March 2015 Expat News Archive

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

31 Mar at 6 PM

British government finally plans to repatriate stranded expats and tourists

Finally, the UK government has pledged to supply the funds necessary to repatriate British tourists and expats trapped overseas by the worldwide coronavirus lockdowns. In an announcement made yesterday by the UK’s Foreign Secretary, Britain has now taken financial responsibility for the repatriation of over a million tourists and expats...
31 Mar at 6 PM

Caymans government pledges to assist expats as well as locals

Expats in the Cayman Islands are to get governmental assistance if needed. Following his controversial announcement that governmental assistance will be offered to trapped foreign permit holders without mentioning the islands’ expat communities, the Cayman Islands' PM was forced to confirm that any foreigner in dire straits would also...
31 Mar at 6 PM

American expats in Spain fear for relatives and friends back home

US expats in Spain are fearing for their homeland itself as well as for families and friends. It’s often forgotten that Spain isn’t just a retirement hub for British expats, as there’s also a strong USA contingent scattered across the most popular regions. Spain was one of the first countries to suffer high numbers of infections and...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Expats trapped in the Netherlands welcome Engish language podcasts

Podcasts are the latest local delight for expats in the Netherlands. For expats feeling isolated, lonely and depressed due to the anti-socialising rules of the virus's unprecedented threat to normal life, podcasts in the Netherlands are providing welcome relief. For non-Dutch speakers, they’re the best way to keep in touch with...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Is FATCA failing due to US expat non-compliance?

The USA's dreaded FATCA reporting ruling may be failing due to massive numbers of American expats ignoring its filing rules. According to recent reports, literally millions of US expats living overseas are comply ignoring the American taxman’s regulations as per the hated FATCA annual report. Introduced some 10 years ago, the Foreign...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Expat-run pet rescue shelters on Cyprus desperate for funds

Expat-owned animal rescue shelters on Cyprus are being hit hard by the pandemic. It’s not just expats and locals who’re being affected by Cyprus’s increasingly tough anti-pandemic measures – it’s also animal rescue centres on the island. Cyprus’s lockdown began last week, at the same time as the Cypriot government announced a...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Spain reopens 370 hotels for stranded expats, tourists and essential workers

For stranded British expats and tourists, life under the Spanish lockdown just got slightly easier. As the huge number of British tourists and expatriates hit hard by Spain’s current lockdown increases, the government has reversed its recent decree forcing all hotels to close. Flights out of the country are now discontinued, leaving...
27 Mar at 6 PM

UK offers easy visa extensions to Aussie expats and travellers

At the same time as thousands of British expats and tourists are trapped in lockdowns overseas, the UK government is offering visa extensions to stranded Aussies. The numbers of Australian visitors and expatriates stranded in the UK due to the pandemic are to be offered easy visa extensions by the British government. Flight cancellations,...
27 Mar at 6 PM

UK Foreign Office washing its hands over Brit expats trapped overseas

As country after country closes its borders and bans new arrivals, an increasing number of British expats and tourists find themselves stranded overseas and running out of funds. One MP and former Conservative cabinet member is now claiming British expats and tourists are now trapped by lockdowns in many world countries, unable to stay,...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Estepona City employees now helping expat pensioners in need

Lonely older expats in the Spanish city of Estepona are now being tracked down and helped by groups of municipal workers. According to the popular British retirement destination’s local councillor Begona Ortiz, her team of municipal employees have discovered 168 elderly foreign retirees in need of assistance as well as 363 local...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Hong Kong expats warn returnees to obey the rules or be reported

Expats living in Hong Kong are blaming recent returnees for the spike in coronavirus victim numbers. Expat professionals who decided to ride out the epidemic in Hong Kong are accusing those who’d left and are now returning as being responsible for last week’s sharp rise in the numbers of infections. According to long-stay expats,...
26 Mar at 6 PM

New Zealand in early lockdown to avoid spike in numbers infected

New Zealand is now shut down for everything except essential services for at least four weeks. According to the country’s Prime Minister, the trajectory of victims of the virus made a shutdown the only sensible course of action. At the time of her announcement, she said, the number of cases had reached 102 and was set to rise still more...
25 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Germany advised to not become their own worst enemies

Expats in Germany are being warned over anxiety and stress. As news about the present status of the COVID -19 pandemic overwhelms international media outlets, expat professionals living and working in Germany are being urged not to let stress and anxiety take over their lives. For expats, tough times lie ahead as the news worsens and...
25 Mar at 6 PM

Spain extends lockdown to all but British expat residents

New Spanish lockdown closes hotels, caravan parks and camp sites. As Spain struggles with one of the world’s worst coronavirus infection rates, tourism is now disallowed and only British expats able to prove residence will be given entry to the country. This latest government update is the harshest yet, with tourists still in the...
25 Mar at 6 PM

Hong Kong expat nightlife under threat due to pandemic

For expats considering returning to Hong Kong is the near future, the city's lifestyle may be about to change due to the pandemic. For the past year, the much-loved lifestyle for expats in Hong Kong has all but disappeared due to the many months of violent street protests followed by the devastating effect of the coronavirus pandemic....
24 Mar at 6 PM

Turkey calls a lockdown for sick and elderly expats and residents

Turkey hits out at elderly expats with special rules for those over 65. Having already introduced home confinement measures and a coronavirus curfew, Turkey now has elderly expats and those with chronic illnesses in its sights. Last Sunday, the Turkish government curtailed all outdoor activities for citizens and expats over the age of 65...
24 Mar at 6 PM

Spain closes all hotels due to worsening infection rates

British expat businesses in Spain face ruin as all hotels close. As Spain’s coronavirus statistics soar, the government has given an order that all hotels must close today, adding tourists must make arrangements to leave the country as soon as is practicable. In addition, the hard-hit country is now in lockdown, with a ban on leaving...
24 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expats in Vietnam trapped with no consular assistance

Expat English teachers in Vietnam are facing homelessness due to the coronavirus pandemic. As have many other world countries, Vietnam has closed down all its schools, leaving expat English teachers without salaries and potentially without homes. The Asian Tiger state had been focusing on English as a second language for all its pupils,...
23 Mar at 6 PM

Expat businesses in danger of immediate closure due to Spanish lockdown

Expat businesses and SMEs in Spain’s Costa del Sol region are now predicted to fail at a rate of three per day. The Spanish government is being urged to assist expat-owned SMEs and self employed traders affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Auditors and accountants are predicting business failures at a rate of three per day should...
23 Mar at 6 PM

British expats as well as Thai citizens disallowed entry to Thailand

British expats living, working or retiring in Thailand are being warned time is running out for those wishing to repatriate. A message from the British Ambassador to Thailand has stated Britons wishing to return to the home country are running out of time due to the closing down of almost all flights to the West. By the end of last week,...
23 Mar at 6 PM

Thai officials spur racism against expats over face masks

As the COVID-19 virus tightens its grip on Thailand’s major cities as well as its capital, expats are fearing cultural clashes between the foreign community, local Thais and Thai government officials. Since the country’s incidence of infections and deaths tripled over just one week, the Thais themselves began to regard the wearing of...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Mijas multilingual hotline aims to inform British expats

As Spain shocks the world with its latest coronavirus statistics, an expat-aimed multi-lingual hotline has been launched in Mijas. Spain’s latest information on its coronavirus statistics is truly terrifying, as its confirmed COVID 19 cases have risen to 17,147 over the past 24 hours – a jump of 3,500 infections. Deaths from the virus...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Expats on Gibraltar to get financial watchdog and new laws

Expats living on Gibraltar may get financial compensation and a financial watchdog once the Brexit transition is a done deal. The British government is now keen to extend its financial compensation and watchdog provisions to British citizens living and working on Gibraltar once the Brexit transition is done and dusted. Britain’s...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Brit ambassador to Kuwait puts foot in mouth over expat difficulties

UK expats in Kuwait are laughing behind their hands as the British Ambassador is forced to apologise for a thoughtless comment. After his embassy staff posted a message to its expats stuck in Kuwait urging them to seek money from local charities if they were short of cash, the ambassador was forced to grovel and apologise. The message was...
19 Mar at 6 PM

High coronavirus death rates in Spanish care homes now under investigation

Expat families with loved ones in Spanish care homes are now fearful over high COVID 19 death rates. Several of Spain’s residences for the elderly and care homes are now facing full investigations by the authorities after the high numbers of deaths from the COVID 19 pandemic. Both local authorities and the families of care home...
19 Mar at 6 PM

Expat workers in the Caymans now stranded due to COVID 19 crisis

The Cayman Islands are now in a humanitarian crisis due to the coronavirus. Expats and locals alike on the ever-popular Cayman Islands archipelago are now submerged in a humanitarian crisis due to the rapid spread of the pandemic. Thousands of expats working in the tourism sector are now unemployed due to restrictions on restaurants and...
19 Mar at 6 PM

Locals and expats in Spain join together to help those in need

As the effects pf the coronavirus pandemic continue to blight expats’ and citizens’ lives across Spain’s favourite destinations, there’s better news for those on regular prescriptions. Many expats and locals who’re on prescriptions for existing conditions have been worried about renewing them whilst on lockdown and unable to get...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Gulf State-based expat families urged to forego their usual UK summer break

British expats in the UAE are being urged to stay put during the summer holidays. Thousands of British expat professionals living and working in the UAE along with their families normally return to the UK during the summer period in order to catch up with relatives and friends back at home. It’s an annual ritual which seems to be the...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Expats nearing retirement may need to rethink their financial strategies

Would-be expat retirees are facing delayed retirement due to the coronavirus’s effect on the stock market. As stock markets all across the planet react negatively to the coronavirus chaos’s effects on world business, hardworking British would-be expat retirees may need to work harder for longer to achieve anything resembling their...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Expat students fear for their degrees as international unis shut down

As coronavirus lockdowns and closures spread across the world, international students at foreign universities are facing challenges which may mean the end of their degree education. Universities in the UK, the USA and Europe are now shutting their doors due to the pandemic, leaving expat students all over the first world afraid for their...
17 Mar at 6 PM

Thai private hospitals price-gouging expats on coronavirus tests

Expats desperate to protect their Thai wives and families from the virus are being priced out of the market by greedy private hospitals. Thailand’s network of private hospitals is being accused of profiteering due to its massive charges for coronavirus tests. Already infamous for their overcharging of tourists and expats living in the...
17 Mar at 6 PM

British expats still trapped by lockdowns and airline chaos

British expats desperate to get back to their businesses or retirement havens in the sun are being stymied by cancelled flights and entire country shutdowns. Along with Europe’s tourism industry, the aviation sector is facing its worst challenge since the 2008 financial crisis, with many believing the effects of the coronavirus pandemic...
17 Mar at 6 PM

Tourists and expats herded into Spanish airports as lockdown began

Just before the lockdown began, social distancing was the last thing on tourists’ and expats’ minds at Malaga Airport’s security gates. Huge numbers of tourists as well as expats had been dumped at the airport by their hotels as Spain went public with its lockdown strategy, with notices informing guests of the government’s ban...
16 Mar at 6 PM

UK citizens and expats urged to report phishing emails offering tax refunds

British expats are being warned by HMRC over a new corona virus-related scam email purporting to be from the British tax authority. As infections rise across Europe including the UK and more people find themselves quarantined at home with little to keep themselves busy, a phishing email is doing the rounds. The message is luring the...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Fight to end Brit expat frozen pensions gets tougher as campaign ramps up

Brit expat retirees in Commonwealth countries to remain on frozen pensions whilst those in the EU will get uprates. As British retirees living in EU member states post-Brexit sigh with relief at the news their state pensions will be uprated, their equivalents in Commonwealth countries are being denied parity yet again. The British...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Spain stumbles into lockdown as expats and tourists flee

Expats, tourists, students and citizens alike are all now under Spain’s emergency lockdown. As the Spanish sun rises this morning and the pandemic takes a tighter hold across the entire country, the government’s emergency decree movement restrictions imprison the vast majority of residents with just a few exceptions. The vast majority...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Danish lockdown and school closures affecting expat parents

It’s not yet two full months since the coronavirus pandemic began, with almost every expat destination now caught in its deadly clutches. As entire countries go into full or partial lock-down including school closures, travel bans and the cancellation or outlawing of anything involving crowds of humans, how are expats with families...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expats in Spain angry over suspension of UK/EU negotiations

The temporary closure of UK/EU post Brexit negotiations due to the pandemic has caused concern for British expats in southern Spain. Post-Brexit talks between Britain and the EU have just been suspended until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic, leaving UK expats living in Spain bitterly disappointed. All across the popular...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Beijing volunteering to help combat the virus

Bilingual international expats living and working in Beijing are joining in the huge city’s war against the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing’s expat population is set at almost 150,000 and contains some 37,000 international organisations. Rather than returning to their home countries when the outbreak began, many have decided to stay in...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Financial fears are growing amongst Venice’s expat community

British expats in locked-down Italy are fearing the worst financially as well as health-wise. As if things weren’t bad enough, the World Health Organisation’s declaration that the coronavirus is now a pandemic is striking even more fear in the hearts of expatriate Brits living in Italy as well as sending worldwide stock markets into...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwait now in near lockdown due to pandemic

Kuwaitis and the emirate’s huge expat community are now in a state of near lockdown as new measures against the pandemic are introduced. Harsh new coronavirus measures were announced yesterday, aimed at holding back the spreading virus infections and deaths. Commercial passenger flights are now banned, although cargo flights will be...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Elderly expats in Spain urged to beware of crooks posing as medical workers

British expats living in Spain’s Costa del Sol region are being warned over robbers posing as medics. As the newly-declared coronavirus pandemic hits out at expats all over Spain, a new danger is being warned against for residents in the popular Costa del Sol region. Residents in Manilva, Mijas, Calahonda and Cordobra are being warned...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Expats shut out of Kuwait worried over due date for rental payments

As the coronavirus scare spreads across the world, expats in Kuwait who were on overseas trips when flights were suspended are now unable to pay their rents in time. Expatriates with Kuwaiti rental properties may be in breach of the law through no fault of their own, as all tenants are required to pay their monthly rents before the 20th...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expats in France left without elected representatives due to Brexit

Elected British town councillors in France are now forced to step down as they’re no longer European citizens. Some 760 British expats in towns all over France are now banned from continuing as elected councillors as they’re no longer European citizens due to Brexit. Many have been living in France for many years and served as...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Expat residents in Thailand uneasy about official coronavirus reports

Expats in Thailand are now questioning how many Chinese arrivals from Wuhan are still in the country’s popular tourism destinations. Until the first few days of breaking news over the Wuhan coronavirus, Thailand’s southern islands, the capital Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai were crammed with Chinese tourists, the majority...
10 Mar at 6 PM

New Kuwaiti ban on expat arrivals causes airport chaos and confusion

Expats expecting to be transferred to Kuwait or who’ve accepted new jobs in the emirate are now unable to get visas due to the coronavirus outbreak, although those related to diplomatic missions will still be granted. As another attempt to slow down infection rates, all Kuwaitis as well as expat residents arriving in Kuwait will be...
10 Mar at 6 PM

Leading Spanish lawyer claims Rothschilds victory opens doors for more prosecutions

In an update to a Malaga law firm’s landmark victory over Rothschild’s Bank, it’s now being claimed the bank may be forced to reimburse some nine million euros to other British expats scammed by the same scheme. A leading Spanish lawyer is now claiming the Torremolinos court victory opens the doors for hundreds of other expat...
10 Mar at 6 PM

Harsh new UK rules for incomers may spell problems for Brit expats overseas

Brits desperate to depart their home country for friendlier, cheaper climes overseas might well spare a thought for their foreign counterparts attempting to enter the UK under its new rules. Britons who’re now rearranging their lives in order to emigrate before the Brexit debacle hits home are being urged to stand up for their European...
9 Mar at 6 PM

New UK university study reveals Brit expat Brexit fears

A new study of British expats in Spain undertaken by London University’s Goldsmiths College has revealed continuing alarm and confusion over the effects of Brexit. According to the survey, many more British expats are becoming fully registered, but the process itself is causing concern and alarm about the country’s one-size-fits-all...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Coronavirus hits hard on Thailand’s struggling hospitality industry

Expats and tourists are abandoning Thailand due to the coronavirus outbreak. Chinese visitors have been propping up Thailand’s tourist industry for a good few years, with package tourists from Wuhan arriving daily at all its visitor destinations. In addition, the Southeast Asian state’s real estate sector has benefited from Chinese...
9 Mar at 6 PM

First expat coronavirus victim in Benalmadena now in hospital quarantine

British expats in Benalmadena are being urged not to panic as the town’s first coronavirus case is announced. According to a spokesperson from Xanix Hospital, one patient is now in isolation having been diagnosed with the rapidly-spreading virus. Expats in Spain are glued to their online media sites as numbers along the Costa del Sol...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Spain facing up to changes as the transition period drags on

Reality is beginning to dawn amongst British expats who voted to leave the EU. Difficult as it may be for the majority of expat Brits in Spain to understand, a good number of their compatriots actually voted to leave the European Union, although for what purpose isn’t clear or understood as yet. Now that reality is setting in, changes...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Spain’s best international schools for expat kids

If you’re relocating with your family, access to highly recommended international-style education is an important part of your choice of location. Education for expat children is always a priority for parents on reassignment across Europe, with Spain home to a respectable number of highly-rate international schools. Expat families...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expats in Spain warned over kidnapping scam

British expats in Spain are being warned over a virtual kidnapping scam. The scam is the latest in a selection of similar extortion frauds in which scammers call randomly selected victims and convince them the gang has kidnapped a near relative. They then demand as much as €10,000, threatening to harm the loved one should payment not be...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Dubai increases its traditional pre-Ramadan food discount scheme

Expats in the UAE as well as locals are welcoming the traditional massive Ramadan food discounts. Throughout March, discounts of between 25 and 60 per cent on a vast range of food prices will be available for locals and expats alike. The pre-Ramadan linked announcement by Dubai’s Ministry of the Economy was made at the emirate’s 15th...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Flybe shutdown causes chaos for expats and business travellers

Expats regularly flying between Spain and the UK are devastated over the Flybe bankruptcy. The popular low-cost carrier was a staple for Britons living or working in Spain and needing a convenient, inexpensive service between the two countries. Also popular with holidaymakers, those with second homes in Spain and long-term residents...
5 Mar at 6 PM

N26 digital bank decision causing chaos for British expats in Spain

British expats in Spain with N26 digital bank accounts are rushing to change their registered addresses. The Germany-based relatively new expat banking service became popular amongst British expats in Spain due to its straightforward fund transfers, but the digital bank is now pulling out of the UK market. Brexit is the reason, and the...
4 Mar at 6 PM

