the end of this year. Previous warnings of no guarantees of uprates post-2023 unless...
27 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Spain get previews of the effects of global warming

Expats in the Andalusian city of Fuengirola whose properties were hit hard by Storm Gloria are now enduring continuing power cuts. Lengthy power cuts are impeding expat residents’ efforts to repair storm damage and tidy up after the massive storm bore down on the popular region, with those affected unable even to get in touch with their...
27 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Wuhan unhappy about inappropriate coverage of the virus outbreak

Expats in the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan are angry over the style of reporting by foreign media. Whilst they’re as worried as their Chinese counterparts about the danger of contracting the deadly virus, they’re also impressed and reassured about efforts made by the city fathers to minimise the danger and deal with the...
27 Jan at 6 PM

New OZ app aims to make finding love as an expat far easier

One aspect of emigration is the chance to meet the love of your life in a strange land, but meeting up by chance doesn’t always work! Finding a soulmate as the direct result of leaving the home country for a new life in another land is the dream of many would-be expats, but making it happen can be a tough call for those who’re not...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Spain sees an increase in UK expat residents

According to a Spanish government report, the popular expat destination is now home to more British expats than ever. In spite of warnings that Brexit would stop new arrivals and be the cause of relocating to the UK for many long-stay expats, there are now a quarter of a million UK citizens living in all corners of the state. Even although...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Wuhan expat community now trapped as the virus spreads

Expats in Wuhan are now trapped as the city locks down. The expat population in Wuhan has grown considerably over the past five years, as many foreigners have rejected China’s massive metropolises for the regional powerhouse. The city’s governing body has made helping foreigners integrate and get adjusted to their new lives a top...
24 Jan at 6 PM

British expat bar owner in Spain plans tongue in cheek Brexit night at his bar

Expats in Andalusia wondering what to do on the evening of 31st January should head for Jimera’s Bar Allioli’s huge Brexit bash. Rather than celebrating the UK’s departure from the EU , British bar owner Paul Darwent is focusing on a tongue in cheek, alcohol fuelled celebration featuring comedy, music, poetry, traditional British...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Expat in Asia warned over Wuhan coronavirus

Western expats living and working in China are being urged to monitor their health closely and avoid crowds due to the increasingly rapid spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. To date, Wuhan city now has 198 confirmed cases of the Sars-like virus infection, thought to have originated in a local seafood market. Guangdong province has reported...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Hague Community Fair is a must for newly arrived expats

Expats in the Hague and especially those newly-arrived, are set to enjoy the city’s Feel at Home Community Fair set to take place Sunday February 2. The event is a celebration of the cosmopolitan community of expats and Dutch nationals, and will give a warm welcome to all newcomers as well as being a place where international...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Thai international school donates to Filipino evacuees after volcanic eruption

Expat and local pupils as well as their teachers at a Bangkok-based international school are getting together to encourage donations to help the Filipino communities evacuated due to the Taal volcanic eruption. Thailand has its own versions of natural calamities, but has luckily been spared the fatal attention of the dozens of volcanoes...
22 Jan at 6 PM

British expat owner of the Brexit Pub won’t change the name

The British expat owner of the Brexit pub in Canada’s British Columbia state won’t be changing its name any time soon! Even although Brexit is now imminent, the pub's British owner Martyn Lewis has no plans to change its name as he feels it’s poking fun at British stereotypes. The somewhat controversial theme of the pub wasn’t...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Thailand upgrades virus screening as two Chinese visitors found to be infected

Expats living, working and retiring in Asian states and especially Thailand are growing ever more concerned about the spread of the so-called coronavirus. Recent news that the first person-to-person transmission of the recently-identified virus had taken place saw airports all over Asia queuing up to instigate mandatory health screening...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats preparing legal action to keep EU citizenship post-Brexit

UK citizens and expats are planning legal action aimed at retaining their EU citizenship post-Brexit. Based on the Treaty of Lisbon’s Article 20, EU citizenship is seen as separate and additional to citizenship of its member states. At the present time, there are no written provisions for removing it and its associated rights from...
21 Jan at 6 PM

Massive storm devastates Spain and Mallorca

Spanish storm Gloria has caused freezing temperatures, snow, flooding, huge waves and three deaths. For British expats who emigrated to Spain in order to get away from the UK’s generally miserable weather patterns, Storm Gloria’s sweep across 30 Spanish provinces is a dread reminder that global warming isn’t country-specific. The...
21 Jan at 6 PM

FSCS decision strips expat investors rights over mis-selling

Thousands of investors and pension savers are now officially denied compensation for blatantly mis-sold funds. When the news broke that the UK financial watchdog’s investigation into Fast Pensions and its 15 schemes was in suspension, those who’d lost most or all of their retirement savings were devastated and unable to understand why...
21 Jan at 6 PM

Portuguese property price rises shutting out British expat retirees

Golden Visa investors are being blamed for soaring property price hikes. For a number of years, Portugal has been a favourite with British expats seeking sunshine and an affordable, less stressful lifestyle in a location without the rowdy reputation of many Spanish resort towns. The Algarve has been a favourite region for UK retirees on...
20 Jan at 6 PM

EU Brexit chief proposes associate EU citizenship for Brit expats

EU minister urges UK to treat British expats in Europe with more compassion. During a visit to the UK at the end of last week, EU Brexit chief Guy Verhofstadt expressed his concern over the government’s treatment of EU expats living and working in Britain as well as UK expats in Europe. He also made it clear he is calling for improved...
20 Jan at 6 PM

Spanish EU MP gives post-Brexit hope to all British expats

Spanish EU MP reassures British expats they’ll always be welcome. Last Friday, Member of the European Parliament for Spain Esteban Gonzales Pons gave a message of hope to all expat Britons living, working and retiring in the popular country. Referring to Britons who’re fearing for their post-Brexit futures, he referred to the expat...
20 Jan at 6 PM

Balearics cracks down on alcohol abuse and balconing

Massive crackdown on alcohol in the Spanish Balearics leaves British expats in two minds. Tourism based on excessive drinking and rowdy behaviour is now under attack in Spain’s Balearic Islands, focusing on resorts in Mallorca, Majorca and Ibiza and banning pub crawls, limiting sales of alcohol, ads for alcoholic beverages, happy hours,...
17 Jan at 6 PM

Kampot to host full China/Cambodia military exercises in March

Expats in the Cambodian city of Kampot are being warned of an upcoming Cambodia/China military exercise in the locality. The so-called Golden Dragon Military Exercise will take place in March and will involve some 2000 military attendees as well as an impressive selection of weapons of war. Held at the province’s Techo Sen Chum Kiri...
17 Jan at 6 PM

For wealthy expats, Moraira is Spanish heaven

For those with unlimited cash, this smaller, exclusive Costa Blanca municipality is the place to be. Spain is mostly rated amongst would-be British expats as a cheap-as-chips hideaway featuring inexpensive accommodation, British food and endless sunshine. For those who can easily afford to be more selective, the jewel in the Costa Blanca...
17 Jan at 6 PM

Oz expats make waves in smaller Chinese cities

China is still a favourite destination for expats from across the world, but some of the more adventurous are ignoring the lure of the massive cities and starting up businesses in smaller towns. For almost a decade, China’s mystery, amazingly long history and unique culture has drawn expats from the West to its capital and other major...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Spain warned over dangerously contaminated tap water

British expats in Spain are now being warned of the dangers of drinking tap water. According to a recent study, Spain’s municipal tap water is amongst Europe’s most dangerous to drink. The study, aimed at identifying chemicals in tap water, was carried out by scientists at Barcelona’s Institute for Global Health, and included...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Expat driving licenses and Kuwait residency permits now automated

Following the successful introduction of online driving permit renewals, Kuwait is planning to extend the facility. According to a source, since the programme’s launch in November last year, a total of well over 17,000 residents including expats have applied online, been accepted and have collected their licenses from machines set at...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Dubai's sweet and spicy karak tea is an expat addiction

Expat professionals settling into a new posting in Dubai soon become addicted to the ultra-sweet, spicy karak tea. Especially during the cooler winter months, the UAE’s favourite beverage is the sweet karak tea beloved by Arab nations since their days in the desert. Every café and street stall which sells karak tea is crowded with both...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Spain playing fair with its British expat population

Is the recent message to Brit expats from the UK Ambassador in Spain yet another example of ‘too little, too late’ after Spain’s promises? Over the years since the Brexit referendum, British expats in European Union member states have either been totally ignored or received confusing mixed messages from their relevant diplomatic...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Bad news gets worse for scammed expat investors

A further 100,000 pension savers are expected to have lost around £10 billion due to scams, with few realising they’re bereft of all or most of their retirement cash until it’s too late. At the present time, it’s believed over 100,000 pension savers have lost all or most of their investments after falling for smooth-talking IFAs,...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Shanghai considers dedicated green channel for expat healthcare

Expats in Shanghai may get a dedicated green channel for healthcare. A Shanghai political advisor is calling for a dedicated ‘green channel’ to be made available to expats in the city as they’re having a hard time getting to see doctors due to language problems, cultural differences and high charges. Advisor Yang Jing is proposing...
14 Jan at 6 PM

Protecting your French home during the winter months

Although France’s hot and sunny summers are a major attraction for British expats escaping the UK’s dull, wet days, not all new arrivals realise the French winter can be very cold. From France's northern region to the sunny south is quite a distance, causing significant differences in temperature, especially from the last week of...
14 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats in Spain furious over Union Jack burning

British expats in Spain are expressing their fury at Iran’s burning of the Union Jack. A video showing the burning of the British flag in Tehran is spreading fury and horror amongst Spain’s UK expat community. Spread worldwide in both online and offline media, the burning took place outside the Iranian capital’s British Embassy...
14 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Nanjing given helping hands via WeChat HospitalAid

Expats on WeChat are helping Westerners in Nanjing get the medical and surgical services they need. Living and working as a Western, English-speaking expat in China is challenge enough, without having to worry about making yourself understood should hospital treatment be required. The resultant feeling of dread doesn’t help with your...
13 Jan at 6 PM

Support for Royal Family wanes amongst UK expats in Spain

UK expats in Spain are calling for a referendum vote on the British monarchy. Even although they’re no longer living in the UK, British expats all along the Spanish coastline are dismayed and angry about the current state of the British monarchy. Headline, online and TV media news items have captured expats’ attention ever since the...
13 Jan at 6 PM

HMRC under fire from scammed expat pensioners

The British financial regulator is now under fire from expat pensioners scammed by IFAs. As yet another QROPS pension transfer scam hits the headlines, the British HMRC is under fire for allowing rogue IFAs to register. Many who’ve lost their life savings due to the most recent scam in Spain have cited confusion over the regulator’s...
13 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in UAE sewing protective gear for rescued Oz koalas

Expat communities all across the UAE are getting together and sewing blankets and pouches on behalf of the Australian Animal Rescue Craft Guild. The Australia-based Guild is a volunteer-organised association formed to focus on animal rescue efforts, and is now mobilised in a desperate attempt to save as many species as possible from...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Western expats in Gulf States confused by conflicting warnings

As the security situation surrounding the passenger plane crash in Iraq becomes more sinister, expats living and working in the Gulf States as well as visitors are again being advised to watch their backs. Tensions in Egypt and Turkey as well as the Gulf States are high due to fears of retaliation involving tourists as well as expats, and...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Amsterdam urged to watch out for rental scams

Dutch public prosecutors are recommending an Amsterdam court should jail a conman accusing of scamming foreign students and expats. Amsterdam’s prosecution department are now aware of a further 41 complaints against a fraudster who was first arrested two years ago for the same scam. Posing as a real estate rental agent, Mohammed Malik...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Welsh expats can now reconnect with their land of song

If you’re Welsh, lonely, a fan of rugby and an expat anywhere on the planet, Global Welsh is the answer. For Welsh expatriates, it’s crucial to be able to keep their connection to the western corner of the UK that is Wales, a land of song, rugby and unique history with even its own, much-loved Welsh language – at least in the...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Dubai fearing fake news may be true

Dubai claims fake news on report that it’s unsafe for expats. As a result of the US’s assassination of Soleimani, expats in Dubai are concerned violence may spread across the Gulf State region, but the UAE’s Media Office is claiming recent reports of Dubai as a possible Iranian target are simply fake news. British media outlets have...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Expats warned over budget prefab homes on rustic land in Mallorca

Expats arriving in Mallorca are being warned about erecting or purchasing prefab homes on rustic land. Mallorca may not be as famous as its neighbour Majorca with established and would-be British expats, but circumspection and double-checking are recommended on both when buying a budget-priced home on rustic land. Rustic lands are those...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Telling it like it is for post-Brexit Brits in Spain

Expert advice is laying out the post-Brexit situation for British expats living and working in Spain. Of all the concerns felt by British business-owners and expat employees in Spain, taxation post-Brexit is a major issue. On the positive side, the UK’s geo-political position on the continent itself is very unlikely to change, meaning...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Spain urged to check out new traffic laws

Expats in Spain are being warned over strict new traffic rules. Expats in Spain are now advised to watch out for swingeing changes in road traffic laws now the new government is up and running. The new rules, panned by the country’s Direccion General de Trafico were stalled for most of last year due to political infighting leading to...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Dubai reject exaggerated media accusations of danger

Expats living and working in Dubai are encouraging incomers to ignore exaggerated reports by international media over the urgent need to leave. Long-term expats in the UAE believe the doom and gloom media reports concerning the likelihood of regional conflict are exaggerating the situation. Many are claiming the favourite expat...
8 Jan at 6 PM

New Dubai five year tourist visa is a hit with expat professionals

Dubai’s new five year tourist visa will make life easier for expat professionals with families wishing to visit on a regular basis. Whilst many other countries worldwide are now making life far tougher for their expat communities, Dubai is taking the opposite tack with its newly announced five year, multi-entry tourist visas. The...
7 Jan at 6 PM

British expats in Australia terrified by devastating wildfires

Long-stay British expats in Australia are revealing their fears and experiences of the devastating wildfires. As Australia continues to burn in spite of heroic firefighting, British expatriates who’ve lived long-term in the affected areas are telling of their experiences and the terror they’re living through. Expats from the UK are...
7 Jan at 6 PM

UK and US expats and tourists now at risk in Middle East

Expats and tourists in Egypt are being warned they’re now soft targets for terrorists demonstrating their loyalty to Iran. Although it stopped short of placing a travel warning for 14 states in the Gulf region, the British Foreign Office is telling it like it is as regards the risks to both expats and visitors. Dubai and Turkey are also...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Rome rejuvenating its former glories

One of the world’s most famous, most historic and reputedly most romantic cities is now under fire for being one of the worst destinations for expats. According to a recent survey, it’s chaotic, expensive, dirty, prejudiced against expats, its political factions are pushing an anti-expat stance and salaries are too low to cover costs....
6 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in the Gulf States advised to evacuate

Are British expats in the Gulf States at risk from Soleimani assassination reprisals? Experts in the USA and many Western nations are now urging their expat citizens to leave Iraq and the UAE as retaliation against US and other western targets is highly likely. Following the attack, British PM Boris Johnson came out in favour of Trump’s...
6 Jan at 6 PM

Dumped dog gets rehomed after video angers expats in Spain

British expats in Spain are expressing their anger and disgust at an online video showing a dog being dumped on the roadside by its owner. It’s well known that, in Spain as well as across the world, dogs are considered man’s best friend and deserve love, affection and care. However, according to a heart-breaking online video showing a...
6 Jan at 6 PM

Japanese managers stressing out over expat professionals

If you’re working as an expat in Japan, you may be stressing out your Japanese manager. Over the past several decades, the numbers of Western expat professionals working in Japan for local companies have seen a significant increase.Japan’s relaxation of its formerly strict visa rules for skilled foreign professionals was originally...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Accidental Americans in France now being targeted by FATCA

France is urging its banks not to shut down accounts held by so-called ‘accidental Americans’ holding French nationality and living in France. Groups of French citizens ‘accidentally’ born in the USA whilst their parents were on a short stay are urging the French government to act and prevent the FATCA related closure of their bank...
3 Jan at 6 PM

