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April 2014 Expat News Archive
Archived Daily Expat News from the Expats Blog Newsdesk...
30 Apr at 6 PM
State companies in Oman told to sack all expat workers
The Omani government is instructing state companies to sack expat workers and replace them with locals. In the midst of the devastating coronavirus pandemic, the Omani finance ministry is urging all state-owned companies to get rid of their expat workers and replace them with Omani citizens. The report, published by the state-owned Oman...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Brits in Spain slam UK government and public for ignoring lockdown
Brit expats in Spain’s Costa del Sol aren’t at all surprised the UK’s coronavirus death totals are now higher than Spain’s. The UK is now the third highest in the list of world countries’ death tolls, having overtaken Spain’s total over the past week. America now has the highest number of deaths, with Italy’s total in second...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Elderly British expats in Alicante scared nearby homes are being squatted
A British expat octogenarian couple are now scared to leave their Spanish home due to strange goings-on in nearby properties late at night. The octogenarian couple live in Alicante's Benissa area, in a cul-de-sac along with other older expatriates. Along with their elderly neighbours, they’re taking the lockdown very seriously due to...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Captain Tom flypast to happen in spite of mean minded government
British expats in Spain and across Europe are delighted to hear that much-loved Captain Tom Moore will get his celebratory birthday flypast after all. Out of all the news concerning every aspect of the pandemic and its effects, Captain Tom’s amazing story has warmed the hearts of British expats and citizens all over the globe, not to...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Vietnam urged to loosen rules on expat property ownership
Vietnamese property developers are urging the government to reduce the rules on expat ownership. In a move prompted by the need to spur the expat takeup of premium apartments in order to avoid unsold inventory, Vietnam’s construction sector is urging the government to ease the rules on foreign ownership. According to a recent report,...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Expat volunteers create lifelines for sufferers across the world
Volunteer armies all over the world are fighting the pandemic and supporting its victims. As the covid-19 pandemic continues its inexorable march across our world, the millions of expat and citizen volunteers following in its wake are ambassadors of hope for all those caught in its grip. First responders aren’t just those in the...
28 Apr at 6 PM
Dubai lockdown ends but expats happier staying home
Following the lifting of Dubai’s stay-at-home lockdown, expats don’t seem to be rushing to leave their apartments. Movement restrictions across Dubai were partially lifted last week, allowing expats and citizens to leave their homes between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. without having to get a permit. However, according to local English language...
28 Apr at 6 PM
Expat property owners in Spain warned of squatter epidemic
A British expat couple on lockdown in the UK can finally repossess their Spanish home after a court enforced the eviction of squatters. Having emigrated to Spain from the West Midlands, Jean and Peter Willow bought their property some 12 years ago after visiting Malaga and deciding to stay. They found an affordable apartment in the...
28 Apr at 6 PM
UK finally gets its act in order as regards repatriation flights
Thousands of stranded British expats and tourists are finally being repatriated from the Indian sub-continent. After huge numbers of British citizens stranded overseas took to social media to complain about the UK government’s lack of action as regards getting them home, it seems the message is finally getting through. Over the next...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Thailand join to help Thais in need due to the pandemic
In spite of a representative of the Thai government’s verbal attacks on expats, foreigners all over the popular destination are pulling out all the stops to help Thai nationals in need. The pandemic’s devastating effect on Thailand’s tourist industry has seen small and medium sized businesses, hotels, guest houses and other...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Virus traps nomadic expat family in Lapland
Adventurous expats are found all over the known world, although the majority possibly didn’t take into account being trapped far from home due to the pandemic’s closing of all borders. Whilst the vast majority of commentators on the chaos being caused by covid-19 cite elderly expatriates, those who’ve lost their jobs and those...
27 Apr at 6 PM
New UK quarantine ruling slammed by expats and haulage companies
The UK’s new plan for incoming passengers isn’t pleasing British expats in Spain or international haulage companies. The UK government’s new scheme for the prevention of the coronavirus’s entry on newly infected hosts is bad news for British expats in Spain needing to visit the UK once flights resume. Phase 2 of Britain’s...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expats in Oz grateful for swift governmental response to the pandemic
British expats who decided on Australia as their home from home can congratulate themselves for shortening the risk of infection from the coronavirus. Whilst the WHO warns covid-91 will be endemic in humans for a long time, Australia’s swift, sensible response to the pandemic seems to be working. Today’s figures for new infections and...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Southern Spain making and distributing protective masks
Concerned British expats in Spain’s Costa Blanca region are ensuring they’ve got anti-virus masks by making and distributing them within their communities. Members of the British community in San Miguel de Salinas are now getting all the protective masks they need after a team of volunteers was tasked with distributing 3,300 across...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expats in Andalusia concerned over plans to reopen beaches
The popular Spanish beachside hotspot of Andalusia is planning to open its 1,000 kms of beaches in time for the summer season, but with restrictions imposed. In a desperate attempt to claw back some of the damage to its tourism revenue by the pandemic, Andalusia’s government is planning to re-open its swathe of beaches during July and...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Gibraltar and the Falklands fighting the virus plus colonisation
Brit expats in the Falklands and Gibraltar are battling the effects of the coronavirus. Both the Falklands and Gibraltar share a political status as British Overseas Territories, and both are under the threat of the coronavirus as well as concerted attacks on their statuses by Argentina and Spain. As if fighting off the bitter claims of...
23 Apr at 6 PM
Second home owners banned from Mallorca plead to be allowed in
Locked-out expats with second homes in Mallorca cause online outrage for pleading to be allowed to return. Hundreds of expatriate second-home residents and business owners at present locked out of Mallorca due to the pandemic are urging the island’s government to allow them to return. An open letter sent to the authority compared their...