Vacancies in Beijing and Hong Kong now the norm due to virus spread

Hong Kong and Beijing are running short of expat bankers as the coronavirus threat grows. As attempts to regulate the spread of the virus become even more restrictive, thousands of international bankers are fleeing Hong Kong and mainland China for offices outside the immediate danger zone. International schools are closing for the time...
4 Mar at 6 PM

Negative expat investment returns on prime properties now in reverse

Five-year negative investment returns on prime residential rentals in major world cities are now in reverse as the sector improves. Since 2014, declining rental yields on prime residential properties in major world cities have been disappointing expat investors, but the trend may now be in reverse as average yields have improved by 0.2...
4 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expats in Europe angry over the Johnson letter to Harry Shindler

The Johnson letter to Harry Schindler is causing expat anger. Over a million British expats living all across Europe and thousands more across the world could well be forgiven for expressing their fury at Boris Johnson’s too little, too late letter to Harry Schindler, the founder of the unsuccessful until now campaign to allow long-stay...
3 Mar at 6 PM

The UAE annual Camel Trek will become a marathon next year

Following the success of last month’s annual UAE Camel Trek, the emirate’s Heritage Centre has announced an annual Camel Trek Marathon, open to both expats and tourists. The announcement by Dubai’s Crown Prince followed on after the successful staging of a camel race between the 13 expats who’d taken part in the annual Camel Trek....
3 Mar at 6 PM

Charitable Shanghai expat companies pouring millions of yuan into fighting the coronavirus

Expat professionals living and working in China are doing what they can to fight against the coronavirus epidemic along with their Chinese colleagues. Whether they’re newly arrived expat entrepreneurs or upscale winners of China’s coveted Magnolia Award, internationals in the country are doing their best to be of use during the...
3 Mar at 6 PM

Expats and locals stocking up on necessities as virus victim numbers increase

Locals and expats in Europe are stocking up due to fears of forced lockdowns or voluntary quarantines. As coronavirus cases continue to increase across Europe and the risk of contracting the disease is officially raised to ‘high’, expats and locals are raiding local malls and stores. Panic shopping is increasing across the continent,...
2 Mar at 6 PM

Expat pet lovers in Mallorca warned over deadly mosquito-borne disease

Pet-loving expats on the Spanish island of Mallorca are being warned about the spread of a fatal mosquito-borne disease. All pet-owning residents in a number of Mallorcan areas encompassing Sa Pobla, Pollenca, Can Picafort, Alcudia and even Palma have been advised that tiger mosquitoes have already spread the heartworm disease across most...
2 Mar at 6 PM

Beijing hospitals now offering English language hotlines to expats

Beijing’s international hospitals are now opening English language hotlines to support expats during the coronavirus outbreak. Expats in Beijing are having a tough time nowadays, whether it’s fear of contracting the virus, panic when experiencing symptoms or the psychological effects of imposed periods of quarantine. Not being able to...
2 Mar at 6 PM

Hong Kong dog quarantine sparks panic amongst expat dog owners in Spain

News that a dog in Hong Kong has tested positive for the coronavirus and quarantined is scaring expat pet owners across Spain. Although experts have reassured pet owners worldwide that their furry family members cannot become infected by the deadly virus, the Hong Kong authority has quarantined a dog and are now searching for more to...
29 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in New Zealand react to the terrorist attack

Expats in New Zealand are grieving for their society after the tragic terrorist attack. For decades, New Zealand has been seen as a safe haven away from an increasingly troubled world, but the March 15 terrorist attack shattered the dreams of expatriates and citizens alike. The general opinion was that, due to its distance from the rest...
29 Mar at 6 PM

Scandinavia worst in world for friendship and happiness

Scandinavians in general seem to have a reputation for coolness towards expat arrivals, but Denmark is the worst. Results of a recent survey placed Denmark as the third-worst state in the world for friendliness towards incoming expats. The ease of making friends in a new country is an important factor in the decision whether or not to...
29 Mar at 6 PM

How secure are expat jobs in the GCC bloc?

Job security is an important part of the relocation decision, with GCC policies on drastic reductions of the number of expat employees causing would-be expatriate professionals to reconsider. Across the GCC, policies based on the reduction of expat professionals have increased foreign workers’ concerns about the safety of their jobs at...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwait warned over Kuwaitization in oil and gas sector

As Kuwaitization rolls on, top executives in the emirate’s oil and gas sector are warning about its effect on essential revenue supplies. Concerns are concentrating on ‘compulsory employment’ plans, stating pressure-driven sackings of expat top talent and its replacement by local graduates without experience will have a negative...
28 Mar at 6 PM

UK based EU expats may end up in legal limbo post-Brexit

EU expatriates living and working in the UK may not now be covered by previous assurances regarding their rights. European member state citizens may be stripped of their rights to housing, social security and freedom of movement post-Brexit, according to a parliamentary report. In spite of assurances by government that all EU citizens in...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Expat investors in Middle East now have financial advisory aggregator website

For the first time, would-be expat investors in the Middle East will be able to check out their IFAs via an online financial advisory aggregator site. UAE-based communications, consultancy and research agency Insight Discovery is the brains behind the website, with its aim to discourage cold-calling malpractice as well as financial...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Catch these cheap expat destinations before it’s too late

As the global expat community soars, it’s inevitable that costs of living will rise, even in the most economical destinations. Not everyone who leaves the home country for a future overseas has a generous salary plus perks or a gold-plated pension, with many of the world’s best-loved retirement destinations also some of the least...
27 Mar at 6 PM

China tax reform may spell disaster for expatriate talent

China’s 2018 review of and changes to its individual income tax system will come into effect in 2021. During the opening up of China to the rest of the world, foreign workers were the only demographic affected by the introduction of individual income tax as locals didn’t earn enough to have to pay. Since then, a spectacular increase...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwait health authorities to ban expats with listed illnesses or conditions

Kuwait’s new public health regulations will ban expats with diseases listed by the emirate’s Ministry of Health. New measures aimed at cutting healthcare expenses and preventing the spread of disease include a long list of medical conditions which will disqualify expat arrivals from entry into the country. Expats already living and...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Is Brexit chaos breeding expat mental health issues?

Leading psychotherapists are concerned the constant confusion over Brexit may impact vulnerable UK expats’ mental health. British expats who took advantage of the EU’s freedom of movement directive to live, work or retire in their preferred European country are first in line for mental health problems, according to several experts in...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Expats lose Dh millions in UAE timeshare scam

Many hundreds of expats living and working in the UAE have lost millions of dirhams in total to a cleverly-worded timeshare scam. Expatriates both in Dubai and across the UAE are believed to have been tricked into the scam by a Dubai- based company calling itself Arabian Times Travel and Tourism. It’s believed around Dh4 million is...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Financial giants blame dodgy IFAs for expat pension scams

A probe into expat investment scams launched by pension product providers puts the blame firmly on fraudulent IFAs. Over the past decade or so, the expatriate financial world has been rocked by scandal after scandal, with devastating results for expat investors and those transferring their pensions overseas. The investigation, initiated...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Bahrain shutting out expats whilst Dubai hangs out the welcome banner

Bahrain lawmakers are planning to restrict expat public sector contracts to a two-year maximum. The bad news from Bahrain seems to deliberately contradict a statement by Dubai officials that close on 700,000 expat resident entry permits were granted to GCC nationals over the past two years. Previously, the Bahraini government had already...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Cyprus extends time for British expat residency applications

Recently-arrived British expats on Cyprus appreciate extra time for arranging residency. Cyprus is now joining with a good number of other EU member states in giving British expats more time to arrange their residency status in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Both new arrivals and established Britons will now have at least a year to get...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Why are expats in the UAE reluctant to save for retirement?

The majority of expat professionals living and working in the UAE are planning to retire at around the age of 55, but few are saving enough to ensure a comfortable future. A new survey on behalf of a well-known offshore insurance company suggests less than half of expats in the UAE are saving enough to finance a long retirement either...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in HCM City support Vietnamese students’ bike-sharing project

Vietnam is now becoming popular with the international expatriate diaspora as well as tourists, but increasing numbers of arrivals are putting a strain on Ho Chi Minh City’s public transport system. Ho Chi Minh City is now a popular tourist destination as well as a hub for expats working in various sectors including education and IT. As...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Indian budget airline desperate to hire experienced expat pilots

An Indian budget carrier is now recruiting expat pilots as well as Indian pilots about to lose their jobs with financially troubled Jet Airways. India’s budget airline IndiGo is taking advantage of its rival’s financial difficulties by offering jobs to pilots about to lose their jobs as well as to expatriate flyers looking to live and...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expat left powerless due to next door cannabis plantation

An unfortunate British expat in the Spanish resort community of Finestrat just outside Benidorm has no power as local workers confused his meter with the one supplying the next-door marijuana plantation. Workers from Spain’s electricity provider Iberdrola arrived at the home of British expat Steve Knight, armed with an order to cut off...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Costa del Sol police net expat drug smuggling gang

A gang of 10 French drug smugglers met their match in Mijas when a combined Spanish/French police raid ended their operations. The latest win in the war against drug smugglers in Spain has resulted in the major bust of a French gang transporting cocaine and marijuana between Algeria, Morocco and Malaga. Once on Spanish soil, the drugs...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Beijing runners club helps new expat arrivals learn Chinese

For newly arrived expats, keeping fit may not be the priority, but one Beijing social running club is great for practicing the local language. Learning to speak Mandarin Chinese is probably the most challenging aspect of a move to China, not only because it’s one of the world’s most difficult languages to master but because of its...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Rental market in Oman crushed by expat exodus

A noticeably steady decline in the numbers of expat professionals living and working in the emirate has seen rental prices over the past year fall by between 10 and 15 per cent. Oman’s rental market has traditionally relied on expat professionals arriving to work in the emirate, but Omanization policies have seen increasing numbers of...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Survey praises Spain as best world country for expat longevity

A major world health survey has revealed Spain as the planet’s most healthy country. Last year, the Health Metrics Institute at the University of Washington revealed Spain as the second most healthy world country, with a further 2019 survey elevating it to number one for longevity and overall health. This year’s result, tabled by the...
20 Mar at 6 PM

British government to pay one year’s expat health costs

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the British government has agreed to pay certain health costs for retired expatriates for a one-year period. The healthcare costs for 180,000 British expat pensioners retiring in EU member states are to be paid by the UK government. Healthcare provision for conditions which began prior to exit day for up...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Expats and locals in Sihanoukville suffering from Chinese invasion

Expats in Sihanoukville welcome Cambodian investigation into Chinese invasion. Expats still living in Sihanoukville are supporting the Cambodian government’s investigation into the statuses of the high number of Chinese nationals now taking over the city. When the influx of Chinese workers and investors began, local people were happy to...
19 Mar at 6 PM

British expats in Spain on trial over missing Latvian woman

Spanish law has finally caught up with two expats accused of the disappearance of a female expat in 2014. Two British expatriates, Craig Porter and Westley Capper, are now on trial in Malaga for causing the disappearance of a young Latvian woman in 2014. The pair were the last people to be seen with Agnese Klavina, whose body has never...
19 Mar at 6 PM

Bangkok now expat hub for online professional poker players

In spite of the fact that gambling is mostly illegal in Thailand, Bangkok is now being celebrated as a world hub for online poker-playing professionals earning enough money to keep themselves in a manner other expats can’t quite manage. According to media reports, moving to Thailand in order to play poker for a living is the latest fad...
19 Mar at 6 PM

British expats in Spain flying to join huge Brexit protest

Around 100 members of Brexit protest group Bremain in Spain are planning to fly back to the UK to join what promises to be a huge protest against Brexit. The march will take place Saturday, just a few days before the UK’s time for negotiating a soft withdrawal runs out. Estimated to draw huge numbers, the ‘Put it to the People’...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Kiwi expats in UAE reassert racial attacks ‘not us’

Kiwi expats in the UAE are strongly asserting the horrendous terrorist attack isn’t representative of their country. As the world grieves for the 49 dead after the horrific Christchurch terrorist attack, Kiwi expats in the UAE and across the world are heading to social media to state unequivocally the murders are not representative of...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Expats, locals and government join to fight Palma mall development

The Balearic government, Palma city council and the Consell de Mallorca have joined forces with locals and expats to fight against the huge Palma Springs development planned in Playa del Palma. The proposed 80,000 square metre mega-mall and lifestyle centre, planned for the natural wetlands area of Ses Fontanelles, received its license to...
18 Mar at 6 PM

UK expats in Cyprus still in limbo over Brexit

In spite of Cyprus government reassurances, British expats are still living in limbo. Some 70,000 Britons call Cyprus their home, with the vast majority still angry at how easily their carefully-planned lives can be destroyed by thinly-disguised political manipulation in their country of origin. Even although the Cypriot government has...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Soaring London housing costs await reluctant Brit expat returnees

For British retirees reluctantly returning to the home country post-Brexit, the biggest shock may well be the price of London property. Although most EU member states have reassured their UK expat communities they’ll keep the majority of their rights, a significant number of Britons may well decide to give up and go home rather than face...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expatriates still fearful no-deal will prevent access to funds

As Britain’s parliament continues to demonstrate its appalling inefficiency amidst total chaos, fear and uncertainty still stalks British expat investors in Europe. Although the risk of a no-deal Brexit now seems to be up to European lawmakers, its impact on both British expats overseas and UK citizens in general is still a cause for...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Alicante now cheapest rental destination for would-be British expats

Alicante is now a favourite for British retirees due to its cheap rentals. As the value of sterling staggers due to Brexit uncertainty, finding a cheap rental apartment in Spain is a priority for many British expat retirees. A recent survey by a local appraisal company could well help with decision-making, as it’s identified the five...
14 Mar at 6 PM

UAE still expat professional favourite for quality of life

New release of a popular annual survey ranks Abu Dhabi and Dubai tops in the region for quality of life. The recently-released Mercers’ Quality of Living survey saw Abu Dhabi and Dubai keeping their high rankings as the most liveable expat cities in the Arab states. Some 231 world cities were surveyed, with the two popular expat...
14 Mar at 6 PM

EU to force Spain over ‘illegal’ expat tax

Part-time expats who rent out their Spanish homes can now claim the 60 per cent tax reduction given to Spanish nationals in the same circumstances. In a rare intervention by the European Commission, the practice of charging non-permanent resident expats tax on earnings from renting their Spanish properties is now considered unfair as...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Chiang Mai suffering from world’s worst air pollution

Local media are reporting the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai is in the grip of the world’s worst air quality. At the beginning of this week, the already dangerous levels of PM2.5 dust particulates across the north of Thailand increased still further, with the popular expat and tourist destination faring worse than the rest of the...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Advice for British expats should no-deal become a reality

As the March 29 deadline looms closer and the British parliament becomes even more disorderly, a huge number of UK expats are still totally confused about the effect on their lives of a no-deal exit. Although the vast majority of EU member states have now reassured their British expat communities as to their rights in the event of a...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Eindhoven look forward to Dutch Happiness Week

In spite of the strong possibility of bad Brexit news, expats living and working in Eindhoven are looking forward to the Netherlands’ annual Happiness Week. Started in Eindhoven in 2014, the city’s Happiness Week soon morphed into a seven-day long event for the entire country, and is due to take place this year from the 16th of March...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Cutting your expat retirement spend without wrecking your lifestyle

If you’re thinking of retiring overseas using your pension as your sole means of support, it’s wise to work out the best way to cut your spending once you’ve arrived. Understanding exactly where your monthly pension transfer goes is the first step in managing your money as an expat and even being able to save for the occasional...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Expats warned to keep dogs away from poisoned Spanish lake

After the sudden death of a one-year old pup after drinking water from famous Lake Istan, expats and Spanish locals are being warned not to walk their dogs anywhere near the waters. American expat Livia Taravella and her husband were walking their pet dog Skye along the waters’ edge and allowing him to drink from the shallows. Almost...
12 Mar at 6 PM

New book by expats in Vietnam tells it like it is

For those considering Vietnam for their next home from home, there’s a newly-published book which tells the personal triumphs and tragedies of 21 expat residents. ‘ 'Stories of Expats in Vietnam’ gathers together the feelings, experiences and troubles of 21 expats, all of whom tell of everything from their initial difficulties to...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Expat kids in Prague love School in Nature tradition

The annual School in Nature tradition originated in Germany with the wish to give children living in the cities a chance to enjoy the clean air and natural greenery of the countryside. The first such expedition took place in 1904 at the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, and soon spread to France and Denmark. Over the years it became a...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Which EU countries are being kindest to British expats

Many EU member states have now passed, or have stated their intention to do so, new laws ensuring the post –Brexit rights of UK expats. The no-deal Brexit packages of rights on offer vary state to state, with some covering the majority of needs and others sticking to the bare minimum and charging for special permits. Malta’s no-deal...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Expat couple in Spain arrested in gruesome multiple murder case

Spanish police are investigating an expat couple alleged to have murdered a number of lonely expatriate pensioners. An Andalusia-based German man and his German-Cuban wife have been arrested in connection with a number of unsolved deaths of elderly pensioners. During the arrest, a disabled Dutch pensioner and an elderly German man were...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expats in Canada join fight against frozen pensions

Over half a million British state pensioners live overseas in countries where their pensions are frozen. Retired Britons living in Australia, Canada and New Zealand make up a considerable number of the half -million UK expats existing on frozen state pensions in spite of the fact they’d paid National Insurance contributions for all...
8 Mar at 6 PM

Author busts expat myths about UAE culture and lifestyle

The Gulf States, however popular as an expat destination, are to many a region of myth and mystery set in an uncomfortably dry, hot climate. Out of all the world’s exotic expatriate destinations, the Emirates and their citizens are perhaps the most prone to Westerners’ misconceptions as regards culture, history and lifestyle. A...
8 Mar at 6 PM

South African high-salary expats furious over proposed new tax law

In spite of its condemnation by several panels of experts, the South African government is determined to go ahead with its controversial new expat tax laws. As the rules stand today, South African nationals working overseas for over 183 days – 60 of which must be consecutive – ar exempted from paying home country taxes on their...
8 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in BVI set to benefit from residency status

British Virgin Islands premier Andrew Fahie has promised to regularise elegible expats’ statuses by allowing residency. As part of a pledge to stimulate the local economy by putting people first, Fahie described British expats without formal residency as people who’ve worked and lived in the BVI for up to 20 years or more and have met...
7 Mar at 6 PM

British expats being denied French driving licenses

With just two weeks to go before Brexit kicks in, Brit expats applying for French driving licenses are having their applications refused. In spite of the British government’s advice to exchange UK driving licenses for the French equivalent before Brexit day, attempts to comply by UK expats living in France are being rejected by the...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Scots expats as well as Brits feel abandoned in Europe

