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November 2014 Expat News Archive
Archived Daily Expat News from the Expats Blog Newsdesk...
29 Nov at 6 PM
British demand for Spanish property soars as Brexit uncertainty continues
Alicante is set to benefit hugely from British Brexit blues due to huge uptick in property purchases. Now the Spanish province with the highest number of foreign house purchases, Alicante’s total number of homes sold in 2019’s third quarter saw just over 40 per cent going to expats – with Britons yet again getting the lion’s...
29 Nov at 6 PM
Expatriate residents in Bahrain to face mandatory health insurance
Expats living and working in Bahrain will face mandatory private health insurance requirements from mid-2020. The recently-passed law in Bahrain now compels all expats living and working in the emirate to pay mandatory monthly contributions to the official health insurance fund in order to access both public and private health centres and...
29 Nov at 6 PM
Sicilian village in a valley now selling its dilapidated homes for one euro
If you’ve finally had enough of the UK’s broken political system but can’t a afford a home overseas, this is for you! The latest little town to offer a dilapidated property for just one euro on condition of its full restoration is located amid the beauty of southern Sicily and is suffering from de-population as its young people are...
28 Nov at 6 PM
Are expat professionals welcome in Saudi Arabia or are they not?
Expats living and working in Saudi Arabia could well be confused by official mixed messages. On the one hand, there's the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman’s announcement that the Saudi government as well as the people appreciate and respect expat workers for their invaluable contribution to present and future development...
28 Nov at 6 PM
Where next for expat entrepreneurs in the tech sector
Dependent on the specific business sector, Dubai ranks highly as best for start-ups, but so do many other world countries. Deciding which location is best for your entrepreneurial start-up can be tricky, as this new world in all its expat glory isn’t just the ‘one size fits all’ destination as described online. Certain countries and...
28 Nov at 6 PM
Pornographic beachside sculptures enrage Brit expats on Costa Blanca
As if the Costa Crime Wave isn’t enough, expat families on Spain’s Costa Blanca now have pornographic metal artworks backing the beach. British expats in Alicante’s popular Altea town are in a state of shock/horror and have been rushing to complain to their local authority about a new feature backing a favourite family-oriental...
27 Nov at 6 PM
Irish expat construction workers band together to deliver water to drought-hit region
As the drought continues to tighten its stranglehold over Australian agriculture, hundreds of Sydney-based Irish expat workers banded together to transport thousands of litres of water to New South Wales. Australia is now experiencing one of the worst droughts in living memory, threatening livestock, farmers, agriculture and wildlife as...
27 Nov at 6 PM
FATCA still treating US expats like criminals
For every British expat complaining about the UK taxman taking more than his due, there are literally millions of US expats wishing they’d been born somewhere else! Some nine million Americans living overseas face an unimaginable tax nightmare every year of their professional or retirement lives. The USA is almost unique in its taxing...
27 Nov at 6 PM
UK expats in EU now at risk due to British mishandling of EU residents.
A recently-released report on Britain’s poor handing of the EU Settlement Scheme risks leaving UK expats living and working in EU member states in an even worse position. If just one important issue has been made brutally clear by EU member states as regards UK expats living in Europe, it’s that of reciprocity – meaning that if EU...
26 Nov at 6 PM
Expat volunteers help restore historic Cuenca walls before UNESCO event
Expats and nationals in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cuenca are working together to beautify the city before its anniversary celebrations. On December 1, the Spanish walled city of Cuenca will celebrate its 20th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s renowned for its spectacular secular and religious architecture dating...
26 Nov at 6 PM
Expat pensioners in Thailand facing triple whammy of high baht, falling property prices and soaring inflation
Expats forced to leave Thailand are finding themselves caught in a property sale trap. For an increasing number of expatriates in Thailand looking to leave for a less restrictive alternative or even returning to the home country, the property market slump is seriously bad timing. Many long-stay Western expat retirees who sold their homes...
26 Nov at 6 PM
Diabetic expatriate professionals no longer welcome in Kuwait
Kuwait’s Ministry of Health has announced a new ruling naming a number of non-infectious diseases now to be added to the existing list of conditions which prevent expatriates from getting permission to live and work in the emirate. At present, HIV/Aids, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and several other highly contagious diseases prevent...
25 Nov at 6 PM
Retired expat returnees carry on with charity events in the home country
A recently-returned retired Scottish expat couple have used their charity experience in Cyprus to start regular meet-ups in support of local Scottish projects. Auchterarder residents Greg and Margaret Keenan returned to their home country following five years volunteering for the North Cyprus Cancer Charity Trust, founded and headed up by...
25 Nov at 6 PM
Expat anger and confusion over conflicting diplomatic advice at Manilva meeting
British expats expressed their anger and confusion over conflicting advice at a Costa del Sol Brexit event. After more than three years’ lack of concrete information given to British expatriates living in Spain, British consulate staff were faced with confusion and anger at their latest attempt to clarify expats’ rights post-Brexit....
25 Nov at 6 PM
Expat Scottish minister opens church as a refuge for HK protestors
As violence in Hong Kong intensifies, a Scottish expat minister has opened her church as a refuge for protestors. Scottish minister of religion Maggie Mathieson told local reporters her Kowloon Union Church is now a refuge for demonstrators needing a place of safety as the eight-month long protests grow ever more violent. Mathieson’s...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Brit residents and expats warned yet again about financial scammers
According to the UK’s financial regulator, very few retirement savers are smart enough to spot a financial scam. In spite of numerous, regular warnings from the UK’s financial regulators as well as from other online sources, both British residents and expats are too slow to spot financial scammers. A recent report estimates that the...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Younger expats and students locked out of Amsterdam flat-sharing scheme
Amsterdam’s flat-sharing initiative is now under local government pressure, with housing co-ops saying any action will cut available housing for younger workers and students. As well as an influx of younger expats and students, young local workers have been taking advantage of the housing association and landlord-operated flat-sharing...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Boris plans double stamp duty for all UK expat property purchases
Expats planning to grab an inexpensive buy-to-let bargain will need to do so quickly in case the Boris party wins the UK election. Property investors with an eye to the UK’s buy-to-let market are in for a shock should the Tory party win the UK’s upcoming election. In yesterday’s announcement, the UK’s answer to Trump promised a...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Expat property investors scouring the UK for buy to let bargains
Expats on basic UK state pensions and living the simple life have been badly hurt by the slump in sterling, but their wealthier counterparts couldn’t be more pleased. Put simply, wealthy expats living and working overseas are cashing in on lower-priced buy-to-let properties in the UK. For British estate agents, the fall in the pound is...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Mexico threatened with deportation over incomplete documents
American expats are now facing deportations similar to those being experienced in Thailand. It seems the world is now regressing as regards its overall treatments of expats, many of whom in various popular worldwide destinations are now facing deportation for simple and easily remedied mistakes in documentation. For some while, Western...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Expat owned Costa Blanca horse rescue charity welcomes expat volunteers
If you’d love to work in animal rescue during your expat retirement on the Costa Blanca, this horse charity could be just what you need. It’s not just dogs and cats who’re abandoned or are victims of cruelty by their owners, as horses often need to be rescued from abuse and maltreatment. The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre was started...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Are soaring UK property prices the last hope for early expat retirement?
UK house price increases are proving lifelines for Brits hoping to retire overseas. For the hundreds of thousands of Brits who haven’t saved enough cash to fund a retirement far from Brexit Britain, soaring UK house prices may well be a lifeline. A recent survey by a leading insurance company has revealed just nine per cent of Brits...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Saudi real estate sector blaming expat exodus for slowdown
Saudi Arabia’s expat exodus is keeping the lid on the kingdom’s real estate market. Although the Saudi government firmly believes domestic demand will pick up, the present exodus of expat workers is having the opposite effect. Over the past year, property prices have fallen by between five and six percent, with rental prices down by...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Mafia gang wars, drugs and murder threaten expat life in Spain
British expats living in Spain’s Costa del Sol region are being warned over violence and assassinations now taking place in what appears to be a drugs-based mafia-style gang war. Over the past several months, Spanish police have been investigating at least two murders, with a third taking place just two weeks ago. The first body, that...
19 Nov at 6 PM
How will expats in Dubai cope with EXPO 2020?
Expats in the UAE are now wondering about the effect on their lives of the six-month long Dubai EXPO 2020. Anticipating this spectacular world event is one thing, but getting around and doing your job as an expat may well be another, should the expected millions of visitors arrive. Naturally, everyone is excited, but the real world of...
19 Nov at 6 PM
British building society to allow foreign currency deposits on expat mortgages
A British building society is now accepting deposits on expat mortgages made in foreign currencies. The Ipswich Building Society’s latest move may well be of interest to UK expats living and working overseas whose savings are held in the foreign currency of their present locations. Previously, only the pound sterling was acceptable,...
19 Nov at 6 PM
Where to now for thousands of devastated British retirees in Europe?
Will Brexit finally wreck British dreams of a retirement in the sun? By now, it’s common knowledge that the least important aspect of Brexit is the future for Britons who decided some years ago to leave the UK for a better, less pricey lifestyle. The loss of freedom of movement isn’t just bad news for holidaymakers and digital nomads,...
18 Nov at 6 PM
Spanish deadline for Brit driving license exchange now January 31
British expats in Spain now have until the end of January next year to transfer their driving licenses. The Spanish government has now extended the deadline for UK expats to exchange their British driving licenses for the Spanish equivalent until January 31. All UK expats who’ve lived in Spain for two years or more need to exchange their...
18 Nov at 6 PM
Remain Proxy Voter volunteers flock to Facebook to help Brit expats
Over a thousand Britons supporting Remain are offering their services as proxy voters to UK expats in Europe who’re afraid their General Election postal votes won’t arrive in time to be counted. The operation, named Remain Proxy Voter, was started in response to concerns over possible mail strikes in the UK and France as well as the...
18 Nov at 6 PM
Starting a small business as a retired expat in Thailand
Nowadays, many small business owners in the West are taking early retirement and heading to warmer, less costly shores. Once the initial novelty of a new country begins to wear off, many new retirees consider starting a new business in order to utilise their knowledge and experience as well as topping up their pensions as a hedge against...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Amazing expat-run charity in Spain celebrates its 35th anniversary
Celebrating its journey from its humble beginnings to international recognition, the British expat-organised Help charity is now enjoying its 35th anniversary. Now known as Help of the Marina Alta (HMA), the charity was started simply to help elderly, infirm expats with their shopping and other basic needs such as interpretation and is...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expats urged to use tactical voting to stop Brexit in its tracks
As Britain’s latest general election looms, British expats living and working in European Union member states are plotting to tip its results towards a second referendum simply by using their votes. The strategy is simple, involving forgetting previous party loyalties and voting for whichever party comes out in favour of remaining in...
15 Nov at 6 PM
British expats in France worried over declining healthcare standards
Expats in France are worried about the state of the once-famed French healthcare system. One essential for all expats considering a move overseas is an up-to-date, efficient, affordable healthcare system. Over the past decades, the French healthcare service was regarded as one of the best in the world, but nowadays its reputation is shot...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Unreleased Brit government paper poses huge risks to British expats’ rights in Europe
A report on the UK government’s threat to deport EU expats who fail to register in time for post-Brexit immigration status may result in devastating retaliatory treatment of UK expats in Europe. The majority of European expatriates at present living in the UK will need prior permission to stay post-Brexit, thus cancelling the priority...
14 Nov at 6 PM
EU statement may force Gibraltar to leave without a transition period
It seems EU bureaucrats have confirmed that Gibraltar will not be given a Brexit transition period, forcing it out of the EU’s customs union and single market immediately the UK leaves. Brussels’ position on Gibraltar is that its future must be decided in meetings between the UK and Spain in order to be allowed a transition period...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Cayman Islands the latest expat destination to see unaffordable housing
The Cayman Islands is the latest expat destination to fall foul of the unaffordable local housing trap as luxury developments become the norm. Developers in the Caymans are now concentrating on luxury condominium construction aimed at the seriously wealthy and leaving locals and the large number of supporting expat workers struggling to...
13 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Cambodia approve new safety-first construction laws
Expats in Cambodia are in support of the government’s strict new property construction laws. Following the disastrous collapse of a seven story building in Sihanoukville which caused 28 deaths and 26 injuries, Cambodia’s government has issued new rules for all constructions. Basically, should a faulty building cause death, injury or...
13 Nov at 6 PM
UK expat collective investment fund holders now risk HMRC tax blitz
Wealthy expatriate Brits with investments in offshore collective investment funds are now firmly in the sights of the UK taxman. Letters have been sent out to a large number of wealthy expats as part of a tax blitz on those using this specific tax strategy. The information required will allow HMRC to use replies under the guise of checking...
13 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expats can now banish toxic energy in the home with Feng Shui
Brit expats in Spain’s Costa del Sol can now have their homes Feng Shui’d by an expert. Originally from China, Feng Shui is an incredibly ancient and still ongoing method of ensuring your home is happy and full of positive energy by identifying the aspects of the house’s placing, design and contents which are contributing to the...
12 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expats in Spain welcome Tesco favourites in new supermarket chain
Brit expats in the southern Spanish region of Murcia now have a huge choice of Tesco favourites via a new supermarket chain. Walking into the new Food Co store in Puerto de Mazarron is now just like the weekly Tesco supermarket shopping back in the UK. The huge, supermarket-style shop itself is the largest in the province, and is now...
12 Nov at 6 PM
Brexit relocations send Paris property prices through the roof
Paris properties are now becoming unaffordable for all except the very wealthy. Prices in the French capital are being pushed skywards due to demand from expat workers whose firms have now relocated from London due to fears over the Brexit effect on businesses and the economy. As a result, Paris is now one of the most expensive of all...
12 Nov at 6 PM
New Saudi residency scheme proving popular with wealthy expats
Saudi Arabia is now rolling out its premium residency scheme for expats who meet the visa’s criteria. After the news broke that a premium residency visa was to be introduced in the Kingdom, its immigration department received literally thousands of applications for the promised premium residency. The first batch of those lucky and rich...
11 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expats in Europe rushing to register for general election proxy votes
Warnings about a lack of time to arrange postal votes for UK expats in Europe have resulted in a rush to register for proxy votes. Following on from the chaos during the EU MP elections during which a huge number of UK expat voters lost the chance to make their preferences known, fear of the same scenario on December 12 has seen a flurry...
11 Nov at 6 PM
Sihanoukville now a burst bubble as China pulls out
Cambodia’s former peaceful holiday town of Sihanoukville may well have been wrecked by Chinese casinos and crooks, but the party’s now over. One a quiet coastal resort much loved by Cambodians as well as by a small community of Western expats, Sihanoukville swiftly became a hub for Chinese on- and offline casinos, Chinese triad gangs,...