British expats in Germany disappointed and sad about Brexit

Following the shocking result of the UK’s mid-December election and the realisation that Brexit is now close to being a done deal, British expats in Germany are sad and disappointed their hopes won’t now become reality. Britons living and working in Germany have spent the last four years wishing and hoping Brexit would implode and...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Expat campaign groups to demand clarity and closure for all

For expats who think it’s all over now as regards Brexit, campaign groups are mobilising again to ensure they’re not left out of the transition period negotiations. One of the shames of the past three year’s negotiations was the incontrovertible fact that those who stood most to lose had no say at all in their futures as British...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Spain angry over New Year's Day online banking crash

Enraged British expats in Spain are venting on social media after their online banking services crashed early on New Year’s Day. Expat customers of three major British banks took to social media to complain after their online banking services failed to respond. Lloyds, RBS and Halifax customers in Spain as well as those in the UK...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Brits and Spanish business owners now fearing Brexit disaster

Expats in Spain are growing ever more concerned now that Brexit is a grim reality. With just 29 days to go before Britain finally and officially quits the European Union, the reality of an uncertain future is now hitting hard on UK expats living, working or retiring in Spain. Since the disastrous result of the Brexit referendum, Britons...
2 Jan at 6 PM

British expats in Spain warned over staggering increase in knife crime

As if the huge increase in drug-related gun violence in many popular Spanish retirement havens wasn’t enough, the region is now experiencing a sudden rise in knife-related violence. Along with the threat of Brexit and the huge increase in mob-related violence, British expats living in Spain are now seeing increasing reports of knife...
1 Jan at 6 PM

Expat visitors to major Saudi events offered free three day visas

In an attempt to boost its flagging tourism industry, Saudi Arabia is now offering free visas to expats in the Arab States interested in visiting major events. Residents living in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain will be allowed visa-free entry for a three day stay, enabling those interested to visit several of the major events due to take...
1 Jan at 6 PM

Locals and British expats losing everything in Australia’s devastating bushfires

Australia’s devastating bush fires are affecting British expats as well as locals. Homes and communities all along the southeastern coastline are suffering horrendous losses due to the uncontrollable bushfires now devastating the region. Even when the flames are a good distance away, the massive plumes of smoke are making breathing...
1 Jan at 6 PM

British expats returning from Spain slammed for dumping their dogs

British expats leaving Spain are being slammed over abandoning their pet dogs. British expats packing up and leaving Spain are being heavily criticised for abandoning their dogs when they return to the home country. One Spanish supporter of a local animal rescue shelter is hitting out at Britons who arrive in Spain, get a dog or dogs and...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Hints on helpful websites for new expat arrivals in France

Becoming an expat is a challenge, especially as regards the twin hurdles of bureaucracy and total confusion as regards getting everything sorted. France has always been a favourite destination for British expats, drawn by the culture, the cuisine, the clement weather and the laid-back lifestyle, all of which combine to confuse brand new...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Spanish police praise expats for rescue of retired British couple

Spain’s Guardia Civil is heaping praise on the heads of two expats who saved an elderly British couple from a gas explosion. John Frank and his friend Roger were enjoying a leisurely afternoon a home when gas bottles in a nearby house exploded. The pair rushed to their neighbours’ house and saw dementia sufferer Shirley standing in the...
31 Jan at 6 PM

One euro Sicilian village property offer sees thousands of willing buyers

If you’ve ever dreamed of finding an incredibly affordable property in a charming Sicilian village, now’s your chance! The offer earlier this week of 17 dilapidated, traditional homes in Sicily’s picturesque mountain village of Sambuca for just one euro each resulted in a property stampede as thousands of would-be buyers rushed to...
30 Jan at 6 PM

How will EU expats in the UK cope with a post-Brexit world?

What’s in store post-Brexit for EU expatriates living and working in the UK? Whilst the media focus of Brexit effects has centred on the needs of British expats living in EU member states, Britain’s divorce from the EU will also affect European expats in the UK. For those who haven’t already left or are planning to relocate once...
30 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Shanghai urged to get rabies vaccinations

Many expats visiting rural areas of China during the New Year festivities aren’t aware they’re at risk of rabies. The Chinese New Year festivities are the perfect excuse for expats to travel to China’s spectacular rural regions, but a Shanghai hospital is strongly advising expatriates to get vaccinated against rabies before they...
30 Jan at 6 PM

Shock horror for Brit expats as no-deal means no healthcare

A no-deal Brexit will rob British expats in EU countries of their rights to free healthcare. British expatriates living in EU member state, including France, Italy and Spain, will no longer be entitled to free heathcare in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The news is a major blow to retired British citizens living in popular destinations...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Shenzhen advice centre expat volunteers get thank-you cruise

Expats helping expats at Shenzhen’s Shekou Management and Service Centre recently enjoyed a well-deserved day out on the waves. Shekou district’s expat-aimed management and service centre was established by expat volunteers in 2017, with the aim of making life in the massive city more straightforward for new arrivals as well as old...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Low income expats in France to benefit from CGS changes

The French government has announced a reduction in the amount charged on investment income. Expats in France with wealth management plans are to receive a welcome boost to their returns as the government has reduced the rate of social charges applied to income from investment. The changes mean expatriates on low incomes will only pay 7.5...
29 Jan at 6 PM

UK expats warned again over continuing pension scams

The UK former chancellor’s pension freedom reforms are still being taken advantage of by pension scammers in spite of endless warnings. Chairman of the government’s pensions committee MP Frank Field is warning the so-far toothless defences against fraud are still allowing scammers to take full advantage of UK pensioners at home and...
28 Jan at 6 PM

British GPs choosing expat life over NHS

Britain is now worse off for qualified general practitioners than Estonia, Romania and Malta. In the past five years, over 1,000 GPs have left the UK, with many deciding to practice overseas as expats. Shortages of general practitioners in the UK have been made even worse by a report which revealed 40 per cent have left the NHS for private...
28 Jan at 6 PM

Brits expats crave comfort foods from the home country

British expats miss ginger biscuits the most! Homesickness seems to be more acute in British expats than in any of their worldwide counterparts, according to both online retailers and specialist stores in favourite expatriate destinations. The latest must-haves from the old country are crunchy ginger biscuits, topping the sales lists over...
28 Jan at 6 PM

Malta opens UK expat-aimed helplines dealing with Brexit concerns

Today, Monday 28th, Malta is launching two Brexit helplines, one for UK expats on the island and the other for Maltese expatriates living in the UK. The initiative is sponsored by the Maltese government, with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat pledging his commitment to ensuring British nationals living in Malta continue to feel welcome, no...
25 Jan at 6 PM

Straw poll predicts the demise of Thailand as an expat destination

As the air in Bangkok get even more polluted, a survey by a well-known expat forum tells it like its members see it.. For decades, Thailand has been a favourite expat destination for its weather, its very low cost of living and its reputation as an easy-going place to work or retire. However, over the past several years, increasingly...
25 Jan at 6 PM

New UAE long-term visas to start in February

The UAE government has announced the start date of its new long-term residence visas as February 3. UAE long-term residence visas due to be issued from February The new visas are intended for entrepreneurs, investors, outstanding students and expats with specialised talents and will allow holders to study, live and work in the emirates...
25 Jan at 6 PM

Poor work-life balance affects 72 per cent of globally mobile expats

If a recent survey is taken seriously, it would seem almost 75 per cent of globally mobile individuals are less than overjoyed about their work-life balance. The recently-released results of yet another expat survey paint a less than happy picture of life as a globally mobile expat professional. The main issue would seem to be a lack of...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Wealthy South African expats due for 45 per cent tax rate

High-income South Africans living overseas are to be taxed at a rate representing almost half their income. A swathe of new, more stringent tax legislation due to come in during March is sending shivers up the spines of ultra-wealthy South African expats earning over one million rand a year. Advance warnings state a tax rate of up to 45...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Survey reveals almost all residents feel safe in Abu Dhabi

An Abu Dhabi government survey has revealed some 90 per cent of residents feel safe in the emirate. The results of the Better Life Index study were released earlier this week, and claim the emirate is one of the world’s safest and most secure world countries. In addition, some 68 per cent of residents reported they’re satisfied with...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Spain warned over ‘very likely’ terror attacks

Although the British Foreign Office gave no reason for its terror attack warning, vigilance seems to be the message. Both tourists and expatriates in Spain are being urged to be aware of the terrorism threat and to follow any instructions given by local authorities across the country. No reason was given as to why the warning was issued,...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Embattered May revokes EU expat registration charge

Theresa May’s reversal of the EU expat charge for registration should at least make European expats feel more welcome in the UK. When announced, the so-called ‘settled status fee’ caused anger amongst EU expats who’d been long-term UK residents either employed or with their own businesses. Social media comments mentioned paying UK...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Bilateral agreement gives Brit expats in Spain the vote

Although Brexit is still sparking uncertainty in many popular Spanish expat hubs, Brits will now be allowed to vote in the country’s upcoming local elections. Last Monday, a bilateral agreement between the UK and Spanish government was signed, allowing expats in both countries to vote in local elections. The agreement is the first of...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Expat campaign groups highlight plight of ‘accidental Americans’

Last week, European lawmakers stepped into the fight by a US expat campaign group against the hated FATCA law which forces them to be taxed as US residents as well as in their chosen countries of residence. Founded in Canada by Fabien Lehagre, the Association des Americains Accidentels along with several other protest groups aim to force...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Spain still hotspot for European property investors

Although mortgage interest rates have increased, expat property investors can still get great deals. September’s Spanish mortgage interest rates averaged 1.94 per cent, slightly below the EU average and trailing France at 1.51 per cent, Italy at 1.79 per cent and even Germany at 1.86 per cent. However, professionals in the sector are...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Update on the Fouchet/Shindler appeal to the European Court of Justice

As British expat fury grows over the effect of the hated 15-year disenfranchisement rule, many want to know about progress in the Fouchet/Shindler court case. Basically, barrister Julian Fouchet is hoping last week’s stunning rejection of May’s Brexit deal will help to speed up his European Court of Justice appeal against the EU...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Expat investors gain from Brexit property price slowdown

Brexit chaos and uncertainty is causing British property investors to sit on the fence, leaving opportunities open for expat investors. In a number of UK regions including London, property price increases are either slowing or, in some areas, actually reversing, giving good news to overseas buyers in general as well as UK expats. In...
21 Jan at 6 PM

Portuguese PM reassures Brit expats over rights to remain

The Portuguese Prime Minister has unveiled a plan to safeguard the post-Brexit rights of UK expatriates living in the country. As part of a plan to mitigate negative Brexit effects, the Portuguese PM has included a guarantee that British expats living in the popular retirement destination will be able to retain their residential and other...
21 Jan at 6 PM

Expat public sector workers in Kuwait to get the chop by 2028

The Kuwaiti government is aiming to close off its public sector to expat workers by the year 2028. In a report late last week, Kuwait’s ratings agency confirmed the government’s intent to rid the public sector of all expatriate workers by 2028, in addition to aiming for between 30 and 50 per cent Kuwaitization of the private sector....
21 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats in Spain castigate UK government for Brexit betrayal

British expatriates in Spain are slamming UK lawmakers for betraying their trust and ignoring their needs. At a recent meeting in Marbella organised by the campaign group Brexpats in Spain, furious expatriates castigated the British government, saying they felt betrayed and believe UK lawmakers are operating an ‘out of sight, out of...
18 Jan at 6 PM

Expat motorists in Europe urged to get a Green Card

UK and expat motorists are being urged to get a green card before driving in Europe. The Association of British Insurers is urging drivers, whether UK expats or British residents, to get a Green Card before driving in Europe once Britain leaves the EU . Guidance published this morning covers a no-deal Brexit and urges drivers to contact...
18 Jan at 6 PM

Brits in Belgium get the green light from Brussels

Brits in Belgium can now stay even if a no-deal Brexit is the final result. As Brexitmania continues to paralyse the British government, common sense as regards Brit expats is spreading across the EU. Belgium is the latest EU member state to declare its intention to allow British expatriates to stay, whichever option is finally decided on...
18 Jan at 6 PM

Poland pledges post-Brexit rights for British expats

British expats living and working in Poland are to be issued with a residence card stamped Brexit. As part of the Eastern European country’s plans for the post-Brexit protection of British expats’ rights, the Polish government is to introduce a special residency card including the printed word ‘Brexit’. Britons will need to apply...
17 Jan at 6 PM

British expat community in Spain are ‘British people’ too

Last Tuesday evening, Brit expats were gathered at their favourite bar, watching the crucial parliamentary vote on May’s Brexit agreement. As the result of the vote was announced, the silence in the bar was deafening. Subsequently, half the small community were in favour of Brexit whilst the rest disagreed, but no-one had anticipated...
17 Jan at 6 PM

Kuwait mulls cancellation of sponsorship system

After endless calls by Kuwaiti rights groups, the emirate is considering the cancellation of the sponsorship system. According to sources within the Kuwaiti government, Kuwait’s long-established sponsorship system is looking to be in its last days. For decades, the expat-aimed system has been criticised by rights groups and outside...
17 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats in Spain optimistic for second referendum

Following Tuesday’s shock parliamentary vote, British expats in Spain are hoping against hope for a second referendum. Spain is the all-time favourite for British expats fleeing the UK’s unreliable weather and its less than satisfactory quality of life for ordinary people, with those who’ve retired to the sun first in line for the...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Cyprus property market buoyant, but investors warned to take care

Cyprus’s real estate market had a successful 2018 both in the commercial and residential sectors, but potential investors are being warned to take care. Increased demand for properties during 2018 pushed up prices in both the rental and residential sectors, with sales of homes as well as increased rental returns making investors and...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Spain pledges rights preservation for UK expats but no details given

Following on from a previous announcement, the Spanish government has now promised UK expats’ rights will be protected following a no-deal Brexit, but has given few details. The rights guarantee is conditional on the same deal for Spanish expats in the UK, but details of the proposed bilateral agreement with the UK haven’t yet been...
16 Jan at 6 PM

UAE public and private schools to pair in Year of Tolerance

In celebration of the UAE’s ‘Year of Tolerance’, upscale private schools and their public education counterparts are to pair up, with a pilot scheme already on the go. GEMS, the emirates’ largest private school provider, is gearing up for the innovative programme by already pairing two of its 50 elite schools with their emirati...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Expatriate pilots still being taken on by Indian domestic airlines

Expat pilot numbers are on the increase in Indian domestic airlines. In spite of the Indian government’s attempts to cut down the numbers working for the country’s domestic airlines, more expat pilots than ever are taking on the job. Last year, the Indian Directorate-General of Civil Aviation changed the rules for the employment of...
15 Jan at 6 PM

British driving licenses useless in Europe after no-deal Brexit

The UK government is warning Brit expats in Spain to immediately get Spanish driving licenses in case a no-deal Brexit is the final result. In yet another stunning example of ‘too little, too late’, the warning from the British government means British expats in Spain are now risking not being allowed to drive should there be an...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Young Brit expats in Europe crave more Brexit certainty

It’s as yet unknown exactly how many young British expatriates are living and working in EU member states. Although exact statistics are not yet available, research suggests there are significant numbers, none of whom have been given any answers as regards their long term status in their present country of residence. With Brexit looming...
14 Jan at 6 PM

Former Italian expat textile mill workers’ guaranteed stays now overturne

Italian former textile mill workers who arrived in Bradford in the 1950s are now facing having to apply to stay post-Brexit. The remainder of the large number of Italian women who were invited to the UK to work in Bradford’s cotton mills after the end of WWII now consider themselves as being English although they don’t have British...
14 Jan at 6 PM

Brit consul urges UK expats in Spain to register

The British consul has warned UK expats in Marbella to ensure they’re all officially resident if they want their post-Brexit rights guaranteed. The Brexit question and answer session held in Marbella’s town hall by the British consulate drew just 70 attendees, but the consul’s message was clear – the protection of expats' rights...
14 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expat shock as Ikea New Zealand may opt for smaller stores

Several months after the announcement that the IKEA brand was about to embrace conventional New Zealand, it seems there might not be enough customers to justify its massive store footprints! The news that Ikea was finally coming to the New Zealand outpost for disenchanted expat Brits struck fear into the hearts of husbands who’d hated...
11 Jan at 6 PM