It’s not just English expats who’re seeing their plans changed and their lives disordered by Brexit, as two Scottish expat couples recently found out. The dark shadow of Brexit has been causing confusion, uncertainty and concern wherever in Europe Britons are working, but for a few it’s ruining the best moments of their lives. Scots...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Bahrain news report on deportation of all expats now refuted

Expats living and working in Bahrain can now breathe a sigh of relief as a report announcing mass deportations has now been classified as fake news. Officials from Bahrain’s Ministry of Labour and Social Development have reassured the local expat community over a report published in the online news site Arabia, calling the news an...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Spanish decree reassures Brit expats but caveat still cause for concern

Remain campaigners based in Spain are welcoming the Royal Decree protecting British expats’ rights. After more than two years of worry and fear, British expats living, working and owning SMES in Spain can now relax, secure in the knowledge they will be able to access the country’ s excellent healthcare options, their pensions and their...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Gulf States focusing on cheaper local talent and Asian expats

A new Dubai initiative aimed at boosting Emiratis’ skills is likely to affect job security for expatriates. The emirate’s new strategy will attempt to boost the skill-sets of local job seekers, thus increasing their participation min the local jobs market. Unemployed locals will be given preference for jobs in the financial,...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Tourists and expats forced to pay 150 per cent upfront for access to Britain’s NHS

It’s bad news for expats and visitors to the UK, as they’ll be forced to pay upfront for any NHS service and will be charged 150 per cent of the estimated bill. Those affected will be expatriate workers and tourists who aren’t entitled to free healthcare, with the new rules aimed at putting a stop to medical tourism. Those attending...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Malta loses popularity with female expat professionals

Female expats looking to further their careers are now giving Malta a miss. As a result of a recent study shows, it seems women looking to advance their careers may well be crossing Malta off their preference list, causing the country to drop from third place to ninth in the survey’s listings. The study results are released annually on...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Shanghai become volunteers to help the local community

In a bid to include expats in the local community, a Shanghai service station is recruiting them as weekend volunteers. The station serving residents in Shanghai’s North Bund area is now recruiting expats as weekend-only stationmasters in a bid to help them integrate into the local community. It also provides a hub where retired...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Doctors in Spain and Portugal attack alternative therapies

In spite of proven successes and a lack of deadly side-effects, alternative therapies are now under attack by medical professionals in Portugal and Spain. Expatriates from the UK and USA have long had a free choice of conventional and alternative medicine without breaking any laws, with many older people preferring to avoid pharmaceutical...
4 Mar at 6 PM

Expat celebrities join in Andalusian power line project protests

Media attention generated by the Say No To The Towers group has resulted in expat celebrities joining in the protests. Following last week’s report of a a plan to erect 2011 massive electricity pylons across one of Spain’s most spectacular beauty spots, the local protest group has been joined by the British author whose book Driving...
4 Mar at 6 PM

Abu Dhabi expat start-up wins Dh100,000 flights on Emirates Airlines

Reflecting on the UAE’s vibrant start-up sector, the winners of the Gulf News Flying Colours competition were EZ Shade, selected for their innovative merit, social values and ethical business. The top four start-ups were chosen from a field of over 300 entrants all competing to prove their ideas were backed by mobility, sustainability...
4 Mar at 6 PM

Gibraltarians and expat residents no longer at risk of Spanish takeover

A new agreement between the UK, Spain and Gibraltar will ensure Spain can’t grab the British Sovereign Territory for itself, even in the case of a no-deal Brexit. One major concern of Gibraltarians and expats ever since the referendum result was declared has been that Spain would finally succeed in taking over Gibraltar and making it...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Vietnam itself the clear winner in the aborted Trump/Kim summit

American expatriates living and working in Hanoi were celebrating the Trump/Kim summit in advance, but are now bitterly disappointed by the two leaders’ inability to compromise for world peace. Both long and short-term US expatriates in Hanoi are disgruntled after Trump abruptly pulled the plug on the long-awaited second meet-up between...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Current prospects for expat buy-to-let mortgages

If you’re an expat looking for a UK mortgage, you’ll now have extra choice but the process is more complicated than before. Buy-to-let investments are still favourites amongst the British expat community, with a wider choice of products now available and two new building societies on the list. Even so, available loan options are still...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expats in Spain slam May for uncaring healthcare stance

British expats living in Spain are furious with Theresa May for her total lack of concern over post-Brexit healthcare. With just 29 days to go until the UK leaves the EU, British residents in Spain suffering chronic medical conditions are voicing their fears and disgust at the British PM’s attitude. With a no-deal Brexit still a strong...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Hong Kong crashes in survey of best Asian cites for Asian expats

All that glitters is no longer gold as Asian expats query Hong Kong liveability Once every expat’s favourite destination due to its fascinating culture, unique history and stunning lifestyle, Hong Kong is now losing its shine, especially with Asian expats. To be fair to the former British colony, a proportion of the disenchantment is...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Amsterdam IamExpat fair moves to larger venue

The Amsterdam IamExpat fair is a favourite with foreigners living and working in the Netherlands as well as for new arrivals looking to find new homes and jobs in the popular city. The annual fair hosts anything and everything for established and incoming expat needs, including jobs accommodation, help desks, immigration information,...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Spanish Royal Decree grants Brit expats free healthcare and social security benefits

A Spanish Royal Decree has just been issued, guaranteeing British expats’ continued healthcare access until the end of December 2020. If Theresa May was listening, she might well have heard a massive sigh of relief issuing from the ether hovering over Spain, as tens of thousands of British expats realised they would continue to be...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Saudi princess calls for more expat integration

As the kingdom of Saudi Arabia opens up to increasing foreign investment, a Saudi princess is calling for more integration between expatriates and Saudi nationals. According to Princess Reema bint Bandar al Saud, Western businesses and their employees should engage more with Saudis, as changes in the kingdom’s societal norms are critical...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Expat oligarchs in London risk being targeted after Skripal attack

For decades, London has been the refuge of choice for Russian oligarchs and their less than monstrously wealthy expat counterparts. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, extraordinarily financially secure Russian citizens have used London as a safe refuge both for themselves and their money, with the diaspora hotting up over the past...
30 Mar at 6 PM

IamExpat fair offers one stop shop for all expat needs

Expats in Amsterdam can access all they need at the annual April 7 IamExpat Fair. Voted the best of its type anywhere in the expat world, Amsterdam’s IamExat Fair is the answer to all expatriate needs in this increasingly attractive destination country. It’s the fourth outing for the event, which is now a much-appreciated feature on...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Annual US expat tax survey might make interesting reading for lawmakers

An annual survey aimed at collecting the opinions of US expats on tax-related subjects including FATCA and expat tax reform is expanding its brief for this year’s study. The survey is being authored by a leading US expat tax specialist firm, perhaps arousing suspicions that the real intent is to garner yet more potential clients and...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Demolition of expat homes in Spain still ongoing

Spain’s history of demolishing expat homes is repeating itself in Andalucía as another expat couple is denied retrospective planning permission after more than a decade. Retired British couple Noel and Christine Payne began their Andalusian house purchase in 2001, after visiting the local town hall and verifying the necessary...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwaitization causing major downturn in property rental market

Investors in the Kuwait expat rental property market are feeling the cold hand of reality as workers leave or relocate to smaller apartments. Some 14 per cent of apartments in residential developments popular with expat workers are now empty, according to a study by the Kuwait Real Estate Association. Translated into real numbers, the...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Soaring Islamic wedding costs driving Emirati men to marry expat women

According to the UAE Federal National Council, the huge cost of Islamic weddings can be avoided by marrying expat women. During a meeting between members of the National Council and Minister of Community Development Hessa Buhumaid, concerns were raised about the soaring costs of traditional Arab weddings, blaming the expensive...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Dubai expat parents worried about school reopening dates

Dubai expat parents are growing concerned about the lack of information on September's school year starting dates. At this time of year, it’s usual for expat parents to be advised by their children’s schools as to their September re-opening dates following the long Spring Break holidays. Some parents are finding it difficult to decide...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Charges for British passport renewals increase today

Costs to expats of passport renewals are to increase by inflation, but UK residents will see much higher charges. Taking British expats in France as an example, renewals will now be £105.86 with the price including secure delivery by courier, an increase of a little under three per cent over the previous cost of £102.86. Despite the...
27 Mar at 6 PM

British Embassy in Paris holds live Facebook Brexit discussions

Brexit questions on the British Embassy in Paris’s dedicated Facebook page came thick and fast last Monday from Britons less than happy about the recent negotiators’ agreement. Many British expats in France are still confused about their status, with some worried the recent signed agreement may not be ratified and others describing it...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Survey suggests moving overseas increases expat happiness

Research is backing up the well-known fact that life overseas is happier than in the home country for an impressive number of expats. Given that the majority of non-work related expatriations are the result of unhappiness caused by unwelcome changes in the birth country lifestyle, it’s no surprise that just under half of respondents to a...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Macron urged to discuss problems of accidental Americans at Trump meeting

French lawmakers are working to ensure President Macron brings up the subject of ‘accidental Americans’ during his April meeting with Trump. French politicians sympathetic with the plight of ‘accidental Americans’ are hoping against hope they can persuade their president to raise the matter during his visit to Washington next...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Relocating expats fear losing their possessions in container ship collision

Expat families relocating back to the UK fear they’ve lost all their household and personal belongings after a container ship collision. Following a cargo ship crash just outside a Pakistan cargo terminal during which some 20 containers fell overboard, 10 expat families returning from the UAE to the UK now fear their personal belongings...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwaiti lawmakers in favour of taxing expat remittances

Kuwait’s financial and economic affairs panel linked to the National Assembly is reported as being in favour of a new law taxing expat remittances to foreign bank accounts. Committee chairman MP Salah Khorshid told the media a vote on the issue is being delayed until a future meeting following an agreement by vote on one of four...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Broken Britain the cause of UK expat exodus

Broken Britain is one reason why UK nationals are rushing to move to Europe before Brexit officially kicks in. It seems the EU referendum has sparked an increasing exodus of angry and disappointed Britons looking to create a better lifestyle for themselves and their families. Some are setting up new businesses, others have successfully...
23 Mar at 6 PM

Expat buy to let investors see rentals stagnating

Rentals on expat buy to let properties are now stagnating in a number of formerly profitable areas. It seems the slowdown in rental increases across the UK is continuing into 2018 after seeing an average rent rise of 1.1 per cent across the board last year. London property rentals rose by just 0.1 per cent in 2017, with the largest...
23 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwait lawmakers call for postponement of expat health charge increase

Responding to calls by affected groups and lawmakers over the inability of many expats to pay the increased charge, one Health Committee member is recommending postponement of the extra fees. Kuwaiti MP and member of the National Assembly’s Health Committee Khalid al Otaibi agrees in principal with the increases but is concerned that a...
23 Mar at 6 PM

Shanghai expat becomes accidental entrepreneur after launching WeChat group

Shanghai’s expat community is known for its entrepreneurial spirit, with necessity often the mother of invention and occasionally resulting in a successful business idea. One young American expat arrived in the city some seven years ago, settling in a large apartment and building his new life in a very unfamiliar country. Just over a...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Trump tax reform bill threatens UK expat SMEs with bankruptcy

Trump’s brainchild tax reform, now known as the Apple tax, was brought in to force major offshore corporations to relocate their huge piles of cash back onshore but is now threatening American expat SMEs with bankruptcy. Those at risk own 10 per cent or more of an offshore company or pay themselves via a company for tax purposes....
22 Mar at 6 PM

Best international cities for elite luxury rentals

For the mega-rich looking for a luxury home, New York, London and Tokyo have the best choice. For those with millions or even trillions stashed offshore, the world’s their oyster, with the pearls as regards luxury properties found in Tokyo, London and New York City. As well as boasting premier luxury developments, the attractions,...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Medical tourism on the rise as home country costs soar

As the cost of private medical care soars in the Western world, a number of countries are deliberately touting their medical tourism facilities. Malaysia, Thailand, Mexico, Costa Rica and Columbia are all favourites, especially for non-essentials such as cosmetic surgery and dentistry as well as non-urgent procedures for...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Public sector Kuwatization to continue unchecked and on schedule

Kuwait aims to replace all expats in public sector jobs with Kuwaiti nationals within the next five years. MP Khalil al Saleh, head of the National Assembly’s committee overseeing the drive to get rid of expat workers, is determined to stick to the government’s plan to complete the process by 2023. According to al Saleh, some 800,000...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Abu Dhabi backs Youth Media Council to identify fake news

In an attempt to protect Abu Dhabi citizens from the effects of fake news, a dozen young residents have been chosen to form a Youth Media Council. The strategy, announced by the National Media Council, is intended to develop the emirate’s media sector as well as protecting against fake news on a variety of online media platforms, with...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Expat businesses in Europe under threat from lack of Brexit border policy

The threat that ports, trains and ferries will grind to a halt after 31 March 2019 is causing fears of business losses amongst UK expats in Europe. Although the recent talks have given rise to optimism over a soft Brexit, Europe-based expat business owners are fully aware that time is running out with no firm conclusions as regards border...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Canadian expat disenfranchisement trap heading for Supreme Count ruling

It may come as a surprise to affected British expats that Canadian expats are being caught in the same disenfranchisement trap as their counterparts from the UK, but after just five, not 15 years! The Canadian law which states expatriate citizens are disallowed from voting after an absence of five years was first enacted in 1993, but was...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Tens of thousands of Irish expats called home for abortion referendum

Citizens of the Republic of Ireland living and working overseas, are being urged to return to the Emerald Isle in order to vote in the abortion referendum. The Home to Vote campaign is stepping up its call to the Irish diaspora in the UK, USA, Canada and Europe to come back to the home country to vote in May’s historic abortion...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Indian millionaire exodus due to regulatory overkill

If you’re a multimillionaire, you can live where you please but, for the Indian mega-rich, the grass is definitely greener overseas than in the home country. Over the past four years, almost 23,000 millionaires have deserted India for fresh fields and overseas pastures new, according to research co-ordinated by an internationally famous...
19 Mar at 6 PM

Taxation without representation for long term British expats overseas

According to British lawmakers in favour of the private members’ bill, long-stay UK expats are now the ‘great disenfranchised’. Expats from any world country except the UK who’ve settled down elsewhere on the planet bring with them the right to vote in elections and referendums back home, and the majority still have family and...
19 Mar at 6 PM

Netherlands idiosyncratic facts for would be expats

For the second year running, the Netherlands is the world’s sixth-happiest countries for expats. Finland hit the number one spot, with Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland following, with the Netherlands’ happiness quotient impressive for a small European country. At the least, its winter weather doesn’t create freezing cold and...
19 Mar at 6 PM

Expats and UAE citizens send gifts of love to Syrian children

Over 2,000 Dubai residents joined in the ‘From UAE With Love’ initiative taking place over last weekend. The initiative was the brainchild of Dubai’s Ministry of Human Resources, aimed at giving boxes full of toys as well as letters of encouragement to underprivileged children in Syria and neighbouring countries. Over 2,000 expats...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Expat engineers in Kuwait panic over work visa renewals

The sudden enforcement of a new Kuwaiti work visa law has left hundreds of expat engineers in a state of panic. The new law, brought in by Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower, has hit hard on expat engineers in the process of renewing their work permits, as it’s now mandatory to present a no-objection certificate. The...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Russia warned of anti British sentiment after nerve gas attack

The British expat community in Russia is fearing reprisals following increasing tensions between the two countries. The viral news of the Salisbury nerve agent poisoning of a Russian defector and his daughter caused alarm amongst British expatriates in Moscow, but Theresa May’s reaction to the tragedy has turned alarm to fear. A terse...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Porno pool party organiser gets Cambodian court hearing

An update in the fate of the Briton who organised a pornographic pool party in Cambodia saw him apologise to the Cambodian people during his court hearing. Daniel Jones is now facing a year in a Cambodian prison for his part in distributing what’s been described as a pornographic advertisement for a pool party being held in a Siem Reap...
15 Mar at 6 PM

EU expat exodus from UK predicted to soar during 2018

The trickle of EU expats leaving the UK is expected to become a flood during 2018. Ever since the Brexit referendum result was announced, EU member state citizens living and working in the UK have quietly been preparing to leave, either for their home countries or to start again as expats in an unknown land. As the negotiations drag on,...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Cryptocurrencies win support from China and Russia

Expats pinning their financial hopes on digital currencies can take some encouragement from China and Russia’s begrudging acceptance of the online money. Expatriates eager to invest in cryptocurrencies in spite of their unregulated volatility may have been offered some slight reassurance by Russia and China’s take on the wildly...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Trump tax reform bill makes little difference to US expats

US expats who were hoping a miracle as part of the Trump tax reform would ease FATCA’s pressure on their lives are now deeply disappointed. US citizens living and working overseas were hoping against hope that continuing calls by US expat organisations representing both sides of the political divide might result in an easing of the...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Total Brit expat numbers in Spain now in serious decline

Recent reports suggest British would-be expats are continuing to buy Spanish properties, but the actual number of UK citizens in the country is in sharp decline. Official figures from the last quarter of 2017 show more British buyers are busily buying Spanish homes than are investors from other world countries, but the total number of...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Shortage of real Indian curries in Spain inspires new expat aimed business

British expats in Spain and France are to get authentic curry kits from a new Derbyshire start-up. If there’s one thing that Brits living in Spain and France miss, it’s the authentic Indian curries served up all over the UK in takeaways and restaurants owned by equally authentic curry chefs. However, relief is now at hand thanks to an...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Beijing eateries restricted to serving 10 expats at any one time

Expats living in Beijing’s student accommodation district were confused as police ordered bans on more than 10 expats in any one restaurant at any time. Wudaoku district is a popular location for expats a well as for students as it’s well supplied with restaurants serving Chinese food at affordable prices and is located conveniently...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Expats and locals in Chapala volunteer for pet sterilisation project

Stray dogs and feral cats as well as household pets are being sterilised and neutered as part of a massive effort by Chapala expats and Mexican residents to reduce the numbers of unwanted pets on the streets. One unwelcome and unexpected aspect of expat life in many favourite destinations is the high number of homeless dogs and cats...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Detained in Dubai law firm fighting for Brit businessman

Former British businessman in Qatar Jonathan Nash is now being aided by legal charity Detained in Dubai after he was sentenced to 37 years in prison for a bounced cheque. Detained in Dubai hit the headlines at the beginning of this year for its successes in fighting on behalf of a number of expats who’ d fallen foul of the UAE’s...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Thailand extends Pattaya pubs darts ban nationwide

January’s ban on the popular game of darts being played in Pattaya has now been extended to cover the entire country. Expats enjoying a night out along with a game of darts in several of Pattaya’s bars-cum-pubs were horrified last month when local police stormed in and confiscated the dart boards. The reason given was that a permit...
12 Mar at 6 PM