11 Nov at 6 PM
Costa Blanca dog rescue charity pleads for expat adopters as shelter lost
Homes for 20 rescued dogs are desperately needed after a Costa Blanca charity loses its premises. The APAH pet charity in Pilar de Horadada was founded in the year 2000 by British expat Yvonne Colbyn and her friend, and has cared for abandoned and stray dogs ever since, rehoming as many as 2,000 dogs and cats. The cash to keep the shelter...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Expat secret bank accounts being investigated by Portuguese taxman
The Portuguese taxman is investigating overseas accounts held by foreign national residents as well as non-residents and accounts held by Portuguese nationals. Recent reports in local media revealed Portugal’s tax authority is investigating a million so-called ‘secret accounts’ held offshore by both foreign residents and...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Is China a long haul expat destination or just a stop on the road?
Most expats in China eventually face deciding whether they want to leave or stay. It has to be said that China is a unique world destination for expat professionals, whatever their expertise, but the vast majority aren’t in it for the long haul. However fascinating and challenging the stay in this unique country is, sooner rather than...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Expats sending money home to be hit by Kuwaiti tax on remittances
Newly promoted expats’ enemy Safa al Hashem hits out again at expat remittances. Al Hashem, now the head of Kuwait’s National Assembly Financial and Economic Affairs committee, hit out yet again at expats living and working in the emirate by calling for government support on a draft bill imposing taxes on money sent back to the home...
7 Nov at 6 PM
British long-stay expats in Spain increasingly angry over 15-year voting exclusion
As yet another Brexit-induced British general election looms, some 60 per cent of UK expats in Europe are being denied the right to vote. The issue is the rule that British citizens living overseas for over 15 years are excluded from voting in UK elections or referendums even although, as in this case, their rights can be totally denied...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Pension freedoms still highly popular with expat retirement savers
Retirement savers are still taking cash from their pension pots, but less has been taken out than in 2018. It seems pensions freedoms are still the name of the game for soon-to-be expat retirees, even although last year’s total withdrawals were slightly higher than this year’s to date. Official data revealed by HM Revenue and Customs...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Online poll reveals British expats’ most-loved foodie treats
Moving overseas for a new life in a strange land can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but the downside could be missing familiar foods, drinks and culinary treats. A recent poll undertaken by an online store selling typically British favourites to expats all over the world has resulted in a comprehensive list of foods no...
6 Nov at 6 PM
Expat parents in the Czech Republic will need to get new official ID cards for their kids
Expat parents in the Czech Republic will need to get official ID cards for their kids from the age of six. Once the relevant law is passed, the cards will be mandatory, and are expected to be useful for proving age on public transport or when children are travelling with a parent with a different surname. At some time in the future, the...
6 Nov at 6 PM
Qatar ups minimum unskilled worker wage in preparation for 2022 World Cup
Qatar has passed a new minimum wage law aimed at expats as well as local employees. It seems the emirate’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup may have positive effects on expats living and working in Qatar. A recent proclamation by the government announced not only the revocation of all expats’ exit visas but also a minimum wage law...
6 Nov at 6 PM
Mauritius affordable golden visa lures expat investors
With worldwide property investment still a favourite for expat professionals, Mauritius’s recent rule relaxation should prove of interest to those with spare cash. Already well-received in the worldwide expat property investment community, Mauritius’s recent relaxation of several rules governing property and residency has resulted in...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Locals and expats fight illegal squatters in Basque town
Hundreds of furious local residents and expats living in the Basque town of Portugalete united to force an illegal squatter family out of a 94-year old’s home. Nonagenarian Victoria de Castro had returned from a visit to her sick 97-year old sister only to find her home had been illegally occupied by a family of squatters whilst she was...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Retirement savers insisting on managing their own money via pension freedoms
Many UK retirement savers are now insisting on managing their own money. Arguments are now ongoing between pension regulators, financial advisors, pension providers and savers themselves as to the ifs and buts about transferring to a defined contribution scheme from a defined benefit pension, with savers wanting more control over their own...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Kuwait cracks down on human trafficking after shocking BBC exposure
Following a harrowing exposure of slave trading by the BBC, Kuwait is cracking down on black market social media sales of domestic workers. The shocking BBC News report told it like it was for expatriate domestic workers who arrive from Southeast Asia to take up jobs as domestic help for wealthy Kuwaiti families only to find themselves...
4 Nov at 6 PM
Long-stay Brit expats lose their voting rights yet again
Long-stay British expats overseas are still to be excluded from voting to retain their chosen lifestyles. Britons who emigrated to European member states as well as further afield more than 15 years ago will again be forbidden the chance to vote in the upcoming UK General Election. Totals are estimated as some 700,000 or more, with the...
4 Nov at 6 PM
Real estate scammer caught targeting new expat arrivals in Amsterdam
New expat arrivals in the Netherlands are being warned to check out the credentials of real estate agents when searching for accommodation. The warning comes as one scam artist is remanded in custody on charges of ripping off 13 victims for a total sum of around €100,000 in order to finance his gambling addiction debts. In a procedural...
4 Nov at 6 PM
Benalmadena expats horrified by psychopathic killings of animals in local park
British expats in Spain's popular Benalmadena are being warned about a possible psychopath killing animals in the town’s park. British expats are branding as a psychopath the unknown person responsible for decapitating rabbits and injuring other animals in the city’s popular Paloma Park. The city’s large expat community was...
1 Nov at 6 PM
Spanish government to pay out colossal compensation for gota fria destruction
The true cost of Spain’s devastating gota fria storms is now calculated to total at least €379 million, but claims are still being received. Spain’s Consorcio de Compensacion de Seguros has released its estimates of householder compensation for the massive damage and destruction caused by this summer’s devastating weather...
1 Nov at 6 PM
Shrinking sterling hitting hard on UK state pensioners in Europe
Retired British expatriates living in a wide selection of EU member states have seen their lifestyles reversed due to the effect of Brexit on the sterling exchange rate. The UK state pension and many other occupational pensions are paid in sterling, leaving expat recipients to cut back as best they can during an exchange rate cut. During...
1 Nov at 6 PM
Missing pensions can wreck the best-laid expat retirement plans
Millions of pension savers risk losing out due to missing pensions. British workers paying into occupational pensions are being warned they may lose their savings due to missing pensions. Numbers as high as three out of every four pension savers have no real idea how much they’re worth, nor how much they will need to spend as retirees,...
29 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expats await final judgement on right to revoke Article 50
Judgement on whether the UK can legally revoke article 50 is due December 4. Next Tuesday, the advocate-general of the European Court of Justice will present his legal opinion as to whether the UK has a right to unconditionally and unilaterally revoke Article 50. The final judgement is of crucial interest to anti-Brexit campaign groups as...
29 Nov at 6 PM
May’s Brexit deal ignores British expats’ state pension arrangements
Close to a million UK expat pensioners living in the EU are still in pension limbo. British PM Theresa May’s Brexit deal fails to guarantee British expats’ state pension arrangements, leaving up to a million British citizens living in Europe afraid for their future pension payments. In her address to parliament last Monday, May said...
29 Nov at 6 PM
Expat investors shunning Saudi Arabia following Khashoggi murder
Expat as well as Arab investors are shunning Saudi Arabia after the Khashoggi murder and its world-wide condemnation Foreign investment in Saudi Arabia is lagging due to the worldwide backlash against the Khashoggi murder. The last thing wealthy investors need is a worldwide scandal suggesting it’s not just the top echelon which isn’t...
28 Nov at 6 PM
Shanghai Black Expo introduces Africa to Chinese consumers
An event held recently in one of Shanghai's most historic buildings is shifting assumptions about black entrepreneurs in the Chinese mega-city. Set in Shanghai’s historic quarter, Black Expo is all about changing the way the Chinese see black expats living and working in the huge city. The event featured booths selling the best of black...
28 Nov at 6 PM
To stay or go – the expat dilemma in Spain
Although many British expats in Spain are beginning to believe the only way forward is to reluctantly return to the UK, is this really necessary? As Britain’s Prime Minister attempts to sell her controversial deal to Parliament, a strategy which seems likely to fall flat on its face, the numbers of British expatriates in Spain who’ve...
28 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in France struggle to make sense of May’s deal
As Brit expats in France attempt to make sense of May’s deal and calculate its effect on their lives, the French EU minister spells it out. According to French Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau, Theresa May’s Brexit deal as it stands right now is a good deal which brings bad news both for the UK and the 27 remaining EU member states....
27 Nov at 6 PM
UAE long-stay expats to get defined contribution pensions
The UAE’s end of service benefit is a useful and welcome lump-sum bonus for expats who’ve worked in the emirates for a while, but is it enough? Expats in the UAE are entitled to this gratuity once they’ve worked for a company for one year, and those working in the same job for more than five years receive an amount increased to...
27 Nov at 6 PM
Expatriate women training new Saudi women drivers
Due to the lack of available driving schools in the Saudi city of Madinah, female expat drivers are taking over the task of training their Saudi counterparts. A good number of Saudi women in Madinah and other Saudi cities where there are no official driving schools are now turning to expat females to teach them how to drive. When it...
27 Nov at 6 PM
EU expat professionals desert NHS and universities in droves
Public bodies, universities and NHS hospitals were the focus of research into the Brexit effect on UK public services. Campaign group Best for Britain’s extensive research into the numbers of EU expat professionals quitting the UK in fear of Brexit shows public services are under extreme pressure due to the impending EU/UK divorce....
26 Nov at 6 PM
New UAE long-stay visas fall flat due to excessive financial requirements
As details emerge about the UAE’s long-term expat visa scheme, it seems only the very wealthy will benefit. Foreign residents in the UAE hoping to be included in the UAE’s much-vaunted long-term visa scheme are likely to be disappointed as the five and 10-year residency permits are to be limited to wealthy investors, entrepreneurs,...
26 Nov at 6 PM
Olive Press now in 10,000 most popular Spanish website lists
The English language expat newspaper The Olive Press now features in the 10,000 best websites in the whole of Spain. For British expats living, working and retiring in Spain, the Olive Press English language newspaper has long been a consistent source of information covering all Spanish regions and ranging from breaking news to advice...
26 Nov at 6 PM
Spain’s Irish expat community is happy to stay forever
There are almost as many Irish expatriates living, working and retiring along Spain’s Costa del Sol as there are refugees from the UK. The Irish expat community in Spain is mostly concentrated in the Costa del Sol region and, according to those living the dream, are more Irish than they ever were in the auld country. If they do return...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Free post-Brexit healthcare for Brit expats now on the cards
Whilst the word ‘Brexit’ has become a source of worry and fear for British expatriates living, working, retiring or even studying in EU member states, one concern is the most scary – that of continued healthcare. UK expat state pensioners have been the hardest hit by the possibility that post-Brexit healthcare will no longer be...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expat state pensioners on benefits worried over continued entitlement
British expats in EU member states who’re in receipt of UK benefits are afraid they will no longer be eligible post-Brexit. A number of Brit expats living in Spain and other popular expat hubs are receiving disability, illness and other benefits from the UK’s Department of Work and Pensions. The crucial benefits allow British citizens...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expats in Spain urged to donate blood
Whilst still living in the UK many British expats made it their duty to donate blood on a regular basis, but don't now they're in Spain. In the UK, voluntary blog donations have been part of life for concerned citizens for decades, especially for those with rarer blood types. Giving blood is easy, fast and truly does save lives, but how...
22 Nov at 6 PM
No-deal Brexit threatens UK expat pet owners planning to travel
UK expat pet owners living in Europe are being urged to check with their vets as to compliance with animal movement regulations post-Brexit. British expats living in Europe who’re hoping to travel to the UK with their pets after a no-deal Brexit are being advised to make sure they comply with European regulations. In addition, dog, cat...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Spanish property still selling like hot cakes
As an ever-increasing number of expats arrive in Spain, foreign property purchase is soaring to an all-time high in popular destinations. Last year, over 61,000 homes were purchased by expats, mostly in coastal provinces and Spain’s ever-popular offshore islands. According to the country’s Spanish Registry, data shows just over 13 per...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Dog ownership for lonely expats in the Netherlands
If you’ve arrived in the Netherlands and are feeling lonely and isolated, getting a dog is the perfect answer. It’s normal for expats in the Netherlands to decide to share their new lives with a furry friend, and most landlords don’t have a problem with allowing a dog in their rentals. Points to consider include the cost of keeping...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Costa del Sol gang wars continue as foreign man shot dead
Gangland-style murders, bombings and violent attacks are continuing along the Costa del Sol. Marbella’s upmarket Nagueles residential district became the scene of yet another gangland-style murder when a man described as ‘foreign’ was shot and killed by an assassin on a motorcycle.The area is known for its luxury gated communities...
21 Nov at 6 PM
QROPS overhaul to clarify overseas transfer charge repayments
QROPS procedures are undergoing yet another overhaul as the British government publishes a draft of new regulations. The government’s document lists two new regulations, referring to them as technical consultations, the first of which proposes adjustments to the manner in which UK expats with QROPS offshore pensions can claw back the...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Brexit anxiety for Brits in France hits a new high
British expats living, retiring or working in France are now suffering even more anxiety over their fates in the event of a hard or no-deal Brexit. The general feeling of stress amongst the British expat community in France, Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal and other EU member states is now focusing on anger at being used, abused and yet again...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Expats banned from owning Oman property and land
In a royal decree issued by Oman’s Sultan, expat ownership of real estate and land in several areas has been banned. Regions where the ban will apply include Dhofar, in which Salalah, Buraimi, Al Wusta and Musandam are exceptions. Also banned are properties and land in Shinas, Liwa, Jabal Shams, Masirah and Jabal al Akhdar. Expats in...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Is Shenzhen or Hong Kong best for expat entrepreneurs?
Shenzhen is the fastest growing city in the world, but how does it compare with neighbouring Hong Kong? Expats have flocked to Hong Kong to make their fortunes in an exotic environment for decades, but the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen has overtaken the former British colony by concentrating on the tech boom. Nowadays, it’s known...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Expats angry as Spain backs off Gibraltar deal
Spain is now refusing to support any Brexit deal unless it receives more assurances about Gibraltar. According to Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, the Spanish government in Madrid is demanding greater clarity on the Rock’s future status. Only when it receives the information will it offer its full support for any Brexit deal...
19 Nov at 6 PM
Cuenca offers UK expat retirees everything at great prices
As popular European destinations become more expensive and less accessible due to Brexit, UK retirees are being urged to consider crossing the Atlantic and heading south! Whether it’s Brexit, diminished savings due to the financial crash or poorly-advised investments, an increasing number of British retirees are fearful their monthly...
19 Nov at 6 PM
Alicante-based UK expats attend consulate’s Brexit advisory meetup
Last week’s advisory meetup by the British consulate in Alicante saw some 350 British expatriates arriving at the Playa Flamenca town hall for updates on Brexit’s effect on their lives. The meeting, entitled Living in Spain and Brexit, was one in a series of events organised by the British consulate with the aim of keeping British...