Kuwaiti oil minister defends expat professionals as the only option

Attempts to make problems for Kuwait’s oil minister should he fail to apply Kuwaitization to the oil and gas sector are now on hold. Kuwaiti lawmakers have been threatening the emirate’s oil, electricity and water minister Khaled al Fadhel with grilling should he fail to replace expat professionals with their Kuwaiti equivalents. For a...
11 Jan at 6 PM

Republican bill seeks to outlaw US dual taxation for expatriates

American expats suffering financially from dual taxation may be about to get relief! After receiving endless complaints from US citizens living overseas about the unfairness and complications of citizen-based taxation as exemplified by FATCA, Republicans have now put forward a bill aimed at amending the hated system. Aptly named the...
11 Jan at 6 PM

British expat faces 15-year Indonesian jail sentence for cannabidoil usage

A British expat living on the Indonesian resort island of Bali is facing 15 years in an Indonesian prison for importing non-addictive cannbidoil into the country. Pip Holmes, an arthritis sufferer, uses the non-addictive natural remedy for pain relief and had asked a friend to send him several vials, but was arrested for drug smuggling...
10 Jan at 6 PM

EU states queuing to ensure rights to remain for UK expat residents

Following on advice given by the European Commission to its member states, expats in a number of EU countries are now being assured of their rights to stay. The EC’s call for generosity towards British expatriates living, working and retiring in Europe in the case of a no-deal Brexit is being heeded by an increasing number of EU member...
10 Jan at 6 PM

New website helps expats buy online without the Chinese language

China’s online Chinese language sales sites beat out many of those in the rest of the world for price and selection, but everyone including expats who’re not fluent in Standard Chinese, is excluded. Sites such as Tmail and Taobao are hubs for Chinese buyers seeking bargains in everything from clothes through household goods to...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Survey shows most UAE expats don’t trust IFAs

A recent survey revealed more than half of expat respondents use financial advisors, but over two-thirds don’t trust them. The survey, carried out by the CFA Institute, was based on the trustworthiness of expat financial advisers working in the UAE’s retail sector, and brought no surprises to a retail audience now used to reports of...
9 Jan at 6 PM

UK expat pensioners in Europe still threatened by loss of pension uprate

UK expats in EU member countries are to have their state pensions uprated – but only for a year. Along with all the other negative effects of the Brexit disaster on British expatriates living in the EU, the continuing of the guaranteed annual inflation-proofing increase has been a serious cause for concern, especially for the...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Cold calling pension scammers now banned from operating in the UK

Cold-calling pension fraudsters in the UK are now banned from targeting vulnerable elderly pensioners. Would-be expat retirees with private or work-related pensions should now be protected from pension fraudsters by a new law. Pension scammers who cold-call vulnerable pensioners offering free pension reviews are now banned from operating...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Expat professionals now shunning the Gulf States due to instability

Expat professionals and their companies are now leaving their lucrative Gulf State jobs due to political problems. Leading international companies, their expat employees and formerly enthusiastic investors are now either shunning or leaving the Gulf States due to the political shenanigans culminating in the murder of Jamal Kashoggi. As a...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Huge increase in Brits applying for EU passports

2018 has broken all records for the number of Brits applying for EU passports. It’s no surprise that the number of British citizens applying for European Union passports soared in 2018, and the rush is now on for the remainder of Brit expats desperate to keep their right to free movement after 29 March this year. The Republic of Ireland...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Average spend on alcohol per EU member state

If you’re an expat who likes a drink or three, you’ll be in good company in the Czech Republic! For many expats living overseas, the best way to relax is by sampling the local liquor at the nearest bar along with your compatriots whilst putting the world to rights. It’s well known that Europe has the highest consumption of alcohol...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Eindhoven primary school innovative new nursery class for expat toddlers

Moving overseas as an expat family is a tough call, wherever the destination. Relocating as a single expat can be tricky unless it’s everything's covered by the reassignment package, but bringing the family along as well is far more complicated. Finding family-style accommodation in a safe area, arranging for childcare when...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats in Italy call for emergency meeting as no-deal Brexit looms

In an attempt to clarify British expats’ positions in several Brexit scenarios, an emergency meeting of British in Italy has been called. British in Italy is part of the pan-European rights campaign group British in Europe, committed to ensuring the human rights of not only its 30,000 members but also the rights of the five million...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Professionals fear for mental health of expats stressed out by Brexit

According to professional psychotherapists, vulnerable British expats living in EU member states may be suffering from severe mental health issues due to Brexit. The situation has worsened since the dire possibility of a no-deal exit has edged closer to becoming reality, with high levels of stress and anxiety amongst expats as a result....
7 Jan at 6 PM

Is Cancun the expat and tourism haven its creators dreamed of?

Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is a favourite with expats from the USA, but how many realise its famous resort of Cancun was built from the bottom up as a playground for visitors? Deciding on Cancun wasn’t a snap decision either, as the federal government employed the best tech know-how at the time as well as the best brains for the...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Seriously ill Brit expat still in Andalusian jail

Robert Mansfield-Hewitt, 51, spent the Festive Season behind bars in a Spanish jail whilst still denying he knows anything about a massive haul of hashish found in a San Roquel property he’d rented whilst on a business trip last June. According to his family and friends, Mansfield-Hewitt is confused and miserable at not being able to...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Spain warned over new ATM scam

Expats as well as tourists are now being warned over a new cash machine scam. Expatriates living, working and retiring in Spain are being warned to watch out for a new card-cloning device found on ATM machines across the country. Known as a ‘skimmer’, the device is placed over the ATM’s existing card reader slot and copies the...
7 Jan at 6 PM

YouGov survey results give new referendum hope to UK expats

According to the latest YouGov survey, the Brexit tide is now turning against both May’s agreement and the feared no-deal exit. The poll, held by the UK’s most respected polling company, shows without any doubt that Remain voters would win hands down should a second referendum be held at the present time. In addition, it also shows the...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Spain warned over fake coinage scam

Spanish police are warning expatriates and tourists about a fake coinage scam now circulating across Europe. Many expats might consider getting a very similar foreign coin in their change nothing to write home about, but Spanish police and other European law and order forces are taking it seriously as there’s now a Europe-wide rise in...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Qatar shocked as cost of beer doubles overnight

Expats living and working in Qatar woke to a New Year shock as the news of a 100 per cent increase in the price of beer spread through the expat community. Qatar’s lawmakers may well have had a happy New Year celebration, but their new tax didn’t to much for the emirate’s expatriate community. A good number of residents are...
3 Jan at 6 PM

May’s meaningful vote and possible alternatives affecting Brit expats in Cyprus

For British expats in Cyprus, Theresa May’s ‘meaningful vote’ will affect them almost as much as would a no-deal Brexit. The curse of Brexit is still reverberating across British expats’ favourite long-stay European havens, with the alternatives as clear as mud. Each possible outcome has its own specific nightmares for expat Brits,...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Saudi Fund hires top talent but can’t keep it

The Saudi Arabian Crown Prince is being blamed for the departure of expat experts involved in the Saudi Fund. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is relying on the kingdom’s sovereign investment fund to drive diversification of the economy as part of a wider strategy to reduce dependence on oil revenues. However, the flagship investment...
2 Jan at 6 PM

How to beat the Christmas blues if you’re far from home

Christmas and the New Year are times for partying and getting together with friends and family but, for expats who’re on the other side of the world and can’t get home, the season can bring on loneliness and depression. At its worst, a lonely Christmas in a strange land can bring on panic attacks and serious depression, especially if...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Istanbul enjoy varied social events during the Festive Season

Expats across the world celebrate the Festive Season in many different ways, with Istanbul’s expat community offering a great choice of social events spanning the entire month of January. Even for those who’re not exactly social butterflies, there’s something about Christmas and the New Year which draws the crowds to specially...
1 Jan at 6 PM

US Ambassador to UK slams massive bilateral post-Brexit trade deal

UK expats hoping against hope the PM’s deal will be rejected resulting in a new referendum and the end of Brexit may have the USA on their side, but not in the expected manner. At the time of the Brexit vote, great hopes of a major bipartisan trade deal with the USA were mooted, but the US Ambassador seems to have indicated it won’t...
1 Jan at 6 PM

Oman bans expat professionals from private education jobs

A new government decree issued by Oman’s Ministry of Manpower is now banning expatriates from jobs in specific professions. According to Omani minister Abdullah al Bakri, foreigners will no longer be able to accept positions in private higher education or private training schools. Positions now reserved for Omani citizens include...
1 Jan at 6 PM

New Year resolutions for Brit expats across the world

It’s that time of year again! Every 31st December brings predictable New Year resolutions citing a determination to lose weight, live more healthily, give up alcohol and smoking and be nice to the neighbours! By the end of February at the latest, everyone’s back to sub-normal and life goes on until the next New Year. Expatriates are...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Settling in as an expat in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s cosmopolitan ambience and still-booming economy continues to be a major hub for expat professionals. Fast-paced, vibrant and utterly fascinating, Hong Kong is high on most expat professionals’ lists of preferred locations, but settling down may be confusing at best and stressful at worst, especially if you’re relocating...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Misselling of financial products by dodgy IFAs still rampant in the UAE

In spite of UAE regulations on compensation for financial irregularities involving investments, expats in the UAE are still at risk from dodgy IFAS. A recent report in Dubai’s English language media confirms many expats living and working in the Emirates are losing tens of thousands of dirhams to unprincipled independent financial...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Ireland to allow UAE citizens visa-free entry

The decision by Irish lawmakers to allow UAE citizens visa-free entry is clearly linked with an expected increase in business between the two countries. From next Wednesday, UAE visitors to Ireland will no longer be forced to apply for a visa but can enter the republic without any restrictions. The move is believed to be a key to creating...
30 Jan at 6 PM

Plot thickens over Cambodian dirty dancing arrests

The five British expats charged with pornography and organising lewd dancing at a Cambodian party are now denying any knowledge of the images and insisting they weren’t in the photos. The five charged yesterday are all British expats living in Siem Reap, and have been warned they may be kept in prison for at least six months before...
30 Jan at 6 PM

Eleven day camel trek gives expats clues to Emirati culture

Fifteen expats of various nationalities recently experienced a challenging 11-day camel trek aimed at learning about the traditional Emirati desert culture. Beginning January 11 in Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter, the 15 expats from nine countries rode their camels across the UAE’s deserts and through harsh weather for around 500...
30 Jan at 6 PM

Portuguese Golden Visa attracts long stay Chinese and their families

Although Portugal saw fewer Golden Visa applicants during 2017, more of those already holding the visa are bringing in their families. Portugal’s Golden Visa is an investment tool for the comparatively wealthy, with the majority of successful applicants arriving from China. Amongst other requirements, an investment of over €500,000 is...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Expats face prison in Cambodia for suggestive dance routine

Ten Westerners are at present in police custody in Cambodia for sexy dancing at a pool party. The party took place in Siem Reap, a popular visitor destination due to its location close by Angkor Wat, and was attended by around 100 expats and tourists. The event was in full swing when at least 30 Cambodian police suddenly arrived and began...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Australia hits top spot as destination for millionaire expats

A recent survey has revealed Australia as the most popular destination for the fabulously wealthy. Beating out the USA for the third year running, Oz is now the preferred haunt for those with more money than they know what to do with, according to the 2018 Global Wealth Migration Review. Some 95,000 high net worth individuals relocated...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Irish expat couple in Dubai gift house and driving lessons to maid

A Filipino maid who’s been working in Dubai for an expat couple has been gifted with a home and driving lessons as well as other demonstrations of their appreciation. April Rose Marcellino Gatin has been looking after Irish expat couple Henry and Elaine Horan for 11 years since her arrival in Dubai, after first becoming their maid when...
26 Jan at 6 PM

Marbella lethal hit and run kills British expat

Details are now emerging about a fatal hit-and-run which took the life of 60-year old British expat Paul Murphy just yards from his Spanish home. Murphy died after being hit by a Range Rover just outside his villa, with police reluctant to release any details until the SUV and the road had been forensically examined. Hours later,...
26 Jan at 6 PM

UAE now expat hub for thousands of millionaires

Due to the arrival as expats of a huge number of millionaires, the UAE is now amongst the top residential destinations for the super-rich. As of last year, the United Arab Emirates was placed in the top ten world countries with the largest number of millionaire residents. High net worth individuals flocked to the emirates, buying up luxury...
26 Jan at 6 PM

Golden destinations for expat retirees golden years

Retiring overseas rather than fighting inflation in the home country is now a practical financial option for many pensioners living in first world countries. Even if there’s no gold-plated pension waiting at the end of your working life, it’s still possible to enjoy a much more satisfying retirement lifestyle by emigrating to a less...
25 Jan at 6 PM

Brits giving up on Spain as retirement dreams fade

All along Spain’s Costas from Alicante to Huelva, increasing numbers of British expats are packing up and going home. Recently released figures suggest there’s been a decline of over 10 per cent in the number of Britons living along the Costa del Sol, with the rate of those leaving on the increase as Brexit draws nearer. Whether...
25 Jan at 6 PM

Adjusting to returning home after a stint as an expat

Packing up and becoming an expat in a faraway land is a dream for many, but does reality kick in once you’ve returned to the home country? Nowadays, becoming an expat is somewhat of a commonplace development in many peoples’ lives, tinged with the excitement of new experiences, new jobs or the long-awaited freedom of retirement....
25 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Europe combine to protest Trump presidency

With Davos as their focus, American expats across Europe have banded together with European expats and citizens to protest against Donald Trump’s controversial presidency. The two groups involved, Campax and Action Together Zurich, came together for a ‘we are sorry’ protest march on the first anniversary of Trump’s inauguration,...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Downtown living in Dubai now a hot property location

Realtors in Dubai are now marketing the city as a ‘residential destination’. Gone are the days when Dubai was a growing city providing expat professionals with rewarding jobs and a unique, developing environment, with real estate agencies now describing it as a ‘destination’. The rebranding is the result of the city’s changing...
24 Jan at 6 PM

EU to offer its expats in UK cover for settled status fee

EU expats living in the UK can expect the UK’s fee for settled status application to be covered by Brussels. Following a threat by the Home Office to charge EU nationals a £72 fee for their applications for settled status, the European Union appears to have decided it will pick up the tag. To qualify for indefinite leave to remain in...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Costa del Sol expats warned killer caterpillar invasion due

Expats living in Spain’s Costa del Sol region are preparing for the annual invasion of killer caterpillars. Hordes of venomous Pine Processionary Caterpillars arrive every year in February, killing pets and causing major risks of eye damage, dermatitis and severe allergic reactions in children and adults. The venomous creepy-crawlies...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Major expat survey slates Kuwait as worst world country for expats

Taking into account recent news reports, it’s not surprising a recent survey placed Kuwait as the worst expat destination on the planet. The latest of InterNations’ annual ExpatInsider survey rated Kuwait as 64th in its list of 64 nations, with the result coming as no surprise to many expats living and working in the emirate. Whilst...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Expat investors urged to buy now as Spanish property market soars

Would-be expats who’ve been sitting on the fence as regards committing themselves to a Spanish property are being urged to buy now as the market soars. Local property reports are forecasting yet another year of property price increases, with at least a six per cent rise by the end of 2018 following on the increases over the past four...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Aussie househunters looking overseas for affordable properties

Is this a new twist to global mobility – citizens of first-world countries moving overseas simply to be able to afford a home? Following on from the rise of the digital nomad phenomenon, increasing reports are coming in of first-world nationals moving overseas in order to afford to buy a home. The difference between nowadays and several...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expat couple win over Spanish villa demolition order

A British couple are finally celebrating their victory over a demolition order on their Spanish villa. Valerie and Patrick Jubb, now returned from Spain and living in the Scottish Border country, purchased the four-bedroomed Vina de Linan in 2008, turning it into a luxury bed-and–breakfast nestling on a lush, green hillside in Jimena de...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Normandy to offer a local currency from March

Normandy is planning to stimulate its economy via the introduction of its own currency. Expats living in five Normandy’s departments will soon have the option of using a dedicated new currency in addition to the euro. By the end of March, Calvados, Manche, Seine-Maritime, Eure and Orne will offer the as yet un-named currency as an...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Needs not wants now the post-VAT priority for expats in UAE