EU parliament and UK lawmakers support Brit expats rights

The result of last week’s House of Commons parliamentary debate on EU citizenship along with news of a European parliament draft resolution could be a lifeline for UK expats in Europe. Last week, the British House of Commons passed a motion urging the government to ensure Britons could keep their EU citizenship post-Brexit. The...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwait to ban expatriates with certain diseases from permanent residence

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health has released a directive banning expats with certain non-contagious illnesses from becoming permanent residents. The ban follows another directive listing 22 sicknesses and applies to expats with high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and several other non-contagious illnesses as yet undeclared. The original...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Saudi rental costs collapse as expat exodus hots up

The six-month old trend of declining rental charges is being attributed to an expat exodus of workers’ families since the dependent levy was introduced. Although the elites of the Saudi expat community aren’t leaving as yet, those on less than generous salaries are being forced to send their families home due to the...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Surprise parliamentary debate on EU citizenship for UK expats

Following a call from Plaid Cymru, Britain’s Welsh nationalist party, a parliamentary debate on EU citizenship for UK expats is taking place. The minority political party believes the UK’s Brexit negotiators should include the proposal in future talks, thus allowing Britons living in EU member states to have at least a chance of...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Spain celebrates inspiring expat females on International Women’s Day

Nine expat women based in Spain over the past 80 years are being honoured by local Spanish media March 8 is International Women’s Day, during which exceptional women and their achievements are celebrated across the world. This year’s celebration has an extra edge, in that it’s also a call for the implementation of gender parity in...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Ryanair CEO threatens grounding planes in effort to reverse Brexit

Controversial Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is threatening to ground all his planes after Brexit kicks in to force the UK to think again about leaving the EU. Committed Remain supporter O’Leary made the announcement last Tuesday, saying he’s considering the move in order to show referendum voters they’ve been lied to as regards the...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Tips for a stress free expatriation to Spain

Whether would-be expats like it or not, learning the local language is essential to making your lifestyle change successful and stress-free. Moving overseas is a massive challenge to the majority of would-be expats yearning for fresh fields and pastures new, with tackling the basics and preparing yourself for inevitable changes is the way...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Scots expat in Portugal fined for burying dead husband in garden

A Scots widow living in Portugal has been let off with a fine after burying her late husband in their garden. Edinburgh-born Louise Khan and her husband Alyn had emigrated to Portugal from Fife some four years ago, hoping to enjoy a long and happy retirement in the warm Portuguese sunshine. Sadly, Alyn was diagnosed with an inoperable...
9 Mar at 6 PM

70 per cent of failed assignments down to family problems

Recent studies have revealed more than 70 per cent of failed assignments are due to trailing spouses’ inability to adjust to their new lives. The majority of women moving overseas aren’t expatriating to further their own careers – they’re following their husbands or partners to unfamiliar lands due to an overseas position being...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Update on Dutch housing costs for expat entrepreneurs

If you’re looking to relocate to the Netherlands, you’ll need to know which areas have affordable housing. With the Netherlands now hitting the headlines as a great destination for expat start-ups, the numbers of would-be expats checking out living and accommodation costs are likely to soar. Both house purchase and rental costs vary...
7 Mar at 6 PM

US expat protest group challenges Bannon in Zurich

An American expatriate group protesting over USA lawmakers’ lack of interest in gun control made their voices heard in Zurich during Steve Bannon’s visit. As if the visit by the ultra-right wing ex-White House chief strategist wasn’t controversial enough, the small but effective expat demonstration outside the venue for his speech...
7 Mar at 6 PM

New Kuwaitization scheme threatens expatriate private sector jobs

Kuwait is considering creating some 17,000 private sector jobs exclusively for Kuwaiti nationals. Meetings begun last month are progressing with the plan to create around 17,000 new private sector jobs aimed at Kuwaiti nationals. The Kuwaiti government is in conference with major trade unions to facilitate the replacement of expatriate...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Choosing the best expat hospital by its rating is a risk

One of the most important decisions expats need to make when choosing an overseas destination for retirement or a new job is the availability of quality medical care. Many private hospitals overseas are now using rating systems, considered as the equivalent of the ‘star’ system for hotels. However, relying on ratings when deciding...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Expat lawyer crowdfunding appeal reaches its target in three days

The lawyer working with British expats in their court battle to preserve their rights has raised over 67,000 euros via a crowdfunding campaign. London-based lawyer Jolyon Maugham launched his crowdfunding campaign last Thursday, and was amazed when it reached its target of 60,000 euros by Sunday. The fund now stands at 67,000 euros and...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Second passport schemes now popular with high net worth UAE nationals

As obtaining residency in first-world countries is getting harder, second citizenship programmes are coming to the fore in the Arab States. High-net worth UAE residents are increasingly turning to second passport applications as being granted long-stay visas in Western countries gets even tougher. Citizenship programmes are now being seen...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Controversial Dubai DNA testing plan causes discrimination fears

Dubai’s controversial plan to DNA test all its residents inclduing expats is being seen as an invasion of privacy likely to result in discrimination. The idea of creating the largest DNA database in the world is being justified as a scheme aimed at identifying dangerous diseases before they take hold, but is causing widespread concern...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Expats and tourists caught up in Spanish hospital scam

A damning report has revealed several Spanish public hospitals are working with a company charging triple the actual medical fees to non-Spanish patients. A document shared with an English language expat-focused newspaper is claiming the International Care Patient Association is acting as an intermediary between non-Spanish patients and...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Unanswered Brexit financial questions still worrying Brit expats in EU

Putting aside the problems of getting residency for long-stay British expats in EU member states, it’s the continuing financial uncertainty that’s causing increasing concern. It’s almost unbelievable that almost 20 months have passed by without any real clarification of the rights of both EU and UK expats, leaving just 16 months for...
2 Mar at 6 PM

Pension tax relief billions could be up for grabs by future chancellors

Is the pension tax relief top-up scheme safe from being looted by future British Chancellors of the Exchequer? If you’re saving into a pension scheme with the intention of retiring overseas you’ll need to keep a close eye on government rule changes. The government’s pension tax relief scheme is made up of the money the government...
2 Mar at 6 PM

Expats and environmentalists mourn famous Maya Beach closure

If you’re dreaming of a retirement spent mostly on Thailand’s famous tropical beaches, the one you’ve picked might well be closed before you get there. Thailand isn’t the only tourist and expat haven to be affected by beach closures and restrictions caused by careless divers, pollution and coral die-offs, but when it’s a beach as...
2 Mar at 6 PM

US expat business owners in Oz hit hard by Trump tax plan

American expat business owners in Australia are about to get an unpleasant surprise courtesy of the controversial Trump tax reform bill. The problem is the so-called ‘one off deemed repatriation tax’, levied at 15.5 per cent for internet giants such as Google and Apple, but also affecting any dual USA expat citizen operating a...
1 Mar at 6 PM

May offers EU expats right to permanent residence

In a major climbdown, PM Theresa May has announced EU expats who arrive in the UK during the Brexit transition period will be able to apply for permanent residency. The surprise announcement was slipped into a Home Office Brexit policy paper, and also states EU migrants who arrive post-March 2019 will now be granted a five-year temporary ...
1 Mar at 6 PM

High net worth Brits quitting the UK for offshore tax havens

The threat of increased taxation and even more changes in laws governing the non-domicile status is persuading mega-wealthy British residents it’s time to go. Leading private wealth advisory firms are seeing an increasing number of high net worth individuals abandoning the UK for tax-friendlier destinations overseas. A January survey...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Skilled worker shortages loom as EU expats leave the UK

Official UK government figures show an increasing number of EU expats are leaving and far fewer are arriving. New migration statistics are now giving credence to signs of a growing Brexodus as the balance between those arriving and those relocating to their home countries shifts. Office for National Statistics figures still show 90,000...
31 Mar at 6 PM

Online Chinese job sites under fire for scams and expat identity theft

For adventurous expats looking for employment, China is the new, cool kid on the block but is also a hub for fake job scams aimed at expat professionals as well as language teachers. China is becoming ever more popular for expats looking for well-paying jobs in a totally unfamiliar and fascinating environment, but more and more online...
31 Mar at 6 PM

Historic German railway station rescued from dereliction by expat couple

British expats Olly and Jackie Bond are determined to renovate a derelict, historic German railway station, turning it into a tourism and entertainment centre for the small town it used to serve. Formerly from Cornwall and now living in Camburg and working in Munich, Olly took the train to work every day, passing through the derelict...
31 Mar at 6 PM

UK and Spanish diplomats agree on need for fast deal for expats rights

As the numbers of Brits in Spain applying for Spanish nationality soars, Spaniards in the UK are given an Embassy helpdesk to address their queries about the effects of Brexit on their status within the UK. The release of current figures by the Cervantes Institute has revealed an increase of 431 per cent in the numbers of Brits in Spain...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Expat employee tells truth about fraudulent trading by boss

Expats in Marbella are taking legal action against a local glass and windows company after they’d lost thousands in uncompleted work. The Marbella based Andalucia Glass and Steel is owned by Vincent Ware, and was at first popular with expats living on the Costa del Sol until contracted work was left unfinished or never started and...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Dubai gets first overseas Priory clinic for alcoholics and drug addicts

Best known in the UK for its celebrity addicts, the London-based Priory Clinic is now open in Dubai’s prestigious Heathcare City. With its nine clinics and hospital now covering England and Scotland, the Priory’s early days saw it become famous as the fashionable port of call for celebrities with addictions varying from alcohol, drugs...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Gulf States see massive falls in popularity with expat professionals

A recent InterNations expat survey has shattered the Gulf States’ reputations as great places for expat professionals to further their careers and enjoy luxury lifestyles. In the past, landing contracts in Saudi, the UAE, Kuwait and several other oil-rich emirates gave expats an opportunity to kick-start upward mobility in their careers,...
29 Mar at 6 PM

Barnier confirms importance of guaranteed expat rights

In a statement to the European Council, the EU’s head negotiator Michel Barnier has confirmed the need to immediately guarantee the rights of UK expats in Europe and EU expats in the UK. I f believed, Barnier’s position on the rights of expats and several other Brexit issues could come as music to the ears of the millions of...
29 Mar at 6 PM

Is Spanish nationality the final expat answer to Brexit

Many long-term UK expats in Spain have struggled with the decision whether or not to try for Spanish nationality, but now the reality of Brexit seems unstoppable it’s the only acceptable option for many. British expatriates living and working in Spain are now faced with the ultimate decision – whether to wait and see whether...
29 Mar at 6 PM

Australia forced out of top ten expat hubs in shock survey result

After years of being placed in the top ten expat worker destinations, Australia’s star is fading fast due to the country’s excessively laid-back ambience. The latest edition of HSBC Bank’s popular Expat Explorer survey relegated Australia to 11th place as a destination for expat professionals eager to further their careers as well...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Are UK expats protected from Brexit effects by an EU directive

In a surprising article published on the eve of Therese May’s invoking of Article 50, its author states her insistence of using EU expats in the UK as bargaining chips for UK expats in Europe is invalidated by an existing EU law. The article’s author claims he published an open letter to the British PM at the beginning of this month,...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Survey notes depression and stress amongst UK and EU expats alike

Tomorrow is the point of no return for the UK in Europe, as Theresa May activates Article 50 and effectively ends decades of being part of a Greater Europe. Since the referendum result was announced last June, concerns about many aspects of the divorce from the EU have been raised, especially by those most affected by Brexit. Today, the...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Letter to EU Facebook page tells it like it is for UK residents and expats

Following last Saturday’s Unite for Europe anti-Brexit protest march in London, a UK expat living in Greece has started a Facebook page showing a letter she wrote to all EU member states’ officials setting out the facts about the UK’s support for Brexit. Alison Cuff’s letter ‘tells it like it is’ as regards the untruths and...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Corbyn calls for immediate repeal of UK frozen pension legislation

UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has joined the fight to repeal Britain’s hated ‘frozen pensions’ policy by calling for an immediate parliamentary vote to repeal the ruling. Corbyn has been a strong supporter of the campaign to end expat frozen pensions, and is now urging British lawmakers to vote to end the discriminatory...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Newbie expat mistakes and how to correct them

Moving overseas is a stressful experience, whatever your reason for leaving the home country, but avoiding the headaches caused by obvious mistakes isn’t as hard as it may seem. In the rush to make sure you, your family if applicable and even the dog arrive safely in your new country, it’s easy to put off or even forget essential...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Study shows expat millennials more than happy in Belgium

Expats come in all shapes, sizes and ages, with millennials in Belgium the latest addition to the international expatriate community. Data from a thinktank study for BNP Paribas has shown that almost all expat millenials living and working in this small European country are more than happy about their decisions to relocate. The study...
24 Mar at 6 PM

British Ambassador holds outreach meetings with expats in Portugal

The British Ambassador to Portugal is visiting expat communities during the run-up to next Wednesday’s triggering of Article 50. British Ambassador Kirsty Hayes has already met with members of expat communities in Albufeira, Portamao and Cascais and is hoping to visit Porto and Caldas da Rainha before PM Theresa May invokes Article 50...
24 Mar at 6 PM

Cultural issues contributing to increased assignment failure rate

Relocating overseas as a career move is always a stressful experience, but cultural issues can make it the worst choice ever. Over the past four years, assignment failure rates have increased from 4.9 to 7.2 per cent, with the major reason an inability to cope with lifestyle adjustments due to cultural issues. Sometimes it’s the expat...
24 Mar at 6 PM

Taking the stress out of apartment hunting in Paris

The romance and sheer beauty for which Paris is famous worldwide doesn’t quite make up for the stress of finding a suitable apartment. Paris is a favourite for expats from across the world for so many reasons, but your dream can get very slightly tarnished once you’ve begun searching for an apartment. Expats choose the world’s most...
23 Mar at 6 PM

UK expats in America devastated by London terror attack

British expatriates living in the USA are devastated by yesterday’s terrorist attack in Westminster. British expats across the USA reported shock and horror as the as–it-happens details of the fatal terrorist attack were broadcast on CNN and the BBC. The USA is no stranger to terror, but British citizens living across the pond were...
23 Mar at 6 PM

Expats arriving in the UK now being advised to take out private health insurance

In spite of the looming effects of Brexit, the UK is still a popular destination for expat professionals from outside the European Union. Although the number of EU nationals headingto the UK to further their careers may soon reverse itself as most are forced to pack up and leave post-Brexit, the country is expected to still be open to...
23 Mar at 6 PM

EU expats in UK may be protected by human rights laws

According to a report by a group of Spanish lawyers, the European Convention on Human Rights may give EU expats in the UK freedom to remain. In an address to the EU parliament, legal experts from Spain said Brexit might result in EU citizens making use of existing human rights laws to gain the right to remain in the UK. Spanish professors...
22 Mar at 6 PM

21st century technology helps expat retirees stay in touch with family

Most retired expatriates take the huge step of moving overseas in order to live in a location which is more affordable, more relaxed, warmer and more fun than their home country. After years of being stuck in one, however pleasant, place due to the demands of career and family, the freedom to emigrate gives the heady possibility of a...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Singapore still the most expensive place on the planet

For the fourth year running, Singapore is rated as the world’s most expensive location for expat professionals. The latest league table showing expat costs of living across major world locations has confirmed Singapore as the most expensive city for expatriates.The Economist Intelligence Unit’s study sees the Southeast Asian city state...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Expatprenuers set new trend in Asian business hubs

For expats looking to work overseas, there’s a whole new culture developing, especially in Asia, in which the focus is on informal expat start-ups rather than corporate postings with all the trimmings. Traditionally, becoming a working expat involved relocation to an overseas subsidiary of a multinational Western company, with fixed...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Expatriate success depends on personality traits

The personal qualities needed to become a successful expat may not be obvious at first, but a recent study stresses the importance of self-evaluation before making the decision to relocate. Deciding to take an overseas assignment in order to earn more, improve future career prospects or simply to experience living and working in an...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Saudi to open entrepreneurship to expat investors

After years of denial and restrictions on expat investment, the Saudi government is now considering allowing expat entrepreneurs to be their own sponsors. Previously, participation in the sector had been confined to Saudi nationals and had resulted in commercial cover-ups costing the kingdom’s economy billions of riyals. The new rules,...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Dubai’s luxury lifestyle may be addictive for expats

According to a recent survey, a majority of Dubai’s expatriate professionals decide to stay as long as possible in the emirate because they’ve fallen in love with its seductive lifestyle. As well as attracting ever-increasing numbers of expat professionals over the years, Dubai is now the focus of expat decisions to stay even longer...
20 Mar at 6 PM

US expatriates urged to embrace political involvement

In this unique and hopefully brief period of American political history, US expats living and working overseas could be forgiven for thinking their democratic rights are valueless as no-one wants to know about their fears and feelings. Moving overseas for work or retirement is no reason to simply abstain from exercising your rights and...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Cost of apartment rentals close to Dubai Metro stations

Finding affordable apartments within easy access to the Dubai metro system can be a problem for newly-arrived expatriate professionals. Arriving in a totally unfamiliar city after securing the job of your dreams can be a nightmare for new expatriates, especially as regards finding a suitable and convenient place to live. It has to be said...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Hope for UK citizens in Spain as government supports expat rights

Around a million UK expats living in Spain were given a gleam of hope by the Spanish government’s announcement in favour of a Brexit deal including Brits’ rights to remain. In an interview with the Times newspaper, leading Spanish negotiator for Brexit and EU Spanish secretary Jorge Toledo confirmed his country’s stance on the...
17 Mar at 6 PM

Superheroine Consular Carol urges Brit expats to take better care of their passports

Just as most UK expats had managed to forget the zany side of their home country, the UAE British Embassy's social media pages are using a cartoon superheroine to advise that keeping passports in freezers is not the best idea. The www,gov.uk/overseas webpage is a must-visit for expats bemoaning the good old days when Britishers were known...
17 Mar at 6 PM

Parliamentary pressure mounts on May regarding EU and UK expats rights to remain

As the chaos around the triggering of Article 50 deepens, British MPs are pleading with Theresa May to ease up on EU expats and give them the right to remain in the UK. During the past few days, members of both the lower and upper houses in government have ganged up on the PM, hoping to persuade her to make a unilateral decision about the...
17 Mar at 6 PM

UK expats choose Spanish citizenship as Brit interest in Spanish property crashes

A new study, released at the same time as news of a fall in British enquiries on Spanish property, has revealed Brits are now reluctant to choose Spain as their retirement. destination. For many would-be expats, Spain is no longer the favoured choice for a comfortable retirement due to fears over Brexit’s effects. According to a new...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Offshore account benefits for UK expats