19 Nov at 6 PM
Life gets tougher for expatriate professionals in Dubai
The recent and continuing expatriate exodus is hitting Dubai where it hurts – in the pocket. Once top of the expat wish list for huge tax-free salaries, a glittering lifestyle and every possible amenity, Dubai isn’t what it used to be. The famed city in the desert is fading fast as the expatriate exodus expands, although its massive...
19 Nov at 9 AM
Spain to urge expat professionals to repatriate
The Spanish government is working to persuade its nationals who left during the economic crisis to return and take up skilled jobs in their home country. Spain’s recession began during the fallout from the 2008 global financial meltdown, with skilled professionals in the fields of medicine, science and other professions jumping ship and...
19 Nov at 9 AM
House-hunting advice for UK expat returnees
British expats relocating to the UK in fear of Brexit are faced with shock property price hikes. A good number of Brit expats rented out their UK homes when they left for warmer climes, but the majority sold their properties in the UK in order to upgrade to beachside or poolside villas in the Spanish sun. Sadly, although the Spanish...
19 Nov at 9 AM
British expats condemn withdrawal draft
British expatriates across Europe are again accusing Theresa May of totally ignoring their plight in her rush to leave the EU. As a result of May’s failed promises to protect the rights of UK expats in EU member states, two of the largest anti-Brexit protest groups have now merged in order to present a united front in support of their...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Class action lawsuit opened for victims of deadly Spanish painkiller
The manufacturers and distributors of Nolitil, the deadly painkiller which killed expats in Spain, are now facing a class action lawsuit. The deadly drug was first exposed as a killer in Spain’s expat newspaper The Olive Press after medical translator Cristina del Campo alerted a journalist at the publication. After an almost two year...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Expats to be banned from Kuwait public hospitals
Expats are to be banned from using Kuwait public hospitals by the end of 2020. Sources from within Kuwait’s healthcare sector have told local media the emirate’s health ministry is planning on banning expats from seeking treatment in local public hospitals. The ban is expected to come into force within the next two to three years. The...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Chinese cities evaluated on environment, economy and society
The annual ranking by the government of Chinese cities gives newly arrived expats the best idea where to go. The China Integrated City Index evaluates and analyses 297 Chinese cities based on environment, economy and society, with the top ten giving a great choice for expats in all sector and professions. The three top are Beijing,...
15 Nov at 6 PM
UK expats urged to guard against volatile pound
As the Brexit scenario becomes even more confusing and unpredictable, UK expats overseas as well as sterling investors are being urged to take precautions against currency volatility. As the wrangling in the British parliament increases and calls for a second referendum grow louder, the pound sterling is weakening by the day. At the...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in UAE run risks of sudden bank account freezes
For UAE expats, it’s the worst scenario to find your local bank account is frozen! Inability to access funds, even for a short time, is the worst nightmare for many expats, especially when they’ve not the faintest idea why it’s happened. It’s tricky enough to bank in a country where you can’t speak the local language fluently,...
15 Nov at 6 PM
EU promises Brits visa-free travel after no-deal
The European Commission has now promised visa-free entry to Britons wishing to take short trips to the EU after a no-deal Brexit. The offer, which must still gain agreement from the EU parliament and the EU Council, would allow British citizens to visit France, Spain or any other countries in the Schengen zone and stay for up to 90 days...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Expat women banned from owning Kuwaiti property
Expat women are forbidden to own Kuwaiti property after an appeal court judgement was overturned at a higher court. By overturning an initial court judgement which allowed an expat woman to own half of a Kuwaiti man’s house, Kuwait lawyers have effectively banned expat females from owning Kuwaiti property. The Court of Appeal had...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expats in Spain baffled and angry over May’s Brexit deal
As news broke of a possible stalemate-breaking new Brexit agreement between the EU and the UK, UK expats in Spain were left angry and even more baffled. According to chair of the Bremain in Spain campaign Sue Wilson, reactions from her members range between increased concerns over post-Brexit citizens’ rights to the typical Brit...
15 Nov at 6 PM
New poll suggests over three million Leave voters want second referendum
Anti-Brexit campaigners and UK expats are awaiting further developments with bated breath, suggests new research. As UK expats in EU member states wait for the latest Brexit news, a new poll suggests 3.3 million people who voted to leave the EU would now support a second referendum which includes an option to remain in the EU. Anti-Brexit...
12 Nov at 6 PM
EU expat nationals in UK facing a stay or go dilemma
As British expats in the EU grow ever more fearful of Brexit’s effect on their lives, EU nationals living and working in the UK are faced with the same crucial decision. EU nationals at present in the UK have a stark choice – to apply for British citizenship, pack their bags and head back to the home country or stay put whilst keeping...
12 Nov at 6 PM
QROPS dilemma for UK expat retiree pensioners
Retiring in the sun is the dream of many older Britons, especially since the Brexit referendum. Expats past the age of retirement make up a sizeable percentage of British nationals living overseas, according to the Office for National Statistics. Portugal and Spain are major UK retirement hubs, with pensioners aged 65 and over accounting...
12 Nov at 6 PM
Saudi businesses suffering due to expat exodus
A dearth of expats is leaving Saudi businesses counting the cost Even although the vast majority of expat workers who’re suffering from Saudi Arabia’s new labour market reform are from the lower and middle-income groups, key private sectors such as housing, transport, education, recreation and retail are feeling increasingly negative...
9 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Cambodia fear Chinese colonisation
Is Cambodia fast becoming a satellite of China? Cambodia has long been a destination for expatriates keen on Southeast Asia but disenchanted with Thailand and not quite ready for rural Laos, but the increasing Chinese presence in popular destinations such as Sihanoukville is worrying the long-stay foreign community. Chinese investment has...
9 Nov at 6 PM
Spanish tourism minister in Brexit talks with Thomas Cook and Jet2
UK tour operators and the Spanish tourism chief met in London earlier this week to ensure Spain’s future as a UK expat and tourism hub. Spanish minister for industry, trade and tourism Reyes Maroto met up with CEOs from Jet2 and Thomas Cook to shore up Spain’s future as a tourism hub should a no-deal Brexit scenario become reality....
9 Nov at 6 PM
Is Thailand still a bargain basement retirement destination?
For several decades, Thailand has been touted as an affordable, enjoyable retirement destination, but how much has the country changed over the past few years? For retirees from Europe, the USA, the UK and Australia, Thailand has long been a favourite for its low cost of living, natural beauty, warm climate and friendly locals, but recent...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expats can’t live without baked beans and Shreddies
British expats in Australia still pine for a taste of the home country. In spite of the Australian love of barbecued meat and other such delicacies, homesick Brits living in Oz are still sending off for all-time British culinary favourites such as cheese and onion crisps and Bisto gravy. Figures released by online grocery British Corner...
8 Nov at 6 PM
World’s most unfriendly nations for expats
One important aspect when choosing an expat destination is undoubtedly the friendliness of the local people. Leaving friends and family in the home country and settling in an unfamiliar country with a confusing culture isn’t easy, and relies to some extent on the friendliness of new neighbours and work colleagues. Sadly, not all expat...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Costa del Sol reverts to Costa del violent gang warfare
British expats living along Spain’s Costa del Sol coastline are now trapped in a gang warfare zone. For decades, Spain’s most popular expat havens have also been known as boltholes for wanted criminals fleeing the UK police, with the region’s reputation often glamourised in films and TV series as a result. Over the past months, the...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Staying safe in Costa Rica as an expat retiree
How safe is Costa Rica for retired expats? Costa Rica has a reputation as an expat retiree favourite due to its affordable cost of living and beautiful weather, but is it as safe for elderly retirees as it used to be? The Central American country is still a go-to destination for expats from all over the world but, as unrest increases...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Deadly painkiller Nolotil now strongly regulated in Spain
The Olive Press’s campaign against the use of the deadly painkiller Nolotil has finally been successful. Over a year ago, Spain’s English language newspaper began a campaign against the use of Nolotil, a painkiller frequently prescribed by Spanish doctors. The paper was alerted to the mysterious deaths of a number of British and Irish...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Dubai property market slumps further
Cheaper Dubai rents and property prices are due by the end of this year. The fall in Dubai real estate prices and rental charges is now expected to crash still further by late December. Real estate agents in the emirate are predicting a five per cent drop in both sectors as a result of a 20 per cent fall in the number of homes changing...
6 Nov at 6 PM
British expat promoter shot dead in Cyprus
Liverpudlian expatriate promoter Gary Christodoulou was shot dead near a road linking Ayia Napa and Larnaca, with his Mercedes found in a ditch on the side of the highway. Since 2010, the promoter had been splitting his time between his Liverpool home and his business in Cyprus, and had been on the island since last February. He was found...
6 Nov at 6 PM
London property still hot for Middle East expat investors
The Brexit-hit pound sterling is providing a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to Middle East investors wishing to purchase UK property. Investors in Dubai and the rest of the emirates are piling their money into British buy-to-let properties, forcing house prices up whilst taking full advantage of the shrinking pound and low mortgage...
6 Nov at 6 PM
Recruitment firm offers free flights back home to Irish expats in Oz
In an attempt to persuade Irish expats living and working in Australia to return home, FRS Recruitment is offering free flights for those filling job vacancies. The company is putting on roadshows in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne between November 8 and 13, offering practical advice as well as logistics and job details including salaries....
5 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in France offered six more British Embassy outreach meetings
Four outreach meetings for UK expats during November and a further two in December are to be held by staff from the British Embassy in Paris. As with previous meetings, the aim will be to answer British expatriates’ questions about their situation after Brexit becomes a reality rather than just a bad dream. Chantilly and Aix en Provence...
5 Nov at 6 PM
British and Irish buying up Spanish property
Foreign buyer purchases in Spain are up by 11 per cent, with Brits and the Irish cornering 15 per cent of the total foreign market. It’s old news that Spain is the most popular expat destination for British expats as well as for holidaymakers, but the threat of Brexit doesn’t seem to have dampened their enthusiasm for a sunny climate,...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Doctors Without Borders needs more expat professionals
The Belgian chapter of Doctors Without Borders is looking to recruit more expat medical professionals. Next Thursday, the humanitarian group is to hold a meeting in Brussels with the aim of recruiting more expatriate medical practitioners to serve as humanitarian workers where they’re most needed across the world. Specialists in medical...
2 Nov at 6 PM
Taiwan rewards top expat talent with easy citizenship
Top expat talent in Taiwan now has a straightforward route to citizenship. The 90 expatriates in Taiwan who hold the coveted ‘Plum Blossom’ Alien Permanent Residency Certificates now have a simplified route to become Taiwanese citizens. The new citizenship procedure will apply to those senior expat professionals who’ve provided...
2 Nov at 6 PM
British expat faces death sentence for husband’s murder
A British expat woman in Malaysia has been charged with murdering her husband and is facing a death sentence. Samantha Jones and her husband John had been living on the Malaysian island of Langkawi for 11 years, having arrived under the Southeast Asian country’s ‘My Second Home’ immigration scheme. The couple had first visited the...
2 Nov at 6 PM
Gender pay gap leaves female expats short of retirement cash
Women planning for an expat retirement need to pay more attention to saving rather than spending. It’s a sad fact that, on average, women’s retirement savings are far less than the amounts squirreled away by men looking towards a comfortable life either in the home country or as an expat retiree overseas. Basically, the pension pot...
1 Nov at 6 PM
Serial beggar causing grief for expats in Saigon
Expats living and working in Saigon are furious about an American expat beggar who’s survived on the streets for an entire year. Unconfirmed reports give the reputed American beggar’s name as Tim Style, with a local expatriate store owner confirming he’s seen Style in various Saigon locations for around a year. The beggar holds a...
1 Nov at 6 PM
Malaga expat community bands together for flood-hit pensioner
A Malaga flash flood victim is praising British expats who rallied round to provide help and support when her home was flooded up to the roof. 60-year old Irish retiree Trish McGough’s 14th century stone-built home was inundated by a flash flood and badly damaged, her furniture was wrecked and her possessions ruined, leaving her with...
1 Nov at 6 PM
UAE expats warm towards property ownership
Expats now resident in the UAE are beginning to like the idea of property ownership. A report from the online real estate portal Property Finder revealed the result of a recent survey, with 50 per cent of respondents who’d purchased homes over the previous six months now believing owning is better than renting. A further 33 per cent...
30 Nov at 6 PM
Female British expat in Dubai facing prison for witnessing fight
A young British expat who’s lived and worked as an account manager in Dubai for three years is now at risk of prison for witnessing a fight between Brits and a drunken Swedish man. Asa Hutchinson was with a group of male friends in the lobby of a Dubai hotel when the men spotted a drunken expat asleep on a sofa and decided to take...
30 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Ireland fear chaos over Brexit border
Expats on both sides of the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic are worried about the lack of progress on the issue in Brexit negotiations to date. According to EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, the negotiations' ‘moment of truth’ is fast approaching as regards the Irish border situation once the UK leaves the EU....
30 Nov at 6 PM
Plunging pound angers Brit retirees on frozen pensions
More than half a million UK expat pensioners are suffering from the effect of the plunging pound on their frozen state pensions. UK expats living in EU member states were told in September their state pensions would still be upgraded annually as per the ‘triple lock’ rule. The agreement covers British pensioners remaining in the EU...
29 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Kuwait furious over 10 year cap on visas
Kuwait is back in the news once more due to it’s proposed 10 or 15-year cap on visas for expat professionals working in the emirate. Expat feathers were ruffled a few months ago when the first suggestion of the 10-year cap was mooted in the emirate’s parliament. Recently, the suggestion was made that the cap should be increased to 15...
29 Nov at 6 PM
British Council holds Singlish and culture lessons for expats in Singapore
Sessions organised by the British Council in Singapore are proving popular for their Singlish tuition and focus on Singaporean culture. Strangers to Singapore might well be forgiven for not having the least idea what Singlish actually is – it’s the common language locals use in their everyday communications. It’s known as an...
29 Nov at 6 PM
UK expats still taking advantage of sinking sterling to purchase UK property
Expats on assignments in the UAE are still taking advantage of the shrinking pound by investing in UK property. New research indicates both foreign nationals and UK expats working in the UAE are snapping up British real estate whilst sterling is at a low point. Outside London, its suburbs and its fashionable outer rim, property prices are...
28 Nov at 6 PM
EU expats in UK off the hook as regards rights to remain
The British government has finally outlined the measures by which EU expats may apply for settled status when Brexit is finalised. The statement from the government went as far as to promise expats will not be rejected due to minor technicalities and even said the vast majority of EU expats who wish to stay in the UK will be granted leave...
28 Nov at 6 PM
Most UAE expats have no income protection
Research by an international insurance company has revealed the vast majority of expat professionals working in the UAE have no protection against loss of income through incapacity or illness. The study, carried out by Zurich International working with Oxford University’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, examines both...