Just three weeks after the introduction in Abu Dhabi of VAT, shoppers are cutting back on impulse buying. Both expats and locals in Abu Dhabi are reducing their spending on luxuries and cutting back on impulse purchases in an attempt to balance their household budgets since the introduction of VAT at five per cent. A Gulf News survey of...
19 Jan at 6 PM

Explaining the legal reasoning behind the anti Brexit Amsterdam court case

When news of the anti-Brexit court case taking place in Amsterdam broke, details were sketchy and may have seemed somewhat confusing. The profound consequences of a positive judgement following a referral of the case to the European Court of Justice need to be fully understood, according to Jolyon Maugham QC, the British barrister who is...
19 Jan at 6 PM

Spanish NHS nurse and family leaving the UK due to racial abuse

A Spanish nurse who’s worked in the NHS for 15 years is uprooting her family and moving back to Spain after having been the victim of post-Brexit referendum racial abuse. Alaya de la Ignesia, a Norfolk-based nurse working in the NHS, is relocating to her home country with he family after facing ‘unchallenged’, continual racial...
19 Jan at 6 PM

British expats rushing to become citizens of France

Figures from France’s ministry of the Interior have confirmed rumours of a huge increase in applications for citizenship from UK expats. The French governmental department’s figures of around 3,173 British expats who’ve applied to become French citizens don’t come as a surprise, as the anecdotal evidence has been around for a good...
18 Jan at 6 PM

Spain beats out USA as second most visited world country

Spain’s popularity as a destination both for tourism and expat life looks set to continue. Always a popular destination for both holidaymakers and expats, Spain is now officially the world’s second most visited country, beaten only by France and overtaking the USA. During 2017, an astonishing 82 million visitors arrived in the...
18 Jan at 6 PM

British expats in Spain approve Farage second referendum call

The anti-Brexit campaign group Bremain in Spain is supportive of Nigel Farage’s call for a second Brexit referendum. Bremain in Spain are in partnership with European Movement and Britain for Europe, and are fully in support of a second referendum based on the facts in an outline of a possible deal. Chair of Bremain in Spain Sue Wilson...
18 Jan at 6 PM

Husband of missing British mother arrested for boiler room fraud

Paul Muldoon is to be extradited to face boiler room fraud charges after being detained by police using a European Arrest Warrant. The abusive husband of missing British mother Rebecca Muldoon is to be extradited to the UK under a European Arrest Warrant for running a boiler room investment scam which defrauded British pensioners. Before...
18 Jan at 6 PM

UAE blocks Skype then blocks Skype petition website

As if losing access to Skype over the holiday season wasn’t enough, the UAE government is now blocking the website set up to protest the ban. Skype is perennially popular for expats and citizens wanting to stay in touch with friends and family across the world, especially during Christmas and the New Year celebrations. A wave of anger...
18 Jan at 6 PM

Dutch court judgement may determine the rights of 1.2 million UK expats in Europe

A court case brought by five UK nationals to a court in the Netherlands could mean citizenship rights for 1.2 million British expats. The aim of the court case is to persuade the Dutch judge to apply for clarification of UK expats’ citizenship rights to the European Court of Justice. Should the judge agree this course of action and ECJ...
18 Jan at 6 PM

Fake degree scammers back in UAE business with a new twist

A Pakistani online purveyor of fake university degrees is now back in business with a new scam. Axact, a Pakistani fake degree company boss whose tentacles reached all over the world and made millions from selling degrees from non-existent universities is now back in business. Boss of the Karachi-based software firm Shoaib Shaikh was...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Kuwait admire police but avoid police stations

In their dealings with expats, Kuwaiti police are suspected of having two faces – one positive and the other bordering on the negative. Expats living and working in Kuwait have nothing but praise for their local police, usually for their positive reactions to problems occurring outside the confines of their local station. However, the...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Kuwatization ramps up as government prepares to terminate expat jobs

Expats working in a number of Kuwaiti government sectors are to be sacked in order to provide jobs for locals. In accordance with a Kuwait government plan to fully Kuwaitise government jobs by 2022, foreigners working in the IT, information, development, public relations, admin and statistics, admin support, arts and marine sectors will...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Cala Romantica fraud victims get their money back in court

Spanish bank Sabadell Solbank has been ordered to reimburse damages of hundreds of thousands to expats who lost out over a failed off-plan real estate development. The scam began in 2006, when the Cala Romantica development was launched as an off-plan opportunity due to be completed by 2008. Construction had stalled long before the...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Expats to benefit from changes in Federation of European FAs

FEIFA now has a new associate membership sector developed to meet the needs of the European expat community. FEIFA’s new sector is aimed at professional advisors who aren’t IFAs but who are working with global employees with a cross-border lifestyle which complicates their financial affairs and needs. Included are expats from overseas...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Expats at risk from Dubai immigration scam

A new scam targeting expat workers is doing the rounds in Dubai, with a good number of already losing money. Posing as Dubai immigration officers, the scammers are calling expats and telling them there’s a pending residency case against them which can only be resolved in their favour if a fine of between Dh 1,000 and Dh 4,000 is paid...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Expats account for a quarter of all Portuguese property purchases

Portugal is as popular as ever with expats, who’ve accounted for 25 per cent of 2017 property purchases. Foreign buyers are becoming even more active in Portugal’s property market, with data showing a 30 per cent increase in 2017 sales over the same period in 2016. Some 152,000 homes found buyers from France, Brazil, the UK and China,...
12 Jan at 6 PM

Qatar to go to international arbitration to stop blockade

The Gulf State of Qatar is to seek international arbitration as a means to end the blockade. Spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Lulwar al Khatar told reporters Wednesday the emirate is seeking international arbitration in order to its diplomatic blockade by Egypt and three of its neighbours in the Gulf. Qatar’s move came after...
12 Jan at 6 PM

Search stepped up for missing British expat in Marbella

Following an appeal launched earlier this week by English language expat newspaper Olive Press, the search for missing mother of two Rebecca Muldoon has been ramped up by Spanish police. Emergency 112 are now operating from a base on Camino del Pinar and are coordinating the search for the missing woman. Coverage of Rebecca’s...
12 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in UK worried about Brexit effect on their finances

As speculation on the effects of a hard Brexit racks up, expats living and working in the UK are dissatisfied at best and fearful at worst. As a result of the ongoing uncertainty, the UK has dropped like a stone in the recent InterNations Expat Insider survey, managing only 54th place out of the 65 countries in the study. Significant...
11 Jan at 6 PM

UAE VAT introduction worries expats and Emiratis alike

Expats and Emiratis alike are concerned about the effect VAT will have on their living expenses. The introduction of VAT across the UAE and its effect on consumer prices is worrying residents in the emirates, according to a recent survey. Some 44 per cent of respondents fear they may not be able to afford to live in the same style after...
11 Jan at 6 PM

International mobility threatened by worldwide instability and tightening visa laws

A recent report is showing a strong decline in the numbers of Britons being sent overseas by their employers. The Brexit effect may well be the cause of a decline in the number of Britons being sent on secondment or assignment to worldwide destinations, according to a recent report. Just two years ago, 13 per cent of all overseas...
11 Jan at 6 PM

New US travel warning blocks five Mexican states

Expats living in Mexico are in fear after the latest US travel advisory placed five states in the same category as Yeman, Somalia and Syria. The new warning designates Guerrero, Sinaloa, Michoacan, Colima and the US border state of Tamaulipas as Level 4 risk destinations, with 11 more states placed on Level 3 along with advice urging...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Dubai jails British expat for furious email to dodgy car dealer

Dubai’s habit of jailing Western expats for what seems like no good reason is hitting the news yet again. British estate agent Yaseen Killick was understandably angry when the second-hand Volkswagen Gold he’d bought from a local dealer for £6,000 broke down the next day. Anger turned to fury when he discovered the car had previously...
10 Jan at 6 PM

British expats in France take meals on wheels to new heights

Bordeaux-based Brits desperate for a decent curry have elevated meals on wheels to a new height by chartering a plane to bring some in from a Portsmouth curry house. Having spent ages complaining about the impossibility of finding a decent Indian curry in the world’s most famous gourmet heartland, a group of deprived British expats have...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Fears grow for missing British expat mother in Spain

A British mother of two has now been missing from her Marbella home for over a week. Essex-born mother of two Rebecca Muldoon disappeared on January 2 from her home in Marbella, with fears now growing as to her fate. She’d been living in Marbella for a year along with her two children aged 11 and eight. Her neighbour had found the...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Homeless Scot in Dubai is a warning to newly arrived expats

A failed expat in Dubai is homeless and heavily in debt due to getting caught up in the emirate’s luxury lifestyle. Scot Jonathan Castle first arrived in Dubai in 2002, attracted by the high wages and luxury lifestyle of successful expats in the emirate. He soon found a well-paying job as a copywriter for a well-known advertising...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in GCC bypass GPs and go straight to specialists

A recent survey has revealed a high number of expats working in the UAE don’t visit their local doctor but go directly to a specialist when they’re ill. General practitioners across the UAE are being bypassed by expats working in the emirates, according to a YouGov survey undertaken on behalf of Arab Health 2018. Almost half of the...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Dubai banks now offering free online remittances

Dubai’s forex service companies are feeling the heat as Dubai banks begin offering free online remittance services. Banks across the UAE are now offering free remittance services via online and mobile banking in order to claw customers away from the emirate’s currency exchange businesses. Forex company remittance charges are typically...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Saudi banned from working for car rental companies

Expats will be banned from working in car rental businesses from March18 this year. The ideal of Saudization came a step closer with an announcement from the Ministry of Labour that expats are to be banned from working in companies providing car rental. The ban will start on 18 March and joint inspection teams will investigate all the...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Is expat life in Mexico all it seems to be

These days, migrating to Mexico isn’t just for American citizens disenchanted by the way things are going in the US of A, as the country is becoming increasingly popular with retirees from Europe. The reasons why emigrants settle on Mexico aren’t much different than the priorities given for moves to popular expat destinations in...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Expat tax avoiders in Switzerland forced to come clean

A significant rise in the number of expat tax avoiders in Switzerland turning themselves in has taken place since international laws forced Swiss banks to share offshore clients’ details. For many decades, traditional Swiss banking secrecy shielded the mega-rich from their tax liabilities as well as encouraging the use of Swiss banks...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats in Marbella furious about month long internet failure

British expatriates living in Spain’s Costa del Sol region are furiously angry over an internet failure which began over a month ago and is still not resolved The service went down on December 3, with providers OliveNet promising it would be repaired quickly, but it soon became evident the problem was far more serious than had been...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Travelling to Alpine ski resorts now hell for expat motorists

Expat ski fanatics who chose their locations with travelling to the slopes in mind are having problems actually getting to their favourite resorts. From Chamonix through Gstaad, St Moritz and Klosters to Les Trois Vallee skiers arrive to take full advantage of the perfect pistes, ski-in, ski-out chalets, buzzing nightlife and après-ski...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Profits and pitfalls for expat investors in 2018

The year ahead looks promising for expat investors, but political uncertainty may well create pitfalls. Admittedly, the start of 2018 does look promising, with tax cuts in the USA, an improvement in global growth and news that central banks are loosening their monetary policies, but is this the calm before the storm? Of course, financial...
5 Jan at 6 PM

UAE blocks Skype again on New Years Eve

The UAE’s New Year’s Eve block on Skype, just as expats were looking forward to wishing their absent families and friends a Happy New Year, was inconsiderate at best and unkind at worst. Expatriates in the UAE were looking forward to contacting their families and friends at home to wish them a Happy New Year when the UAE pulled the...
5 Jan at 6 PM

British retirees still favour Cyprus as their dream destination

A favourite with Britons for many years, Cyprus is still high on the list for expat retirees. British pensioners looking to retire in the sun as part of a long-established expat community have always placed Cyprus high on their list of possible locations. Although the cost of living isn’t as low as it was prior to the island’s...
5 Jan at 6 PM

Survey cites France as better for expat students than UK and USA

A recent survey of international students from world countries has found France to be more popular than either the USA or the UK. The new survey, carried out on behalf of Campus France, examined the experiences and perceptions of some 14,000 international students already studying in the country or planning to do so. The results indicate...
4 Jan at 6 PM

British expat pensioners claiming unlawful annual increases under threat by UK government

One of the British government’s new year resolutions is likely to make 2018 a very bad year for UK expat pensioners claiming annual pension increases whilst living in ‘frozen pension’ countries. Some 550,000 British state pensioners are living abroad, with the government now planning a crackdown on those claiming annual cost of...
4 Jan at 6 PM

Childcare home scam nets £11 million before administrators called in

Pensioners in the UK and in Spain have lost some £11 million after a fraudulent care home business went bust. Gravity Child Care was supposedly set up to provide 50 care homes for children suffering from behavioural difficulties and mental illnesses, taking its profits from payments made by local councils to businesses which provide such...
4 Jan at 6 PM

Do expats make New Year resolutions

New Year, New Me is a tradition which takes place all over the world just after midnight on January 1, but do expats still take it seriously? Even for those who decide they’re fine as they are and don’t want to change, New Year’s resolutions creep into their heads soon after the Christmas festivities finish. All-time favourites such...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Dubai VAT tax spurs expat budget plans

Residents and expat in Dubai are counting the dirhams and becoming budget conscious after Monday’s five per cent VAT implementation. VAT of just five per cent may sound like a very small sum, but totalling up the amount due on a month’s purchases can result in an unpleasant shock for those unused to budgeting. Expats and residents...
2 Jan at 6 PM

British expats in Hong Kong blamed for debauchery in former British colony

Hong Kong’s world reputation as a gateway to the treasures of the Orient was formed almost two centuries ago, but recent reports suggest it’s now dedicated to sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll due to the influence and activities of British expats. Some 30,000 Brits now call the island archipelago their home, and are being accused of...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Expats heading for UK warned over rental property scam

Expats planning their arrival in the UK by renting a property in advance are being warned about a new scam involving fake landlords. The fraudulent scheme is being operated through the classified ads website Gumtree, and is aimed at foreigners planning to come to the UK on a semi-permanent or permanent basis. Advertisements offering...
1 Jan at 6 PM

Expat craft brewers in Oz reject market domination by Big Beer

The expat owners of an independent craft beer brewery in Australia are determined to go on giving their customers what they want rather then giving in to international brewing giants. Both expat and Australian beer-drinkers love the limited-run, full-flavoured craft beers offered by small, independent breweries, but the breweries...
1 Jan at 6 PM

Reverse culture shock hits expats returning from France

British expats at present living in France and considering returning to the UK because of Brexit should take reverse culture shock into consideration before making up their minds. The internet holds a huge number of pages describing expats’ experiences of culture shock once they’ve emigrated overseas, but there’s not much outside...
1 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats and tourists hiring Spanish cars to face terrorism checks by police

All British nationals in Spain, including resident expats, will need to have their personal data examined by Spanish police when hiring cars. New proposals put forward by the Spanish government contain instructions to car hire companies on the compulsory registration of British expats and visitors looking to hire vehicles. Car rental...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Hints on the Australian working culture for confused expats

Australia may well share a language with UK and US expats, but its working culture might take some time to understand. Business ethics in other cultures are often a real challenge for newly-arrived expat professionals, especially when the spoken language is unfamiliar. However, Australia’s strong links with the West and its use of its...
31 Jan at 6 PM

MEP taskforce updated to include both EU and UK expats

In a follow-up to an article last week about an EU MEP’s plan to set up a parliamentary cross-party taskforce, a major French expat newspaper is now detailing the initiative's progress. Sophie in’t Veld, deputy leader of an EU parliamentary group, mooted the taskforce due to her concerns about the harsh treatment by the Home Office of...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Research shows numbers of UK expats in EU overestimated

Recently released research by the UK Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows the number of British citizens living in Europe has been overestimated. A total of 890,000 Brits are at present living in other European Union member states as against a former estimate by the United Nations of around 1.2 million. At the same time, nationals...
30 Jan at 6 PM

Disenchanted Americans head for the good life in Belize

As American interest in alternatives to continuing living in the USA continues to grow, Belize is increasingly being seen as the perfect expat destination. The Caribbean island formerly known as British Honduras is becoming even more popular with refugees from an increasingly divided America. Along with all the usual attractions including...
30 Jan at 6 PM

New Zealand is favourite for footloose US citizens

New Zealand’s spectacular natural beauty is tempting would-be expatriates to leave the USA and change their lives. Spurred on by Silicone Valley billionaire Peter Thiel’s decision to become a Kiwi citizen after purchasing a magnificent lakeside estate, Americans who dislike the way their country seems to be heading are upping sticks...
30 Jan at 6 PM

US expats in Mexico at risk from Trump policies

American expats living in Mexico could be caught in retaliatory action by the Mexican government should Trump tax imports and remittances to pay for his wall. Three members of Mexico’s parliamentary Congress are putting forward a scheme which would result in US expat properties being confiscated or made subject to liens should Trump's...
27 Jan at 6 PM

Myanmar draft laws covering foreigners cause concern for expats

Two new draft laws affecting foreigners living and working in Myanmar are causing fear and trepidation in the country’s growing expat community. The laws are expected to be presented as priorities by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population and the Factory and General Labour Law Department once Myanmar’s upcoming...
27 Jan at 6 PM

EU taskforce to investigate plight of EU expats applying for UK residency

Following media coverage of bureaucratic nightmares caused to EU citizens applying for UK residency, the issue will come under investigation by a European Union cross-party taskforce. The move, by the EU parliament’s liberal group deputy leader Sophie in’t Veld, will examine harsh treatment by the British authorities of EU expats...
27 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in China embrace Chinese New Year customs and traditions

Chinese traditions and superstitions connected with the New Year celebrations are fascinating and fun, with many expats joining in the festivities. The customs connected with the Chinese New Year go back several thousands of years, and the festival itself causes the world’s largest migration as millions and millions of Chinese travel to...
26 Jan at 6 PM

Final salary pension transfer boost good news for expat retirees

Would-be expats transferring from a final salary scheme are getting some 40 per cent more than in 2015 due to falls in gilt yields and interest rates. Would-be expats transferring from a final salary scheme are getting some 40 per cent more than in 2015 due to falls in gilt yields and interest rates. Final salary pensions, also known...
26 Jan at 6 PM

Australia targets Ireland with new Working Holiday Visa package.