Deciding how to organise expat banking needs in order to give easy access to cash held outside the new country of residence can be a trying aspect of planning for a new life abroad. Offshore accounts are often the first option on the to-do list necessary for a smooth transfer from the home country to the chosen expat destination, whether...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Expat owner of Dubai rogue relocation shipper now arrested and charged

Expatriate victims of a rogue packing and shipping company operating out of Dubai have been promised their belongings back by Dubai police. Following the arrest of Lionel Davis, owner of Expat Relocations, expatriate families who fell victim to the rogue removal company have been reassured by police their household goods will be returned....
16 Mar at 6 PM

New 10 year Kuwaitization plan causes concern amongst expatriate professionals

Expat professionals working in Kuwait might well be forgiven for having a hard time making sense out of the recent conflicting statements by various government representatives as regards their long-term futures in the emirate. The latest report, issued by the Public Authority for Manpower, affirms serious attempts are being made to...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Perth wins out for Brits over other OZ cities

Australia’s welcoming reputation as an expat hub goes back decades, but most relocation-aimed websites concentrate on Sydney and the continent’s larger conurbations. The British have traditionally favoured Australia as a retirement or relocation hub for the contrast between its balmy weather and superb outdoor lifestyle with the...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Southeast Asia still struggling with corruption

Expats living and working across Southeast Asia may or may not be fully aware of the ‘in your’ face’ corruption seen to be an inalienable part of life in the region, but those who are affected by it won’t be thrilled by the results of an authoritative new study. The latest annual survey by Transparency International has named...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Brit expats in China devastated as M&S pulls out

At first glance, China would seem to be the perfect place for Marks and Sparks, as the company’s affectionately known in the UK, but today’s announcement comes less than a year after the brand lunched its tenth store. The surprising news may well come as a blow to the high number of British expats living and working in China’s huge...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Favourite expat hubs for nursing professionals

Nursing is a specialisation always in demand, as qualified nursing professionals can work anywhere in the world they wish provided they’ve obtained the relevant certifications in their chosen country. Mobility as a qualified, experienced nurse is normally far more straightforward than in many other professions, meaning the world is...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Female expat professionals rejecting Hong Kong gruelling working hours

Once a popular hub for expat women professionals, Hong Kong is now being replaced by Taiwan due to its gruelling work hours and spiralling cost of living. According to the recent InterNations poll aimed at female expat professionals, Hong Kong’s appeal as an expat hub has crashed from 12th to 29th place over the past year. After years...
14 Mar at 6 PM

EU expats in UK aghast at MPs rejection of Upper House amendment

A wave of resentment and anger swept across the UK’s EU expat community after MPs voted against the House of Lords’ amendment to May’s Brexit paper. EU expats flooded social media with their fears and fury after hearing the House of Commons had rejected the Upper House’s amendment unilaterally guaranteeing their post-Brexit rights...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Welsh expats in EU air their concerns

Of the 1.2 million British expats living and working in EU member states, just below half a million are originally from Wales. Amongst the 1.2 million British citizens whose lives overseas have been put on hold by Brexit, the 470,000 from Wales may well have have more to be concerned about than the rest, due to the still-declining...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Expat compound lives compared to luxury prison with perks

Expats living and working in Saudi Arabia mostly live in walled compounds where the kingdom’s strict regulations are eased, but what’s it like for families existing in a parallel society? For decades, Saudi Arabia has been a popular destination for expat professionals working in the oil and gas industry as well as in other economic...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Proposed increases in expat heathcare costs slammed by Kuwaiti medical professionals

Kuwaiti medical professionals are rejecting as racism an MP’s call for increased heathcare charges for expats. Last week, a recently elected female member of the Kuwaiti parliament called for new restrictions for expats aimed at forcing them to buy prescription medicines from private pharmacies rather then getting them direct from...
10 Mar at 6 PM

New Kuwaiti female MP called racist for her attacks on expat rights

Anti-expat female MP Safaa al Hashem’s latest attack on foreigners working in Kuwait urges her parliament to ban them from using government clinics and hospitals. Al Hashem, the only female MP in the Kuwaiti assembly, is becoming infamous amongst Kuwait’s expat community for her continued attacks on their position within the emirate....
10 Mar at 6 PM

Brit retirees favour Italy for its choice of idyllic locations

Italy has traditionally been highly popular with British retirees wanting to combine spectacular scenery, great food and wine and relief from the UK’s miserable weather. Expat property hunters have an amazing choice of location, whether it’s beachside, lakeside, in fertile valleys or rustic villages or even in the heart of ancient...
10 Mar at 6 PM

Best Aussie enclaves in expat destinations

The Australian diaspora is one of the expat world’s most impressive, with at least a million Aussies living and working outside the home country at any given time. Adventurous as Oz expats undoubtedly are, there’s still the human need to be with like-minded souls, thus creating enclaves of Australian nationals in diverse locations...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Avoiding financial worries as an expat in Singapore

Managing money as a newly arrived expat in Singapore has its inevitable pitfalls, but it’s easy to find ways around just about every aspect of budget control. Singapore is one of the world’s most popular expat hubs, and is also one of the most expensive as regards maintaining a comfortable lifestyle, whatever your salary level. The...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Female expats may find Malta disappointing

Although it’s popular with male expats as regards its employment opportunities, Malta is underwhelming a good number of expatriate female professionals. The results of the recent InterNations expat survey awarded Malta 11th place in the countries listings, but the historic island is slower to tick the boxes for female expats. Although...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Hammond budget hits out at QROPS pension transfers

This week's 2017 budget is bad news for expats wishing to transfer their pension pots overseas via a Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme, better known as a QROPS. Introduced, according to Chancellor Philip Hammond, as a deterrent to tax avoidance, the new rule will come into effect today, March 9 and is not, he said, being seen as...
8 Mar at 6 PM

NHS under threat due to mass exodus of EU expat doctors

Surveys by the GMC and BMA show huge numbers of EU medical professionals planning to leave the UK Rising insecurity in the ranks of EU doctors caused by a lack of information about EU expats' post-Brexit rights has resulted in a survey showing 60 per cent of respondents are considering leaving the UK. A survey of EU doctors working in the...
8 Mar at 6 PM

EU hits out at Portugal for its lenient expat pension tax laws

Favourite UK retiree destination Portugal is in the EU’s sights for its lenient expat pension tax laws. The EU’s war with retirement tax havens is now focused on Portugal’s generous expat tax laws, some of the most lenient in the entire European Union. The first shot fired across the country’s bows came from Swedish Finance...
8 Mar at 6 PM

British buy to let properties back in favour with expat investors

Over the past year, UK expat investors have returned to the home country’s buy-to-let marketplace, with interest fuelled by easier mortgages and the falling pound. Two factors are in play as regards the increasing popularity of British buy-to-let properties with expat investors. Firstly, previous problems with obtaining mortgages whilst...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Making a successful move to Australia

Australia has been a favourite expat destination for many decades, especially for Brits, but getting used to its laidback lifestyle can be confusing. Major draws attracting expats to Australia include its English language, its unique natural beauty, the plethora of outdoor activities and the thousands of miles of glorious beaches. The...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Worlds worst countries for expatriate life

Quality of life is one of the most important aspects explored by would-be expats before life-changing decisions are made, but some countries are best avoided. Annual surveys of expat hubs all over the world are a great way to ensure a happy, safe and remunerative relocation, but there are a number of countries which should be avoided like...
7 Mar at 6 PM

British pensioner falls victim to yet another Spanish property scam

British national Janet Hayden now finds herself in the same position as hundreds of other UK expats who trusted local Spanish builders and authorities to tell the truth about land purchase. Expatriate Janet Hayden had arrived in Spain in 2003 and was searching for an idyllic plot of land on which her home would be built. She was offered a...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Expatriate group coalition slams UK government over lack of communication

Spokespersons for a coalition of 12 UK expat groups have accused the British government of misleading parliament over efforts to protect the post-Brexit rights of British nationals settled in EU countries. A coalition of 12 campaign bodies representing UK expats across Europe is condemning the British government for lying about having...
6 Mar at 6 PM

India introduces five year multi entry visas for expats in UAE

According to the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, both expats and residents in the emirates will be ‘issued as routine' with five-year multi-entry business visas by Indian missions located in the UAE. The announcement of the new visas was made by Indian ambassador Navdeep Singh Suri during a media discussion held at Dubai’s Indian...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Expat suicide in Qatar prompts questions over mental health care

Family members and friends are expressing their grief, shock and concern over the recent suicide of an American expat. The woman’s name is being withheld for reasons of privacy, but her family and friends are urging expat residents in the emirate to share their opinions and knowledge of mental health matters in order to prevent other...
3 Mar at 6 PM

Oz ASIO warns expats and tourists over terrorism threat in Southeast Asia

Australia’s Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) is warning expats and tourists in Southeast Asia to be aware of expanding terrorism threats in the region. ASIO director general Duncan Lewis believes Australian nationals as well as expats and tourists are especially at risk of falling victim to terrorist attacks in Indonesia, the...
3 Mar at 6 PM

Surge in numbers of Brits in Germany applying for citizenship

For the more than 100,000 British nationals living in Germany, it’s time to consider applying for German citizenship. The uncertainty of not knowing what the future holds once the UK leaves the European Union is driving an increasing number of Brit expats living in Germany to apply for German citizenship. Many others are counting the...
3 Mar at 6 PM

More confusion over the fate of EU expats working in Britain

As the triggering of Article 50 draws nearer and hard information on the plight of EU citizens in the UK becomes even more difficult to obtain, one British media outlet is saying multi-year visas will be issued post-Brexit. However tempting the prospect of multi-year visas for EU citizens working in the UK might be, the present-day fact...
2 Mar at 6 PM

Expat teachers to have contracts terminated in favour of Kuwaiti nationals

Kuwait Ministry of Education undersecretary Dr Haitham al Athari has publicly stressed a move to terminate expats’ teaching contracts is being instigated for the ‘greater good’. The minister’s comment reinforces recent moves encouraging Kuwaitization in many sectors involving expat professionals on contract. The move will apply to...
2 Mar at 6 PM

Brexit and falling pound not affecting number of emigrants from the UK

In spite of Brexit and the sterling crash, the numbers of UK citizens opting to leave has remained the same for the past two years. Immediate reactions to the Leave campaign’s Brexit referendum victory had been expected to result in increased numbers of Brits fleeing from the effects of leaving the EU. However, the exodus hasn’t...
2 Mar at 6 PM

What where and how in expat Singapore

Undeniably one of the most perfect expat hubs on the planet, the city state of Singapore is equipped with everything expatriates need to live their dream lives. Some 25 per cent of Singapore’s total population of around 5.6 million hail from all over the world, attracted by job opportunities, high wages, a civilised, luxurious lifestyle...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Ho Chi Minh City reject government call to walk to work

Following a call by Ho Chi Minh’s administration urging residents and public servants to walk to work, expats living and working in Vietnam’s capital are saying they’d rather not take their life into their hands. The plea, dreamed up by the crowded city’s administration, was aimed at reducing congestion on the roads leading to the...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Commuting expats in Saudi happy with new train service

Expats in Saudi commuting between Qassim province and the capital are more than happy with a new train service joining the two conurbations as it dramatically cuts travel times. Both expat and Saudi commuters are commenting positively about the recently introduced service as a welcome option to the long, trying journey by car. The new...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Anti Brexit campaign founder says Spanish officials support expat cause

An expat campaigner believes that, although Spanish politicians and administrators are on the side of British expats, British MPs are sticking to their ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitudes. Co-founder of Brexpats in Spain Anne Hernandez has been on the road lobbying Spanish politicians all along the Costa del Sol coastline in order...
31 Mar at 6 PM

Expats living like locals enjoy the real Singapore

In spite of its reputation as a haven reserved for the wealthy, the cost of living in this famous city can simply depend on each individual expat’s chosen lifestyle. Luxury cars, glamorous, brand-new, high-rise apartments, high-end dining and top private schools can all make a serious dent in even the biggest salaries or retirement...
31 Mar at 6 PM

British regulator hits out at financial scammers

After some £10 million was lost by unwary investors, the British government’s Insolvency Service has finally shut down several massive scams. Hometrader, Newbury Venture Capital and Westminster Fine Wines all operated classic scams which offered alternative investments with supposed huge returns. Hometrader specialised in properties,...
31 Mar at 6 PM

Famous British girls boarding school to open offshoot in China

As the demand amongst the wealthy in China for a traditional British education soars, Wycombe Abbey girls-only boarding school is opening a co-ed offshoot in Changzhou. The famous school, in partnership with old Etonian William Vanberger’s Chinese-based company BE Education, will offer a traditionally-based curriculum in response to...
31 Mar at 6 PM

Its a dogs life in European expat havens

For many expats, life overseas wouldn’t be complete without a furry friend, but finding the dog of your dreams in your new location might not be as easy as in the home country. Acquiring a canine companion once you’ve arrived in your chosen retirement destination ensures you’ll never feel alone and unwanted, however unfamiliar...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in UAE afraid to integrate with Emiratis

Expats living and working in the UAE admit to finding it almost impossible to get Emirati friends. Although the British have a reputation for being unsociable, many expats living in the UAE who would like to find friends amongst the local community are being stymied by cultural differences. A recent survey agreed with perceived wisdom in...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Currency exchange roller coaster hitting Brit expats in Europe

British pensioners who’ve moved to other EU member states over the past ten years have seen currency rates shave 11 per cent off their income. Fluctuating exchange rates since 2006 have reduced the actual value in euros of British pensions by 11 per cent, according to pension provider companies. Combined with a rise in the cost of...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Mandarin Chinese gives expats the worst headaches

One of the least considered aspects of any decision to emigrate is the chosen country’s language, but not being able to speak the local lingo can turn your dream into a nightmare. For the modern-day expat, the entire world is now his or her oyster due to air travel and the ease of research via the internet. Deciding where to hang one’s...
29 Mar at 6 PM

Brexit bewilderment causing expat panic in paradise

As the Brexit debate rages on, an exodus of British expats at present living in Europe is being touted as the likely result. Concern is growing in British expat communities across Europe, fuelled by an almost total lack of hard information about the consequences of Britain’s leaving the European Union. Speculation and rumours about the...
29 Mar at 6 PM

Offshore buy to let mortgage lender mobbed by expat investors

Following the Chancellor’s warning over an upcoming crackdown on buy to let rules, an offshore lender’s Jersey and Guernsey branches are reporting a huge increase in expat demands. Skipton International is now introducing a streamlined buy to let mortgage application process in order to deal with the soaring demand from retired expats....
29 Mar at 6 PM

Private details of expats in Thailand revealed in unprotected data release

Several thousand expats living and working in Thailand’s southern provinces are worried about their personal security following an embarrassing gaffe by a software developer. The data leak comprised an interactive map of the region with the exact locations, jobs, professions, nationalities, passport numbers and other personal...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Canadian family crowdfund to bring retired firefighter home from Thai hospital

The family of a retired firefighter in Edmonton, Canada, are crowdfunding in the hope of raising enough to get Bill Hughes home from hospital in Thailand. At present, Bill is in a coma in a private Thai hospital, after being struck down by the mosquito-borne virus Japanese Encephalitis. It’s a rare virus which attacks the blood and is...
28 Mar at 6 PM

US expat investors thrown out of American brokerages

Following the lead of a number of USA-based banks, American brokerage firms are busily ridding themselves of their US expat clients. Nowadays, American investors living overseas are steadily being cut off by USA-based financial services, leaving them at the mercy of greedy offshore bond retailers. Even worse, many are at risk of falling...
25 Mar at 6 PM

Irish offshore island offers sanctuary to disgruntled US expats

A picturesque Irish offshore island eager to increase its population is inviting Americans dismayed by the possibility of a President Trump to come and join the tiny community. The island of Inishturk may only have 58 residents right now, but it makes up for its lack of humans by a plethora of natural beauties and charming waterside homes....
25 Mar at 6 PM

Barcelona expat community slams mass tourism in the city

One in every three Barcelona-based expats who answered a questionnaire on their likes and dislikes have slammed the effect of mass tourism on the city’s environment. Unlike the majority of such surveys, the 850 respondents were encouraged to give open-ended replies to the questions. Expats from 26 countries who’d lived in Barcelona for...
25 Mar at 6 PM

Upcoming buy to let mortgage restrictions may hit expat investors

Once a favourite with expats looking to earn from their retirement nest eggs, buy-to-let mortgages for UK properties are facing a new crackdown. In addition to the planned punitive increase in stamp duty due on buy-to-let properties and second homes, George Osborne is warning that a further crackdown is fast approaching due to fears of an...
24 Mar at 6 PM

Typical expat Brit now female, young and mobile

Young, female and mobile are the buzz words for a new breed of British expat, according to a recent survey. The recently-announced findings of a survey by a major British bank have identified a huge change in the composition of the UK expat community overseas. Over the last five years, the number of young, upwardly mobile workers living...
24 Mar at 6 PM

Is Cambodia the new expat paradise in Southeast Asia

Rising from the ashes of the Khmer Rouge days and relatively unspoiled as yet, Cambodia’s modernisation boom is attracting adventurous expats eager to enjoy the country’s future. Formerly a sleepy colonial outpost with a Royal palace, tree-lined boulevards, charming architecture and Buddhist temples, Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh is...
24 Mar at 6 PM

Are expats living in Thailand risking their lives

Recent surveys as to which international retirement havens are the world’s most dangerous have led to renewed focus on Thailand. The popular tropical destination has been a hub for long-term expats from colder climes ever since it was discovered by backpackers in the 1960s, and is now a favourite for the elderly as well as iwith more...
23 Mar at 6 PM

One third of Brit expat retirees planning to return home

New findings by a British bank show that at least one third of all UK expat retirees plan to return to the home country at some point. The recent release of NatWest Bank’s Quality of Life Survey seems to shed a new and depressing light on the expat dream of retiring overseas. Results show that over 33 per cent of the poll’s respondents...
23 Mar at 6 PM

How to buy property in British favourite Malta

The Mediterranean island of Malta is a British favourite retirement destination for its millennia of history, its natural beauty and its charming, affordable homes in the sun. If you’re looking to Malta as your retirement haven, you’ll be following in the footsteps of the Romans, Moors, French and British over more than four thousand...
23 Mar at 3 PM

Expats in Brussels share dismay over terror attack

The entire international residential community in Brussels is in a state of shock following the deadly ISIS terrorist attack at the airport and Maelbeek Metro station. Belgium’s capital city is a hub for expats from across the world due to its status as a major international political centre and home to the Council of the European Union...
22 Mar at 6 PM

US expats unite to see off Clinton and Trump

Wherever in the world US expats have taken root, and whatever their political preferences, the 2016 presidential primaries have fueled more overseas partisanship and participation than in many past elections. The reason behind the swell of involvement in taking up expat electoral rights seems to be the unprecedented rise of Republican...
22 Mar at 6 PM