28 Nov at 6 PM
Retirees warned over online IFA directories crammed with bogus advisors
A respected consumer watchdog’s survey of financial advisor directory websites has revealed many are listing unqualified, bogus IFAs. An investigation by the magazine Which's Money section has resulted in warnings to expats and UK residents not to take for granted qualifications listed on online financial portals. The watchdog...
27 Nov at 6 PM
British expats on Gibraltar being ignored by UK government
British expats living on Gibraltar are increasingly afraid for their futures as the UK government has totally ignored their plight to date. A senior Spanish government source close to the EU negotiating team is insisting the British team have offered no proposals at all concerning the post-Brexit future of the famous Rock and its Brit...
27 Nov at 6 PM
Expat wrongly imprisoned in Spain for rape hits out at police
A Dutch expat jailed in Spain for 12 years on a rape charge is hitting out at local police after a British man confessed to the rapes after being convicted of murder. Romano van der Dussen spent an agonising 12 years in a Spanish prison for rapes he did not commit, and has told of brutal beatings due to the nature of his alleged crimes....
27 Nov at 6 PM
Brit owner of bar hit by Irma is determined to rebuild
A British expat and his family living and working on St Martin when Hurricane Irma struck are determined to rebuild their popular Honky-Tonk Bar. Born in the Lancashire town of Bury, Simon Healey swapped the rainy northern town for the sunny Caribbean island when he was just 23 years old. Some 14 years later, he’d married, had children...
24 Nov at 6 PM
Expats fear rights ignored in rush for Brexit trade talks
In a meet last week with Michel Barnier, British in Europe campaigners told of expats’ fears they will be ignored in the rush to start Brexit trade talks. British lawyer and BIE chairperson Jane Golding told the EU’s chief negotiator the rights of expats must not be ‘swept under the carpet’ and ignored due to pressure from both...
24 Nov at 6 PM
British Embassy urges UK expats and visitors to take care in Dubai
Dubai’s British embassy is warning all UK citizens in the emirate to take more care when outdoors. Between the annual increase of British visitors and UK expats taking advantage of the cooler winter weather, the streets and malls in Dubai are far more crowded than during the rest of the year. Scheduled events during the cool season such...
24 Nov at 6 PM
US expats getting desperate over FATCA repeal
Campaigners in favour of repealing the hated FATCA law have presented an open letter to US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin demanding lawmakers fulfil Trump’s campaign promise to get rid of FATCA. The recent release of the Trump administration tax bill made no mention of any relief for US expats over citizen based taxation, nor any...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Spot the difference between Brits and Americans in France
France may well be crammed with British expats, but their American counterparts are more easily recognisable. For decades, France has been known as a favourite for Britons looking for a safe, inexpensive retirement haven with a far friendlier climate and easy access to family in the UK. Brits still tend to congregate in communities, just...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Kuwait cracks down on expat traffic violations
Fierce criticisms of Kuwait’s intent to deport foreigners committing two traffic violations are coming from Kuwaitis as well as expats. Kuwait’s war with the expat community hit new lows this week with a promise that expats caught committing a traffic violation for the second time would be deported. Specific crimes included using a...
23 Nov at 6 PM
UK expats watch EC Vote Leave investigations with interest
As the Brexit negotiations grind on with no apparent results, a potential new scandal linked to the referendum itself is causing strong interest amongst UK expats living in Europe. Recent allegations over the usage by the Leave campaign of an illegally high amount of publicity funds are now being investigated by Britain’s election...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Toxic air pollution forces expats to flee Delhi
With air pollution over New Delhi recently at dangerous levels, expats are packing up and leaving in order to protect their health. Pollution during the winter season is a perennial problem for the city, but this year the toxic smog is worse than ever and is seriously endangering the health of residents and their families. The thick, grey...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Cliff edge Brexit to be poison for private pension payments
International lawyers believe Britain’s leaving the UK without a deal or transition period could spell disaster for UK retirees in France receiving personal pensions. Long-term expat retirees living in France and other EU member states are likely to be hit with the double whammy of being unable to access their personal pension payments...
22 Nov at 6 PM
British expats in France worried over residency permit refusals
French authorities in several regions are refusing to process British expats’ residency permits, advising them to try again once Brexit is finalised. In an attempt to secure their status in France should the Brexit negotiations fail, many long-stay British expats are applying for a carte de sejour, the French residency permit available...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Younger expatriates are looking to reshape the world
It’s possible the early decades of the 21st century will be recognised as the restart button for the human race’s subliminal desire to roam. Some 60 years or more ago, the term ‘expat’ was set alongside ‘gypsy’ and ‘traveller’ for many Brits who simply couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to leave their country of...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Retirement savings no longer possible for many Brits
A new survey has shown retirement prospects for huge numbers of Britons are poor due to ever increasing costs, low returns on savings and increases in mortgage rates. The study, commissioned by a leading financial giant, gives scant hope of a comfortable retirement for British citizens on average wages, as it shows there’s not enough...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Push for US resident based tax regime still alive
Spokespersons for groups campaigning for a change from citizen-based taxation to residency-based taxation are reassuring their expat supporters the possibilities for change are still alive. Representatives of Republicans Overseas and American Citizens Abroad have been lobbying lawmakers ahead of the first reading of the Trump tax...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Climate change scientists predict Spain as desert hotspot
Although the results of current scientific research into the worldwide effects of global warming may not affect the majority of British retirees now spread across Spain, it’s still set to be a disaster. Climate change experts now believe the ‘point of no return’ is being approached at an alarming rate, with the results combined with...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Is Saudi Vision 20 30 Saudization gone mad
Saudi Arabia holds an estimated 10 million expats, 100,000 of whom are citizens of Western countries and all of whom are likely to be affected by the new rules. Since the release of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s plan for the future of the kingdom was released, a number of changes have taken place, the majority of which are making...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Expats put their lives at risk working in Delhi
For decades, India was regarded as a must-have posting for senior executives at multinational companies in the West, but health risks due to pollution are killing its attraction. Nowadays, India is regarded as a proving ground for major talent as well as an important international market, but its rise as an expatriate hub has been all but...
17 Nov at 6 PM
Oz coastline popular with Brit expats may be hit by massive tsunami
Brit expats warned global warming could trigger a massive tsunami along the east coast of Australia. The east coast of the continent of Australia has always been a major destination for expats, with a good percentage of the hundreds of thousands of Britons in Oz happily settled in Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. A...
17 Nov at 6 PM
British expats in Zimbabwe playing it cool after coup
British citizens living and working in Zimbabwe are keeping their heads down as the military coup gains strength. The military’s move took place on Tuesday, with soldiers immediately deployed to place 93-year old president Robert Mugabe under house arrest. Although an army spokesperson later denied rumours of a coup and cited the...
17 Nov at 6 PM
Dubai free fall real estate prices now bottoming out
Given that it hasn’t gone unnoticed in Dubai’s expat community that real estate prices are falling, what’s on the cards for foreign property investors next year? Unsurprisngly, property values in Dubai’s residential enclaves continued to fall during this year’s second quarter, with the average decline set at about 1.5 per cent....
16 Nov at 6 PM
YouGov polls demystify the difference between Remain and Leave voters
Almost a year and a half after the Brexit referendum, British citizens as well as UK expats in Spain are still at odds over the potentially devastating result. When taken together, a series of YouGov surveys on the differentials and increasingly wide divide between Remoaners and Brexiteers becomes clearer, although it’s not likely the...
16 Nov at 6 PM
Soaring cost of living matches soaring number of Brits leaving the UK
As the cost of a comfortable life in the UK rises, it’s being matched by the number of Britons opting to live and work overseas. A combination of Brexit uncertainty, the ever-rising cost of living and potential job insecurity has led to increasing numbers of UK citizens making the decision of their lives in order to secure their...
16 Nov at 6 PM
Dublin disappoints due to pricey housing and cost of living
The Irish capital has now been rated as one of the world’s worst cities for expat life due to its soaring cost of living and unaffordable housing. Once famous for its traditional pubs and friendly locals, the Republic of Ireland’s capital, Dublin, is now seen as a disaster for expatriates. The survey rating’s timing may well be...
15 Nov at 6 PM
EU court blindsides UK Home Office in landmark ruling
In a significant judgement, the EU Court of Justice has ruled the UK cannot prevent a woman with dual Spanish/British citizenship from living with her Algerian husband in the UK. The ruling may well have significant effects on the Brexit negotiations, as it enshrines the rights to live in the UK of EU citizens married to non-British...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Hundreds of thousands of expats leaving as Saudization takes shape
Since the beginning of 2017, more than 300,000 expats have left Saudi Arabia as the new Crown Prince’s vision for the kingdom begins to bite. More than a thousand foreign workers are losing or quitting their jobs and leaving the Gulf State every day, whilst the numbers of jobless expatriates now increased to around 66,000 by the end of...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Expat healthcare and medical tourism in Mexico
Mexico is perhaps the most desirable destination for USA expats, and is now becoming popular with expat retirees from other Western countries as well as an affordable destination for medical tourism. One essential component of relocation overseas is healthcare, especially for expats over or approaching retirement age. In addition, a...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Risks of earthquakes in the UAE
Reports of the effects of the powerful earthquake which struck along the border of Iraq and Iran include a death toll of at least 452, injuries to thousands and massive damage to villages. Tremors were felt across most of the UAE due to the shallow epicentre of the quake along the Iran/Iraq border, sending expats and nationals fleeing...
14 Nov at 6 PM
US expat group in Manila rejects Trump administration during presidential visit
As Donald Trump flies back to Washington after his Asian trip, a group of American expats living in the Philippines are expressing their opposition to his presidency. The group’s chosen name of TeamMuellerManila says it all about their allegiance against the Trump administration. It’s named for Robert Mueller, the chief of a US...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Teaching your expat kids to become money wise
Expats on assignments with their families are in the perfect position to teach their young ones the importance of becoming familiar with the need to save and manage money. Expatriates working in countries where high salaries and affluent lifestyles are the norm should first teach their children not to take large amounts of ready cash for...
13 Nov at 6 PM
EU leader promises expat her rights will be protected
European Union leader Tono Lopez-Isturiz has promised the rights of a female expat who sent am appeal to the European Peoples’ Party will be protected. The Spanish European Parliament Member had been approached by a female expat via a letter telling of her concerns about losing her rights once Brexit is finalised. Speaking directly to...
13 Nov at 6 PM
Expatriate pupils in Dubai learn to love Arabic lessons
Expatriate pupils at one of Dubai’s international schools are newly enthusiastic about learning Arabic due to the Living Arabic Forum. Until very recently, expatriate children were far less than enthusiastic about learning Arabic, as they considered the language was far too ‘foreign’ and likely not to be much use to them in their...
13 Nov at 6 PM
Kuwait residents and expats evacuate as strong Iraq earthquake shakes buildings
Last night, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Iraq, with tremors in Kuwait forcing panicking residents and expats onto the streets. The huge earthquake hit large areas of Iraq, including Baghdad, and was centred around Halabja on the country’s border with Iran. Shocks were felt in Kuwait, sending frightened residents onto the streets as...
10 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Bangkok mourn loss of street food stalls to creeping gentrification
Bangkok is a favourite expat destination for those looking for a unique experience both at work and at play, but the city is changing its focus in a frantic rush to modernise and Westernise. Bangkok has been a hub for expats seeking a totally unique experience combining comfort with tradition and a comparatively low cost of living. The...
10 Nov at 6 PM
French expats in UK being forced out by xenophobia
Even although the British government is doing its best to stress the post-Brexit guaranteed rights of EU expats in the UK, many French expats are leaving due to perceived xenophobia. Many French expats who’ve lived long-term in the UK are hoping for a small miracle in that Brexit will simply go away. Many more, it seems, are...
10 Nov at 6 PM
National Bonds to take on financial advice in UAE
Dubai-based financial firm National Bonds is planning to move into the UAE with a digital app offering affordable investments and general financial advice. According to National Bonds CEO Mohammed Qasim al Ali, IFAs in the UAE are very limited and only offer expensive options to potential investors and pension savers. The company will...
9 Nov at 6 PM
Expert warns against long term fixed savings plans in UAE
One major risk which can cause more devastation to expat finances than the average natural disaster is being publicised by one man who’s dedicated to educating expats on the dangers of investing. Andrew Hallam, a personal finance educator and author, has one mission in life – to warn expats worldwide against being taken in by dodgy...
9 Nov at 6 PM
British expats in Spain lose €20 million after IFA firm collapses
The British boss of a failed pension advisory company has fled to Australia after losing his British expat clients some €20 million by the use of an all too familiar scam format. The 300 Brits who’d invested with Alicante-based Continental Wealth Management are mostly expats living in the popular Spanish resort of Alicante, and are...
9 Nov at 6 PM
British pensioner knocked unconscious defending Costa bar owner from attack
A 77 –year old British pensioner was declared a heroine after she was knocked unconscious defending a Costa del Sol bar owner from an attacker brandishing a broken beer glass. Glaswegian grandmother Elizabeth Trueman was visiting her expat daughter in Fuengirola when the attack happened as a result of arguments over a drinks bill at the...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Kuwaiti government mired in demographic issues as well as hiring expat nurses
Kuwait’s Nursing Association has slammed the emirate’s Health Ministry over its hiring of 200 expat nurses. The new nursing employees were recruited from a local medical company, with the Ministry being accused of violating its own rule issued on 5 July this year. The rule forbade the recruitment of non-Kuwaiti nursing staff from...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Foreign recruitment firm plans cashing in on expat jobs for top professionals
A European recruitment company is boasting it has a list of 10,000 British employees suitable as candidates for relocation to the EU after Brexit. Expat Exit, a job consultancy firm based in Europe, claims it has a huge database of top professionals suitable for relocation to employment opportunities elsewhere in Europe once Britain...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Post Brexit transition period must allow free movement of EU citizens
British expats in EU member states as well as EU expats in the UK are expected to be even more confused by the leak of papers from Brussels on post Brexit transition period rules to apply to Britain. According to papers relating to discussions in Brussels about Britain’s position during a post Brexit transition period, the UK would be...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Effects on Beijing expats of new policies after China’s 19th National Congress
China’s recent Communist Party National Congress is the latest in a long line of five-yearly get-togethers of the all-powerful party faithful in order to select new leaders and approve new policies. Expats unconcerned about following the news in Beijing and elsewhere in China may not be interested in the results, but will be affected...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Survey rates Singapore as most expensive expat relocation
A new survey by the Economic Intelligence Unit has placed Singapore as the world’s most expensive city for the fourth year running. Expatriates already living in the pristine city state will be well aware of the ever-rising costs of an acceptable lifestyle. The survey results, released last Monday, clarified the reasons for the ranking,...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Is Cyprus the best destination for UK retirees
For several decades, Cyprus has been a favourite holiday destination for sunshine and hospitality, but is it the best option for UK retirees? Once under British possession and now divided into two halves with the north under Turkish rule and the south now the Republic of Cyprus, this stunning Mediterranean island has been a favourite for...