Australia has launched an appeal to younger Irish nationals to consider up to two years’ stay in the country on a Working Holiday visa package. Once a popular way for Irish citizens to experience Australia in the longer term, the Working Holiday Visa scheme has declined in popularity over the last few years. In 2011/12, successful...
26 Jan at 6 PM

Spanish PM cites financial disaster of Brexit linked expat and tourism losses

The reality of Brexit is hitting hard on the Spanish prime minister as he foresees the massive financial loss to the country should expats leave and tourists stay at home. Speaking to the media at a news conference in Madrid, PM Mariano Rajoy stated Brexit is a critical threat to Spain, as its impact on the 17 million British tourists and...
25 Jan at 6 PM

Expat teachers in Kuwait giving private tuition risk being sacked

Expat teachers on contract to Kuwaiti education facilities are now risking the sack if they offer private tuition without Education Ministry approval. According to the ministry’s undersecretary Haytham al Athari, the full force of the law will be applied to contracted teachers and lecturers giving private, out-of-hours tuition. In a...
25 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats using local heathcare far outstrip NHS use by EU expats

Despite fashionable media claims that EU expats are clogging up the NHS, recent research has proved the opposite is true. It seems ‘fake news’ is as rampant in the UK as it’s claimed to be in the USA. British readers of the populist right-wing media have long been treated to scare stories about EU expats’ burden on the...
25 Jan at 6 PM

Supreme Court ruling gives hope to UK and EU expats

Although the Supreme Court’s ruling isn’t a ‘get out of jail free’ card for worried UK expats, it at least confirms parliament’s right to a role in the Brexit progression. Basically, the judgement simply blocks Theresa May from triggering Article 50 until proper parliamentary scrutiny and a vote have taken place. Representatives...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expat finds rescue dogs shot dead and horse injured in overnight attack

The British expat owner of a Spanish farm woke to find her five rescue dogs shot dead and her horse with its eye gouged out in an horrific attack. Illona Mitchell bought her Spanish estate in 2004 after emigrating to the country with her young daughter, and was using part of the land as an animal rescue centre. The 173 acre farm in the...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Huge increase in US expat destination searches since Trump election

A massive 105 per cent jump in searches for expat destinations by US citizens seems to confirm anti-Trump voters’ determination to leave the USA. InternationalLiving.com is one of the most popular websites for information about emigration, with more than a million would-be expats every month logging on to compare destinations. According...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Expat startup in China wins prize in Startup Leadership Programme contest

A new online initiative by expats in China hopes to provide classified advertisement services to the entire foreign community. Foreign startups in China are not new, neither is the increasing number of expatriates heading for the country’s untapped opportunities. Focusing on the present expat population of around 600,000 is a smart move...
23 Jan at 6 PM

The real truth about Brit expats in France

France has long been a favourite destination for Brits looking to change their lives via emigration, but stereotyped expat communities are decidedly not the norm in the land of wine and fabulous food. Misconceptions about expatriate behaviours and perceptions are normal wherever foreign residents hang their hats, with France no exception...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Brit government hikes Qatar terrorism threat level

Expats and foreign visitors in Qatar are being urged by the UK government to stay alert after the emirate’s terrorism threat level was raised to ‘likely’. Prior to the update, Qatar’s rating as regards the likelihood of terrorist attacks fell in the General category, indicating ‘some level of known terrorist activity’. The...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Expats worldwide join 600 anti Trump Womens Marches

In perhaps the largest mass protest the world has ever seen, an estimated two million plus women, their partners and children marched against Trump in over 60 countries. In a multinational rejection of Trump’s stance on womens’ rights, immigrants, multiculturalism, racism and pacifism, as many as 2.2 million people took to the streets...
20 Jan at 6 PM

Furious Brits in freezing Alicante demand reinstatement of winter fuel allowance

Following the dramatic big freeze and snowfalls across Southern Spain, British expat pensioners are demanding the UK government reconsider the removal of their £300 winter fuel allowance. Earlier this week, the normally sun-drenched retirement hub of Alicante was a snow-covered, freezing resort reminiscent of the worst of the UK’s...
20 Jan at 6 PM

Vietnam rated as best low cost SE Asian country for expat professionals

Vietnam and its capital Hanoi are increasingly rated as not only the cheapest Southeast Asian destination for expats, but also as a great place to grow a new career. Although the relocation process itself isn’t exactly inexpensive, once you’ve arrived to start your new life you’ll find the cost of living is far cheaper than the vast...
20 Jan at 6 PM

EU citizens in UK to fight for post Brexit residency law

A protest group formed by French expats is preparing to campaign for a new law giving protected rights to all EU expatriates in the UK. Marketing executive Nicholas Hatton is spearheading the group’s efforts to end what he calls ‘xenophobic rhetoric’ by forcing British MPs to grant permanent residency to all EU expats settled in...
19 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in sunny Spain wake up to big freeze

As the predicted big freeze finally reached Spain, UK expats in Andalucía and even the holiday island of Majorca woke up to snowy vistas reminiscent of the British winter. Although snow and sub-freezing temperatures had been predicted for a week, the heavy snowfalls across the south of Spain came as a shock to UK expats who’d relocated...
19 Jan at 6 PM

UK state pensioners in France terrified over more exchange rate falls

With the pound sterling forecast to sink even lower as the triggering of Article 50 draws nearer, Brit expats in France are fearing the worst. Theresa May’s long-awaited Brexit speech on Tuesday did nothing to allay the fears of British expats living in France on their UK state pensions. The PM’s continuing emphasis on a hard Brexit...
19 Jan at 6 PM

UK expats in Spain urge MP select committee to protect their rights

British nationals living in Spain and other EU member states have told British MPs a speedy gesture is needed to prevent their losing everything. Representatives from the Bremain in Spain group together with other campaigners for the right to remain spoke yesterday with members of a parliamentary select committee about their fears for...
18 Jan at 6 PM

Are expats in Kuwait being used as scapegoats

Since the New Kuwaiti parliament was sworn in some two months ago, its entire focus is being seen as scapegoating expats in the emirate rather than debating other concerns. Expat professionals working in Kuwait are uneasy about the seeming concentration on expat levels as against the numbers of Kuwaiti nationals. The expat author of an...
18 Jan at 6 PM

FEDs reject simplifying FATCA tax reporting for US expats

US expats in communities across the globe are unhappy about the US Treasury Department’s decision not to ease FATCA tax return reporting requirements by adopting same country exemption. One of the most burdensome requirements for US expats living abroad is the annual compulsory compliance with FATCA as regards their US tax liabilities....
18 Jan at 6 PM

US expats across Europe to hold Womens Marches against Trump

Inspired by the upcoming massive Womens’ March in Washington scheduled for the day after the inauguration, expat US citizens across Europe are holding their own versions. Spanish marches are being held in Madrid, Barcelona, Grenada and Valencia, beginning with Inauguration Day protests in Valencia and Madrid. Barcelona and Grenada’s...
17 Jan at 6 PM

Nationwide International closure narrows expats offshore bank choice

Nationwide International, the offshore branch of the well-known high street chain, will close some time in the summer. The closure of the offshore bank is certain to hit thousands of expats, as the brand is popular with retirees living overseas as well as expat workers. Shutting down of customer accounts is already in progress, giving...
17 Jan at 6 PM

EU expats in UK at risk of deliberate government hostility post Brexit

Leading immigration lawyers are sending a disturbing message suggesting possible deliberate governmental hostility to EU citizens living and working in Britain after Brexit. According to the Guardian, an immigration specialist lawyer with London firm Kingsley Napley is suggesting the possibility of a nightmare scenario for expats in the UK...
17 Jan at 6 PM

Kuwaiti MP demands special debate over increasing expat numbers

A Kuwaiti opposition MP is to demand a special debate on the demographic dangers resulting from the high level of expat numbers in the emirate. Opposition MP Abdulkarim al Kandari is collecting signatures from other MPs in order to force a debate on the so-called dangers of allowing an ever-increasing number of expats to enter the...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Student video defines expat reasons for loving Thailand

An award-winning video depicting Thai university students’ views of why expats come to Thailand is causing smiles amd a few raised eyebrows within the country’s expat community. The group of five Communication Arts students from Lampang’s Nation University won the coveted 50,000 Thai baht prize in a government-sponsored competition...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Expats watch and hope as more Brexit legal challenges are launched

Courts in Ireland and the British high court are set to hear two fresh challenges to Brexit as it's being put forward by Theresa May and her cronies. Expats are following the chaotic government manoeuvres and the various attempts to either reverse the referendum result or ameliorate its effects on their lives. The two latest challenges...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Scottish expats work to feed refugees in freezing Budapest

The severe cold weather in Europe is hitting hardest on refugees and the homeless, but a group of Scottish expats are doing their best to help. Dozens have already died in the life-threatening -19 Celsius freeze, many of whom were refugees from the Middle East or homeless Hungarians. Unable to watch the suffering without attempting to do...
13 Jan at 6 PM

New study offers clues to successful expat hirings

A new study has identified which character traits are common to expats with successful careers overseas. Many professionals and entrepreneurs are keen to try their luck as expats in countries across the world, but many don’t succeed and are forced to return to their home countries for a rethink. A recent study has identified the...
13 Jan at 6 PM

Tremlett petition may give hope to long term UK expats in Spain

Long-term British expats in Spain are watching in hope that Giles Tremlett’s efforts on their behalf will succeed. As the information-starved Brexit saga rumbles on, British expats living in Spain are stuck in no-man’s land with no-one to turn to for answers. Long-term Brit residents originally came to EU member state Spain with the...
13 Jan at 6 PM

Can UK expats rely on state pension to cover bills

The UK state pension is one the most ungenerous in the developed world, forcing many British retirees to relocate in order to take advantage of lower costs of living elsewhere in Europe or Asia. Taking into account that UK pensions are frozen unless the relocation is to countries whose governments have an agreement with the UK, even those...
12 Jan at 6 PM

Expats make a difference for Estepona stray dogs

A dedicated team of expat dog-lovers are working together to rehabilitate and rehome Estepona’s stray dogs. Spain is just one of several Mediterranean countries with a stray dog problem, a situation which causes distress to UK expats who’ve been brought up with the saying ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’. As a result,...
12 Jan at 6 PM

UAE expats rush to relocate currency as pound falls again

Following yet another fall in the value of sterling on Wednesday, British expats working in the UAE rushed to transfer funds back to the UK. Sterling fell a further 0.7 per cent against the US dollar, the local currency to which the dollar is pegged, starting a rush by UK expats to send even more money back home and causing remittance...
12 Jan at 6 PM

British expat retirees not responsible for failing NHS

In spite of the perceived wisdom that elderly Brit expats are wrecking the NHS, aided and abetted by EU pensioners living in the UK, figures show the vast majority use heathcare provided by their countries of residence. Using numbers provided via a freedom of information request, the BBC has published an article with figures proving that...
11 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in UAE to undergo criminal record checks

The UAE parliament is expected to make a favourable decision regarding the need for expatriate workers to undergo criminal record checks. Security checks for criminal records are about to become the norm for expats working in the UAE after the scheme was approved in principle by the emirates’ cabinet. The move is believed to be a result...
11 Jan at 6 PM

Anti Brexit movement ramping up in the UK and abroad

As parliament dithers and no clarification has yet been received on the Supreme Court’s judgement, resistance to Brexit as a done deal is growing in the UK as well as in British expat communities across Europe. As protest groups continue forming in major European expat destinations, EU expats living in the UK are getting together in...
11 Jan at 6 PM

Exiting EU Committee to hear rights retention arguments from expat group

January 18 will see the formal recognition of a group fighting for Brit expats’ rights after Brexit when their evidence is given to the Exiting EU Committee. The committee, chaired by MP Hilary Benn, will hear that UK expats in Spain are living in fear of Brexit’s effects on their lives. According to the Olive Press, the Madrid-based...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Kuwaiti MP hits out at expat right to change employers

Expat professionals working in Kuwait are under attack again regarding their right to change employers and residence permits. Kuwaiti MP Mubarak al Hajraf is being quoted in the Arab Times as attacking his government for not nationalising the jobs market as a tool to assist Kuwaitization of the workforce. Other oil-producing states are,...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Austrian idiosyncrasies and their effects on expats

In general, expats in Austria are more than happy to be there, but some local habits can cause frustration in the overseas community. Expats across the world are the first to admit that nowhere’s perfect, with those living in Austria finding the locals welcoming, helpful and supportive. Even so, some Austrian habits can cause...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Lifestyle changes for expats in Italy

Italy’s ancient culture is one of the many reasons why it’s popular with long-stay expats, but living the Italian dream can result in serious lifestyle changes. Italy is a draw for many would-be expats disenchanted with their countries of origin, with its milder weather, ancient history, wealth of delicious foods and laidback lifestyle...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Expats and retirees paid in sterling feel exchange rate pinch

The shocking decline in the value of the pound sterling against major currencies is hitting UK expat pensioners as well as expats working overseas and being paid in sterling. The majority of UK expats are either retirees drawing pensions originating in the UK or professionals working on overseas contracts including sterling payments. Both...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Kuwait to face huge heathcare cost increases

Kuwait’s unenviable position as one of the least satisfactory destinations for expats is about to get even worse as the government announces massive increases in heathcare costs. According to the Kuwait Times and other English language media, heathcare charges are to be increased by up to 500 per cent, beginning in mid-February. The...
9 Jan at 6 PM

China may phase out non native speaker expat English teachers

Following its testing late last year of a three-tier work permit system, China is looking to rid itself of non-native English language teachers. The new three-tier system, at present on trial in Beijing Shanghai, Tianjin and other major cities, classifies expat workers into three classes of expat, A, B and C. The rules include a...
6 Jan at 6 PM

Best destinations for expat heathcare at the right price

For many expats weighing up the pros and cons of a particular country, the quality and cost of healthcare is one of the most important aspects. Affordable, quality heathcare is one of the most important aspects of expat life for older professionals looking for an overseas position, retirees seeking the perfect location and expats with...
6 Jan at 6 PM