New online radio station aims at UK expats in France

Based online to circumvent French regulations on providing French language content, the newly-launched Expat Radio aims to provide chat and nostalgia to Brits living in France. Dave Hailwood, the former DJ behind the new venture, plans to lessen loneliness and unite Brits all across the country with his cosy mix of live chat, banter, news,...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Help for UK expat victims of fraudulent financial advisors

Although the UK’s financial industry has been forced to clean up its act as regards mis-selling at home, UK expats across the world are still at risk of losing their pensions and retirement nest eggs. Although the sheer numbers of pension and investment disasters perpetrated by commission-hungry IFAs in the UK have finally led to a more...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Brexit nightmare hits Brits in Spain

Contrary to the expected uproar from over a million UK expats in Spain over even the possibility of Britain’s quitting the EU, many long-term Brits are going with their gut feelings and voting to leave. Although the vast majority of Brits living the dream in Spain’s costas haven’t changed their nationalities, a good number have...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Expats warm to the Philippines

According to a recent survey, expats are favouring the Philippines for its friendly local communities and its ‘at home’ ambience. Whether you’re relocating for work, retirement or just as a change from your country of origin, feeling at home in your chosen host country is a must, especially if English isn’t the native...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Thailand dreaming turns to expat nightmares

Expatriate life in Thailand, once a dream destination for Westerners, is becoming more and more difficult as out of date laws are revived and new visa hurdles erected. For almost five decades, the beach towns and historic cities of Thailand attracted disenchanted expats from the UK, USA and Europe. Drawn by the endless warm weather,...
18 Mar at 6 PM

UK 2016 Budget blows warm and cold for Brit expats overseas

UK expats living overseas received a mix of good and bad financial news when the UK’s 2916 budget was unveiled. The dark clouds hanging over the world economy precluded much in the way of free lunches for any sectors of the UK population wherever they live, but at least the feared spectre of restricting expats’ personal allowances...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwaiti turnaround increases benefits for female expat teachers

In a surprising turnaround from its stance over the past several years, Kuwait has announced improvements in the benefits available to expat teachers in Emirate schools. The recent initiative to reduce the huge number of expats working in the Emirate and stimulate the jobs market for Kuwaitis seems to have been slammed into reverse gear by...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Expats choose Spain for free quality healthcare

As the NHS sinks even lower and more restrictions are placed on expats returning to access its services, Spanish healthcare available to expats is evolving to a high standard. Following the Spanish heathcare system’s ranking higher than the NHS with the World Health Organisation, more and more UK citizens are opting to spend their...
17 Mar at 6 PM

Historic colonial bungalows favourites with UK expats in Singapore

House-hunting expats who’ve recently arrived in Singapore are falling in love with the city-state’s historic ‘black and white’ colonial bungalows. Reminiscent of Singapore’s colonial history and the British Raj, the spacious, quirky single-storey homes were designed and built in the 1930s in the Tudorbethan style favoured by...
17 Mar at 6 PM

UK expats in the Gulf fear final salary scheme pension shortfalls

A warning by the UK Pensions Protection Fund that a high number of final salary schemes may be short of necessary funds to pay out amounts due is causing concern amongst UK expats working in the UAE. Wealth management companies in the Gulf are advising expat clients on the best way to transfer out of occupational pensions which may be at...
17 Mar at 6 PM

St Patricks Day stirs fond memories for Irish expats in Oz

Tempestuous times since the 2008 financial meltdown have seen thousands of professionals leave their home countries and head for far-off lands of opportunity. Redundancies and the related uncertainty hit especially hard in Ireland, with lifestyle solutions for young professionals and their families as far away as the other side of the...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Aussie expats in USA bemused by election process

As America ramps up to yet another Presidential election, Australian expats are astonished at both the length of the campaign and the behaviour of would–be Republican candidate Donald Trump. One Melbourne software engineer now living in California with his wife and daughter is becoming obsessed with the endless coverage of the primaries...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Qatar and UAE top expat spots for career junkie female talent

Beating out traditional hot spots such as Hong Kong, the USA and Singapore, the two emirates of Qatar and the UAE give female professionals more income, savings and career opportunities across the board. According to the 2015 HSBC Expat Explorer survey, the UAE tops Qatar by a small margin for women prioritising financial incentives. Over...
16 Mar at 6 PM

Expat High Court complaint threatens date of Brexit referendum

As promised late last week, 94 year-old Harry Schindler, a long-term campaigner for the overturn of the unpopular voting exclusion law, has today instructed lawyers to immediately lodge a complaint with the UK High Court. It’s expected that the legal proceedings may well hinder government preparations for the referendum, or even delay...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Spain hints at Gibraltar dual sovereignty if Brexit happens

Out of all the UK expats living, working or retiring in favourite regions across the Eurozone, Gibraltar’s residents are facing the most unique scenario should Britons vote to leave the EU. A surprise announcement by a Spanish Minister has revived the possibility of Spain’s 2002 demand for joint sovereignty over the peninsula being...
15 Mar at 6 PM

USA, Switzerland and India favoured destinations for relocating expat professionals

International work assignments for Western expats see most expats heading for the USA, India or Switzerland, according to a major relocation specialist company. International relocation is commonplace nowadays, and is often the first introduction to overseas living for the majority of expat professionals. Settling into a new position in...
15 Mar at 6 PM

China eases expat visa applications with new online services

Bejing’s traditionally inconvenient visa processing system has been changed for the better via the introduction of shorter approval times and online applications. Although the online visa application service now provided by China’s Public Security website is, at present, only in Chinese, the new system is being welcomed by expats...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Expat landlords at risk from new EU buy to let rules

Expat landlords with buy-to-let properties in the UK are now at risk of falling foul of newly introduced rules to be enforced by mortgage lenders.The new borrowing rules set out in the European Mortgage Credit Directive will come in force on March 21, splitting buy-to-let lending into two categories. Landlords who have a registered business...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Expat and Thai wife die in apparent murder suicide tragedy

An Italian expat and his Thai wife have been found dead in the street outside their home in Hang Dong district, Chiang Mai. According to local police, the Italian expat first shot his wife, then turned the gun on himself after a row about the custody and whereabouts of their eight-year old son. The couple had recently separated, and the...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Saudi expats welcome 5 year Iqama terms and online services

The recent introduction of online services for Saudi government transactions is proving popular with expats and citizens alike. Traditionally, obtaining and renewing the essential Iqama permit has been a stressful experience for Singapore’s expat employees across the board. Since the new electronic service was unveiled, it’s been...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Singapore still the most expensive world city for expat life

Even although prices in the tiny city state have been easing for a while, Singapore has kept its position as the world’s most expensive city. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2016 survey of the cost of living in major world cities has confirmed Singapore’s place for the third year in succession as the world’s costliest place to...
11 Mar at 6 PM

European court judgment tightens up on expat welfare benefits

A recent ruling handed down from Europe’s highest court confirms that citizens of any one EU member state who emigrate to another state will be denied social welfare benefits for a period of three months after arrival. According to the European Court of Justice, the ruling covers a three month right-to-reside period after expat arrivals...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Asia still gaining in popularity with expat retirees

Once the choice of only the bravest would-be expats, the past three years have seen Asia head up the list for its retirement options as well as its job opportunities. Found in countries as diverse as China, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines and Indonesia, the Asian expat community covers all socioeconomic backgrounds....
10 Mar at 6 PM

Aussie expat Row2Rio boat in near miss with cargo ship

Phuket-based expat Luke Richmond had a close call during the Row2Rio challenge when a huge cargo ship barrelled towards his team’s rowing boat. Luke and his three team mates had undertaken the challenge of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean from a base in Portugal to Brazil in order to pay tribute to the world Olympic Games as well as...
10 Mar at 6 PM

British expats to sue government over full right to vote

The Association of British Expats in Italy has announced it will sue the UK government if the right to vote after living overseas for 15 years is not granted in time for the Brexit referendum. During the run-up to last year’s General Election, the Conservative Party’s manifesto pledged to bring in a ‘votes for life’ rule for...
10 Mar at 6 PM

Brits still heading for Spain as property prices remain stable

As Spain’s property market continues its run of stability, demand by British would-be expats is showing increased growth. Foreign buyers now account for more than one in every ten properties sold, with expats and non-residents forming the majority of purchasers. Foreign demand rose by 11 per cent during 2015, whilst local demand grew by...
9 Mar at 6 PM

Conflicting surveys make research tricky for would be expats

Hardly a week goes by without yet another survey advising potential expats on the best locations worldwide in which to live, work or retire. Given that the majority of such surveys originate from companies selling expat needs from relocating through property purchase and insurance to the move itself, it’s no wonder that many of the...
9 Mar at 6 PM

British expat to lose Spanish home to banking scam

A British pensioner living in the Costa del Sol is about to be forced out of her dream retirement home after falling foul of an equity release scam operated on behalf of the Icelandic bank Landsbanki. Due to a decade of coverage in online and offline media reducing the risk of being scammed, the presence in popular overseas retirement...
9 Mar at 6 PM

UK expats in Cyprus demand end to 15 year overseas votes law

As debate over the upcoming Brexit referendum hots up in expat destinations worldwide, UK citizens living in Cyprus are demanding an end to the controversial 15-year rule which limits voting rights. At present, expats who have lived overseas for more than 15 years are denied the right to vote in general and local elections or...
8 Mar at 6 PM

Expats head to sunny South America for healthy lifestyles

A new arrival in the endless supply of surveys promoting the best expat havens is championing Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua as hot destinations for a healthy lifestyle. The traditional image of beer-swilling, beach-lazing expat life doesn’t feature in the latest survey of popular expat destinations. Conducted on behalf of...
8 Mar at 6 PM

EU Brexit fears stalk UK expat communities

Fears of a massive shake-up for expat Brits in the EU’s favourite destinations are dominating discussions about the political and personal ramifications of a Brexit ‘yes’ vote. Should the result of the June 23 referendum see the rug being pulled from under the feet of those who’ve chosen the good life over staying in the UK, a...
8 Mar at 6 PM

Thai SEC broadens crackdown on fraudulent expat IFAs

Investors who fell victim to fraudulent financial advisors operating illegally in Thailand’s popular expat destinations are welcoming new criminal complaints filed by the country’s SEC. Earlier this year, Thailand’s financial regulator took action against illegal foreign IFAs by filing against two British nationals, accusing them of...
31 Mar at 6 PM

British couple killed in Benidorm Villa

A murder investigation has begun after a British expat couple were shot in their Benidorm villa however the issue is causing confusion in the world press. Pater and Jean Tarsey who were both 77 years old were found dead at 4.15pm on 29 March at their villa in Xalo. Guests who had come round the couple’s villa for dinner found them on...
31 Mar at 6 PM

Expatriate Staff Evacuated from Total Sites in Yemen.

Total, the major French oil company, said that all expatriate staff had been evacuated from the Saana and Kharir sites in Yemen even though these sites have not been raided by Saudi-led forces overnight against Houthi Forces. On Monday, a spokeswomen for Total told Reuters in an email that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure...
31 Mar at 9 AM

British buyer numbers in Spain set to fall if UK has European referendum

As the UK considers an exit from the EU, there is the possibility that the number of properties bought by Brits could plummet. According to a recent YouGov survey, one in three Brits think that property bought overseas is a risky investment if the UK left the EU. Finance Expert Jordan Tilley said that although recently the strength of...
31 Mar at 9 AM

Bahrain is the ‘best place for expats’

When it comes to the treatment of expat labourers, Bahrain is the best in the region according to a top diplomat. On Friday, Dr Mohan Kumar, India’s Ambassador, spoke at the embassy based in Adliya. The current joint secretary of Indian External Affairs Ministry, Alok Kumar Sinha, will replace Dr Mohan Kumar when his tenure finishes next...
28 Mar at 11 AM

The number of Spaniards living abroad doubles

From the year 2009 and 2015, the amount of Spanish people living abroad grew by 48 per cent. Recent figures show that as of the 1st January there were 2,183,043 Spaniards registered on consular lists compared with 1,471,691 six years ago. The data, which was released by the National Institute of Statistics of Madrid, must not indicate...
27 Mar at 11 AM

Maldives: Illegal transfers of expat jobs to be penalized

On Thursday, the Immigration Department in the Maldives said that expats who came to the country for specific jobs, which were then being illegally transferred for other work, would be penalized. This would also include terminating the permits of employers to bring in expats in the future. A statement released by the Immigration Department...
27 Mar at 9 AM

Adelaide best place to live for expats

An eminent British newspaper recently compiled a list of the “best places to live overseas” and concluded that Adelaide was the winner. The Sunday Times, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, gave pride of place to the “small and perfectly formed” city as the most desirable international destinations. Another contender on the list was...
26 Mar at 3 PM

British student among Germanwings victims

Paul Andrew Bramley, a 28 year old, was enrolled at César Ritz College’s hospitality and tourism course in Lucerne. According to UK officials, Mr. Bramley, originally from Hull, England was one of three British passengers flying from Barcelona to Düsseldorf on the Airbus 320. On Tuesday, the plane crashed in the mountainous area in...
26 Mar at 12 PM

Neglected paperwork could result in expats losing their state pension

Pensioners from the UK who live abroad need to keep up to date with their paperwork or they will risk losing their state pension. Expats over the age of 75 regularly receive forms sent by the Department of Work and Pensions, requesting proof that they are still alive. They only have nine months to complete these forms and return them. If the...
25 Mar at 4 PM

Singaporeans living in the UK join their nation’s mourning of Lee Kuan Yew

Soon after the doors of the Singaporean High Commission opened, expats from all over the UK gathered to pay their respects. Singaporeans, who are one of the larger expat communities in the UK, took this opportunity to remember Singapore’s first Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. A steady stream of diplomats and Singaporeans visited the...
25 Mar at 3 PM

Dual citizenship to be granted to Sri Lankan expatriates

A minister from the government said that, from Monday 23rd March, expatriate Sri Lankans would be able gain dual citizenship due to a new administrative procedure. Those able to take advantage of the new procedure will be those who have emigrated to Canada, the UK, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, France and Switzerland. On Monday,...
23 Mar at 6 PM

Korean students tortured with detergent by expat teacher

An English Teacher from South Africa was fired from her job at an elementary school in South Korea after it was discovered that she had punished the children for speaking Korean during class by forcing them to drink detergent. According to Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education officials, the teacher was made to leave her job after parents...
23 Mar at 4 PM

Cuban migrants taken to Immigration Detention Centre

Last week, 37 Cuban migrants were moved to the Immigration Detention Centre after arriving in Cayman Brac. The migrants’ arrival with no food supplies and a damaged engine sparked an online debate in which the Brac MLA Hon. and House speaker, Juliana O’Connor Connolly, joined the conversation. Franz Manderson, the Deputy Governor,...
23 Mar at 4 PM

Expats Celebrated at Event in Luxembourg

With the support of the Government, a successful immigration fair was hosted in Luxembourg by the Comité de liason des association d’étrangers (CLAE). Integration was the main theme at this year’s event and the Minister for Family and Integration, Corrinne Cahen, supported the aims of the fair. She said that better integration should...
23 Mar at 2 PM

Missing Canberra teen’s father believes she is still alive in Vanuatu

A Canberra girl’s father is optimistic that she is still alive after Vanuatu was hit by a devastating cyclone. In Febraury, Zoe Marshall went to volunteer on Pentecost Island with the Lattitude organization during her gap year which she had funded herself. Since Cyclone Pam, which registered as a category 5 cyclone, hit Vanuatu last...
19 Mar at 3 PM

Salaries paid to 100 striking expatriate workers in Bahrain

Over 100 Pakistani, Filipino and Indian workers of Mercury Middle East, who took action and went on strike due to not being paid their salaries, have finally been given their wages after diplomats and labor officials intervened. Gulf Daily News reported that outstanding salaries were paid to the workers, which had been on strike since 28th...
19 Mar at 3 PM

Malaga’s property market revival being led by the British

Due to recent exchange rates, this year British citizens are predicted to start buying up even more Spanish property. Last year, compared to any other foreign nationality, more property in Malaga was bought by the British, which helped to cause a 28% rise in sales. Expats bought 38 per cent of the homes on sale. Over the last two years,...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Spending Power Decreases for Expat Pensioners

According to a recent survey, two thirds of pensioners are now less financially well off compared to ten years ago. Equiniti, a pension payments firm, have looked into how pensions being paid in Sterling compare to other currencies. With the majority of the firm’s 60,000 clients living in the Eurozone, this is bad news although the...
18 Mar at 4 PM

Germany to Stage Expat Fair

The fair, named “Expat In the City”, is due to be held in Munich on 22nd March 2015 where it’s hoped that many of the expats in Germany will have their needs addressed. A variety of exhibitors, such as centers for bilingual children’s daycare, relocation firms, education and language providers, health insurance providers, financial...
17 Mar at 2 PM

Negative Outlook of France Causing Most Expats to Not Want to Return Home

A survey has revealed that 66 per cent of French expats are not planning on returning back to France within five years due to the country’s poor economic outlook. A poll carried out by French firm Humanis said that the expats earned more and had a better quality of life whilst working in a foreign country. Around 2.5 million French...
17 Mar at 2 PM

Irish expat teacher fights Dubai conviction

The Irish expat teacher, who has already served a sentence for drinking without a license and public obscenity, plans to appeal against his conviction so that he can return to Dubai. Last April, a Dubai court convicted Conor Hayes, a teacher from Ireland, of public obscenity after they were told that a police officer was given the finger...
16 Mar at 2 PM

British expat found dead in Phuket home

A 58-year-old British man has been found dead at his home in Phuket. At about 3:30pm, police and rescue workers found the dead body of Dennis Arthur New at his home in Srisoonthorn. Lt Kraisorn from the Thalang Police said to the Phuket Gazette that he believed that Mr New had died 10 hours prior to their arrival and that there were no...
16 Mar at 2 PM

Australian expat in Thailand charged with murder

Police charged the 59-year-old Western Australian expat on Wednesday with murder after an incident with a security guard from a popular Patong nightclub close to Soi Bangla on Tuesday night. Just after midnight, Pendlebury was returning home from a meeting with the Rotary Club when he saw two men being ejected from the Taipan disco by...
9 Mar at 4 PM

Expats finds Qatar’s universities too expensive

Many foreign students hopeful of enrolling in Qatari universities are having to change their plans because of the high costs involved. Qatar has long since been a destination for expat students to further their education, but in recent times the soaring costs have proven too much for some. Lebanese expat Um Hussein, whose two sons have...
9 Mar at 2 PM

Expats take the stage in Spain

An expat singer and an expat photographer are set to showcase their talent to citizens of the Iberia country. Jazz musician Patrick Knowles moved from his adopted home on the Costa del Sol in 1997 in order to take his career to the next stage in the US. He revealed that since he had been Stateside, he and his accompanying band, Swing...
8 Mar at 6 PM