6 Nov at 6 PM
Expats and tourists in Vietnam evacuated during deadly typhoon
Typhoon Darney, the fiercest typhoon to hit Vietnam’s coastline in 16 years, is causing chaos for residents, tourists and expats in the affected areas. The typhoon's landfall along the southern Vietnamese coastline has killed at least 27 people, destroyed many hundreds of homes and caused evacuations from coastal towns popular with...
6 Nov at 6 PM
Think tank predicts UK government collapse in 2018 before Brexit
A US think tank is predicting Theresa May’s inability to deal with the split in her party as well as placating the general public and expats will result in a government collapse and new election. Strategists and economists working for Morgan Stanley have released their considered opinions about the future of both the present government...
6 Nov at 6 PM
BCC to hold two Brexit themed meetings in Bergerac and Perigueux
Talks on the progress of the Brexit negotiations and the referendum’s possible effects on UK expats living and working in France are due to be held in the south-west region later this week. A UK expat-aimed meeting organised by the British Community Committee in France (BCC) is due to be held November 8th in Bergerac, with another due...
3 Nov at 6 PM
Brexit scares European midwives and nurses into leaving the UK
A double whammy of departing UK-trained medics as well as European midwives and nurses is putting the NHS in danger of a serious staff shortage. A sharp drop in the number of midwives and nurses arriving to work in the UK combined with a record number of qualified medics returning to their home countries is forcing the NHS to admit to a...
3 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Malaga help trace missing British tou
Costa del Sol expats grouped together to find a missing holidaymaker who refused to board his flight back to Manchester before running away. Brett Barnes, his partner Gemma Clements and their four-year-old daughter had spent an enjoyable two-week break in Benalmadena, and were preparing to take their flight back to the UK from Malaga...
3 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in China devastated by loss of favourite Shanghaiist blog
Expats living in and around China’s massive Shanghai city are heartbroken about the closure by its owners of the Shanghaiist blog. The popular offbeat social media platform was set up some 12 years ago and is now owned by the Gothamist network, a New York based service reporting street-level expat news across major world cities. It...
2 Nov at 6 PM
UK businesses join with expats in Brexit panic
As the scandal of the stalled Brexit negotiations staggers on, UK businesses are feeling the panic already being felt by expats. Brexit negotiations are due to kick off again next week, with British expats in European countries only slightly pacified and EU expats in the UK now worried about the effects of the new NHS rule aimed at...
2 Nov at 6 PM
Expats invited to take part in Qatar National Day for the first time
Qatar’s expat communities are expected to take part in the emirate’s national day celebration for the first time, showcasing their traditions and cultures to a Qatari audience. The new activity was announced by the event’s organisers to over 60 foreign ambassadors and embassy staff at a special introductory meeting. The reason...
2 Nov at 6 PM
Kuwait proposes deportation for expats with five traffic law violations
According to an unnamed high-ranking security source, Kuwait’s head of traffic affairs has proposed the deportation of expats with five serious traffic convictions. Major-General Fahad al-Showai, Kuwait’s acting Interior Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs, has sent a proposal to the emirate’s deputy Prime Minister...
1 Nov at 6 PM
Ghost hunting expats have plenty of Halloween choice in Spain
Wherever there are Western expats, the spooky festival of Halloween is celebrated with enthusiasm and much laughter, but Brits in Spain may well experience the real deal. Andalucía isn’t just a favourite haunt for British expat, it’s also Spain’s most haunted region. According to local legend, ghoulies, ghosts and long-legged...
1 Nov at 6 PM
New NHS passport policy to affect all expats living in UK
A new rule affecting millions of expats living in the UK slipped in under the media’s radar earlier this week. Colloqially entitled the Passport Policy, it forces all expats needing hospital services to prove their immigration status or pay upfront for treatment. The rule seems to be part of a government cost-cutting strategy, but is...
1 Nov at 6 PM
New reports show airborne plague epidemic now threatening Africa
A new report on the plague outbreak in Madagascar notes nine African countries now in danger from the deadly bacterium. According to a World Health Organisation report, over 1,300 cases of plague have now been confirmed, with some 66 per cent being the deadliest pneumonic form, spread in the air by sneezing and coughing. The disease can...
30 Nov at 6 PM
EU clamps down on MPs call for UK and EU expats rights
A request from pro-Brexit UK members of parliament to prioritise a fast deal on the rights to remain for UK and EU expats has been rejected by the EU. Just as media reports began suggesting May had finally faced up to the post-Brexit plight of UK expats in EU member states and EU expats in the UK, European Union authorities have clamped...
30 Nov at 6 PM
Frozen pensions force repatriation on UK expats overseas
Over the past year, over two thousand retired British expats have been forced to repatriate to the UK due to their state pensions being frozen. Official figures from Britain’s Department for Work and Pensions show several thousand British citizens who’d chosen to live overseas In retirement were forced to return to the UK due to their...
30 Nov at 6 PM
Survey shows Thailand losing popularity as an expat destination
Thailand’s overall position in the well-known HSBC Expat Insider survey has dropped in one year from seventh position to 18th, with its positions in several sub-sections of the poll dropping still further. Once a dream destination for expats, whether working or retiring, Thailand’s reputation now seems to be on the line as regards...
29 Nov at 6 PM
Expats relocating from Dubai chasing missing shipments
Despite paying a local shipper thousands of dirhams to transport their belongings back to their home countries, former Dubai residents still haven’t received their shipments. The situation strongly resembles the 2014 Dubai Relogulf incident, where expats were left without their personal goods and household items for many months. Those...
29 Nov at 6 PM
Thailand woos elderly, sick and wealthy foreigners with new visa
Thailand’s ruling military government last week approved the issuing of a new 10-year visa aimed at wealthy expats with heathcare needs. The requirements for the new 10-year visa have created controversy amongst Thailand’s large expat community, many of whom are retirees from Europe and the USA at present on the so-called annual...
29 Nov at 6 PM
What the UK Autumn Statement means for UAE expats
Last week, the new UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond presented his 2016 Autumn Statement to the British parliament. The contents of the statement’s full 69 pages aren’t all relevant to British expats working in the UAE, but those that are may need to be carefully considered, especially where financial matters are concerned....
28 Nov at 6 PM
Spanish police urge UK expats to help find dangerous criminal
Expats in Spain are being urged to assist Spanish police in their hunt for a dangerous British criminal at present on the run from three arrest warrants. Gareth Bryan Edwards has been placed on Spain’s top ten most wanted list for his crimes of robbery with violence and intimidation, and is believed to be hiding out somewhere in...
28 Nov at 6 PM
Expat investors warned against Uber boiler room fraud
The latest investment fraud warning to expats in New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia involves two fake companies with misleading websites. Expatriates retiring, living and working in Asia Pacific countries are the latest to be targeted by British boiler room fraudsters located in Bangkok, Manila and Cebu. According to an online...
28 Nov at 6 PM
EU MEP proposes individual EU citizenship for British expats
Following a huge post-Brexit rise in applications by expat Britons for citizenship of other countries, the European parliament will review a plan for individual EU membership. If adopted, the proposal put forward by a Luxembourg liberal MEP would allow UK expats and British citizens free movement and the right to remain in EU member...
25 Nov at 6 PM
The joys of expat life in Ireland
Ireland has been a safe haven for foreign direct investments for decades, along with thousands of expat professionals and managers who find it the preferred place to live and work. In spite of its troubled past, the cool, green Republic of Ireland has become a popular refuge for expats from across the Western world. Since the financial...
25 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in China react to Sichuan cuisine
Of all the diverse cultural differences between China and the West, its exotic range of regional cuisines is one of the most controversial for expats. New arrivals from Western countries believe they are familiar with Chinese cooking due to the growth of Chinese restaurants across the entire Western world. What they maybe don’t...
25 Nov at 6 PM
US expats having a tough time explaining Trump
American expats living and working in Europe are having a hard time explaining Trump’s presidential election victory to their European friends and co-workers. Many Americans living in Europe are facing awkward questions form their local colleagues and friends about the shock result of the recent USA presidential election. Europeans and...
24 Nov at 6 PM
QROPS rules for British expats to tighten next year
New UK Chancellor Philip Hammond’s budget speech yesterday indicated the eligibility rules for the Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes are about to become tougher. British expats are being warned that Hammond’s budget includes a plan to tighten up on eligibility rules for QROPS, starting April 6 next year. The devil,...
24 Nov at 6 PM
EU expats in the UK mount right to remain campaign
In spite of the recent good news on a possible reciprocal agreement covering both UK expats overseas and EU expats in the UK, a grassroots campaign backing EU expats’ rights to remain is still gathering members. A recently-formed pressure group working for non- British EU nationals living and working in the UK now has in excess of 7,000...
24 Nov at 6 PM
New Zealand drawing record number of expat professionals
Skilled workers desperate to get away from Western political chaos should check out New Zealand and its growing jobs market Given recent events in both the UK and USA, skilled workers in both countries may well be considering emigrating in order to further their careers in a secure political environment. New Zealand is already popular with...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Expats relocating to Qatar get extended time for residency permits
A law passed last October giving foreigners extra time to process residency permits is due to come into force on December 3. The new sponsorship law is expected to make the lives of foreigners arriving in the emirate less stressful, as it extends the time allowed for arranging residency permits from seven days to 30 days. The same...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Tech expats in USA fear Trump effect on visa programme
Expats working in USA tech hubs are afraid their skilled worker visa programme may be terminated by Trump. Following Donald Trump’s mixed messages on the campaign trail concerning the USA’s skilled worker visa programme, tech workers in Silicone Valley and other American IT hubs are afraid for their jobs. Before the presidential...
23 Nov at 6 PM
British expats in Europe to be allowed to stay
In a surprise turnaround, it seems that British expats living in EU member states are about to be granted the right to remain. Hundreds of thousands of British citizens working or retiring in EU member states have spent the last five months worrying they might be forced to lose everything and repatriate to the UK. According to political...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Divorcing expats QROPS cash ruled safe from UK law
Divorced British expats may be relieved to learn their QROPS pension scheme cash is safe from being split up according to UK law. Retiring overseas as a married couple doesn’t always turn out as planned, with divorce not uncommon amongst expats. Making adjustments not only to life as retirees but also to an unfamiliar culture and...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Financial advisers told to mind their language
If there’s one thing which leads to wrong decisions by retiree investors in expat finance and pensions, it’s the language used by their advisors. Many expat retirees are totally inexperienced as regards the terminology of money management and investment, a lack which has led a large number to lose a large chunk of their pension...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Expat dismay as Marks and Spencer deserts China
As if the shock of losing access to Uber wasn’t enough for Shanghai’s disparate expat community to bear, the news that Britain’s beloved Marks and Spencer store is to close all its Chinese branches may well be the last straw. Uber’s recent decision to delete its English-language app as well as ending payment by credit card was a...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Kuwait tightens up on access to international airport
Security measures at Kuwait International Airport are to be tightened, with friends and relatives seeing off travellers no longer allowed access beyond the main gate. Recently appointed new director of the airport’s Security department Brigadier Waleed al-Saleh has issued a ban on expatriates who wish to enter the main complex to say...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Advice for expat Brits on letting their Spanish property
British retirees in Spain are no clearer about their futures five months after the Brexit vote turned their lives upside down, but some may be considering moving back home after renting out their Spanish properties. As the myriad controversies surrounding Brexit continue, stress as regards the right to remain felt by UK retirees at...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expats and visitors celebrate Benidorm Fancy Dress Day
British expats living and working in Benidorm threw off their Brexit worries and joined thousands of tourists for Spain’s famous British Fancy Dress Day revels. Around 40,000 British party-goers descended on the expats’ favourite beach resort of Benidorm for the annual fancy dress celebration. From retirees who’d lived in or near...
18 Nov at 6 PM
Survey slams London as worst world city for expats
A recent survey left London in the doldrums as the worst city in the world for expat life. Quality of life, personal happiness and personal safety were all scored low in the InterNations expat survey, with its overall rating a poor 27 out of 35 world cities. The shocking results included a rate of 24th for quality of life, 26th for...
18 Nov at 6 PM
Kuwait to tax expat remittances and companies
New reforms due to be presented to the Kuwaiti government are reputed to include taxing expat remittances and foreign companies, privatisation and other austerity measures. According to local media, the government is fully aware the new measures will attract protests and strong opposition from businesses, expats and others affected by the...
18 Nov at 6 PM
Dubai expats and tourists warned against reporting rape
Following a number of incidents, expat and tourist women in Dubai and across the UAE are being advised not to report rape and sexual violence attacks The warnings come after a 25-year old British national was arrested and charged with adultery after reporting her rape by two British tourists. The victim, at present released on bail after...
17 Nov at 6 PM
Expat buy to let property investments soar since sterling fall
New research has shown a considerable increase in the number of British expats overseas investing in UK buy-to-let property. The surge is being attributed to the sterling crash following the Brexit vote. Skipton International, one of the few British financial institutions offering expat buy-to-let loans, has shown an 80 per cent increase...
17 Nov at 6 PM
Spanish property prices still rising after slump
After years of falling house prices and a diminishing market, Spanish property is regaining its position as a favourite with British expats. UK-based and expat home owners across Spain have been in the doldrums along with their property values for some years now, but are finally welcoming increases in both demand and realised sale prices....
17 Nov at 6 PM
Best overseas locations for single expats
Expat surveys suggest a good proportion of those looking to emigrate are single, but few articles give advice on the best locations for a successful singles lifestyle. More often than not, articles giving advice to potential expats concentrate on relocation packages, jobs, best international schools and private heathcare facilities. As a...
16 Nov at 6 PM
New Indonesian visa rules set to cause expat chaos
In a sudden reversal of the immigration status quo in Indonesia, expats applying for visas must now accompany agents to immigration offices. Formerly, foreigners wishing to get visas or stay permits could use agents to submit the required paperwork on their behalf. Since November 14, applicants will now be required to attend immigration...
16 Nov at 6 PM
American expats waiting on Trump promise to repeal FATCA
Whatever US expats overseas feel about a Trump presidency, all are in unison about a rumour that the Republican is planning to get rid of the dreaded FATCA. Of all the unrealistic and mostly unpresidential comments supposedly made during Trump’s extraordinary campaign, just one hit home for hundreds of thousands of US expats living...
16 Nov at 4 PM
Survey reveals the 17 best world cities for expats
The latest expat survey gives an extensive glimpse into expatriate lives and identifies the best world cities for quality of life and career success. The InterNations Expat Insider 2016 survey was based on all aspects of expat life including career prospects, lifestyle quality, friendliness of locals and even the weather. No less than 17...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Survey suggests relocating overseas boosts expats health
A recent survey indicates that the majority of expats believe relocating overseas has had a positive effect on their physical and mental health. The survey, commissioned by global health insurance company AXA, suggests the majority of expats believe their move away from their home country has improved their general levels of health. Over...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Vietnam shocked by sexual violence reports
Over the past few months, no less than 18 reports of sexual harassment and sexual violence have been uploaded to Hanoi’s online expat forum Hanoi Massive. Hanoi’s expat community is used to a peaceful lifestyle in the city, with females comfortable with walking alone and no aggressive behaviour on the streets or in the bars. Sadly,...