23 Apr at 6 PM
St George’s Day signals lockdown loosening for Brit expats in Spain
British expats living in Spain are breathing a collective sigh of relief after the government’s assurance of easing the lockdown after May 9. Spanish President Pedro Sanchez announced that changes are coming soon in a directive to the country’s parliament, although he added tougher restrictions would be re-introduced should the number...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Gibraltar urged to respect the Rock’s social distancing rules
Expats in Gibraltar are now being urged not to take non-essential journeys during the social lockdown. To date, the Rock’s anti-virus regulations have helped keep the numbers of infections low in comparison with neighbouring Spain, but local police are now seeing breaches of its government’s Covid-19 requirements. As a result, the...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Expats appreciate the Saudi government reaction to the pandemic
Saudi’s glittering malls, walkways and streets now hold an eerie silence rather than huge numbers of expats and residents. As Saudi Arabia’s numbers of coronavirus cases continue to increase, Riyadh’s vast cityscape with its boulevards, hotels, shuttered shops and restaurants as well as mosques give a silent response to its...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Embassies advising expats to go home rather than risk infection
Now that the coronavirus has reached the Gulf States and Indonesia, governments are having a more difficult time getting expats to follow emergency laws. Oman’s huge expat community comprises Western expat professionals and Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi blue collar workers in the private sector. Whilst expat professionals are either...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Expats planning to sue Ryanair for ticket price refunds
Expats in Spain’s favourite expat havens are gearing up to take Ryanair to court. Expats living along Spain’s Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca regions as well as visitors trapped following the coronavirus outbreak are preparing to start legal action against low-cost carrier Ryanair. Passengers whose flights were cancelled due to the...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expats now heading for Mexico as Europe closes down
For would-be British expats unable to decide between European countries due to Brexit, relocating to Mexico is good for retirees, but less so for job hunters. Everyone who’s ever been an expat or conducted objective online research as part of an emigration plan knows full well that nowhere is perfect, even although some locations may be...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Oak National Academy now available online for expat kids
Expat parents worried about their children’s schooling can take advantage of Southern Spain’s free online lessons. One of the present day major concerns for all parents is the lack of organised education now that schools are closed for an indefinite period. For those in Spain, a lifeline has now been thrown via the UK-supported online...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Expats use traditional methods to reverse desertification in Andalusia
Whilst the world battles against the coronavirus, expats in Andalusia are fighting the region’s desertification. For a decade, Western Andalusia’s agricultural heartland has been under threat from rising temperatures, low rainfall and over-farming. Already, large areas are now deserted and arid, but a dedicated group of expats are ...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Spain condemn EasyJet plan to transport tourists
British expats on the Costa del Sol are furious over EasyJet’s plans to transport tourists without risking bringing in the virus again. An announcement by low-cost carrier EasyJet has resulted in expat fury amongst the Costa del Sol foreign communities. The airline’s plan to keep economy middle seats unoccupied on all tourism flights...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Benidorm Brit bar owners considering half-price beer to attract holidaymakers
Brit expats all along the Spanish Costas are hoping bar owners will slash beer prices in an attempt to lure tourists back once the pandemic has run its deadly course. Countries whose economies count tourism as an important contributor to their GDP are hoping against hope the pandemic will fade away before it’s done too much financial...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Is it time to reconsider the expat dream?
Expats who’re living through the consequences of the worst threat to humans and the world economy for many decades may now have time to evaluate their choice of destination and even their careers as a whole. Without a doubt, the 21st century’s two decades to date have witnessed a rush by would-be expatriates across the world to uproot...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Endless Spanish lockdown drives Brit expats to drink and drugs
British expats in Spain are struggling with mixed emotions during the lockdown. Along Spain’s spectacular Mediterranean coastline, British expats are struggling to cope with a mixed bag of emotions including homesickness and depression as well as seeing the protective lockdown as imprisonment without a warrant. At the same time, Britons...
17 Apr at 6 PM
British lockdown having little effect on expat buy-to-let market
In spite of the pandemic, the UK’s buy-to-let market is being perceived as alive and thriving. According to experts in the British property market, activity as regards the UK’s buy-to-let sector is still going on in spite of the lockdown. The continued interest is believed to have resulted from the introduction of various new mortgage...
16 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expats in Spain rush to donate to WWII veteran’s NHS appeal
A British WWII veteran’s NHS appeal has crashed a Costa del Sol expat newspaper’s website and raised 10 million pounds to date. Brit expats living in the Spanish Costas crashed a popular online newspaper’s website during a rush to donate to his NHS charity appeal. Captain Tom Moore, a 99-year-old WWII veteran, had set out to raise...
16 Apr at 6 PM
Expat tenants win out in Sydney as landlords slash rental charges
Expats renting property in Sydney are in for a pleasant surprise. Sydney is a popular destination for expat professionals, but it’s known in the worldwide expat community as having sky-high rental charges. Whilst the coronavirus pandemic is worldwide bad news as regards the incredibly high number of infections and deaths, its economic...
16 Apr at 6 PM
Getting away from it all in a one euro European property
Escaping the coronavirus pandemic in a stunning location via one-euro renovation properties. Renovation of deserted properties purchased for just one euro is old news, but the trend is growing fast as would-be expats disenchanted with the modern world are moving in. New communities veering towards creativity, green living, craftsmanship...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Samaritans in Spain volunteers help expats unable to cope with the lockdown
Carrying on a highly regarded tradition of giving help where it’s most needed, the Samaritans in Spain group is supporting expats who are having difficulty coping with the coronavirus lockdown. The advent of the deadly virus in Spain has caused widespread stress and anxiety across the popular country’s expat communities, with one...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Expats and citizens urged to help Phuket’s famous Soi Dog Foundation
Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation is hoping to avoid the devastating effects of the holiday island’s coronavirus lockdown by bringing in huge quantities of dog and cat food. Dog and cat lovers both in Thailand and in many other world countries including the USA all admire the dedicated efforts of the Soi Dog Foundation to rescue, care for...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Is England withholding protective supplies from Scotland and Wales?