Mother of expat murdered in Spain speaks of problems in dealing with authorities

The mother of a British man murdered near the Spanish town of Benalmadena in April 2010 has spoken of the problems she has had in dealing with the Spanish authorities since his death. Paul Fether, 31, was killed almost five years ago but his mother Beryl revealed that she had received no definite information about what happened to him and...
8 Mar at 4 PM

New Zealand expat dies diving in Australia

A 19-year-old New Zealand man has died while diving in Australia after attempting a 30-metre free dive off Queensland’s Moreton Island. The man, who has been identified as Sam Brown, had been on a diving trip with three friends when the accident occurred at around 7:30am on Saturday morning. It has been reported that he left New Zealand...
8 Mar at 4 PM

Mexico near the top of expat happiness list

A recent survey carried out by InterNations has found one of the happiest place in the world for expats is Mexico, with 91 per cent of respondents saying they were content in their new lives. Some 14,000 expats in 160 countries were questioned about their lives overseas, with factors such as family, work, personal finance and ease of...
8 Mar at 3 PM

A third of migrant wives in Korea plan to return home

Thirty-five per cent of migrant wives from Southeast Asia and China living in South Korea have admitted that they eventually plan to return to their home countries. The Korean Women’s Development Institute surveyed a total of 534 migrant wives from China, Vietnam and the Philippines last year and found that 34.5 per cent said they had...
6 Mar at 9 AM

Expats can easily obtain antibiotics in many countries

New data shows that Brits in some of the most popular Mediterranean countries to relocate to can get their hands on antibiotics without too many problems. Greece leads the way when it comes to dishing out prescriptions, with more than 39 daily antibiotic doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day, according to the European Centre for Disease...
6 Mar at 9 AM

Aussie PM pleads with Indonesia to call off execution

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has urged Indonesia to call off the executions of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan. The Australian nationals have been imprisoned in Indonesia for 10 years after being convicted of drug trafficking. The Southeast Asian nation has a strict policy on drugs and the pair are due to be executed by firing...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Copenhagen high on quality of life for expats

Although Copenhagen is among the world’s most expensive cities, it also offers one of the highest qualities of life – if you can afford it of course. Not long after The Economist ranked it as the eight expensive city to live in in the world, it has been named as the ninth best to live in. The latest Mercer quality of life survey...
5 Mar at 4 PM

Dubai tops Mercer quality of life index for region

Mercer’s Quality of Living survey has ranked Dubai as the number one place to live in the Middle East and Africa – although it came in 74th in the overall list. It is the third successive year that the Emirate came out on top for the region, according to the international human resources group. However, when all 230 cities that were...
5 Mar at 9 AM

Costa Rica increases in popularity among retirees

More and more people are looking to emigrate to Costa Rica after retiring with factors such as low cost of living and beautiful surroundings proving major draws among expats. Four out of the top five destinations for retirement are in either South or Central America, according to the International Living’s 2015 Retirement Index. This...
4 Mar at 6 PM

Brits over 50 seeking more adventurous lifestyle abroad

A large number of Brits over the age of 50 are looking to travel for at least part of the year after regretting not doing so when they were younger. One in four UK citizens say they would like to live overseas for part of the year, particularly during the cold winter months, while three in four admit that travelling is now top of their...
31 Mar at 6 PM

British bank heavily fined by FCA for giving poor financial advice

Santander Bank have been hit with fines totalling £12,4 million by the Financial Conduct Agency for giving bad financial advice to its customers. After an investigation by the FCA revealed a list of misdemeanors, the high street giant was found to have failed to consider customers’ attitudes to risk when selling their products. In...
31 Mar at 6 PM

New expat mothers in UAE hit by lack of family support

Doctors in the United Arab Emirates are advising expat families to give full support to new mothers in order to avoid the risks of post-natal depression. One in ten of new mothers suffer from post-natal depression, with expat families in the UAE being advised to keep a watchful eye out for the symptoms. The biological changes which take...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Europe may be hit by higher mobile phone charges

In an attempt to compensate for losses to be cuased by the EU’s ban on mobile roaming charges, operators are planning to raise domestic mobile phone charges. The European Union ban on mobile roaming charges is set to come into force on 15 December 2015, and will prevent huge bills being run up by expats travelling between countries. The...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Expats love Australia but worry about discrimination

A recently-released social study has revealed that migrants recently arrived in Australia love their new lives but are experiencing racial discrimination. The survey, carried out by Monarsh University in Melbourne, found that, although the vast majority of expats are happy to be in Australia, racism does exist in some communities....
27 Mar at 6 PM

Annuity market collapses as savers run for the hills

Less than a week after George Osborne reinvented the UK’s pensions industry, more than 150,000 clients resigned to being locked into an annuity have pulled out of their deals. UK and international pension firms are watching in dismay as their cash cows disappear over the horizon, seeking fresh fields and pastures new which allow them...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Singapore now the world’s most expensive city

Due to the high cost of cars, rents, property prices and the state’s strong currency, Singapore is now the most expensive city on the planet. The annual Worldwide Coast of Living Report released by the Economist Intelligence Unit named Singapore at the top of its latest list of pricey cities. Tokyo, long an unwilling winner in the...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Insurers fearing collapse of annuity market trap pension savers

A number of the UK’s largest insurers are refusing to give pension savers extra time to withdraw from rip-off annuity deals or even to get meaningful professional advice. Whilst a few firms are playing fair by doubling the 30-day window during which annuities can be cancelled, others are giving just a few days and many are sticking to...
26 Mar at 6 PM

UK expats turn to overseas medical care as NHS collapses

Expats across the world are increasingly turning to their local hospitals for medical treatment, in spite of language issues and a lack of family support. International health insurance companies are confirming the trend and saying it’s down to the serious decline of state medical services in the UK. Rafts of NHS scandals hit the media...
25 Mar at 6 PM

Expat tax breaks threatened by UK 2014 Budget announcement

Many of the five million UK citizens living and working overseas may not have heard last week’s Budget allowance that non-residents’ personal tax allowances are to be reviewed. At present, expats working overseas and pensioners with investments and state and private pensions are allowed an annual income of £10,000 before being taxed...
25 Mar at 6 PM

British international schools abroad overrun by local students

International schools across the world, started for the purpose of teaching expat children a British curriculum, are now being overrun by local students. A recent study has revealed that some 80 per cent of places in overseas international schools are being grabbed by wealthy local people for their children. Expat families living and...
24 Mar at 6 PM

UK 2014 budget gives HRMC more pension liberation powers

As an adjunct to Chancellor George Osborne’s budget announcement, HMRC has set out now rules as regards pensions which will be included in this year’s Finance Bill. The main focus of the rules is to lower the risk of pension fraud by allowing HRMC to refuse registration of a pension scheme if it considers the administrator is not a...
24 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Spain urged to make Spanish wills as well as UK wills

Uncertainty about the necessity of a Spanish will as well as a British will covering assets still held in the UK is causing controversy in Spain’s expat retirement havens. Given that a good number of expats living in destinations all over the world don’t have a will in either their home of their host countries, confusion over the issue...
21 Mar at 6 PM

UK Budget block on annuities spurs thousands to scrap contracts

Following the surprise budget announcement that, from April 2015, converting a defined contribution pension to an annuity will no longer be compulsory, retirees who signed up over the last 30 days are rushing to cancel. Experts estimate that up to 250,000 savers are stampeding to cancel their poor value pensions before the door slams shut...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Free EU medical care for expats to end soon

Britons under the UK’s official retirement ages looking to emigrate to European sunshine destinations are about to lose their entitlement to free health care subsidised by the NHS. At present, UK migrants under the age of 65 or 60 for women who're migrating to popular destinations in Europe are allowed two and a half years of free...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Expat lifeline in Shanghai reports financial insecurity causes most stress

Counsellors at Lifeline Shanghai, China’s only English-speaking helpline, are reporting that worry over financial security is now a major cause of stress in the expat community. Launched in 2004, the unique charity’s majority of calls at that time concerned lonely housewives distressed by their cheating husbands. Ten years later,...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Kiev staying put but worried and angry

As the world hangs on Putin’s every word, expats in the Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev are shocked and angry, but none are making plans to leave. Expats living and working in Kiev joined a major protest march yesterday in support of democracy amid widespread fury over what is being seen as Russia’s military invasion the Crimea....
19 Mar at 6 PM

UK budget 2014 good news for expat pensioners and early retirees

For expats and would-be early retirees still in the UK, the news that, from 2015, pension savers will no longer forced to buy annuities in order to draw down their cash is the best to come from Britain’s coalition government since it was elected. The change followed extensive media criticism of the way annuities are being sold, both by...
19 Mar at 6 PM

Carefree expat retirees on spending sprees

A recent survey has revealed a similarity between teenagers in their first jobs and expat pensioners on a spending spree during their first few years of freedom from the daily grind. Whether expats or pensioners still resident in the UK, the story’s the same, with up to £33,000 wasted during the first five years since employees finally...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Research reveals expat investors turning to low risk options

As the sad tales of losses due to bad advice soar, a survey has revealed that droves of expats as well as UK-based investors are turning to low-risk options. Two thirds of investors approached during a recent survey have switched their preference to no- or low-risk products, with only one third willing to consider higher risk portfolios....
18 Mar at 6 PM

Study shows highly educated Canadian immigrants have problems finding work

A recent study has revealed that new arrivals in Canada with university degrees have less chance of finding suitable jobs than in 1995. The survey, conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto, analysed the success of immigrant university graduates in finding suitable employment during a ten-year period. Researchers used data...
17 Mar at 6 PM

Can digital specialists protect expat investors from scamming salesmen

The recent news about a Brit expat in Spain's loss of almost all his investment through an FA’s recommendation of a sub-standard fund has persuaded the UK financial watchdog to employ digital specialists to protect investors. The unfortunate Briton managed with the help of ‘This is Money’ to get most of his savings back from deVere,...
17 Mar at 6 PM

Increase in migration numbers spurs new expat associations

Migration numbers are soaring nowadays, with many who wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving their countries of birth a decade ago now happily established in expat communities across Europe and beyond. Those who blazed the trail some years ago have learned how to adjust to their new surroundings and get the best out of their new lives, and...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Plunging currencies encourage Brits to purchase overseas

Strengthened sterling as a result of confidence in the UK economy’s recovery and falling currencies in troubled regions of the world have sent would-be UK expats on a bargain-hunting buying frenzy. Spain and France are at the top of most wish-lists, with the lower end of the Spanish property market still falling and entire abandoned...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Expat Brits in America angry over passport backlog

British expats living and working in the USA are increasingly angry about increasing delays in issuing new British passports for their dependants or renewals for themselves. Passport applications for UK expats living in the USA are handled by the British Embassy in Washington, with the normal delay between application and issuing a mere...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Lead generation websites put expats at risk of financial scams

Financial forums nowadays are full of complaints about cold-calling, mostly blaming the purchase of consumer listings by scammers, but lead genaration websites can be as much to blame. There’s nothing more unsettling than receiving a call from an unknown person who seems to know as much as you do about your financial affairs, investments...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Homesick Spanish migrants looking to return one day

Many thousands of Spaniards are now expats in foreign lands, having left to find work during the years since the economic crisis kicked in, but most are hoping for a swift return to their beloved country. Results of a recent survey have shown that a massive 82 per cent of Spaniards working overseas since 2008 are planning to return home...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Brit pensioners imperiled by financial and property scams

Although the FCA is now cracking down on dodgy FAs and property scams in the UK, British pensioners in Thailand are still being cheated out of their savings by unprincipled property agents and unregistered FAs. Hapless senior citizens who’d planned to retire in a warm, inexpensive country are being ripped off by their own people in...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Expat Brits caught out by UK war on health tourism

A major crackdown on so-called health tourism announced yesterday by the UK government is likely to severely affect British expats who need to return to the UK for urgent medical care. Under the new rules, anyone who arrives in the UK for NHS treatment will be required to pay at a commercial rate yet to be decided. The ban, which will...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Turkish property scam loses pensioners over a million sterling

A female fraudster based in the UK was jailed recently for stealing over £1,000,000 sterling from her victims via a Turkish property Ponzi scheme. The scheme involved offering low property purchase prices to retirees looking for a lucrative investment overseas and the chance to own a home in an attractive Turkish beachside location....
11 Mar at 6 PM

Spanish ghost villages offer property bargains of the century

Abandoned by their residents who left the Spanish countryside in search of work, entire villages are now for sale at half the price of an average UK home. Entire charming, if dilapidated, hamlets deep in the Spanish countryside are for sale at prices as low as £50,000 to expats looking to renovate and live the good life. Examples include...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Financial Conduct Agency gets tough with commission-grabbing FAs

Three financial advisors have been banned and another prohibited from running an FA company for unethical manipulation of pension funds resulting in 4 million in commissions. The FCA investigation revealed the four had unnecessarily switched their clients’ funds held in six pension schemes in order to generate a massive sum in...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Prenups a good move for expats and those planning to emigrate

Proposed changes to the law regarding pre-nuptial agreements, once the sole province of the filthy rich or titled, may benefit everyday expats and those planning to emigrate. Many expats finding themselves in a new country also find themselves with an exotic new wife, but what happens when the marriage begun in heaven descends to hell and...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Bitcoins in turmoil after further hacking losses

The arrival of Bitcoins as a unique, online currency seemed to be a boon for expats struggling with exchange rates, with many also using the currency as an investment and watching its value soar. As with many other good things which come to bad ends, it now looks as though the Bitcoin boom is well and truly over, due to the discovery of...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Spain lose home demolition battle

After a two and a half year battle in the Spanish courts to save their homes, a group of expats in Zahara de los Atunes have been told their wooden properties are to be demolished next week. The British/Swiss group, all owners at the Costa de la Luz Atlantic Forest Park, are now suing a British developer for a sum of more than a million...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Leading UAE insurance firms welcome tighter operating regulations

Following the recent announcement of stricter regulations and increased financial guarantees for the emirates’ insurance firms, international companies at the top of the sector’s tree have welcomed the changes. The raft of new rules introduced by local regulators is expected to force all but half a dozen of the largest players out of...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Ensuring your company provides a comprehensive expat healthcare package

With emigration for work purposes becoming even more common, it’s important for expats to ensure their company provides adequate healthcare packages. Most international companies include quality healthcare insurance as an incentive to lure the best of the rest to offshore positions across the world. Would-be expat workers need to make...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Expat savers may get better offshore protection by next year

Given the shenanigans at present rife in the expat financial advice sector, many offshore savers are worried about the lack of protection should their investments fail. Better news may be on the way for those whose investments are placed in the Isle of Man with its present lower level of depositor protection. According to the island’s...
5 Mar at 6 PM

New UK spousal immigration rules tearing families apart

UK expats who met and married their partners whilst working overseas are having their lives torn apart by new financially-based spousal UK immigration rules. The minimum income requirement now mandatory for migrants from outside EU member states was introduced to limit the numbers entering Britain. However, the net result has been that UK...
4 Mar at 6 PM

UK pensions industry to crack down on rogue financial advisors

In a bid to curb pension liberation scams by rogue advisors, the mainstream financial services industry is forming a trade body to regulate QROPS, SIPPS and SaSS transfers. Made up of lawyers, trustees, trade bodies and providers, the new Pension Liberation Industry Group is to issue a set of standards intended to regulate switches between...
4 Mar at 6 PM

Angry UK expats in Kiev join protest marches

The expat community in Kiev is outraged at Russia’s military push into the Crimea region, with many joining in the protests against the Russian army's presence in the country. The majority of foreigners living in the Ukrainian capital are fully supportive of the new government and its intention to take the country into the EU. Many took...
3 Mar at 6 PM

UK expat in Spain gets justice over bad investment advice

Following an investigation on a UK expat saver’s behalf by This is Money.co.uk, a financial intermediary has admitted advice to the saver in Alicante was wrong and has re-established his lost pension pot. The unnamed expat had been persuaded in 2010 by a representative of financial intermediary deVere to invest 80 per cent of his...
3 Mar at 6 PM

Expat retirees forced back to UK by frozen pension scandal

British pensioners who emigrated to be with grandchildren or for health reasons are being forced to return to the UK because their pensions are frozen in their host countries. An example of the desperate decisions being taken by many elderly Brits who moved abroad to be with loved ones or to take advantage of warmer weather for their...
29 Mar at 6 PM

Mass exodus from Cyprus may result from EU savings grab

Whilst the Cypriot government struggles to prevent capital from fleeing the island, reports suggest they should be concentrating on the likelihood of a mass expat exodus. Just days after the banking sector meltdown and the EU savings grab, prominent Cypriots living overseas are being deluged by messages from friends and family indicating...
29 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwait eyes fixed period foreign residence and quotas

The Kuwait Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour is mulling over suggestions that the emirate should bring in fixed periods of residence for expat workers as well as nationality quotas. The ministry is responsible for the overseeing of expatriates and marginal personnel in the country, with a committee meeting regularly to discuss the...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Cameron announces sweeping crackdown on immigration

British Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to announce a widespread crackdown on immigration aimed at discouraging migrants from Bulgaria and Romania. The new measures follow weeks of alarmist UK media coverage predicting the arrival of a huge number of migrants from Romania and Bulgaria after travel and work restrictions are lifted...
28 Mar at 6 PM

Unemployed 60 year old Irishman told to take job in Malta

A 60-year old unemployed Donegal man who used to work as a bus driver has received an official letter recommending that he emigrate to Malta and take up a low-waged job. It seems the rot is spreading from the now defunct UK Border Agency to Irish government employees, although the letter caused hilarity when read out in the Irish...
27 Mar at 6 PM

Broken UK Border Agency put out of its misery

The troubled UK Border Agency is to be broken up into two separate units after years of serious failures, scandals and a massive backlog. UK Home Secretary Theresa May announced today that Britain’s immigration authority will be split into two separate sections, one dealing with visas and the other with immigration law enforcement....
27 Mar at 6 PM

Kenney pushes success of Canada’s parent and grandparent supervisa

According to Canada’s immigration minister Jason Kenney, the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa is growing in popularity. Statistics suggest that more and more parents and grandparents are choosing to spend longer visits to their loved ones in Canada, with approval rates for applicants now at 86 per cent. At present, over 1,000 of the...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Canada to reopen Federal Skilled Worker Programme in May

After its closure for a year, Canadian Immigration’s Federal Skilled Worker Programme (FSWP) is due to reopen on 4 May. Announcements as to priority occupations, listings of designated assessment organisations and caps on applicant numbers are expected during April. Popular occupation caps are expected to be filled within days of their...
26 Mar at 6 PM