Vietnam scores in expat survey for salaries and lifestyle

A recent survey shows Vietnam has overtaken Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand as a popular destination for expat professionals. The most recent Expat Explorer survey’s Vietnam result may come as a surprise to many would-be expats who’ve not even considered it as a destination, but the Southeast Asian country is now ranked at 28th in...
6 Jan at 6 PM

Man born in Britain to EU expat parents refused British passport

A 32-year old man born to German parents living in London has been refused a British passport and will have to take a UK citizenship test in order to stay. Given recent media revelations about Home Office chaos over EU citizens’ permanent residency applications, the present plight of Dom Wolf perhaps should not come as a surprise, even...
5 Jan at 6 PM

Kuwait to increase health charges for expats

Following a study of health service fees, the Kuwait ministry of health is due to announce increased health charges for expats in the emirate. The recent study reviewed expat health service charges with the aim of aligning them more closely to the actual costs, with the result that charges will now be set at an increased level affordable...
5 Jan at 6 PM

Expats providing UK temporary care defend their rights and motivations

Following reports in the UK media that unqualified British expats are taking on highly paid temp jobs in UK care homes, long-term expats in the programme are denying there’s any scandal. Expats who’ve been involved in the scheme are fighting back against what they claim is unfair misrepresentation a regards their previous experience...
5 Jan at 6 PM

US expats in Mexico fear anti-American sentiment

The Trump campaign’s concentration on offensive anti-Mexican rhetoric is causing long-stay US expats in the country to reconsider their futures. Around a million US citizens live south of their home country’s borders in Mexico, making up the largest concentration of American expats anywhere in the world. Many are long-stayers, many...
4 Jan at 6 PM

New Year finance resolutions for expats in UAE

Everyone’s favourite New Year resolution is to get richer than in the previous year, but it’s essential to set in place rules and regulations to make it come true. According to Gulf New’s Money page, personal debt via borrowing is at a high level in the UAE’s expat community. Consumer loan totals are soaring, making personal...
4 Jan at 6 PM

Tips for expats searching for a dream home in France

Dealing with French property agencies doesn’t have to be stressful for newbie expats looking for their dream home. If there’s one thing that’s absolutely certain about France, it’s that the French have their very own way of doing things which doesn't resemble the familiar British norms in any way. For expats searching for their...
4 Jan at 6 PM

Is Singapore worth the effort for expats

Due to its recent rating as the 16th most expensive world destinations for expat professionals, Singapore’s reputation as a hub for the good life may be at risk. When it comes down to choosing a country which delivers the perfect expat professional environment, earnings versus expenses are a prime consideration. Those on expatriate...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Koh Samui expats risk lives to rescue drowning tourists

Four expats living on Thailand’s holiday island of Koh Samui risked their own lives on New Year’s Day to rescue two tourists from heavy seas and strong undercurrents. Koh Samui is justly famous for its stunning natural beauty, sandy beaches and seductive, warm waters. However, in common with many beaches worldwide, rip-currents and...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Turkey fear growing anti-Westerner sentiment

Following the latest terror attack in Istanbul, many expats in Turkey are beginning to be afraid that anti-westerner sentiment is escalating. Many foreigners living in Turkey are now checking online every time an attack is reported to see if expats have been injured or killed. Last year, terror attacks across the country by extremist...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Survey shows UAE still tops for career minded expats

Expats determined to further their careers should still head for the UAE, according to the latest survey by HSBC. Regarded as the best expat destination for successful careers in Asia and the Middle East, the UAE is also the fourth best in the world for salaries, relocation benefits packages and overall lifestyle.UAE-based responders to...
2 Jan at 6 PM

LMIM ponzi scheme boss gets away with it in Oz civil court

Founder of LM Investment Management Peter Drake has walked free from an Australian federal court after being cleared of wrongdoing. Charges against Drake were brought by Australia’s Securities and Investments Commission after the April 2013 collapse of what has been described as an ‘elaborate Ponzi scheme’ by advisors to the 1,200...
2 Jan at 6 PM

New Years Honour medals given to two British expats in Spain

This year’s Queen Elizabeth New Year Honours list contained two British expats in Spain who’ve contributed extraordinary service during their working lives. Former editor of a leading English language newspaper Liz Parry was awarded the British Empire medal for her services to the UK expat community in Andalusia, and former president...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Brit expats in Europe rush for UK temp jobs as carers

Thousands of UK expats on hard times due to the sterling crash are flying home to take two-week job as carers in British care homes. According to an investigation by the Telegraph, cash-strapped Brits are being taken on part-time and left in charge of elderly people suffering from dementia, learning difficulties and other illnesses common...
30 Jan at 4 PM

Number of Swiss outside the country continues to rise

The number of Swiss expats increased to nearly 750,000 in 2014, an increase of two per cent from the previous year. Some 14,276 Swiss citizens left the country last year, taking the official total living abroad to 746,885, according to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The number also includes Swiss nationals working at embassies...
30 Jan at 2 PM

Asian expat in trouble after submitting fake degree to Qatar authorities

An Asian expat faces three years in jail in Qatar after forging an engineering degree in order to change his profession. A criminal court sentenced the Bangladeshi man to three years in prison in absentia for submitting a fake engineering degree from a Bangladeshi university. The man also forged the seal of the Embassy of Bangladesh in...
29 Jan at 12 PM

DeVere introduces mortgage advice sector for expats

DeVere Group has launched a special mortgage division for expats after increased demand from clients who live overseas. The independently-run sector, DeVere Mortgages, will offer advice on properties abroad, buy-to-let equity release and tax optimisation from rental income. The group said it wants to increase its mortgage-related business...
29 Jan at 9 AM

Myanmar to publish expat census in March

Myanmar is due to release a census of the number of citizens living abroad in March, announced the Ministry of Immigration and Population’s Myint Kyaing. Kyaing, the director-general of the ministry’s Population Department, revealed that they had completed the census in Myanmar and were now carrying out a study on the number of...
27 Jan at 6 PM

Expat celebrate Australia Day by becoming citizens

Almost 16,000 immigrants in Australia became citizens of the country on Australia Day, which was celebrated across the nation on 26 January. As ceremonies took place all across the nation, Prime Minister Tony Abbott spoke to one group of new nationals in the capital Canberra, telling them that by moving to the country they had voted with...
27 Jan at 3 PM

Former Sky worker turned fighting for her life in Caribbean

Ex-Sky TV worker Kate Clayton is fighting for her life after being involved in a car crash on the island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean. Thirty-year-old Clayton, who moved to the Caymans in December 2013 to become a diving instructor, has been left in a coma after suffering severe injuries when she lost control of her 4x4 Jeep Wrangler...
26 Jan at 6 PM

Expat bachelors in Manama face segregation

Single foreign workers in the Bahraini capital Manama will be forced to reside in set areas because of the number of complaints received about them harassing local women and families among other things. The Capital Trustees Board came up with the proposal after expat labourers have increasingly been accused of harassment, trespassing and...
26 Jan at 2 PM

Copenhagen and Bern lead the way in expat liveability index

Copenhagen and Bern are the easiest places for Europeans to relocate to, according to a new index by ECA International. The organisation, which advises firms on posting workers on foreign assignments, evaluated more than 450 locations across the world. Among the things it evaluated were: the lifestyle on offer in a city; the availability...
23 Jan at 12 PM

Greek expats angered at voting exclusion

Greeks abroad have admitted their frustration at not being allowed to vote as the southern European nation gears up for its general elections. Electoral regulations state that expats can only cast their ballots if they return home to do so, which for many is not possible. In the Belgian capital, Brussels, there are an estimated 20,000...
23 Jan at 9 AM

Singapore tops the list of best place for expats

Singapore has once again claimed top spot in the world’s most liveable city for expats in the latest list published by ECA International. ECA International’s regional director for Asia, Lee Quane, explained that among the factors that led to Singapore taking top spot were solid infrastructure, good quality air, low crime, decent...
22 Jan at 4 PM

Canadian expat missing ‘under strange circumstances’ in Costa Rica

Police in Costa Rica are investigating the disappearance of a missing Canadian native, announced the Canadian embassy and Central American country’s Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ). Police discovered an abandoned vehicle with its roadside doors left open along Route 32 on Tuesday evening. Upon further investigation, they found that...
22 Jan at 2 PM

Expats demanding winter fuel allowance show proof of wintry conditions

Thousands of UK expats across the Europe are campaigning to ensure their winter fuel payments are not scrapped, and many have now taken to sending photos to show just how cold conditions are in the countries they live in during the winter months. Under a new government proposal, expats living in Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, France, Malta,...
22 Jan at 12 PM

Expat Sri Lankans win the right to vote

Sri Lankans living overseas will now be permitted to vote in their country’s polls in further changes made under President Maithripala’s Sirisena’s new regime. The last Sri Lankan elections were held on 8 January, but expatriates, of whom there are an estimated 1.7 million, were not allowed to cast their ballots. However, under...
22 Jan at 10 AM

New Zealand expat dies on British mountain

A New Zealand expat in the UK has been found dead on a mountain after being missing for several days. Michael Flanagan, originally from Napier in New Zealand, told hotel staff in Windermere, around 130kms north of Manchester, he was going for a walk two weeks ago and never returned. Cumbria Police confirmed they had found Mr...
20 Jan at 4 PM

Voting referendum ‘unlikely’ this year for Irish expats

A referendum on whether to allow Irish expatriates the right to vote in general elections is unlikely to take place this year, according to Minister of State for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan. The Cabinet was scheduled discuss holding a referendum on the matter before Christmas, but it has yet to do so, confirmed Deehinan. The minister said...
20 Jan at 3 PM

Suvarnabhumi Airport bans overcharging taxi driver after Japanese expat rant

Bangkok’s main international airport has banned a taxi driver from picking up passengers and revoked his registration with the facility after he admitted flat-charging a Japanese expatriate. The cabbie, Chaiyan Charoensopha, was told he would no longer be allowed to operate at Suvarnabhumi Airport after he refused to turn on his meter...
19 Jan at 4 PM

Iran footballers warned about posing for selfies with expatriate women in Australia

Iranian footballers have been warned about posing for selfies with female fans at the Asian Cup finals in Australia. Australia is home to around 70,000 expats from Iran, and the buzz about the three-time Asian champions playing in the country has drawn many fans, male and female, to the stadiums to cheer them on. However, in Iran,...
19 Jan at 4 PM

Saudi urges authorities to allow his regnant Indonesian wife to stay

A Saudi Arabian man has pleaded with authorities to grant his pregnant Indonesian wife a residency permit rather than deport her. Amro Muhammad Kurdi wed his wife eight years ago and the couple have one daughter. The woman, who is now seven months pregnant with their second child, has never had a residency permit for the Gulf...
16 Jan at 12 PM

Indonesia: Bahasa test to be introduced for expat workers

The Indonesian government has proposed that expatriates in the country should have to master the Bahasa language before being granted work permits. At the beginning of the year, Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri announced that the Test of Indonesia as a Foreign Language exam was being drawn up and that expat workers would soon be required to...
16 Jan at 9 AM

Bermuda adds Italian channels to ExPat TV

Italians living in Bermuda will now be able to watch TV shows and listen to radio programmes from their homeland for the first time, announced the island nation’s ExPat TV. The television station already features dozens of UK channels such as BBC, ITV and a number of popular Sky channels as well as ones from the US, Germany, Greece,...
15 Jan at 9 AM

Indian expatriates granted the right to vote

The Indian government has told the country’s Supreme Court that it has accepted a proposal to allow Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to vote in polls via e-post ballot, meaning that Indian expatriates are now likely to become influential in their home country’s politics. Around 10 million NRI’s will be affected by the ruling, which Abu...
14 Jan at 4 PM

British expat pensioners in Cyprus fighting to keep winter fuel allowance

British expat pensioners in the Mediterranean nation of Cyprus are fighting tooth and nail to keep their winter fuel benefits after a proposal to take the allowance away from them due to the climate they live in was tabled. The UK government is considering taking winter fuel allowances away from pensioners from 2015-16 if the country they...
14 Jan at 12 PM

British expat woman found dead and buried in Portugal villa

A British woman living in Portugal has been found dead and buried in the garden of her Portuguese villa. The expat, identified only as Brenda, 72, had been living with her boyfriend in Alcalar, Portimao, in the Algarve, but was reported missing by her son in the UK when he became worried after not having any contact with her for a couple...
13 Jan at 4 PM

Spain: British expats wanted for ‘underpaid’ property tax

British expats who have purchased property in Spain at reduced prices in recent years may be told they have to make back payments on tax bills. Authorities in the Iberian country are currently looking thousands of property sales from the past four years and working out whether the costs were knocked down in order to make the sales....
13 Jan at 2 PM

Filipino expat in Saudi Arabia handed seven-year prison sentence for murder

A Qatari court has sentenced a Filipino expatriate to seven years in jail after finding him guilty of murdering one of his compatriots. The court has also told the man to pay QR200,000 in blood money to the victim’s family after the death sentence was waived. The man has appealed the judgment and the case has been adjourned till 23...
9 Jan at 9 AM

Indonesia union refuses to work with Saudi recruitment offices

An Indonesian expatriates union has said it will not work with Saudi Arabian recruitments offices, opting to work only with larger companies, in order to ensure expats from the Southeast Asian nation receive the rights they consider they are entitled to. The move has yet to be confirmed by the Indonesian government so, at present, it...
8 Jan at 2 PM

Expats to benefit from new British school in Thailand

Foreigners living in Thailand are expected to benefit from a new British International school that is to open on the outskirts of Bangkok. With the number of students worldwide between the ages of three and 18 enrolling in international schools increasing from 3.3 million in May 2013 to 3.6 million in just 12 months, analysts say that more...
8 Jan at 10 AM

Remittances from Egyptian expats equate to three times Suez Canal revenues

The amount of money expatriate Egyptians send home is equal to three times the revenue earned by the Suez Canal, according to the World Bank’s director of migration and remittances Dilip Ratha. Egyptians send home around US$20bn annually, with Ratha revealing that the figure had doubled more than once in the past four or five years. He...
7 Jan at 4 PM

Oslo most expensive European city for expats

The Norwegian capital Oslo has been ranked as the most expensive city in Europe for expats to live in, according to a recent cost of living survey. The latest rankings, compiled by ECA International, did not feature any cities in neighbouring Sweden in the top 30, most likely because of the weakening of the Krona. ECA conducts cost of...
7 Jan at 10 AM

Ecuador tops list of retirement havens

The South American nation of Ecuador has been ranked the best place to retire abroad, with Latin American countries dominating the list. The International Living magazine’s Annual Global Retirement Index looked at factors such as cost of living, healthcare and climate in ranking a total of 25 popular countries among expat retirees on the...
6 Jan at 12 PM

Oman scraps expat tax plan

The Gulf state of Oman has abandoned plans to levy a tax on remittances sent home by expat workers, reports local media. Last November, the country’s Shura Council said that the government tax on remittances foreign employees sent to their families should be set at two per cent in order to ease the mounting pressure on the troubled state...
6 Jan at 9 AM

US expat in Switzerland abandons citizenship mission after 43 years

A US expat who has been living in Switzerland for 43 years says he has finally given up hope of become a citizen of the country. Seventy-six-year-old Irving Dunn, formerly a professor at the landlocked country’s top university, explained that he was abandoning his second citizenship application because he would have to fork out 3,100...
5 Jan at 11 AM

Sri Lankan expat workers must show passports before casting vote

Migrant workers from Sri Lanka who are returning to the country for the elections will be made to show their passports and National Identity Cards (NICs) before being allowed to cast their votes, announced an elections official. By showing their passports, officials will be able to determine the date and time migrant workers returned to...
5 Jan at 9 AM

PNG: Expat businessman found dead in Lae

An expatriate businessman in Papua New Guinea’s industrial city of Lae has been found dead in his home, and an investigation into a possible murder is underway. The Singaporean man, who owned the Morobe Stationary Company and has been identified only as Tan, was discovered at his home in the suburb of Eriku on Saturday morning. He had...
3 Jan at 4 PM