British expats in Spain and across Europe are horrified and angry over reports that the UK government is halting deliveries of much-needed personal protective equipment to Wales and Scotland. Although the Scottish government is denying knowing anything about this and other sources are muttering ‘fake news’, the report is clear in that...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expats in Spain refusing to obey anti virus rulings
Favourite expat locations in Spain are the worst for the numbers breaking State of Alarm rulings. According to spokespersons from a number of Spanish municipal authorities as well as local police forces, it seems many expat residents are following lockdown rulings made by Germany and the UK as seen on UK and German TV channels, rather...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwait begins repatriation as the UAE adopts tough measures
Kuwait is planning to begin the repatriation of some 50,000 stranded expats this coming Sunday, with airlines being given permission to operate outward bound flights to defined destinations. The repatriation effort comes as the emirate continues its amnesty ruling for expatriates without residency permits, with officials ensuring those...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Vietnam praise government efforts to control the pandemic
Vietnam joins the growing international movement to make life easier for expats trapped due to anti-pandemic measures. One of the toughest aspects of becoming a long-stay expat in Southeast Asia is the necessity of keeping up with ever-changing visa requirements. Since the pandemic took hold, expatriate residents all over the region have...
13 Apr at 6 PM
UK Foreign Office charging stranded Brits up to £800 for repatriation flights
An estimated 300,000 Britons are still trapped overseas due to the pandemic, and are being forced to pay up to £800 for repatriation. In spite of the British government’s promise to bring all expats home using repatriation flights, just 2,000 have been flown back to the UK during the past fortnight. According to the Foreign Office, the...
13 Apr at 6 PM
UK coronavirus chaos leaves expats wishing they’d stayed in Wuhan
Many British expats who fled Wuhan when the pandemic erupted now wish they’d stayed put. As the scary news of the coronavirus outbreak hit the international media and China began its lockdowns, many expats living and working in Wuhan headed back to the UK as quickly as possible, either under their own steam or via evacuation flights...
13 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Saudi Arabia would rather stay than repatriate
Foreign expatriates living and working in Saudi Arabia are rejecting repatriation. As expats across the world flee their countries of residences’ increasing coronavirus infection rates, foreign citizens in Saudi Arabia are more than happy to stay where they are. The Kingdom’s immediate reaction to the pandemic was to introduce...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Spanish government steps up to help self employed expat businesses
Expat SMEs in Spain are less than happy about the government’s insistence on social security contributions, even although financial assistance is being offered. Spain’s devastating number of coronavirus infections has wrecked the turnovers of expat-owned small businesses, but the Spanish government are insisting their monthly social...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Expats and visitors trapped in Thailand finally granted visa amnesty
Thailand finally announces a visa amnesty for expats, tourists and other foreign travellers. Expats and foreign travellers trapped in Thailand after the government shut down all borders are now relieved a government amnesty has given them the right to extend their stays without worrying about their status. The amnesty will last until...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Can the Gulf States survive without its expat professionals?
From high-ranking expat professionals to workers in the private sectors, many believe the Gulf States as a whole would suffer should all foreign workers decide to return to their home countries. Workers from overseas at all levels make up a very high percentage of the entire region’s workforce, making mass layoffs a very real risk to...
9 Apr at 6 PM
Costa del Sol pubs and bars planning free beer parties after lockdown ends
As Spain’s devastating numbers of covid-19 infections and deaths seems to be slowing, expat bar and pub owners in the Costa del Sol are planning free beer celebrations to mark the end of the lockdown. Bar owners are planning huge celebrations to be held as soon as the country’s lockdown ends. Featured will be free beer, and the parties...
9 Apr at 6 PM
Major war erupts between expat newspapers in Spain
It seems the coronavirus doesn’t just wreck lives, as it’s now caused an unpleasant major war between Spain’s two favourite English language media outlets. As is true for many businesses during this unprecedented threat to both expats and residents all across the world and the economy in general, expat-aimed media outlets have also...
9 Apr at 6 PM
Expats now being repatriated from Myanmar as medical supplies arrive
In spite of an overall incoming flight lockdown, Myanmar has been busy repatriating expats as well as receiving medical supplies from China. Myanmar’s incoming flight ban began on March 30 and is due to be reviewed next Monday, but relief flights out of the country and incoming essential supply flights have been taking place on a...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Brits in Spain furious about complaints that tourists can’t book vacations
British expats in Spain are furious about would-be holidaymakers’ complaints over their inability to book vacations. Spain is facing a major recession in the tourism trade due to its high numbers of coronavirus victims, with major players in the sector saying the dearth of visitors is due to last for at least three years before...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Caymans government backs repatriation airlifts for jobless expats
Expats in the Cayman Islands are increasingly being let go by their employers, forcing the government to consider airlifting them back to their home countries. As economies across the world grind to a hopefully temporary halt, the government of the Cayman Islands is facing up to the plight of a growing number of jobless and cashless...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Pattaya hit by yet more local travel rules
Thailand’s infamous sin city of Pattaya is now under even tougher measures in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Although Thailand’s total numbers of covid-19 infections and deaths seems far lower than in the majority of other affected world countries, it seems some regions are worse affected than others. Known as...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Oz PM urges travellers and expats to leave as soon as possible
Oz government urges all on visitor or student visas to go home. As in the rest of the world, expats, students, tourists and other visitors at present in Australia are no longer welcome due to the increase of coronavirus infections. The Australian Prime Minister is now urging all to leave as fast as is practicable, but seems to be...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Dublin charity gets €20,000 worth of masks from Irish expats in China
An appeal by an Irish expat living and working in China has resulted in donations totalling €20,000 being used to send protective equipment to the home country. Fiona Sheahan, an expat teacher at a Shanghai primary school, also heads up an Irish community group holding traditional cultural events such as St Patrick’s Day, cancelled...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Repatriation flights for Brits trapped in UAE now on the go