Dubai based expats must clear debts at airport before leaving

Expat workers leaving the emirate will now be able to clear unpaid loans and credit at the airport’s electronic cash register. Dubai’s laws forbid international travel for those who have unpaid credit cards or loans, with many expats unable to leave for even short home visits unless they first clear all their debts. A number have been...
25 Mar at 6 PM

Irish banks’ deposit guarantee to be withdrawn due to banks’ recovery

The deposit guarantee brought in by the Irish government four years ago to protect savers and investors is about to be withdrawn as it’s felt that the banks are now stable. Known as the Eligible Liabilities Guarantee Scheme, the deposit protection is due to end on 28 March. Its closure will affect anyone with deposits in the Bank of...
25 Mar at 6 PM

UK immigration to introduce Australian style cash guarantees

As part of tougher immigration laws, the UK Border Agency is planning to make immigrant workers and students from as yet undetermined high-risk countries lodge cash bonds before entry. The measure is intended to make sure immigrants on temporary visas don’t become overstayers and simply disappear, and there are calls to extend the plan...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Canadian immigration warns against migrant marriage fraud

Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Ministry is preparing to launch a campaign warning its nationals to beware of being caught by would-be migrants seeking an easy way to get into the country. Marriage fraud is an increasing problem both for the spouse who was duped into the marriage and for immigration, and the numbers unwittingly...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Christchurch still staggering under damage from devastating quake

The New Zealand city of Christchurch remains a ‘tale of two cities’ following the devastating 2011 earthquake which destroyed its city centre. Although rebuilding efforts are getting underway despite a skills shortage in the construction industry, the city will never be the same again and its heart is still enclosed in a ‘red...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Newlywed Welshman cannot bring wife to UK as he’s not British

The UK Border Agency has made its perhaps most embarrassing mistake ever when it forbade a British citizen leave to bring his new Canadian wife to the UK as ‘her husband is not a British citizen’. Craig Colville is one of a pair of twins born in North Wales. His identical twin brother, Scott, has never had a problem with proving his...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Expats fear for their savings due to EU Cyprus savings grab

Even although the Cypriot parliament unanimously rejected the EU and ECB’s attempted savings grab, the crisis is continuing, with expats across the EU fearing for their savings. With Russian interest in bailing out the bank of Cyprus in return for permission to explore the recently-discovered natural gas deposits now on the back burner,...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwiait to freeze expatriate work permits and slash expat numbers

In another controversial UAE move against expat workers. Kuwait is to freeze the issuing of work permits to overseas labour and plans to reduce the number of expat workers by over a million. According to the Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, Thekra al-Rasheedi, the move is intended to reduce the number of expats taking...
21 Mar at 6 PM

Expat financial scams hit the headlines again

Over the past year, reports of financial scams perpetrated on expats have become big news in the online forums of many favourite expat havens. Spain is the latest country to hit the headlines, with its expat forums buzzing with gossip about unprincipled financial advisors preying on new arrivals with offers which seem to good to be true....
19 Mar at 6 PM

British troops on Cyprus face UK government U turn

Just one day after he had insisted that the savings accounts of British troops based in Cyprus would not affected by the EU’s savings grab, Treasury Minister George Osborne has enaged on his promise. Servicemen and women will only now be compensated for ‘reasonable losses’ if their savings are connected with their military service...
19 Mar at 6 PM

Overseas students reject dodgy New Zealand education providers

The sharp drop in the number of fee-paying overseas students applying for study visas in New Zealand is being blamed on the perceived poor quality of the country’s education providers. Spokesman for the NZ Labour Party Raymond Huo has caused consternation in the sector by putting the decline in application squarely on the shoulders of...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Shanghai residents in war with drunken expats

Local Chinese residents living in and around Shanghai’s nightlife hub of Yongkang Road declared war last week on noisy, drunken expats accused of disturbing the peace. Shanghai is China’s most popular destination for expat workers, with over 150,000 living in the city at present. The frustrations of the local citizens of the former...
18 Mar at 6 PM

Greek government plans to tax Greeks living in Australia

With the Greek government still under major pressure from the EU, it’s no surprise that a property rental and sales tax on Greek real estate may be levied on migrant Greeks in Australia. Greek lawmakers are brushing aside the double tax agreement between the two countries by floating the idea of taxing income from rental homes and the...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Saudi investigators find thousands of expats with fake degrees

An investigation by the Saudi Council of Engineers has uncovered the disturbing fact that more than 15,000 expat engineers working mainly in the construction industry are holding fake degree certificates. The news has caused a backlash by Saudi Arabian internet users accusing the council of reducing what they see as a major scandal to...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Overstaying Malaysian boss vows to keep fighting

Malaysian owner of a construction business Chang Yee Seng had overstayed for 10 years before Immigration New Zealand tracked him down. Chang arrived in New Zealand in 2003 on a visitor visa, and is claiming he became an overstayer due to incorrect immigration advice. His construction business, Reaplite Industries, employed two...
15 Mar at 6 PM

Harlequin Properties settle substantial sums out of court

The FSA unregulated overseas property sales agent firm being investigated by the Serious fraud squad has agreed a substantial out of court settlement to end a class action by disgruntled investors. Thousands of investors are believed to have put money into the scheme, which involved a 30 per cent deposit on off-plan luxury properties in...
14 Mar at 6 PM

Fluctuations in sterling affecting expat pensions and investment returns

As inflation rises in most countries favoured as expat destinations, sterling fluctuations are affecting the amount of local currency in expat pockets. Sterling is now weaker than at any time in the past year, with the threat of a triple-dip recession in the UK, economic uncertainty across the EU and the recent downgrading of the...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Spanish expats warn incomers to beware of dodgy financial advisors

While it’s obvious from online forums that unscrupulous financial advisors preying on newly-arrived expats isn’t just a Spanish problem, expats in the sunny destination are among the first to speak out in warning. British retirees are especially at risk, with many arriving in their chosen countries and immediately joining up with expat...
13 Mar at 6 PM

Opponents of US immigration reform to flood Congress with calls

A tactic which worked well for those against immigration reform in 2006 is about to be tried again by opponents of the latest reform bill. With the nation glued to every turn and twist of the immigration reform negotiations, it’s unsurprising that those against legislation which allows illegals to claim citizenship should turn to...
12 Mar at 6 PM

New survey shows majority of Canadians support less migration

A recent survey of just under 2,000 Canadians revealed that 70 per cent of respondents are in favour of tougher immigration rules. The survey, carried out by Forum Research, seems to have logged on to Canadian nationals’ fears that migrants will take jobs intended for Canadian workers. The results indicate that slowing down the flow of...
12 Mar at 6 PM

Export education sector in New Zealand feels the pinch

A combination of the high New Zealand dollar rate, the world-wide recession and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake have hit the country’s export education industry hard since 2009. Numbers of international students applying for New Zealand student visas have dropped by 25 per cent over the last three years with approvals in 2012, the...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Ensuring your expat dream home avoids the dodgy deals trap

One of the most exciting aspects of emigrating is the thought of a new home in attractive surroundings at a bargain price compared with property in the home country. However, with dodgy property deals everywhere from Europe to the Caribbean and Asia hitting the headlines, how are you to avoid your dream becoming a nightmare? Mis-selling...
11 Mar at 6 PM

Kuwaiti lawmakers urge scrapping of expat essential services subsidies

A group of influential Kuwaiti lawmakers are calling on the emirate’s government to cancel the subsidies given to expats for essential services such as water and electricity. The group claims the government is no longer able to afford to continue the scheme.The move, if successful, will mean an average monthly bill for a small apartment...
8 Mar at 6 PM

Fat Dubai expats under scrutiny for poor health

The seemingly unavoidable ‘Dubai Stone’ – the amount of weight the average expat puts on during his or her first year in the emirate – has been seen as a rite of passage for newbies. Obesity specialists, however, aren’t treating it as a joke – they’re warning of severe health effects. Most new arrivals believe the active...
8 Mar at 4 PM

Horse painkiller drug found in Portuguese meatballs and burgers

Expats getting over the shock of unknowingly eating horsemeat in Portuguese supermarket ready meals now have another issue to worry about. French supermarket Auchan’s Portuguese outlets have been selling burgers and meatballs not only containing horsemeat but also showing traces of the drug phenylbutazone. The painkilling drug, known to...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Mortgage famine prevents UK expats from coming home

Many UK expats working abroad intend to return home after their contracts end, but are unable to do so due to banks and building societies refusing their mortgage applications. Mortgage brokers are snowed under with applications from expat workers wishing to buy into a UK home once their contracts are finished. Enquiries have doubled due...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Serious Fraud Office and FSA now investigating Harlequin

Britain’s Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Essex-based Harlequin Group regarding its marketing of high-end Caribbean villas linked with a self-investing personal pension product. Harlequin’s business was not regulated by the Financial Services Authority, which is now writing to all UK FAs requesting the details of any client...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Spain forces expats to declare assets in overseas locations

New rules introduced to target tax evasion will affect expats with homes in Spain and investments or savings held overseas. Residents have been given until the end of April to declare their domestic and overseas assets worth over £44,000 or face punitive fines for non-compliance. Bank accounts, shares, other investments, life insurance...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Homeless expat denied UK job seeker allowance after returning

A 52 year-old British citizen recently returned from three years living in France is being denied job seeker allowance and other income-related benefits. Homeless Jane Carter moved to France to live her dream just over three years ago, but, sadly, the dream turned sour and forced her to return to the UK to find a job and start her life...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Controversial Saudi tax on expat employees here to stay

The controversial Saudi Arabia financial penalty levy on firms employing more expats than local workers appears to be here to stay. The generally unpopular tax was introduced in November 2012, and has been the subject of controversy and meetings between government ministries ever since. Introduced as part of the kingdom’s move towards...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Forced retirement at 60 for Saudi Arabia expat workers

The recently announced move to force Saudi Arabia’s expatriate employees to retire at the age of 60 us set to cause as much controversy in the kingdom as the expat tax. Following on an announcement that the controversial Saudi Arabia expat worker levy is here to stay, the latest plan by the Ministry of Labour is likely to cause at least...
4 Mar at 4 PM

Christchurch mental health nurses worry over immigration changes

A move by Immigration New Zealand to cut the mental health nursing category from the long-term skills shortage list is causing concern in the sector. According to Marilyn Head, policy analyst for the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), Christchurch has been experiencing a critical shortage of mental health professionals since the...
4 Mar at 2 PM

Isle of Man seen to be in better financial shape than UK

Following the UK economy’s downgrading by Moody’s to AA1, the Isle of Man’s treasury minister has announced a 3 per cent growth in its economy during 2012. Rated by Moody’s at AAA and by Standard and Poor’s at AA+, the island’s 2013 economy is expected to grow at 2.8 per cent this year, with unemployment remaining at around 2.6...
1 Mar at 6 PM

Moving 2 Canada sets up new recruitment agency for Irish migrants

Following on the success of Canada’s Irish-Canadian Immigration Centre, Moving2Canada is introducing a job-search agency to connect Irish would-be immigrants with Canadian employers. The service will be aimed at migrants over the age of 35 and families who are ineligible for the Working Holiday one-year visa and need to secure employment...
1 Mar at 6 PM

New Kiwi immigration minister praises successful immigration policies

Following a surprise shuffle of the New Zealand government’s cabinet ministers, new immigration minister Michael Woodhouse praised the department’s new initiatives. Former minister Nathan Guy was replaced by Woodhouse in mid-February, with his first official occasion taking place in Christchurch where he gave a speech to the city’s...
30 Mar at 6 PM

Masked raiders attack and rob British expats in Portugal villa

As reported by the Daily Mail, in the fifth attack on wealthy expatriates in Algarve, Portugal, this month, raiders tied up and beat two UK pensioners in their £8 million villa. The robbers tied up the aged couple, who are both into their 70s, with tape and bludgeoned the husband on the head using a golf club. The attackers then rummaged...
30 Mar at 9 AM

Competition at expat law companies in Hong Kong

As reported by the Telegraph, The legal market in Hong Kong has become extremely competitive with a great deal of lucrative business arriving from mainland China. Accounting issues with US-listed Chinese firms and anti-bribery efforts have kept attorneys in the ex British colony quite busy. However, the law sector is no longer controlled...
28 Mar at 6 PM

UK teen in fatal Dubai balcony fall

As reported by the BBC, A fifteen-year-old UK national has died as a result of falling off the balcony of a Dubai building. Harry Harling, who was originally from Surrey, is believed to have suffered fatal blows after falling from the 11th floor. Harling reportedly moved to the UAE with his family about nine years ago. The teenager’s...
27 Mar at 4 PM

China pressed to investigate death of British man tied to ousted Bo Xilai

As reported by the Guardian, the United Kingdom has asked China to look into the mysterious death of a UK businessman with links to the family of Bo Xilai, an ousted Chinese leader. The sudden death of Neil Heywood at a Chongqing hotel last November, which was blamed on alcohol consumption, was shocking to those close to the reportedly...
26 Mar at 4 PM

Delay on HMRC residency regulations for expats

As reported by the Telegraph, economic advisers say that, due to the implementation of new tax brackets, 2013 will be crucial for the financial planning of expat Britons. Reductions to tax allowances for Britons over the age of 65 have been a big talking point in this year’s Budget, with wide-reaching effects for United Kingdom residents...
23 Mar at 6 PM

Expat opportunities widen in Virgin Islands

As reported by the Telegraph, Ernst & Young has re-instituted its office in the British Virgin Islands, as the company believes the territory will get stronger and stronger in the financial sector this year. The Financial Stability Board (FSB) reported at the end of 2011 that the BVI demonstrated "sufficiently strong...
22 Mar at 6 PM

Over 500k expats hit by frozen pensions

As reported by International Advisor, over 500,000 British expats who have retired overseas are not receiving their full pensions, say figures released by the UK government. The report was published by Lord Freud, government welfare minister, in response to Liberal Democrat peer Lord Jones. The figures indicate that 555,650 pensioners are...
21 Mar at 6 PM

NZ earthquake leaves British expats with Marmite shortage

As reported by the Daily Mail, many British expats living in New Zealand may soon experience a shortage in Marmite on their supermarket shelves. Production of the yeast extract, which has been manufactured for many decades in Christchurch, was suspended because one of the plant towers was damaged by the 2011 earthquake. The factory has...
20 Mar at 6 PM

Dubai pet owners applaud new quarantine rules

As reported by The National, new rules in Dubai will be making it easier to transport dogs and cats to the UK, reducing the amount of pets abandoned by British expats, say animal welfare groups. Since the British government changed its quarantine regulations in January, many pet relocation companies have noticed a rise in the number of...
19 Mar at 6 PM

Most Irish emigrants say standard of living better abroad

As reported by the Irish Times, most emigrants who have left during the past few years have reported they are happier living abroad than in Ireland, says an Ipsos MRBI survey. An overwhelming majority said their quality of life improved after moving overseas, including having a healthier diet and taking more exercise. When asked to reveal...
16 Mar at 6 PM

HK English school shortage deterring expat families

As reported by the Bangkok Post, a shortage in English-language schools in Hong Kong is deterring expat families and undermining the city's image as a regional business hub, say parents and lobby groups. Many foreign business professionals moving to Hong Kong are now deciding to leave their children behind due to a shortfall in primary...
15 Mar at 6 PM

ME expats urged to share UK with neighbours and friends

As reported by MENA, Middle East-based expatriates are being urged to encourage their friends and relatives to not miss out on what is expected to be a very exciting year for Great Britain. As the Olympic Games, which will take place 27 July - 12 August, and the Paralympic Games, scheduled for 29 August - 9 September, loom closer, the...
14 Mar at 6 PM

UK expats in Spain battling for homes

As reported by This Is Money, hundreds of foresaken British victims of collapsed Icelandic bank Landsbanki face the danger of losing their homes following a long legal battle. Some are pensioners living in Spain who are in a desperate court fight to prevent their homes from being taken by the liquidators of Landsbanki , which failed in 2008....
13 Mar at 6 PM

Irish expat councillor claims ability to work from overseas

Irish expat councillor claims ability to work from overseas
12 Mar at 6 PM

UK man fatally falls off Kenya balcony

According to UKPA, a UK man has been killed after falling off a balcony while hiding from alleged car thieves at the house of his girlfriend, a Kenyan top fashion model. Thirty-seven-year-old Charlie Grieves-Cook fatally injured himself after plunging from multiple storeys from the apartment of Diana Sifuna, said British expats. Moments...
9 Mar at 6 PM

NZ Immigration mistake ruins holiday plan

As reported by Stuff, a couple from Cromwell report feeling upset and angry when an Immigration New Zealand mix-up made them worried that they needed to leave the country. Kay and Trevor Johnson, who are British immigrants holding permanent New Zealand residency cards, said the saga began when their daughter Anneka sent in applications...
8 Mar at 6 PM

Huge demand forces Cork job expo to cancel online ticket sales

As reported by The Irish Examiner, the Working Abroad Exposition, which is due to launch in Cork tomorrow, was forced to cancel online ticket sales due to an unprecedented volume of demand. The expo, which aims to help people find jobs overseas, decided to stop advertising and cancel online tickets after learning lesions from the Dublin...
7 Mar at 6 PM

Expats in Bahrain disgruntled over new visa rules

As reported by Trade Arabia, expatriates in Bahrain have expressed displeasure over new visa regulations which have brought about a crackdown on overseas visitors and led to many long detentions before being let into the country or sent back on return flights. This follows an announcement by the Interior Ministry on February 13 which said...
6 Mar at 6 PM

Customer service better in Britain than Asia

As reported by Gulf News, many British expats say that customer service in the UAE are not as good as in the UK while many expats from developing countries are more satisfied, reveals a new customer service report. About 86% of British respondents said that UAE customer service was worse than in Britain, according to Capita, the UK-based...
5 Mar at 6 PM

Shocking amount of overseas money being converted back into sterling

As reported by The Telegraph, the UK’s foreign-currency brokers have reported a shocking amount of funds being converted back into the British pound from overseas. Meanwhile, overseas property firms have seen British buyers avoiding the normally popular Mediterranean nations of Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. Reasons vary depending...
2 Mar at 6 PM

6k Irish emigrants bound for Canada

As reported by Inside Ireland, a minimum of 6,000 Irish workers are due to emigrate to Canada in 2012 as a result of a Western Canadian delegation’s recruitment drive in the country earlier this week. The demand is now very strong for certain skills, as Canada is now in competition with Australia over Irish workers, says the delegation...
1 Mar at 6 PM

James Preston refused appeal in expat voting decision

As reported by The Telegraph, James Preston, the UK expatriate whose efforts to pressure the Government to grant him a vote in general elections were recently overruled by judges, has been denied permission to appeal. Mr Preston, who is a fund manager from Leicester, attempted to challenge the High Court last year over the ban on...
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