15 Nov at 4 PM
Spain may be US expat answer to Trump haters
As the reality of the Trump dump hits in amongst disgruntled Americans, expat media worldwide is rushing to provide info on the best ways to escape. Canada and New Zealand were the first countries to see a massive increase in hits on their immigration sites, but Spain’s expat publications weren’t far behind in giving...
14 Nov at 6 PM
New phishing scam hits New Zealand during Fraud Awareness Week
In spite of endless warnings about online and offline financial fraud, it’s still a major problem across the world, with expats particularly vulnerable. Financial crime is still the most likely crime to hit ordinary people across all first-world countries, in spite of countless efforts by the media, financial authorities and police...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Beijing government promotes Chinese hot spring culture to expats
As part of a new initiative to encourage expats and their families to explore Chinese culture, a group of foreign residents were given a chance to experience hot spring baths. Last Saturday, 50 expats and their families were taken on a day trip to a well-known hot spring resort in Beijing’s Changping district. The excursion formed part...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in China dismayed by changes in Uber
Expats living and working in China are shocked by the withdrawal of Uber’s dual-language app. The Uber International dual language app has been a lifesaver for Western expats attempting to negotiate the tangle of streets making up most of China’s major cities without having to learn Mandarin Chinese. Basically, Uber International...
11 Nov at 6 PM
New Zealand second choice for US citizens fleeing Trumpland
It’s not just Canada which is seeing a huge jump in interest as regards emigrating from the US, it’s New Zealand as well. The New Zealand Immigration website may not have actually crashed due to huge demand after Trump’s victory was announced, but its hits increased dramatically to 56,300 in the first 24 hours. The site’s daily...
11 Nov at 6 PM
US expats in UK cool about returning home
Although the Trump presidency came as a shock to most US expats in Britain, it’s not expected to affect their plans to return home. Post-election reactions from the US expat community in London seem to be less extreme than was expected before the actual vote took place. Even those who’ve lived in the UK for decades are saying they...
11 Nov at 6 PM
Canadian immigration site crashes after Trump victory declared
Immediately following the shocking announcement that Hillary Clinton had conceded the election to Trump, the Canadian immigration web pages crashed. Late on Tuesday night, the official Citizenship and Immigration Canada website crashed due to the sheer number of enquiries from American citizens looking to leave the home country and settle...
10 Nov at 6 PM
Trump win scares US expats in Mexico
US citizens living in Mexico are already fearing for their lifestyles after Trump’s victory in the presidential election. For decades, Mexico has been popular with American expats looking for a retirement haven or as another option when considering starting a business. Many have lived on the opposite side of the US/Mexico border for...
10 Nov at 6 PM
American expats in UAE expect serious financial market ramifications
US expats living in Dubai are reacting with shock/horror at the totally unexpected result of Tuesday’s presidential election. The new president-elect has business interests worth multi-millions of dirhans in Dubai, but is no more popular with US expats in the Gulf States than he is elsewhere in expatland. To one long-term Dubai expat...
10 Nov at 6 PM
Dismayed US expats in London compare Trump victory to Brexit
US citizens working and living in London are horrified for the second time this year as Trump’s election follows on the Brexit vote. As if June’s shocking vote in favour of Brexit wasn’t enough to scare US expats working in London, Trump’s unbelievable win has plunged the community into terminal depression. Many are remembering...
9 Nov at 6 PM
Options for stunned US citizens after the Trump victory
Prior to election day itself, social media and expat forums were loaded with US citizens determined to emigrate should Trump win. Now that the hopefully impossible is stark reality, many of those who were contemplating deserting the sinking ship are now rushing for just about any lifeboat in any friendly, non-Trumped country. A quick trawl...
9 Nov at 6 PM
EU citizenship proposal may give hope to UK expats in Europe
A revolutionary new proposal due to be reviewed by the European parliament could result in UK expats being allowed to stay in EU member states. The plan, put forward by a Luxembourg Liberal MEP, suggests establishing an associate EU citizenship aimed at nationals of any country which has opted out of the EU. The revolutionary proposal, if...
9 Nov at 6 PM
American expat reactions to Trump presidential victory
For American expats across the world, the climax to the most contentious presidential election in living memory is a huge step into the unknown. In spite of heroic efforts to galvanise the world-wide US expat vote, today’s result has been mostly met with incredulity, horror and fear across many countries home to US expats. The...
8 Nov at 6 PM
US expats in Dubai fear Trump victory may harm financial markets
As Election Day dawns, US expat investors living in the UAE worry about the effect on financial markets and the dollar of a Trump victory. Anxiety in Dubai’s expat community over the possible effects of a Trump presidency on the US dollar is ramping up now that the election itself is underway. The UAE dirham is pegged to the dollar,...
8 Nov at 6 PM
What motivates US expats to get involved in charity work
Of all the nationalities whose expats settle on distant shores, the Americans are the most likely to volunteer for charitable concerns. Given that the USA scores high on the list of World Giving, it’s no surprise that a favourite occupation of Americans overseas is volunteering. What is surprising is that charitable work quickly becomes...
8 Nov at 6 PM
American expats fear violence during and after election
As the polls open across the USA, American expats in Canada fear the day will end in violence no matter who wins. The world is watching in trepidation for any indication that sanity will be the winner in the race for the White House, with US expats in Canada bracing themselves for a violent outcome. Misinformation, disinformation and...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Survey shows half of expats in Thailand considering leaving
A recent survey conducted by Thailand’s largest and most popular expat forum has revealed 50 per cent of expats have considered relocating elsewhere over the past year. The survey results came as somewhat of a shock to the forum’s administrators, as a previous vote taken earlier in 2016 seemed to suggest most expats were happy to be...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Trump victory could see Kiwi expats leaving the USA
Whilst the world waits with bated breath for tomorrow’s US presidential election result, Kiwi expats in New York are considering leaving should Trump win. The New Zealand expat community in New York is well-established, with many immigrants running successful businesses in Brooklyn serving both New Zealanders and Australians. The race...
7 Nov at 6 PM
US expats in UAE cast early votes
As the big day looms, tens of thousands of US citizens living and working in the UAE have already cast their presidential election postal votes. Somewhere between 50,000 and 70,000 US expat citizens are living in the UAE, with exact expat numbers hard to evaluate as they are not obliged to register with American diplomatic missions in the...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Expats flee for their lives as Delhi toxic smog worsens
As the toxic pall of smog covering the vast city of Delhi grows more and more deadly, expats in the city are leaving in droves. Particulate levels within the deadly pall shrouding the city are now at all time highs, with readings exceeding safe levels by an incredible 800 per cent. The city government has closed some 1,800 schools and...
4 Nov at 6 PM
Expat havens for those who hate Trump and Clinton
Whichever way this horrendous US presidential election goes, there’ll be thousands of voters who simply can’t live with the results and decide to depart for politics-free havens overseas. At least 23 USA celebrities have already decided to leave should their favourite get trashed, and are happily scouting luxurious hideouts on private...
4 Nov at 6 PM
Shanghai pilot programme simplifies expat work permits
Aimed at making it easier for highly skilled foreigners, Shanghai’s new single, unified work permit is a welcome replacement for the previous permit system which often took months to obtain. The first of the new permits was issued to an expat last Thursday, confirming the Chinese government’s determination to attract the brightest and...
3 Nov at 6 PM
Expat marriage to Saudi national rules extended
It’s not unusual for single expats relocating overseas on assignment to meet the love of their lives, but those looking to marry Saudi nationals should get ready for a very long wait before approval. Westerners working in Saudi Arabia are no exceptions to the rule of falling in love, but marrying your chosen one is likely to take so long...
3 Nov at 6 PM
Bicultural expat couples choose China for culture and opportunity
With bicultural marriages becoming the norm in the younger expat community, China’s business opportunities and inclusive society fit the bill as a long-stay destination. Bicultural couples nowadays are choosing to live in an entirely new environment rather than have one or the other try to adapt to their partner’s country of birth....
3 Nov at 6 PM
High Court judges give hope to expats in EU member states
Britain’s High Court has ruled Brexit cannot be triggered without a parliamentary debate and approval vote. The controversial judgment, given today by Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, will, at worst, slow down the rush to declare Article 50, At best it’s a massive setback for PM Theresa May and her insistence government...
2 Nov at 6 PM
Young Britons in EU countries feeling the Brexit chill
Endless articles on the plight of expat retirees in EU member states have now become the post-Brexit norm, but young Britons working in the EU are also in confusion. It’s not just elderly Brit expats whose lives are being turned upside down by the Brexit vote, it’s also the huge number of millennial expats who’ve chosen to live...
2 Nov at 6 PM
HMRC warns returning expats over tax evasion
As well as being one of FATCA’s most important signatories, the UK taxman is now forcing tax havens and other overseas financial hubs to swap banking and investing information on expat accounts. Hundreds of thousands of returning expats who are keeping money and assets offshore are expected to receive letters from the British tax...
2 Nov at 6 PM
British expat in UAE fined and deported for volunteering
A British expat volunteer worker who’d fundraised online to help two sick children had been fined Dh5,000 and is to be deported. The woman was reported to UAE police last December by the UAE’s Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities, accusing her of using her volunteer website to solicit donations for medical treatment...
1 Nov at 6 PM
Saudization costs hundreds of expat heathcare specialists their jobs
According to the Saudi Gazette, 478 long-term expat medical professionals have been refused extensions to their contracts as a result of the kingdom’s Saudization policy. After requesting contract renewals for over 500 medical professionals, managers at Riyadh’s King Saud University Hospital have been told only 31 doctors and seven...
1 Nov at 6 PM
UK expats in Spain in perfect storm over falling pound
Whether on a pension or working for a fixed sterling salary, British expats in Spain have lost 17 per cent of their monthly money due to the post-Brexit sterling crash. Retirees from the UK who’ve saved all their lives to live in the sun may not have mortgage costs to consider, but private health insurance and utilities as well as...
1 Nov at 6 PM
Brexit may benefit Cyprus finance industry whilst threatening expat lifestyles
Out of around 80,000 British expats living in Cyprus, a good percentage work in the finance industry and are now uncertain about possible Brexit changes in their roles. Concern over Brexit’s future effect on the hundreds of thousands of British expats living, retiring or working in EU member states has mostly focused on the right to...
28 Nov at 3 PM
Job prospects in Australia fading for Kiwis
The number of New Zealanders heading to Australia in the search of work before heading home unsuccessful is on the rise. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett said hundreds of expat Kiwis have made the journey but returned to their homeland upon discovering that the prospect of work has faded dramatically in...
28 Nov at 11 AM
Elderly British expats shot dead in France
Police in southwestern France have launched an investigation after an elderly expat couple from the UK were found shot dead by their home cleaner. Derek and Sheila Hawkins, 98 and 86, were found dead in their home in the village of Fabas on Monday in what police believe could have been a murder-suicide. The wife had been killed by two...
27 Nov at 3 PM
Pakistani expat to walk across seven emirates
A Pakistani expat in UAE has spoken of his plans to walk 350kms across the seven emirates to mark the country’s national day. Fifty-one-year-old Mohammad Malek, a Dubai-based carpenter, said he achieved the feat in 2013 and aimed to do the same again because he wanted to draw attention to the fact that the Middle Eastern country was one...
27 Nov at 11 AM
Police to question expat over Madeleine McCann disappearance
Police are to question British expat Robert Murat over the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann in Portugal in 2007. Reports from Portugal state that investigators working on the “Operation Grange” inquiry that was ordered by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2011 will speak to him as witness. Murat, 41, who Scotland Yard...
23 Nov at 2 PM
Expat Book: Lisa Sadleir and Moving to Spain With Children
We're thrilled to announce that Lisa Sadlier, winner of our Education and Integration Schools blogging competition, has just had her first book published. Congrats Lisa! So if you are thinking about moving to Spain with with your kids, check out "Moving to Spain with children" and, once you're there, start blogging and join our...
14 Nov at 2 PM
British expats in Spain warned about healthcare registration
The UK’s Department of Health has warned Spanish-based expats that they have to properly register with authorities in the country to make sure they have full protection in the state healthcare system. “Moving to Spain? Think about Healthcare!” is the <a...
14 Nov at 9 AM
Brit expat in Portugal gets 12 months for benefit fraud
A British woman living in Portugal has been handed a 12-month prison sentence after falsely claiming the benefits of her deceased mother. Maria Joao Ferreira Lucas claimed more than £73,500 by posing as her mother, who died in January 2008. Instead of informing the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that her mother had passed away, she...
13 Nov at 2 PM
Taiwan best place for expat healthcare
Taiwan has been named the number one country in the world for expats in terms of having the cheapest and best medical facilities, according to a new survey. The research showed that almost seven in 10 expats in the east Asian country said healthcare costs them less than it did before they moved there - in comparison to the global average of...
13 Nov at 9 AM
British expats described as unsociable
British expats do not properly integrate after emigrating, according to a new survey, which says they prefer to stick to their own social groups. British expats living in United Arab Emirates and African countries are the least integrated, said the study, which was conducted by global relocation specialist Robinsons. The survey showed that...
12 Nov at 6 PM
Threat of easy access strikes fear into UK pension providers
UK pension providers are likely to see a massive increase in the number of 100 per cent drawdown applications following next April’s take-up of the new pension rules. One of the UK’s largest drawdown providers, Standard Life, fears that many thousands of pension holders will decide to take full drawdowns, swamping its call centres and...
12 Nov at 6 PM
New hunt in unsolved Maddy abduction case reveals two UK expat suspects
New investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann seven years ago have identified a number of new suspects, two of whom are UK expats who were living in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz at the time. Portuguese police have declared the two Brits as formal subjects, (arguidos), and will be ordered to give DNA samples whilst...
11 Nov at 6 PM
Expat investors worldwide lose £400 million in Oz Ponzi scheme
The latest financial scandal to rock the expat world has resulted in massive losses due to the activities of commission-hungry rogue salesmen and greedy product providers. Individual losses range between many hundreds of thousands to pension pots of £100,000 or less, with the staggering total making the collapse of the unregulated LMIM...
11 Nov at 6 PM
Hong Kong expat banker lifestyles slammed after grisly murders
Expats working in Hong Kong’s famous banking and financial sector are taking flak for their hedonistic lifestyles following the gruesome murder of two Indonesian girls by one of their number. The victims, found in an upmarket condo just a short walk from the ex-colony’s red light district, were reputedly killed by Rurik Jutting, a...
10 Nov at 6 PM
UK mafia gangs investing in property purchase scams in Thailand
For decades, tropical Thailand has been a retirement haven for UK expats for its cheap cost of living and year-round sunshine, but buying a condo has always been a risky business. It’s not just the government rules on the purchase of property by foreigners which can ruin the dream, it’s the continuing off-plan property scams...