Finally, British expats and visitors trapped all across the UAE are now being repatriated via chartered flights. Several thousand British expats, residents and visitors have been stranded in Dubai and the rest of the UAE, with no idea when the British government would organise repatriation flights. As a result of coordination between the...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Expats attempting to avoid covid-19 are almost out of luck
Where to go to escape the coronavirus or even a mention of it? With over one million now recorded as having contracted the deadly-for-some infection, where are the refuges it hasn’t reached and perhaps never will? Believe it or not, 18 world countries have so far escaped contamination with the covid-19 virus, but how many of these have...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Kuwait now facing lockdown of foreign residence areas
As coronavirus infections soar within Kuwait’s expat community, the state government is mulling a total lockdown of all foreign residence areas. As the emirate reports 77 new cases, 74 of whom are expatriates, its first death was declared on Sunday and its total of confirmed infections increased to 556. The vast majority of the new...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Expat relief in Andalusia follows news of huge rapid test shipment
Expats and Spanish nationals were overjoyed to hear about the arrival of covid-19 rapid test kits for dispersal in Andalusia. The Spanish government’s huge order of over 130,000 rapid test kits has finally arrived, with expats and locals alike hoping it will signal the end of the strict lockdown all across the province. The kits arrived...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Oz expats trapped in Cambodia getting no help from their government
An Oz expat group is trapped in Cambodia after the Australian government ignored their pleas for help. As fears mount over the likelihood of a full lockdown and state of emergency in Cambodia, a group of 85 Australian expatriates desperate to leave are being refused any assistance from their government. Commercial flights out of the...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Visitors and tourists trapped in Thailand get no relief from new rules
Thailand has now made it even harder for foreigners trapped in the country to comply with visa requirements. As expats living in Thailand shudder at the thought of a threatened 24/7 curfew, visitors and tourists trapped in the country are now under even stricter measures when applying for extensions due to their inability to leave. Nine...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Expats and visitors stranded in Dubai Airport get first-class treatment
Dubai opens up airport hotels to passengers caught in the UAE’s grounding of all commercial flights. The UAE’s sudden ban on all commercial flights took place late last month, leaving dozens of expats and travellers stranded at Dubai’s international airport. Many were in transit through Dubai to other destinations, with a few ...
2 Apr at 6 PM
Cancellation of cruise leaves Cyprus-resident expat seniors in UK limbo
A group of British expat retirees living in Cyprus are trapped in their former home country after their cruise ship was sent back to its British port. Passengers from the ship told Cypriot media reporters the dream Caribbean cruise had started from the UK but was caught up in the chaos due to the pandemic and was instructed to immediately...
2 Apr at 6 PM
Elderly expats are being urged to make wills due to coronavirus risks
Fear of getting unlucky and catching the coronavirus has caused a sharp increase in the numbers of British expats making a will. For the majority of expats, making a will is one of the last tasks on the agenda after moving to a new country, especially if English-speaking lawyers are thin on the ground and the laws regarding inheritance...
2 Apr at 6 PM
Minister warns over DF pension transfer valuations due to covid-19 instability
For retirement savers and would-be expats hoping to switch their cash from a defined benefit pension to a QROPS prior to moving overseas, regulators have now announced a three month delay. Due to the coronavirus’s devastating and destabilising effect on the markets and property prices, regulators are having problems setting the correct...
1 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in lockdowns can use spare time to learn local languages
Making the most of your unwelcome lockdowns by learning the local language. For expats going stir-crazy as lockdowns drag on, turning an essential imposition into an advantage by learning the local language is the best idea. New arrivals in the vast majority of favourite expat locations worldwide usually place learning the local language...
1 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in the Gulf States fearing an ongoing coronavirus limbo
Expatriate professionals living and working in the Gulf States fear becoming trapped in a never-ending coronavirus limbo. From covid-19 containment strategies through worldwide lockdowns to the withholding of salaries, curfews, containments and the threat of redundancies, expats nowadays could be forgiven for feeling massively stressed....
1 Apr at 6 PM
Brit Foreign Office shamed again over Peru repatriation chaos
As pressure on the government to repatriate all stranded Britons grows, UK citizens formerly in Peru tell of their experiences. Following the UK government’s recent announcement of its intent to bring home all stranded Brits, the chaos and confusion surrounding repatriation flights from Peru isn’t something to be proud of. Three...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Expats unhappy about Sri Lankan social media ban
Sri Lanka’s government ban on social media following the Easter Sunday terrorist bombings is causing problems for expat nationals as well as foreign expats living and working on the island. Whilst everyone realises the immediate need to curb massive numbers of social media comments for security reasons, the ban is making life difficult...
30 Apr at 6 PM
UAE Meet the Locals group breaks down cultural barriers
Although the UAE is an all-time expat favourite for career development and high salaries, getting to know local people as friends is an unenviable task. The lack of interaction between expats and Emiratis is based on many aspects, including language, culture and an inability on the part of incomers to understand and appreciate an...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Concern rises with demand as questions asked about the risks of second passports
As the expat world becomes more unstable, passports for sale are now a global business worth in excess of $2 billion. First punted as a way to purchase citizenship of a second country, the so-called expat investments soon acquired the nickname ‘Golden Visas’, as well as an as yet unproven reputation for being used as a...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Dubai eases off liquor license law requirements
Dubai expats are welcoming far easier liquor licence requirements. Expat residents in Dubai will now be able to get the mandatory licence to buy, drink and store alcoholic beverages in the home without having to satisfy the former tough requirements. Previously, expats who wished to avail themselves of the official liquor license had to...
29 Apr at 6 PM
90 year old expat leaves Thailand as compatriots deride immigration unfairness
As a result of negative changes in attitude towards Western expats in Thailand over the past decades, as well as the toughening up of visa requirements, a 90-year old invalid expatriate is leaving for an overseas city with a warm climate. Donald Graber chose Thailand as his retirement haven when the Southeast Asian country was the...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Last of eight Brits killed in Sri Lanka bombing not yet formally identified
The last British victim believed to have been killed in Sri Lanka’s tragic Easter Sunday bombings has yet to be formally identified. Dubai-based Mancunian IT director Lorraine Campbell had been staying at the 5-star Cinnamon Grand Hotel and was seen on CCTV breakfasting with colleague Juno Srivastave close to where one of the bombs was...