Saudi Arabia: Expat held at hospital over failure to pay bill

An expat was temporarily detained at a Saudi Arabian hospital for failing to pay his medical bill, before being allowed to leave after the Department of Health Affairs intervened. Muddathir Ibrahim, whose total bill came to SR100,000, said he went to the private hospital in Madinah as he felt fatigued, and two days, when his condition...
3 Jan at 2 PM

Top expats staying longer than ever before in UAE

Executive expats are staying up to twice as long in the UAE even though the economy is improving in the West and salary increases in the Gulf state are “modest”, according to recruitment companies. In 2013, senior professionals’ average stay rose to four and a half years – nearly twice as long as the number recorded in 2007, said...
1 Jan at 12 PM

German expat engineers killed in Nigeria

Two German expatriate workers have been shot dead in Nigeria while travelling on a motorbike without security, reports German media. The men, said to be in their mid-thirties and mid-fifties and from the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, worked with Nigerian construction giant Julius Berger, which bases its international...
1 Jan at 10 AM

Pakistani expat beheaded in Saudi for drug trafficking

A Pakistani expat has been beheaded in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of heroin smuggling, announced authorities from the kingdom. Sadruddin Saeedullah Khan, who became the 13th Pakistani to be executed for drug smuggling in Saudi Arabia since mid-October, was beheaded in the province of Makkah on Wednesday. The Interior Ministry said...
31 Jan at 6 PM

UK state pension changes and missold annuities to leave widows in penury

UK financial regulators are closing their eyes to the plight of widows after the projected state pension changes in 2016. Hundreds of thousands of women are being condemned to die in abject poverty due to state pension changes and the actions of unprincipled FAs who fail to advise correctly on annuities. The City is fully aware of the as...
31 Jan at 6 PM

British FCO wants to hear expat opinions of consular services

Better late than never might be the expat reaction to a UK government watchdog’s request for opinions on embassy and consular services overseas. Britons who’ve fallen foul of police, immigration officers, local violence, scams and more and have asked local embassies or consulates for help have being asked to submit their experiences...
30 Jan at 6 PM

Cypriot government throws lifeline to desperate expat homeowners

Tens of thousands of expat homeowners in Cyprus who are facing the loss of their homes and financial ruin due to fraudulent developers are to be given hope by the government. Cyprus is still struggling with managing its massive bailout, and its economy as yet is showing no signs of recovery. However, after years of ignoring the scandal...
30 Jan at 6 PM

British expats in UAE found support group to help divorced or separated women

After becoming aware that divorce and separation was affecting a growing number of married expats, two Dubai-Based teachers have started a support group to help desperate women start over. Fiona Cameron and Anne Prince, themselves the victims of broken relationships, decided to start the Leaving Dubai group after they became aware that...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Chinese and Russian property investors pricing expat investors out of the market

Wealthy Chinese, Singaporean and Russian property investors are beating expat investors to the best buys in major world capitals. With more millionaires than in any country except the USA, and a rapidly expanding number of would-be migrants, it’s no surprise that nowadays the Chinese are the most sought-out property investors in the...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Expat professionals searching for UAE positions facing new challenges

After some years of being the destination of choice or high-flying expat professionals, the jobs market in the UAE is due to become less foreigner-friendly and more complex. The seven-principality United Arab Emirates has long been a hub for white-collar expat professionals looking for high salaries and a boost to their CVs. However,...
28 Jan at 6 PM

Survey reveals UK pensioners would vote for a party willing to unfreeze expat pensions

A recent survey has shown welcome support for expat pensioners overseas who are struggling to manage on their frozen pensions. The study’s results revealed that state pensioners living in the UK would vote for a political party which promised to unfreeze overseas pensions. The OnePoll survey, conducted on behalf of the International...
28 Jan at 6 PM

Dubai plans retirement homes for expats as well as Emiratis

As part of a scheme aimed at increasing the number of medical tourists to Dubai, the emirate is planning to set up retirement homes for expats as well as Emirati nationals. The retirement homes will come in three styles, independent retirement homes, nursing homes giving full medical care and assisted living homes. According to local...
27 Jan at 6 PM

IRS slammed for savage offshore cash penalties

An annual report by the USA’s consumer watchdog Nina Olson has revealed that the IRS has hit out unfairly at taxpayers who inadvertently broke tax laws when making their annual returns. Olson stated that the IRS has been unreasonably zealous in pursuing taxpayers who had made genuine mistakes in declaring their offshore holdings. Even...
27 Jan at 6 PM

Saudi government postpones plan to limit expat workers to seven years

Saudi businesses and long-term expat employees have welcomed the Saudi labour ministry’s decision to postpone the introduction of a proposal which would limit work visas to seven years. The recently mooted draft proposal was doubly unwelcome to expats working in the kingdom as it was also aimed at forbidding the families of expat...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Financial fraud cases spike during 2013

In spite of the worldwide financial chaos caused by the casino culture in Wall Street, the City of London and other bourses, large-scale financial fraud is still ongoing across the sector. According to a survey by a highly-respected audit and accountancy firm in London, fraud across the industry cost investors £532 million in 2013, a 12...
24 Jan at 6 PM

Dubai brings in compulsory heath insurance for expats

Expats, locals and visitors to Dubai must now have compulsory medical insurance, with the new law taking effect immediately. The move is expected to push up the cost of health insurance in the emirate, although it’s expected that private companies employing expats will bear the cost. The scheme will be phased in over a three year...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Bad news for expat savers as Britannia pulls out of IOM

Expat savers with accounts held offshore in the Isle of Man are facing more bad news as the Britannia offshore arm of the Cooperative Bank announces its closure plans. After a raft of Isle of Man bank closures hit expat savers in 2013, the new year looks to be even worse for UK citizens living overseas who don’t want to risk their...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Son of Harlequin Property CEO denies Ponzi scam

As the result of an investigation by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and fraud investigators, Michael Ames found himself in a London court today on charges of running a Ponzi scheme. Ames, the son of Harlequin Properties CEO, David Ames, was charged with fraud in December 2012. The charges related to a £1.6 million Ponzi scheme...
22 Jan at 6 PM

FA commissions are undermining fair treatment of clients

A study by the UK’s Financial Conduct Agency has confirmed that the payment of commissions to FAs by financial firms acts against the best interests of clients. The research, undertaken to evaluate the recently introduced Retail Distribution Review (RDR) rules, reveals that customers are still being diverted from investments suited to...
22 Jan at 6 PM

UK expats urged to make a difference by registering to vote

The UK’s Electoral Commission has begun a global campaign encouraging expats to register to vote, saying that their votes could make a real difference. Given the number of expats who left the UK due to their disenchantment with present-day politics, it’s surprising that only a small minority of those eligible are at present willing to...
21 Jan at 6 PM

Malaga expat gets day in court to fight thieving bank

A Malaga expat who lost his life savings after a bank sold him an illegal equity bond has vowed to continue his fight. Euan Armstrong, 75, was sold a €1,000,000 equity release scheme by Danske Bank on the premise that it would protect his family from having to pay inheritance tax after his death. The equity scheme was considered...
21 Jan at 6 PM

Expats granted right to buy freehold homes in UAE

Foreigners working legally in Abu Dhabi can now purchase freehold properties located in specifically designated investment zones in the city. Previously, expats were only allowed to purchase leasehold properties, with the change widely believed to have been brought in to stimulate the property market. For a decade or more, neighbouring...
20 Jan at 6 PM

Consumer watchdog warns about latest investment scam

The latest offering from the same dodgy FAs who brought you the carbon credits, rare earth and land banking frauds is a new scheme dreamed up in order to fleece unwary investors of their nest-eggs – Graphene. Discovered in the computer records of a bogus share company being investigated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, the new...
20 Jan at 6 PM

Expats on final exit from Saudi must surrender their iqama

Following the refusal to leave the country imposed on a number of expats returning home after their contracts had ended, Saudi’s immigration department are urging corporations to surrender residential certificates on time. Private companies and residents in Saudi Arabia generally prefer to use the immigration authority’s online visa...
17 Jan at 6 PM

Investor scams still ongoing in spite of tighter regulations

Over five years after the Madoff case hit world headlines, small-time fraudsters continue to trap unwary investors, with expats especially at risk. Enforcement agencies in first world countries are upping the ante and catching more scammers than previously, but in many popular expat destinations as well as in the USA and UK, it’s...
17 Jan at 6 PM

Independent expat survey invites participants

Results from the majority of annual expat surveys are regularly skewed by the organisations conducting the studies, the majority of which are international banks and finance houses standing to gain by analysing the results. Expat Survey 2013, the largest and only totally independent international study of expat lifestyles and experiences,...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Recognising the signs of impending expat financial disaster

Put simply, living abroad may be great for health, social life and a comfortable retirement, but it’s a minefield as regards financial pitfalls, even if expats manage to avoid the menacing packs of commission-hungry salesmen peddling too-good-to-be-true returns. More often than not, the reason behind failed expats’ return to their...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Survey of Saudi nursing staff infuriates expat nurses

The survey undertaken amongst patients in Saudi hospitals and their relatives has hit a sour note amongst expatriate health professionals working in the same hospitals. Saudi’s King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science’s College of Nursing was responsible for surveying several hundred patients and their families. The poll...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Expat landlords liable for UK income tax on rental profits

As the UK government tries every trick in the book to improve its vast deficit, its latest hit on expats is to attempt to charge income tax on UK rental properties, no matter where the owner lives. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs department (HMRC) are proceeding on the premise that every expat with rented-out property in the UK is a...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Expats in Japan warned about Fukushima radiation hazards

As the Fukushima nuclear disaster grinds on with seemingly no short-term solution, radiation at the boundaries of the stricken plant has reaches eight times the official safety limit. The Asahi Shinbun newspaper recently reported that levels around the plant still exceed the government standard of one milliseviert a year and are measured...
14 Jan at 6 PM

New take on currency exchange with person to person online service

A new internet start-up, launches three months ago, is bringing person-to-person currency exchange to expat travellers as well as their business counterparts. WeSwap is the brainchild of ex-corporate financial advisor Simon Sacerdoti and former currency trader Jared Jesner. It’s the world’s first person-to-person currency exchange...
14 Jan at 6 PM

Expat oil and gas workers heading home in dramatic industry turnaround

Cross-border travel has been the norm for oil and gas workers looking for lucrative expat assignments overseas, but many are now returning to their home countries. Although high salaries and acceptable working conditions are still the norm in the worldwide industry, many Australian, American and Brazilian expats are giving up overseas work...
13 Jan at 6 PM

Singapore QROPS savers granted tax amnesty

Expat investors in Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes arranged before 24 September 2008 are being offered a tax amnesty by HM Revenue and Customs. Retirement savers who set up QROPS suspended by HRMC before that date will not be forced to pay the 55 per cent tax charge, unless it is proven that dishonesty or artificiality has...
13 Jan at 6 PM

NZ expat construction workers exploited by bosses

A New Zealand trade union is accusing construction site bosses at the Christchurch rebuild of exploiting expat workers. First Union accuses construction site firms involved in the rebuilding of Christchurch of taking advantage of and exploiting skilled expat tradespeople. The union has revealed a catalogue of exploitation and insists that...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Offshore tax havens Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man sign up for FATCA

The halcyon days of the UK’s three offshore islands as tax havens finally came to an end recently as all three simultaneously signed up for FATCA. As a result, all three will now be passing the financial details of all transactions, investment and bank accounts owned by US citizens to the American Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The UK...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Reem Island is new expat hotspot in Abu Dhabi

Accessibility, an attractive setting, green spaces and high-end amenities are all reasons why Reem Island is Abu Dhabi’s fastest-growing expat community. Located just a short drive from the city’s commercial district, Reem Island’s waterfront accommodation, chic new mall and steel and glass highrises are all drawing expats to its...
9 Jan at 6 PM

Abu Dhabi rent hikes shock residents in expat district

Following the Abu Dhabi government’s recent removal of the five per cent per annum cap in rent hikes, expat residents in Mussaffah district are being hit with arbitrary rises of up to 50 per cent. Many expat families have made the sprawling commercial and residential Mohammed Bin Zayed City in Mussaffah their home from home, but have...
9 Jan at 6 PM

UK visas and citizenship to be auctioned to overseas millionaires

A report in the London Times stating that the UK government is preparing to auction off UK visas, residency and citizenship to high-bidding foreign millionaires is causing anger and controversy. The report states that, under the scheme, wealthy foreigners could buy their way into the UK by donating to hospitals or universities or bidding...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Expat investors warned to avoid scams offering high returns

‘If it looks to good to be true, it is’ should be the motto of every expat investor looking for exceptionally high returns for their savings nowadays. Scammers in every favourite expat destination are still cashing in on unwary expats searching for the impossible dream – a far higher return than the rates offered by most...
8 Jan at 6 PM

Expat and tourist Gulf States free travel movement visa on the cards

A free movement visa valid for travel between all six Gulf states is expected to be rolled out by the middle of 2014. The Gulf Co-operation Council is ironing out details of the visa, based on the European Union Schengen scheme which allows holders of its visa free movement across all member states except Ireland and the UK. The aim of the...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Saudi may introduce eight year limit for expat professionals

The Saudi Arabian government is mulling a plan to restrict expat professionals to eight years’ employment and prevent their families from accompanying them. The new scheme now under consideration forms part of the kingdom’s controversial Saudization plan originally intended to boost employment amongst Saudi nationals. However, if...
7 Jan at 6 PM

New Year holds even tougher choices for expat investors

With base rates showing no chance of rising in the predictable future and the choice of offshore fixed rate deals dwindling further, it’s going to be a tough year for expat investors. The question, as always after the turn of the old years since 2008, is whether to opt for an unsatisfactory fixed rate deal or leave money in a variable...
7 Jan at 6 PM

British expat women in Spain making their mark

British women emigrating to Spain aren’t just sitting in the sunshine enjoying their retirements or breaks from the world of work, they’re out there making their mark in communities and online. The role of women in Spain’s traditionally male-dominated society has undergone massive changes over the last half-century, with the female...
6 Jan at 6 PM

Expat budget flights cheap but extras pile on the charges

A recent survey has revealed that expats booking budget flights may well pay more than with a full-service airline if they include extras in their booking and pay be credit card. UK consumer watchdog Which is warning budget airline travellers to avoid booking extras along with their flights, as low-cost airlines pile on charges for...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Are expat property investors impacting the UK real estate market

With London’s property prices continuing to escalate, real estate experts are calculating the effect of expat property investment on the boom. Media coverage over the last year has focused on the soaring costs of purchasing a home in London’s fashionable districts, but prices across the capital are following suit. Even a basic, one...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Pensioner expat right to vote campaigner awarded MBE

A long-term campaigner against the disenfranchisement of expats living overseas for more than 15 years, Harry Shindler has been recognised for his work to find British servicemen’s WWII graves. Now in his early 90’s, Mr Shindler is a veteran of the WWII liberation of Rome and the Battle of Anzio, and has long been active in tracing the...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Seven Saudi job categories now open to expat women

In a surprise move, the Saudi Ministry of Labour is to open seven business categories to expat women due to a lack of skilled local female labour. After a survey of available female Saudi nationals in the fields of health, education, childcare, dressmaking and several other sectors had revealed no takers, the Saudi government has decided...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Expats cool on petition against end of winter fuel allowance

A petition by lobbyists attempting to reverse the withdrawal of winter fuel allowances for expat pensioners is getting the cold shoulder from the majority of retirees overseas. With over 200,000 British pensioners living overseas in European states due to lose their winter fuel allowance, it’s a surprise that the petition has so far...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Dubai New Year fireworks display beats world record

Dubai’s astonishing New Year fireworks display achieved what its designers promised and beat the standing Guinness World Record. The start of the world’s largest fireworks display saw more than 100,000 fireworks light the sky in the first minute of the spectacle. The amazing number beat out the previous holder, Kuwait, which only...
2 Jan at 6 PM

How not to leave Dubai with no savings

Many expat workers in Dubai earn good salaries and have useful packages helping them save, but equally as many leave after their contracts end with little to show for the experience. Expats in Dubai are trading their present lifestyles for a future financial disaster when their contracts run out, due to getting caught in the culture of...
1 Jan at 6 PM