10 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Turkey fear for safety as ISIS advances
The seemingly unstoppable advance of ISIS, (the Islamic State in Syria), is striking fear into the hearts of expats living in Southern Turkey’s coastal resorts or in larger cities where violent protests are taking place. Turkish Kurds dominate the Iraq border region, now considered a flashpoint, and many overseas residents in the...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Deadline December for toxic death bond misselling complaints
Expat investors who were mis-sold unregistered EEA Life Settlements Fund bonds have until December to launch complaints. The Guernsey-based collective investment scheme, composed of traded US life policies, was wrongly marketed as low risk for some years to Europe and Asia-based expats by commission-hungry salesmen. Following the UK...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Expats find the girl of their dreams after moving overseas
Finding the perfect love match is now an officially-confirmed reason for migration to a far-off land, as many expats find once they’ve taken the plunge. One light-hearted result of this year’s HSBC Expat Explorer survey of over 9,000 expats settled all over the world is that many found the love of their life after leaving the UK. An...
6 Nov at 6 PM
Expat landlords warned to beware of online subletting fraud
As if expat buy-to-let landlords with UK properties don’t have enough problems, this latest online scam could prove to be the last straw. The scam is aimed at landlords who advertise their properties online, and is at present targeting the AirBnB website. Fraudsters rent a property for a few days or weeks, then advertise it on other...
6 Nov at 6 PM
Hidden financial and legal hurdles cause most expat stress
A recently released survey warns that would-be expats seeking a new life overseas should watch out for hidden hurdles such as tax and currency issues or unfamiliar legalities. Up to 400,000 Brits emigrate every year, with most citing a more relaxed lifestyle as a major reason for their life-changing decision. However, the survey revealed...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Insurer greed and self interest may wreck UK pension revolution
The UK government’s reversal of the purchase of compulsory annuities signalled a welcome sea change for expats as well as UK retirees, but risks being derailed by intransigence between insurance companies and policymakers. All sides in the increasingly volatile debate over the application of the new rules are protecting their own...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Expat bulk buyers and Saudi farmers hit hard by Jeddah Market Saudization
A daily loss of around SR4 million is being reported by fruit and vegetable traders at Jeddah’s famous market after legal limits were placed on expat purchases. Non-Saudi customers are now prohibited from buying in bulk at the popular market, with only two or three boxes of fresh produce permitted. To ensure the new law is complied...
4 Nov at 6 PM
Harlequin pension saver victims hit with financial double whammy
Scammed retirement savers whose cash was lost in the Harlequin property crash are now facing up to ten years’ continuing charges by their pension providers. Affected investors who were persuaded to take out QROPS and SIPPS-wrapped products have not only lost every penny of their savings, but are being charged £500 per annum by the...
4 Nov at 6 PM
Brit expat silver surfers top internet user survey
UK retirees living overseas are the new digital nomads, using the latest internet technology to make new friends and stay in touch with families. Nat West Bank’s annual Quality of Life Survey released some surprising comparisons between internet usage by retirees resident in the UK and their counterparts in favourite expat destinations...
3 Nov at 6 PM
Advisors fear HMRC plans suspension of India QROPS jurisdiction
Financial advisors providing QROPS pension transfers to expat investors are fearful that the UK’s HMRC is planning to suspend India’s position as a QROPS jurisdiction. Alarms were raised in the sector after the authority rushed out a revised list of QROPS just days after the regular list was issued. On the new list, five previously...
3 Nov at 6 PM
Chinese goverment survey reveals most expats are illiterate males
The results of a survey by China’s State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs may have come as a shock to the ministry, but expat professionals seem to be regarding it as a big joke. The study was undertaken in order to determine how to attract the brightest and best overseas talent to China’s buzzing economy. The results,...
27 Nov at 6 PM
UK embassies in UAE to downgrade their services to expats
British government missions in Dubai are to reduce their notarial and documentary services from 1 December in order to save money and improve efficiency. Due to changes brought in by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, some services offered to British expats living and working in Dubai will be curtailed. Embassies and consulates in the...
27 Nov at 6 PM
British expats in Andalusia protest against demolition of their homes
The thousands of expat home owners in Spain who unknowingly bought illegally built properties are stll living in fear and limbo due to corruption and senseless laws. Andalusian expats who fear losing their homes are now gathering to decide on a course of action after two of their number, John and Jan Brookes, watched their dream villa torn...
26 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Asia and Latin America will see higher salaries in 2014
Results of a recent survey on salary trends suggest that expats working in Latin America will see the highest salary increases in 2014. The Salary Trends survey, initiated by ECA International, revealed bad news for UK employees, who may only receive 3 per cent rises, if any at all. With inflation in the UK taken into account and the...
26 Nov at 6 PM
Emigration with a smile
Living, working or retiring abroad is the end of the rainbow for many disgruntled Brits these days, with many planning to chase their dream as far as is necessary. The expat experience is seldom what was expected in the months of planning and getting ready to leave. It can be emotionally and financially rewarding with careful planning but...
25 Nov at 6 PM
Post clampdown changes in the QROPS industry
Although QROPs are still regarded as a good way to avoid expat currency exchange issues, there have been many changes since the 2012 clampdown by HMRC. Experts in the field of QROPs are suggesting that the latest delisting of Malaysia and Bangladesh from the HMRC-approved countries list may be a hangover from the late 2012 policy...
25 Nov at 6 PM
Happy ending for deported Thai widow and daughter
The Thai widow of a deceased Danish man who was deported with her daughter after his death will now be able to return due to a changed law created jointly by the country’s political parties. Suthida and Im Nielsen were deported back to Thailand by the Danish Immigration Services on the pretext that they had more ties there than in...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Banned IFAs imprisoned for giving unauthorised advice to clients
As concerns about the quality of investment advice being given by FAs in expat destinations rise, the UK legal system has hit hard on two financial advisors caught giving unauthorised advice. John Cooper and Gary Hexley were both found guilty and sentenced to 9 months and 2 years’ imprisonment respectively. A financial advisory company,...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Saudi expat dependents now permitted to teach in private schools
After a confusing several months, a Saudi Ministry of Labour source has stated that female dependents of expat relatives will be given yearly work permits allowing them to teach in private schools. The move seems to be a tentative first step toward full legalisation of the status of women dependents wishing to teach in the Kingdom’s...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Hong Kong expats desert financial advisors for internet advice
Wealthy residents as well as expats working in Hong Kong are backing off from banks and financial advisors in favour of internet sites dealing with investment and finance. The city’s investment market recently suffered a severe blow due to new, stricter rules applying to FAs and banks, with regulators putting the brakes on high-risk...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Rental homes now popular with overseas retirees
The boom in expat retirees over the past decade has led to real estate prices in a number of world expat hot-spots to soar, with many new arrivals now deciding to rent rather than buy. Homes in developing nations deemed suitable for expats have increased considerably in value, with many reaching prices seen in the USA and even the UK. With...
20 Nov at 6 PM
UK expats to be caught in wealthy foreigner tax raid
As part of his Autumn Budget Statement the UK Chancellor is expected to announce that overseas nationals and British expats will be charged capital gains tax on UK property sales. The tax raid due to be announced by George Osborne was revealed by Deputy PM Nick Clegg, and was originally aimed at wealthy foreign buyers of luxury London...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Single life annuities leave expat widows penniless
For many expat retirees, the purchase of an annuity with their pension pot is seen as a practical way to guarantee a lifetime income, but being sold the wrong product can have disastrous consequences. A shocking report from a former government advisor has revealed that insurance companies are pocketing the remaining balance of an annuity...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Dubai expats may face compulsory private medical insurance
Confusion over Dubai’s medical cover policies for expats is causing concern that compulsory private health insurance is on the cards A plan mooted by the Dubai government in 2008 just before the financial crisis hit would have resulted in all expat workers forced to carry private medical insurance. However, the scheme was deferred in...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Expat landlords with UK buy to let properties face more red tape
It seems as though it’s open season for expats with property in the UK, whether it’s a second home or an investment in buy-to-let property. Earlier this summer, the government announced consultations on a scheme involving letting agents and landlords being forced to check tenants’ immigration status should the proposed tenancy last...
18 Nov at 6 PM
Malta to sell citizenships for 650000 euros
Maltese passports will become available shortly for a fee of €650,000, and will allow the holder to move to and live in Malta or in any other country which is part of the Schengen visa zone. The Maltese parliament voted in the new law last week, with its inception expected by the end of this month. Purchasers will not have to live on the...
18 Nov at 6 PM
Dubai cost of living set to soar after hike in utility prices
Expats in Dubai are facing a hike in their electricity and water charges from January 2014. The emirate’s Federal Electricity and Water Authority has announced an increase of between 14 and 17 per cent on water and power charges to come into effect in January 2014. The increase will be on the slab rate, with the total divided between...
15 Nov at 6 PM
How to spot a fraudulent Pension Liberation Scheme
Expats wishing to transfer their pensions have been alarmed by increasing reports of pension liberation scams operated by bogus financial advisors. Consumers have been unable to identify whether the financial advisors they are using to liberate their pensions are genuine or fraudulent, with many deciding not to take advantage of the...
15 Nov at 6 PM
UK expats living in Europe to get new ITV soap channel
A recent press release by ITV is set to warm the hearts of expats living in Europe and deprived until now of their favourite soaps. The press release revealed that a new ITV channel, ITV Essentials, has been set up in order to allow expats and holidaymakers to keep up with the goings on in their favourite soaps. The service is being...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Does Saudi Arabia need expat friendly policies
The crackdown on undocumented expats in Saudi is spooking the regularised expat community into panic at the thought of another Saudization drive, but does the country need more expat-friendly policies? To many analysts and long-term expat residents, the Saudization scheme seems to be totally unrealistic given the vast size of the kingdom...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Winter fuel payments for expat pensioners in the spotlight again
As if the frozen pensions scandal wasn’t enough, the controversy over the payment of winter fuel allowances for expat pensioners has ignited again. Since they began, winter fuel allowances have been paid to pensioners in the UK, in the EU and in several other world countries. As part of the new Pensions Bill, it now seems that those...
13 Nov at 6 PM
Expat overseas assignments get shorter in Asia and Middle East
According to a major investment bank, the traditional expat life for senior executives abroad is shrinking fast as assignment become shorter and perks are cut. Investment experts at Coutts Asia and Middle East are having to deal with executive-level clients’ complicated tax planning as assignments diminish from decades to a few years and...
13 Nov at 6 PM
Saudi continues undocumented worker crackdown in spite of inflation concerns
In spite of concerns in the private and expat-owned business sectors, Saudi Arabia’s government is determined to rid the kingdom of all unregistered workers. Riyadh’s governor, Prince Khaled bin Bader, confirmed yesterday that the government is determined to rid Saudi Arabia of all its undocumented workers. In spite of protests by...
12 Nov at 6 PM
Expat retirees in Canada hit hardest by decline in sterling
Currency fluctuations since the 2008 financial crisis have hit British expats all over the world, but retirees in Canada have been the worst sufferers from the falling pound sterling. Taking the UK state pension as it was in April 2007 as a benchmark, foreign exchange expert have calculated the losses to British pensioners in a number of...
12 Nov at 6 PM
Bungling UK Border Agency police call halt to upscale wedding
Expat forums across the third world are crammed with posts detailing mistakes made by immigration officials, but this stunner by the already controversial UK Border Agency surely tops the 2013 list of embarrassing incidents. Acting on a tip from Camden council, not the smartest knife in the drawer according to many local business owners,...
11 Nov at 6 PM
Impact of new Saudi labour laws causes widespread chaos
The impact of Saudi Arabia’s new labour laws which forced a million foreign workers to leave is now being felt in rising costs, shortage of workers and human dramas. Saudi and expat professionals are beginning to report that freelance workers have all but disappeared from the Kingdom, and are being forced to resort to local service...
11 Nov at 6 PM
Expat Filipinos struggle to get word from their loved ones
Filipino expats and US/UK citizens with friends and relatives living in the typhoon-devastated areas are struggling without news as the communications blackout continues. The devastating storm, one of the strongest the modern world has seen, laid waste to popular beachside areas in Cebu as well as other more remote ecotourism destination...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Ottawa government relents on Benhmuda family deportation charge repayment
In a victory for common sense and fair treatment, the Ottawa federal government has waived immigration’s demand for full repayment of the Benhmuda family’s deportation charges and is issuing visas for their return. Adel Benhmuda and his family were rejected as refugees after fleeing persecution in Libya in 2000 and arriving in...
8 Nov at 6 PM
UK capital gains tax changes may hit expat property owners
Expats with properties in the UK may be in the firing line if the Chancellor’s plan to slap capital gains tax on the sales of all overseas investor owned homes goes ahead. Current UK tax laws exempt overseas property owners from capital gains tax liabilities on real estate sales after five years’ residence abroad, with thousands of...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Cayman Islands tax haven signs up to UK Son of FATCA
As options for British expat investors shrink further by the day, the latest offshore haven to sign up for the UK’s ‘Son of FATCA’ is the Cayman Islands. The offshore islands join the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey in agreeing to share information with the Inland Revenue about British taxpayers’ financial affairs, including...
6 Nov at 6 PM
US immigration law battle set to become a grassroots womens issue
With the House in chaos over the unresolved budget crisis issue and the row over the Affordable Healthcare Act lingering on, women are now taking up the cause in support of the Immigration Reform Bill. Advocates of the bill are lobbying for comprehensive reform policies inclusive of women’s issues, and are stressing the need to regain...
6 Nov at 6 PM
Conventional Emirates expat benefit packages dead in the water
The topic of employer-bestowed perks on top of very basic salaries for expat workers in the UAE has been much discussed in the community over the last few months. Given that the good old days of ‘everything paid for’ are long gone and replaced by no-frills packages on a one-size-fits-all basis, it’s no surprise that potential expats...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Kuwaiti woman arrested in Saudi whilst driving sick father to hospital
Just a week after a small group of Saudi women took to their cars in a high-profile protest against the kingdom’s female driving ban, a Kuwaiti woman driving her father to hospital was detained by Saudi police. The woman, as yet unnamed, was stopped by police close to the Kuwaiti border and detained for breaking the ban on women drivers...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Student property overseas investments could recoup cost of university fees
Expats about to see their children off to an overseas university could recoup much of the cost by investing in student properties, but care should be taken as property funds can be risky. The straightforward way to subsidise the cost of an overseas degree for your son or daughter is to purchase an apartment or flat for them close by the...
4 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in UAE hit by increasing costs of living
In spite of the higher earnings potential of the region, expats in the United Arab Emirates are finding their disposable income is being hit by rapidly rising living costs. Recent survey results showed that, although the region was high on the list for its social life, expat employees’ disposable income is amongst the lowest of all the...