26 Apr at 6 PM
British government warns expats and tourists to stay away from Sri Lanka
British tourists and expats are being warned by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to avoid all but absolutely necessary travel to the grieving country following the Easter Sunday terrorist atrocities. The warning came as ongoing threat levels were reviewed, with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt stating he’d received updates from...
26 Apr at 6 PM
Costa del Sol expats rally round homeless Brit expat pensioner
Britishers are rallying round a 72-year old homeless expat in Fuengirola after he was discovered to have been unable to remove rent-free tenants from his apartment home. British expat Patrick O’Loughlin was found to be sleeping out on benches in Fuengirola’s airport and train station, even although he’d inherited the home he’d...
26 Apr at 6 PM
Expat on Isla Mujeres famed for her work with dog and cat rescue
As with the majority of countries worldwide, Mexico has its share of unwanted stray dogs and puppies, but one determined expatriate has been doing all she can to care for them in her island home for two decades. Alison Sawyer Current and her husband had visited the little fishing village island of Isla Mujeres several times before they...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expats in Prague to get M&S goodies delivered to their doors
Home delivery of goodies from British supermarkets and specialist online outlets is a recent development much welcomed by expats unable to find the same satisfaction in the cuisine of their adopted country. For expat professional now based in Prague, the good news is that the Iceland group is now joining up with the Kosik,cz home delivery...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwait lawmakers planning on making expats’ lives even more difficult
Kuwaiti lawmakers create more hassle for expats leaving the emirate. As part of a proposed Kuwaiti parliament plan to deal with the emirate’s demographic imbalance and form an executive structure to support Kuwaitization, expats leaving the country must prove their departure or be denied an indemnity. The rule will apply whether the...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Shocking news as expats told compulsory purchase due to electrification project
An update to earlier reports of a vast swathe of the Lecrin and Alpujarras valleys to be ruined by the installation of 362 electricity pylons has shocked expats still further. A list detailing over 100 properties scheduled for compulsory purchase, dozens of which are owned by expats, has been published by the Spanish junta government. ...
24 Apr at 6 PM
At least 31 expats killed during Easter Sunday terror bombing
As the Sri Lanka death toll continues to rise, the number of expatriates who died in the terror attack is becoming clearer. The majority of victims killed or injured in the devastating Easter Sunday terrorist attack were Sri Lankan members of the country’s Christian minority, but it’s now becoming clear at least 31 expatriates lost...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Expats on reassignment need more community-based perks
As purse strings tighten in a good number of expatriate professional destinations worldwide, questions are being asked about the suitability of various relocation support programmes. As currency exchange rates and soaring inflation hit out at expats’ expenses in many popular destinations, questions are being asked about the need for...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Bangkok clothes swap event huge success with female expats
For female expats brought up with the concept of charity shops, swap shops and other varieties of the genre, these regular Bangkok events are an unqualified success. Swap Till You Drop, the inspirational brainchild of US expatriates Jessica and Rivera Teal, is approaching its fifth birthday in the Thai capital, having started at Teal’s...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Drug addiction in expat students on the rise in Kuwait
Expats in Kuwait are being urged to ensure their kids don’t get involved with the emirate’s growing drug culture. For those expatriate families with a breadwinner and spouse in high-salaried positions, the Kuwait lifestyle is far different from that in the home country, involving leaving the kids with nannies, maids, preschools or...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expat loses mementos of dead daughter in supermarket robbery
A British expat too scared to reveal her identity to the media is considering abandoning her Costa del Sol home after being robbed twice in 10 days in the same Mercadona supermarket. The 55-year old British expatriate arrived in Spain after living in the South African capital of Cape Town, taking up residence on the Costa del Sol....
24 Apr at 6 PM
Spanish supermarket chain refuses security upgrade after multiple in-store robberies
Spain’s largest supermarket chain is refusing to update its security procedures following a rash of in-store thefts involving expat victims. In a surprising update to a report that a British expat was robbed twice within ten days by thieves in the store posing as shoppers, a spokesperson for the Mercadona supermarket chain told the...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Expats advised learning Chinese is vital for those working globally
The unprecedented economic boom taking place in China is a justification for expatriates working in its major cities to learn the language, especially if they’re active in the global marketplace. China’s manufacturing sector is now the planet’s largest, with UK companies in particular being urged to provide Chinese language classes...
22 Apr at 6 PM
USA and UK expats killed in Sri Lanka bombings
USA and UK embassies in Colombo have urged expats and tourists to follow local authorities’ instructions on keeping safe after the deadly Easter Sunday bombing attacks which killed up to 300 people. The eight bombs set in upscale hotels and churches were the deadliest violent attacks since the end of the country’s civil was in 2009,...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Expats and locals protest global warming as massive storm hits Costa Blanca
As Earth Day Global Warming protests began worldwide, Spain’s largest April storm since 1946 slammed into the Costa Blanca region. The massive storm unleashed gale force winds and flooded the region with 180mm of rain over just 12 hours, causing the state’s meteorological agency to issue a red alert flood warning. Expats and locals...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expat earnings overseas attract HMRC attention
British expats with offshore investments and bank accounts need to ensure HMRC is aware of them. All financial advisors who’ve referred clients to offshore advice, offshore services or an overseas financial institution are required to inform HM Revenue and Customs before the end of this month. Also, all IFAs who’ve pointed expat...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Drinking during office hours now acceptable in Prague
If lunch isn’t lunch without a few beers or glasses of wine, the Czech Republic is the perfect destination for that new expat job. Although Czech employers have the right to fire employees who’re intoxicated in the workplace without even a written warning, in practice this drastic solution to the problem very rarely happens. The...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Friends Provident blaming UAE IFAs for poor takeup of unsuitable products
The row over whose fault it is that FPI’s products are no longer popular with expats in the UAE is ramping up, with the insurer accusing IFAs of giving bad advice. Over the past few years, a number of scandals have erupted, with expats accusing both advisors and product providers over mis-selling, extortionate charges and the general...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Abu Dhabi permits expats to own freehold homes and land in selected zones
A new Abu Dhabi law will now allow residential units located in areas designated for investment to be registered as freehold, thus allowing purchase by expatriates. Changes to the emirate’s real estate laws are to result in expatriates being allowed to purchase freehold land and properties in designated investment areas. In the past,...