Concealing overseas assets during expat divorce a bad idea

Although divorce may be the last thing on the minds of most expat couples, it’s wise to check out spousal money and property held abroad. Divorce is one of the most stressful procedures you’ll ever encounter, but it can be made far worse if you’re both expats and the assets to be divided are overseas. Not only will the court...
1 Jan at 6 PM

UK Electoral Commission aims to triple registrations by expat voters

The European Parliament elections in the UK are due to take place on 22 May 2014, with the Electoral Commission campaign aimed at encouraging expats in Europe to vote. Provided they are registered as overseas voters, have not been out of the UK for more than 15 years and are not registered to vote in the member state where they are...
31 Jan at 6 PM

New Zealand Immigration posts warning over scam job offers

Immigration New Zealand has posted a global warning about a recently-discovered scam involving huge payments by Singaporean students for non-existent job offers. A job offer from a New Zealand company is a necessary requirement in the essential skills work category’s visa application regulations. The fraudsters targeted mainly Indian...
31 Jan at 6 PM

Asian cities lose out to European equivalents on expat appeal

Expats making a lifestyle choice are far more likely to choose large cities in Europe than they are to make the same choice when heading for Asian countries. New York, London, Paris and Berlin all have a considerable number of expat enclaves in which those of the same nationality feel secure amid their own languages and amenities....
30 Jan at 6 PM

UK negative ads to discourage Bulgarian and Romanian migrants

In an attempt to stem the flow of immigrants into Britain, government ministers are mooting a campaign of negative advertisements aimed at would-be migrants from Bulgaria and Romania. As the 2014 deadline for opening the UK’s borders to migrants from countries about to become full EU members approaches, the UK government is planning a...
30 Jan at 6 PM

Dubai to boost flagging economy by welcoming foreign investors

In a bid to boost its flagging economic performance, Dubai is planning to offer new lures to foreign investors. Major changes to the requirements and red tape at present in place for those who wish to start a business in Dubai are part of a push by the government to attract foreign money into the country. Potential investors will no...
29 Jan at 6 PM

Survey reveals France is still UK expats dream location

A recent survey shows that, in spite of problems in the Eurozone and the recently announced hike in property tax, France is still the first choice for property-buyers considering emigration. The survey, carried out by HIFX Property Hotspots, revealed that almost 25 per cent of those questioned preferred France for its perceived quality of...
29 Jan at 6 PM

UK House of Lords calls for expat voting rights extension

The British government is being urged by its senior parliamentary body, the House of Lords, to extend expat voting rights beyond the present limit of 15 years. Although it’s possible that many expats are not aware that they can still vote for a period of 15 years after their departure from the UK, those that are may get the voting break...
28 Jan at 6 PM

Dubai property deals steam ahead as bank holds mortgage cap

Property buyers who withdrew from the market when Dubai’s Central Bank announced new lending criteria are rushing back in after the bank put the change on hold. The recent move by the Central Bank to limit mortgage funds to 50 per cent of property values for expats and 70 per cent for nationals was aimed at eliminating speculators from...
28 Jan at 6 PM

USA senators move ahead on new immigration plan

After seemingly endless wrangling and confusion, it seems that the long-awaited overhaul of the US immigration system may finally move a few steps forward. An afternoon press conference will take place Monday, during which a deal involving a bipartisan group of senators will be announced. Agreement has been reached on a framework for the...
25 Jan at 6 PM

Kiwis to be first in line for Christchurch rebuild

Following the introduction of changes in New Zealand immigration law, local workers in the construction trade will be given preference over incomers from overseas. The population of the earthquake-hit city is expected to soar as rebuilding gets under way and overseas construction workers arrive, but new immigration rules are expected to...
25 Jan at 6 PM

Sin Fein leader states Irish graduate nurses should emigrate

As the row over cuts to professional health care workers in Irish hospitals rumbles on, Sinn Fain deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald stated that nurses would be better off by emigrating McDonald made her views known to the Irish parliament as a reply to a statement by Eamon Gilmore that the government’s stance on nurses’ pay would stem...
24 Jan at 6 PM

UK expats may not understand new statutory residence test

The UK’s new Statutory Residence Test, (SRT), due to come into effect on 6 April this year, needs to be fully understood by expats who split their time between their new country and the UK. The overhauled SRT has significant implications for expats planning to leave the UK as well as those already living overseas but with ties and...
24 Jan at 6 PM

UK Border Agency chaos results in massive applications backlog

A recent investigation into UK border controls has revealed at least 16,000 immigrants are still waiting to hear whether they have permission to stay in Britain. The investigation, the latest in a series which has brought disrepute to the UK Border Agency (UKBA), was focused on applications to stay in the UK on the basis of marriage. As a...
23 Jan at 6 PM

Expat investments to be dumped as Clydesdale deserts Guernsey

As the international clout of Guernsey as an offshore tax haven fades into the distance, the Clydesdale Bank’s international arm is the latest financial organisation to desert the sinking ship. The familiar high street bank’s offshore operations have traditionally been a haven for expat investments for their higher rates of interest....
23 Jan at 6 PM

Indian budget airline SpiceJet costcutting prunes expat pilots

After two consecutive years of posting operating losses, Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet is planning to slash the number of its expat pilots in a bid to return to profitability. Beginning immediately, the company will operate all flights of their Boeing 737 fleet with local pilots, and are introducing other cost-cutting measures such as...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Saudi businessman defends Saudization and controversial expat tax rise

The controversy over the hike in expat tax levy for Saudi private companies has taken a new turn with a prominent Saudi business owner coming out publicly in favour of the tax increase. Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel has defended the Labour Ministry’s decision and accused other Saudi business people of not understanding its objective of...
22 Jan at 6 PM

Indian migrants hit by tightening Canadian immigration laws

Whilst job-seeing migrants from the West are praising Canada’s new Federal Skilled Worker programme, their Indian equivalents fear they will lose their chance to migrate. Indian migrants make up 33 per cent of all new entrants to Canada, but the imminent introduction of the new scheme has led to the closing of other skilled migrant...
21 Jan at 6 PM

Guernsey slumps as leading offshore finance hub for expats

Just a year ago, the Channel Island of Guernsey was leading most of the rest of the offshore havens with its financial services for expats and offshore internet-based businesses. During 2012, the island has witnessed the closure of expat-oriented banks, an end to QROPS for new investors and the closure of the Low Value Consignment Relief...
21 Jan at 6 PM

Newborn refugee baby to remain in Oz immigration limbo

The future immigration status of a newborn child and his Tamil refugee mother is in doubt due to legal wranglings over the imprisonment of 50 Tamil refugees at an Australian immigration centre. As he was born on Australian soil, the baby is by right an Australian citizen, but his mother, Ranjini, is part of a group of Tamil refugees...
19 Jan at 6 PM

New Spanish law requires medical examinations for expat drivers

Yet another EU directive is due to come in force by January 19, meaning that all UK expat drivers in Spain will be forced to undergo a medical examination. Expats up to the age of 65 will need to have a medical every 10 years, and those over the age of 65 will be required to be re-examined every five years. The medical examination will...
19 Jan at 6 PM

Hague states no hope for UK expat pension increases

During his recent visit to Australia, British Foreign Minister William Hague made it clear that expat retirees living in OZ would not receive annual increases to their state pensions. Speaking in Sydney, Hague dashed the hopes of around 250,000 UK retirees who had their pensions frozen when they left the UK and are now facing financial...
17 Jan at 6 PM

Singapore property tax hike to hit expat buyers

In a bid to cool Singapore’s rapidly-overheating property market, the city state’s government is introducing higher property taxes in the form of increased stamp duty. Companies and foreigners purchasing residential property in Singapore will be hit by an extra buyers’ stamp duty of 15 per cent of the purchase price, an increase from...
17 Jan at 4 PM

Oman jumps on expat manpower in favour of Omani jobs

In a move similar to those in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, the Omani government is reviewing the hiring of foreign workers in a bid to increase the numbers of jobs available to Omani citizens. The government is asking its departments to assess which business sectors should be forced to focus on employing local workers and to...
16 Jan at 6 PM

Saudi Crown Prince demands report on expat worker tax

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Salman, the state’s deputy PM and minister for defence, has instructed the Council of Saudi Chambers to present a report on the controversial expat worker tax. The recently-announced tax is levied on private companies who employ more expat workers than local staff, and costs SR 2,400 per year per worker....
16 Jan at 6 PM

Qatar to crack down on unregulated financial advisers

In a move seen as part of a plan to project an image of clean and responsible financial services to the international financial regulatory community, Qatar is banning unregulated FAs. As a result, all financial advisory firms working with expats within the emirate will be forced to submit to regulation by one of the three Qatar domestic...
15 Jan at 6 PM

Expats to fight for Spanish home in European Court

British retirees who face losing their Spanish retirement home to the bulldozers after a final Spanish High Court ruling are to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, built their home in Albox, Andalusia in 2001, having obtained the necessary planning licenses from the town hall....
15 Jan at 6 PM

Oz rules deny Kiwi expats federal and state benefits

New Zealand expats and their children living in Australia are being relegated to a low-paid, low-skilled second-class status by the effects of changes in social benefit laws passed in 2001. Although studies repeatedly reveal that immigrants arriving from New Zealand are making the move for better jobs, higher wages, a better lifestyle and...
14 Jan at 6 PM

Former tennis great Nastase may follow Depardieu to Russia

Romanian former tennis star Ilie Nastase, now living in Bucharest, says he’d be happy to emigrate to Russia to avoid Romanian taxes once the Russian weather warms up. Nastase told the media he is fed up with the high level of income tax in his home country and was willing to take a leaf out of Gerard Depardieu’s book and move to...
14 Jan at 6 PM

NZ Immigration fears Christchurch rebuilding will attract illegal immigrants

New Zealand Immigration officers are planning to carry out random searches on Christchurch building sites in an attempt to discourage illegal immigration. A huge swathe of Christchurch city centre was destroyed during the disastrous earthquake, with massive rebuilding projects now ongoing. The Kiwi immigration department has said it is...
14 Jan at 12 PM

Want to be on TV? Casting Call for New Channel 4 Series

The TV production company True North are looking for would-be expats for a new TV show due to air on Channel 4! Here is what they have to say: ‘Compare Your Life’ is a brand new series currently in production. We are taking UK families and couples who aren’t satisfied with their lives and changing them. Our families are wanting to...
11 Jan at 6 PM

Survey suggests immigrants are more welcome in Nordic countries

The European Social Survey, one of the most broadly based of its type, indicates that nations in the Nordic countries and Finland are more tolerant towards immigrants than other European nationals. The survey, one of several recent pan-European studies, is academically-driven and aims to explain the interactions between countries and the...
11 Jan at 4 PM

Taiwan immigration agency to update online information website

Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency convened a meeting last Wednesday to consider the best ways to improve its online web pages which give information for expats in the country. The interdepartmental meeting was attended by representatives of the expat community in Taiwan, who were invited to present ideas and suggestions which would...
10 Jan at 6 PM

British students heading to German universities to study for free

Over a year after British university fees were increased by almost 200 per cent, mounting numbers of UK’s brightest and best are heading to German universities. It’s not just undergraduates who are deserting the UK’s seats of learning due to the threat of being in debt until their middle years, it’s postgraduates as well. Many of...
10 Jan at 6 PM

Fledgling UK expats falling foul of international movers scams

Leaving your country of origin and moving overseas is an expensive and stressful business from start to finish, made worse by scams by rogue international freight forwarding companies hitting the headlines. The recent rise in emigration from the UK has caused unscrupulous international moving companies to spring up across the country,...
9 Jan at 6 PM

UAE confirms no change in new expat mortgage rules

As the United Arab Emirates expat community digests the ramifications of the emirates’ new ruling on expat mortgage credit, an article in Emirat Alyoum makes it clear there will be no reversal. Media reports quote the central bank as stating that the new rules will not be revised, and change would fuel speculation and spark a second...
9 Jan at 6 PM

UK expat retiree winter fuel payments under threat

According to recently released figures, the majority of the total of £13 million paid to UK retirees through the winter fuel grant is being sent to expat pensioners living in warm countries. The figures, published by the UK’s Department of Work and Pensions under the Freedom of Information Act, state that almost £6 million went to...
8 Jan at 6 PM

UAE cuts expat mortgages in response to default fears

In a recent surprise move, the United Arab Emirates central bank has announced a restriction on expat mortgages capped at 50 per cent of the value of the property. At the present time, no restrictions are applied to mortgages granted to UAE nationals, with 100 per cent loans the norm. However, as expat workers comprise the majority of the...
8 Jan at 6 PM

British Columbia launches advisory website for international students

Yesterday, the western Canadian province of British Columbia, launched its new website aimed at promoting its post-secondary education opportunities to international students. The LearnLiveBC website will stress the province’s high-level universities and technical colleges, with information presented in a number of languages including...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Asia Pacific property investments to perform well in 2013

A recent review of the best-performing Asian locations for investment in property tips Bangkok and Jakarta as highlights for 2013, continuing last year’s successful trend. Knight Frank’s Asia Pacific Residential Review recommends the two cities for their likelihood of strong economic growth and the growing presence of an affluent and...
7 Jan at 6 PM

Global employers face expat heathcare provision headaches

Global companies with branches in fast-growing emerging markets such as India, Russia, China, Southeast Asia and Brazil are experiencing difficulties in providing expat workers’ health care. Companies attracting expat workers are expected to cover healthcare benefits and services as part of employment packages for a growing number of...
4 Jan at 6 PM

Octogenarian Kiwi applies for his first passport

An 89-year old resident of Alexandra, New Zealand is applying for his first-ever passport in a bid to join his sick Filipina wife after she was refused residency. Ian Glover met his Filipina wife Aurora, 67, through friends in Alexandra and the couple have been married for five years. Aurora, a diabetic, was forced to return to the...
4 Jan at 6 PM

Survey shows Singapore as tops for wealthy expats

Self-made and other styles of mobile millionaires have voted Singapore as the best place in Asia to live for its quality of life and family-friendliness. The research, carried out for RBC Wealth Management, reveled that Singapore beat out its major rival, Hong Kong, as the safe destination of choice, both for finances and for family....
3 Jan at 6 PM

UK sinks in quality of life and opportunity survey

Over the last 25 years, Britain has fallen from 7th to 27th in the latest global survey based on quality of life and opportunity. The Lottery of Life poll, taken by the Economist Intelligence Unit, was based on the best place to be born in 2013 and encompassed 11 lifestyle factors from happiness through job opportunities and wealth...
3 Jan at 6 PM

Russian PM Vladimir Putin grants Gerard Depardieu Russian citizenship

A bizarre twist in the continuing controversy over the proposed French ‘millionaire tax’ has seen Russian PM Vladimir Putin granting Russian citizenship to migrant movie star Gerard Depardieu. One of France’s most popular movie personalities, Depardieu recently ignited countrywide consternation and political derision when he...
2 Jan at 6 PM

Poland becomes new hub for Southeast Asian migrants

Poland, one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies, isn’t yet known for its multiculturalism but is now becoming a favourite with a new wave of migrants from Southeast Asia. Vietnamese citizens looking for a new start are now heading for the former Communist country, drawn by its previous links with the Vietnamese Communist regime....
2 Jan at 6 PM

UK expat retirees advised to beware of QROPS scams

Newly-arrived expat investors and those still in the planning stages of their move to overseas shores are warned to beware of so-called wealth managers pushing the QROPS product. With the value of annuities still dropping and tax burdens on pension pots increasing, many older Britons are considering a move abroad. The attraction isn’t...
1 Jan at 6 PM

UAE ends prison sentences for expat loan defaulters

Following a relaxation for Emirati citizens in sentencing laws regarding the criminal offence of defaulting on loan payments, expats who bounce cheques will not now be given jail terms. In October last year, the UAE ruler Sheikh Khalifa issued a royal decree announcing the decriminalisation of the issuing of bouncing cheques, which has...
1 Jan at 6 PM

Expat British pensioners to face more years in poverty

British pensioners living outside the European Union are facing a poverty-stricken 2013 as the UK government refuses to allow payment of yearly increases in the state pension. In spite of increased pressure from overseas governments in countries such as Australia and Canada, the iniquitous rule that refuses increases to pensions paid to...
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