4 Nov at 6 PM
Students set to benefit from Australian easing of visa rules
In order to breath new life into its ailing overseas student education sector, Australia is to announce measures simplifying the student visa process. Immigration minister Scott Morrison along with education minister Christopher Pyne recently announced that the newly-elected coalition government is working to reverse the damage to the...
1 Nov at 6 PM
Cyprus restrictions on bank transactions to be lifted by spring 2014
Expats living in financially-troubled Cyprus may be relieved to hear that the process of undoing the currency controls imposed last spring in order to prevent the collapse of its banking system may soon be complete. Whilst presenting the government’s budget statement for 2014, the Cypriot finance minister Harris Giorgiades had warned...
1 Nov at 6 PM
British expat investors spooked by Channel Islands Stock Exchange closure
The temporary closure of the Guernsey-based Channel Islands Stock Exchange is causing concern amongst expat investors and members of the financial community on the island. News of the temporary closure broke on 14 October after a statement from the CISX chairman Jon Moulton revealed that the exchange had been under investigation by the...
30 Nov at 6 PM
Chinese migrant multi millionaire resigns from China’s legislature
The founder/owner of the Beijing-based South Beauty restaurant group has resigned her membership of the powerful Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Chinese legislator turned highly successful businesswoman Zhang Lan recently removed herself and her US$490 million fortune to an as yet unknown overseas destination,...
30 Nov at 6 PM
Report identifies favourite destinations for British migrants heading overseas
A Home Office report has identified the most popular destinations and the reasons for leaving for the number of dissatisfied Britons migrating overseas. According to the report by the Office of National Statistics, some 150,000 UK citizens left the country for long-term or permanent stays abroad. The majority were of working age, with the...
29 Nov at 6 PM
Expat victims of Spanish fires unable to start rebuilding
The ruined lives of expat residents on the Costa del Sol who lost their homes during last summer’s disastrous fires are likely to take years to rebuild due to difficulties obtaining reconstruction permits. Three months after Malaga’s most devastating fires, many expats are still homeless and unable to get permission to start...
29 Nov at 6 PM
HMRC indicates real time information flexibility
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has indicated companies which reward their expat staff with shares may be able to avoid fines if they give a good reason for reporting late. According to HMRC, they are taking a common sense approach to overseas companies in that they will not be expected to change their payroll operations if the...
28 Nov at 6 PM
US expats concerned about dual taxation and fair representation
US citizens living abroad are expressing their concerns about the quality of expat representation in Congress and the sticky problem of dual taxation. The recently published Greenback Survey suggests that US expats are living in interesting times, especially over the next four years. Most are keeping a close eye on what the administration...
28 Nov at 6 PM
Now is the best time for Britons to emigrate
With increasing numbers of UK residents looking to make the move to a new country, it seems that now is the best time to buy a foreign home. Moving overseas is one of the biggest decisions facing Britons unhappy with conditions in their home country, but the present time gives better chances than ever before of finding that dream home in...
27 Nov at 6 PM
Brit friendly Adelaide offers UK expats familiar comfort zones
The laid-back, old-fashioned Australian city of Adelaide is just the thing for British expats looking for long-lost UK values plus a warm climate and sense of community. Adelaide, founded in 1835 by a governor whose aim was building a better Britain, is a success story now seeing a large number of new entrants from the UK to its relaxed...
27 Nov at 6 PM
High qualification US green cards versus random visa lottery
In a move intended to announce a new US governmental stance on immigration reform, the random visa lottery may be replaced with high-skill green cards for selected applicants. A rehashed bill, rejected when first introduced in September, has been set up for a Friday vote by House Republicans, following a vigorous debate within the...
26 Nov at 6 PM
Expat sex in taxi girl fears Dubai prison
The British woman found guilty by a Dubai court of having sex with her boyfriend in the back seat of a taxi is terrified of going to jail in the country. Rebecca Blake and her Irish boyfriend were found guilty as charged and sentenced to three months in jail, although at present both are out on bail. When asked for an interview by 7 Days...
26 Nov at 6 PM
UAE expat medical care policies bad for your wealth
Out of many healthcare insurance options in the UAE, some can be bad for your wealth as well as your health. It seems that expats in the UAE have less luck than most in choosing the best policy for their requirements. Reports suggest that a considerable number of UAE-based overseas workers are travelling outside the Emirates for their...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Jakarta now allowed to own real estate
The popularity of Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, has already caused soaring rents in central areas popular with expats. A proposed relaxation in the law which forbids foreigners from owning property may push rents and property prices even higher. Landlords with high-end rental apartments in or near the city’s business districts are...
23 Nov at 6 PM
Switzerland to hold national referendum on expat tax breaks
Swiss nationals who disagreed with the special tax breaks available to expats have gathered well over the 100,000 signatures required to force a national referendum on ending the tax privileges. The referendum is being put forward under the heading of ‘Stop Fiscal Privileges for Millionaires’ by the Alternative Left Party and will...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Proposed expat worker fee slated by Saudi Shoura Council
After Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labour announced a plan to fine companies who hire a high number of overseas workers, the Gulf state’s legislative Shoura Council has come out against the initiative. The proposal by the Labour Ministry involves businesses which employ more than the stated number of overseas employees permitted by the...
22 Nov at 6 PM
Expat swimmer conquers Dubai’s World for charity
British expat Kate Willoughby triumphed over a 25km, 11-hour sponsored swim around Dubai’s The World island development to raise money for and awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The disease attacks millions of children, one of whom is Kate’s nephew, Harrison, diagnosed at the age of four as suffering from the fatal muscle...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Dubai private schools packed to overflowing with expat kids
With the ever-increasing popularity of Dubai as a destination for white-collar expat workers, it’s no surprise that the emirate’s private schools are running out of places. Recently arrived expat parents are finding it difficult to secure places for their children at any of Dubai’s private education hubs, much less enrolling them in...
21 Nov at 6 PM
Survey reports Tokyo still the most expensive expat destination
A recent survey rated Tokyo as the world’s most expensive expat destination for its high coast of living and housing costs. The study, undertaken by EuroCost International, reported that the Japanese capital, along with Angola’s capital Luanda, were the most expensive cities in the world for expats, with Moscow coming in at third...
20 Nov at 6 PM
Expat savers to lose if interest rates fall further
Money markets are predicting a further fall in the Bank of England base rate by early summer 2013, threatening to cut expat saver rates from their already low point. Record low fixed rates for savers have reflected the low base rate for over three and a half years, with expat savers relying on interest to boost their income hard hit....
20 Nov at 6 PM
Ireland to lure tech start-ups with venture capital fund
Ireland is planning to attract start-up technology companies to its shores with a raft of venture capital offers including cheaper operating coasts and equity funding. The fund is aimed at entrepreneurs in the four countries with strong expat links to the Emerald Isle – the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia. It’s hoped the...
19 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in China see salary and disposable income increases
A recent survey confirmed that expats living and working in China receive higher salaries and enjoye more disposable income than in their home countries. Yet another sector of the seemingly never-ending results of HSBC’s annual Expat Explorer survey points out that expats working in China are streets ahead of their contemporaries in...
19 Nov at 6 PM
Filipino facing execution given time to raise blood money
The family of a Filipino expat worker awaiting the death penalty in Saudi Arabia has been given four extra months to raise the blood money to save his life. Joselito Zapanta was found guilty of the murder of a Sudanese accountant during a dispute over rent payment, and was sentenced to death. Saudi Arabian law allows the families of murder...
16 Nov at 6 PM
Expat Americans unhappy over filing US tax returns
A recent survey has revealed that expat Americans living abroad are increasingly reluctant to file their US tax returns. The study, undertaken by US expat tax reporting, filing and planning service for expats Greenback Expat Tax Services, speaks volumes about expat concerns over their tax liabilities. According to Greenback president David...
16 Nov at 6 PM
Bank assesses Dubai property market by counting expat kids
US banking giant Citycorp’s brainchild seems to be an unusual method of measuring growth in the expat community and its effect on local property prices. The scheme involves counting heads at international schools to determine the number of expat pupils, with Citycorp firmly convinced this will help estimate the direction of house prices...
15 Nov at 6 PM
Survey suggests expats in UK worried about economic outlook
Yet more results from the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey 2012 suggest that expats living and working in the UK have concerns over the state of the UK economy. The results, mirrored in the rest of the Eurozone, show that confidence in and satisfaction with the UK’s economic progress is low, with 36 per cent of those surveyed believing it’s...
15 Nov at 6 PM
UAE plans easing of decoration rules for expat convicts
Expats convicted of criminal offences in the United Arab Emirates will find deportation less of a strain as the UAE is considering easing the rules .A press report last Monday indicated that the emirate’s judicial officials are considering easing the deportation rules in line with the serving of justice and global developments.Jamal...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Exotic lifestyles and growing economy attract expats to India
A recent study has named India as one of the favourite destinations for expats due to its business opportunities and exotic ambience. The survey, undertaken by the global Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), suggests that, over the last several years, the lure of India as a land of opportunity and unique cultural experiences...
14 Nov at 6 PM
Saudi Labour Ministry cracks down on majority expat firms
Private sector companies based in Saudi Arabia are to be fined if the number of expat employees overreaches a set total. The Saudi Labour Ministry’s announcement on Tuesday came as a shock to its expat community, as it means that firms employing a majority of expat workers will be fined $640 dollars per year for each excess expat....
13 Nov at 6 PM
Bahrain under pressure for expat worker deaths compensation
Following the deaths of two expat workers in Bahrain last week, campaigners are urging the Bahraini government to set up a compensation package scheme for workers killed on the job. The two sanitation workers died and another was badly injured when explosives hidden in rubbish bins in an expat residential suburb were detonated.Other...
13 Nov at 6 PM
Lloyds Bank to withdraw expat mortgages on UK properties
Shortly after its international arm stopped lending to expats, Lloyds Bank UK announced that it was following suit and pulling the plug on its expat mortgage scheme for UK properties. The move is bad news for expat workers planning to move back to the UK as many wish to have a secure property waiting for them after their contracts end. The...
12 Nov at 6 PM
US government to reconsider normalisation of trade with Russia
The House of Representatives is to discuss the lifting of the Jackson-Vanik amendment as early as next week after calls from US businesses for enhanced trade ties with Russia. The 1974 Jackson-Vanik amendment made close trade relations between the two powers dependent on Russia’s allowing freedom to emigrate to Soviet Jews. Although...
12 Nov at 6 PM
More UK, Chinese and Indian migrants head for New Zealand
A report by the New Zealand Government’s statistical arm, Statistics New Zealand, has reveled that migrants form the UK, China and India form the bulk of new arrivals in the country. The report also states that the number of Chinese visitors to the country has soared during 2012, with Chinese arrivals the third most numerous and the UK...
9 Nov at 6 PM
Middle East the most challenging place for expat children
A recently released survey has identified the Middle East as the most challenging destination for bringing up expat children. According to HSBC’s 2012 Expat Explorer survey, expat parents working in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait have the hardest time bringing up their children. The three countries are rated at the bottom of the...
9 Nov at 6 PM
Isle of Man offers safe haven for expat funds
In these tricky financial times, many overseas residents are searching for an offshore investment which combines security with acceptable returns. The eurozone crisis is affecting many expats’ confidence in the financial sector, wherever in Europe they are located. Withdrawals from European banks have increased considerably during the...
8 Nov at 6 PM
British expat pensioners to lose winter fuel payment
The row over British state pensions and winter fuel benefits being paid to expats living abroad is hotting up, with ministers calling them a welfare system anomaly. In a speech on state pension benefits, Work and Pensions Minister Ian Duncan Smith gave a clear indication that policymakers were considering ending the benefits, thus saving...
8 Nov at 6 PM
Dubai expat acquitted of groping female bum in bar
Following a 10-month battle in a Dubai court, an expat businessman has been acquitted of groping a young British woman in a local bar. Steve Sheriff, an expat from Northern Ireland working in the emirate, had been accused of touching the 23-year old woman in a Dubai bar and was originally found guilty, even although the young lady...
7 Nov at 6 PM
International firms hit out at overgenerous expat packages
As the costs of providing generous packages for expats working abroad soar, many international companies are concerned that the benefit culture is spiralling out of control. Multinationals across the world, forced to cut their costs due to sluggish economic conditions, are increasingly concerned that their branch office overseas are wooing...
7 Nov at 6 PM
New UAE expats develop passion for driving
A survey by a leading insurance group has noted that a majority of new arrivals on the expat scene in the United Arab Emirates develop a passion for driving. The study, undertaking by YouGov on behalf of Zurich Insurance, polled 749 UAE expat residents, of whom 66 per cent admitted their attitude towards driving had changed radically since...
7 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Germany not threatened by the eurozone crisis
In spite of the effect on expats in other parts of the eurozone, British expats in Germany are unconcerned about its impact on their standards of living. The recently released HSBC Expat Explorer 2012 survey reveals that expats living in Germany have a vastly more positive economic outlook than those in the rest of the EU countries. Over...
7 Nov at 6 PM
British businessman murdered in China was Secret Service spy
According to the Wall Street Journal, the British businessman killed in China in November last year was acting as a spy for the British Secret Service. The newspaper states that Neil Heywood had been contacting an M16 officer with information about Chinese politician Bo Xilai for at least 12 months prior to his death. A report by the BBC...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Survey finds internet access is essential for expats abroad
A recent survey confirmed that the internet is a vital tool for expats across the world as regards banking and staying in touch with home country families and friends. The comprehensive HSBC Expat Explorer Survey 2012 reports that 70 per cent of expats use the internet to access their banking services, both in their home countries and in...
5 Nov at 6 PM
Expats in Bahrain back government temporary ban on demonstrations
Bahrain’s recently announced temporary ban on all protests, demonstrations, rallies and public gatherings is being backed by the expat community in the country. In an attempt to curb increasing street violence in the emirate, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdulla al Khalifa recently banned all public gatherings and demonstrations,...
2 Nov at 6 PM
Expat benefit culture out of control say multinationals
As expat workers become more mobile, with many heading to the burgeoning Asia Pacific region, multinational companies are become concerned about the legal and financial implications of the overseas expat benefit culture. Many international firms are attempting to claw back control from local operators of the perks and benefits offered to...
2 Nov at 6 PM
Boom turned bust causes Spanish exodus to Latin America
Spain’s economic boom, sparked by its EU entry in 1999, attracted millions of Latin American migrants, many of whom, along with a growing number of Spaniards, are now leaving the troubled country .After four years of bust following the ten-year boom in the Spanish economy, many immigrants from Latin America are now returning home....
1 Nov at 6 PM
Oz immigration lists over 100 new NSW skilled occupations
One of the most popular expat destinations in Australia, New South Wales, has listed more than 100 new skilled occupations, increasing the opportunities for skilled migrants to live in the state. The ever-popular expat destination of New South Wales has traditionally attracted more migrants than it needs, leaving many to settle for their...
1 Nov at 6 PM