18 Apr at 6 PM
San Miguel financial fraud loses expats up to a million dollars
Yet another sad tale of expats being scammed out of their retirement funds shows the issue is still a problem worldwide. The expat community in Mexico’s San Miguel retirement hub is seething with fury as the story of how they were scammed by a well-known personal banking representative breaks. Representative Marcela Zavala Taylor, well...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Tracking the millionaire expat migration pattern
Of all the expat diasporas going on at the moment, perhaps that of the ‘filthy rich’ tells the most tales. Much is written and read about the reasons behind the ever-increasing expat diasporas, with reasons given including a cheaper cost of living, better weather, more career opportunities, a comfortable retirement or just a wish to...
18 Apr at 9 AM
Expats in Spain post call for dedicated MP
Due to the inefficiency of its consulates and embassies as regards advice and updates regarding Brexit, British expats in Spain are calling for their very own PM to represent their interests. Some 5 million Britons live in expatriate destinations worldwide, many of whom will need consular assistance as some time during their stay overseas...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Expat professional hires in Kuwaiti and gas oil sector drop by 50 per cent
The appointment of expat professionals to crucial positions in Kuwait’s oil and gas sector during the fiscal year 2018/2019 has fallen by 50 per cent. During Kuwait’s 2017/2018 fiscal year, the Kuwait oil and gas sector appointed 345 expatriate professionals as against hirings of 190 during the year 2018-2019, a drop of almost 50 per...
17 Apr at 6 PM
French expats worldwide grieve for Notre Dame
French expatriates mourning the effects on Notre Dame of this week’s devastating fire have been joined by expats and citizens worldwide. Grief caused by the loss of so much of the world-famous medieval cathedral and its treasures is now being minimally tempered by the news that many precious artefacts and relics have been saved. The...
16 Apr at 6 PM
UK expat professionals warned to check their occupational pensions LTA limits
British expat professionals in the UAE may be at risk of breaching pensions tax LTA limits. Warnings are being sent out to the estimated quarter of a million expats living and working in Gulf states that their occupational pensions may be in breach of the UK taxman’s LTA limits. Those likely to be affected are in receipt of generous...
16 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Saigon attempt marathon run in support of neonatal care charity
Three determined expats living and working in Saigon are to attempt a charity relay run between Vietnam’s Saigon city and Lao Cai in just 36 hours. On April 22, Brits Grant Bowdery and Rob West along with Marieke Dekkers from the Netherlands will attempt a non-stop relay run along the Red River’s banks between their base in Saigon and...
16 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expat couple flying back to support new Brexit party cause internet sensation
A retired British couple who flew back to the UK from Spain to attend the launch of Farage’s new Brexit party found themselves the focus of an internet storm. The two retirees, known only as Diane and Barry, are strongly in favour of the UK’s leaving the EU, as they made absolutely clear when interviewed by the BBC at Farage’s...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Mega financial scammer IFA boss fails to attend Spanish court hearing
The boss of a failed financial advisory company in Alicante is in hiding, having failed to attend a Spanish court hearing. Darren Kirby’s Alicante-based Continental Wealth Management financial advisory company folded in 2017, leaving hundreds of investors out of pocket to the tune of millions. Continental Wealth Management’s Denia...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Deadly painkiller Nolotil still being prescribed in Spain despite ban
British and Irish expats living on the Costa del Sol as well as tourists are still at risk of receiving the deadly drug know to have caused deaths from sepsis combined with rapid falls in white blood cells. Following last year’s campaign by a leading English language expat newspaper, Nolotil was finally banned in all Spanish hospitals...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Planning your financial needs after expatriation
Managing money as an expat can be totally different than the same task back in the home country. More than ever before, emigration is now the goal of professionals looking to catapult their careers into the top echelon with financial benefits to match. In addition, digital nomads are indulging their dream of travelling the world, using...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Should expats bring their own loo paper when in a Czech hospital?
Amid the furore in the expat world over compulsory private health insurance, Czech hospitals’ demands that patients supply their own toilet paper might at least raise a smile. Over the past 20 years, the medical and surgical standards of Czech healthcare have mostly improved, but a recent report might well suggest a third world...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in UAE livid over Skype ban
Expats living and working in the UAE who regularly use Skype to keep in touch with friends and family at home are furious about the emirate’s ban on the popular app. The announcement by Skype that its services could not now be used in the UAE sent a wave of expat fury heading to social media, with residents venting their frustrations in...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Expats and locals desperate for Chiang Mai smog remedy
Air pollution in Chiang Mai as a result of crop burning is an annual dry season problem affecting Thais and the sizeable expat community alike. When King Mengrai founded Lanna’s capital city of Chiang Mai some 700 years ago, he set it with the Ping River as its heart in a valley surrounded on three sides by mountains. Were he alive...
11 Apr at 6 PM
EU expats prepared to leave UK due to British domestic policy
It’s not just UK expats in Europe who fear the effects of Brexit, as expatriates living and working in the UK are concerned about the country’s domestic politics. As the Brexit conundrum drags on and on, new research has revealed some 14 per cent of expatriates living and working in the UK would be prepared to return to their home...
11 Apr at 6 PM
Irish expats in Oz face deportation due to their son’s illness
A long-stay expat family whose son was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis are facing deportation from Australia. Dubliners Christine and Anthony Hyde arrived in Australia ten years ago and are now living in the Victoria State town of Seymour. Tragically, their son Darragh, born in Australia and now three years old, was recently diagnosed as...
11 Apr at 6 PM
British expat pensioners in Europe need relief from sterling devaluation
One of the worst aspects of Brexit for British expats living in the EU is the devaluation of sterling. Expatriate Brits living on the measly UK state pension in European Union member states haven’t just had to deal with the fear and uncertainty of losing their chosen lifestyles due to Brexit, they’ve also had to scrimp even more due...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Confusion reigns over EU pet passport post-Brexit
Expat pet owners in Europe fear the post-Brexit loss of pet passports Although very little has been published about the possible Brexit-caused fate of the pet passport scheme, it’s a major cause for concern amongst both expat dog-owners and British second home owners used to taking their dogs with them when visiting their overseas...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwaiti lawmaker accuses government of importing unnecessary expats
Controversial Kuwaiti politician Safa al Hashem’s latest soapbox centres on the government’s so-called importation of expatriates to fill local admin jobs. Well-known in Kuwait for her anti-expat stance, Al Hashem can be relied upon for speechifying on just about every aspect of the employment of foreigners anywhere in the emirate....
10 Apr at 6 PM
Brit government urges expats to check passport validity
The British government is warning UK expats to check their passports prior to travelling post-Brexit. The official passport warning to British expats living in EU member states also mentions healthcare may not be available using an EHIC card, but the at least six-month post-travel validity of the British passport in the case of a no-deal...
9 Apr at 6 PM
Spanish police bust drugs gang hiding their activities by using cryptocurrencies
Spanish national police have arrested seven members of a drug-trafficking gang using cryptocurrencies to hide their illegal activities. The investigation was sparked by a police discovery of a cannabis farm hidden in a house in Algeciras, one of three illegal cannabis plantations raided and destroyed, along with a stash of plants hidden in...
9 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in China love their Roundabout charity shops
Charity shops are favourites in the West, so it’s no surprise they’ve made their way to China along with expats from across the Western world. Roundabout was China’s very first charity store when it opened 10 years ago with the intent of raising money for vulnerable social groups in Beijing. Groups helped included children with...
9 Apr at 6 PM
New votes for all campaign hits out at politics and disenfranchisement
With a possible second Brexit referendum in the offing, a new campaign for votes for all is ramping up. The newly formed ‘Let Us Vote’ campaign is intensifying the call for all British expats living overseas as well as all citizens resident in the UK to be free to vote in general elections and, most importantly, in referendums. At...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Cyprus joins Ireland in Brexit conundrum
Ireland isn’t the only island being threatened by the worsening Brexit situation. The need for an Irish backstop as part of the Brexit agreement could also be applied to another, similar island set in slightly warmer climes – Cyprus. As in Ireland, the former British dependency is split into two halves and is home to a good proportion...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwait to limit expats’ contracts to five years
Kuwait lawmakers are recomming five year maximum stay for expats. As part of the emirate’s Kuwaitization programme, a committee dealing with Kuwait’s unbalanced demographic structure has recommended a maximum stay for expats of just five years. After the law takes effect, all new expat arrivals will be subject to the new rule with no...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Healthcare insurers taking full advantage of the rise in expat numbers
It seems the much-derided ‘nanny state’ in first world countries is now being replaced by the rapacious private healthcare industry in just about every popular expat destination. 'Private healthcare insurance' is the new buzzword for greedy insurance companies looking to profit from the expat diaspora gathering speed in countries...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Spanish government reassures British expats over Brexit effect
British expats in Spain are being urged by the government not to panic about their post-Brexit status. As the original date for the UK’s divorce from the EU has come and gone and yet another longer extension seems likely, the Spanish government has issued a reassuring update confirming a 21-month grace period. During this time, all...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Will new Kuwait health insurance rule discourage expat arrivals?
Kuwait’s new rule on mandatory health insurance for all visitors including expatriates arriving on relocation is to be brought in over the next few months. The rule will apply to all arrivals, from short-stay tourists through longer-stay family visitors and expatriates arriving to take up a new reassignment. Details of how the law will...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Italian government hits out at British expatriates
A new Italian government ruling concerning British expats’ rights post-Brexit is sending shivers of fear throughout the UK expat community. Strict restrictions on travel outside the country, fingerprinting and a charge of €200 are part of the ruling, with questions already being asked by campaign groups across the country. Although the...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Brexit ban on export and import of meat products to hit Brit expats
A shock horror customs scenario will hit cross-border expat shoppers post-Brexit. British expats used to popping back to the UK for supplies of pork pies, ham, sausages, cheddar cheeses and even Bovril are due to be branded smugglers by customs officers once the UK’s left the EU. UK expat residents in the EU will be checked by customs...
4 Apr at 6 PM
First multi-charity online pet adoption portal launched in Spain
Spain’s first-ever multi-charity online pet adoption site has just been launched, covering the popular Costa Blanca expat destination and its rescue centres. The innovative online portal, adoptapet.es, is the brainchild of marketing duo Caroline and Mats Rennstam, following on their survey of 23 Spanish animal shelters. Although the...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Is Saudization failing due to local lack of interest in working?
Saudi Arabia’s Saudization strategy seems to be failing, as huge numbers of expats have left but haven’t been replaced by local talent. Since Saudization became the Kingdom’s buzzword, led by its controversial Crown Prince, some 1.5 million expatriate jobs have been made vacant and offered to Saudi locals. Expat reasons for leaving...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Spanish town hall music license refusal closes expats' favourite restaurant
The hugely popular Peppermill restaurant in Benidorm has been forced to close after a long-running fight to get a music licence failed. The Peppermill Restaurant has been a favourite with British expats in Benidorm as well as hordes of tourists for years, especially for its Sunday roasts, bargain breakfasts and friendly bar.....
3 Apr at 6 PM
Brexit to threaten Cypriot economy as well as expat lives
British expats and the British economy aren’t the only sectors expected to suffer due to Brexit. The upcoming disaster known as Brexit won’t just wreck the British economy and several million expats’ lives as it will also hit on the economies of a good number of the remaining EU member states. According to a report from Standard and...
3 Apr at 6 PM
April Fools Day prank scares expat talent in China
Reports of scary changes to China’s visa rules were just an April Fools Day prank, but social media responses illustrate the insecurity of being an expat nowadays. China is one of a numbeChina, expats in China, April Fools Day prank, changes to Chinese visa requirement, WeChat, New Immigration Requirements, racial prejudice, PDF,...
2 Apr at 6 PM
Female expat professionals in UAE unhappy about new sponsorship rules
Changes to the requirements for expats wishing to sponsor their families are expected to be welcomed by the majority, but will now be based on salary levels rather than job titles. Current laws set wages at a minimum of Dhs4,000 for men and Dhs10,000 for women, but the exact amounts required by the new rules aren’t yet declared. Prior...
2 Apr at 6 PM
Popular British expat foodstuffs shop in Berlin closing due to Brexit
As the Brexit drama grinds on and on, Brit expats with small businesses in Europe are preparing to lose everything they’ve worked for. One of the most infuriating aspects of the embarrassment which is now the British parliament is lawmakers’ constant harping on about the ‘British people’ - the 17 million who voted to leave the EU...
2 Apr at 6 PM
Huge Andalusian pig farms threaten expat health and poison groundwater
Expats in Andalusia fear massive pig farms are poisoning local water supplies. The development of intensive pig farming in Spain’s popular retirement destination is causing worry and distress to British expats living in the region. Over the past several years, giant agrifood company Grupo Fuertes has sited pig farms holding millions of...
1 Apr at 6 PM
Confusion over expat healthcare in Spain still reigns supreme
British expats with legal residency in Spain are still monumentally confused over their rights to continuing free healthcare. Whilst the vast majority of British expats who’ve used the Spanish healthcare system continue to praise it for price, professional expertise and high standards of care, many are still unsure about their...
1 Apr at 6 PM
British in Costa Blanca now have region-dedicated English language newspaper
Olive Press now has an edition focused on the Costa Blanca expat community Popular expat newspaper The Olive Press now has a dedicated Costa Blanca-focused publication, the latest in its group of four to bring news, events and happenings to Spain’s huge but scattered expat community. For expats working or retiring overseas, having a...
1 Apr at 6 PM
Innocent Brit rearrested after emergency UK trip breached travel ban
A British expat cleared of involvement in a Spanish property scam has been rearrested for leaving the country to help his long-term partner deal with her nervous breakdown. Rob Herring, along with his friend Scott Cattell, had been arrested in Marbella in July 2015 after Scott and his then girlfriend had collected a few chairs from a...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Expats affected by lethal Nolotil painkiller urged to tell their stories
A recent update on the Nolotil scandal shows the campaign against Spanish medics’ use of the lethal painkiller is gathering momentum across Spain as survivors come forward with their experiences. According to reports, the lives and long-term health of a large number of British tourists and long-stay expats in Spain have been either...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Scots expat starts petition for direct expat representation in parliament
A Scottish expat at present living in the Andalusian city of Almeria is calling for Britons living overseas to be represented by their own Members of Parliament. Alistair Stewart, now teaching at a local school, is a former press officer for the Scottish Parliament who’s fully aware that without representation there’s no chance of...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Expat jobs ban in Oman still on after Omani recruitment targets met
A specific ban on hiring expat workers in Oman is still on the books even after the target for recruitment of locals has been met. Oman’s Ministry of Manpower has promised not to delete its ban on the employment of expats even after its recruitment target for local workers is within 55 jobs of the initial number of 25,000. The...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Ending of female driving ban is lifechanging for expat and Saudi women
Expat professionals and Saudi nationals alike will save money on transportation due to the recent decision to finally allow women to drive. The cancellation of the law forbidding all women in Saudi Arabia from driving came as either an amazing surprise or an unpleasant shock to Saudi society and its expat workers. For females, whether...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Hunt for missing expat teenager includes police helicopter as fears grow
Kieran O’Brien has been missing for a week and was last seen in Andalusia’s Alhaurin del Grande on the evening of April 20. Kieran was living with his parents in the popular hillside expat destination near Malaga when he went missing after a minor family argument. His now distraught parents thought he’d simply gone for a run in the...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Palma de Mallorca local authority to ban holiday lets
Expat property investors in the lucrative holiday let market are facing financial problems due to a local government ban on letting properties to tourists. Between 2015 and 2017, the number of unlicensed apartments being used as holiday lets on the island soared to around 20,000, with a further 645 registered for short-term occupation by...
26 Apr at 6 PM
Surge in Spanish property sales to Brits still ongoing
The latest Spanish property market figures show purchases by Brits are still soaring. Following its years in the doldrums, Spain’s real estate sector is again the focus of a surge in property purchases by would-be expats and those looking for second homes in the sun. Rather than suppressing interest from British home buyers as expected,...
26 Apr at 6 PM
Expat teachers in Abu Dhabi blamed for poor pupil performance
UAE lawmakers and the Minister of State of Public Education recently found themselves embroiled in a heated debate over the comparative merits of expat versus Emirati teachers. The main thread of the argument was that Emirati children who’re failing public school education in huge numbers would be better served by Emirati teachers...
26 Apr at 6 PM
EEA and EU expat nurses flee NHS due to Brexit uncertainty
In 2017, almost four thousand EU and EEA-qualified expat nurses left their NHS jobs and the UK. A total of 3,962 fully qualified and experienced nurses and midwives from EEA and EU member states have now left their NHS jobs and moved on out of the UK. The number is some 28 per cent higher than the 2016 figure and three times as high as...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Netherlands devastated by cutdown in 30 per cent ruling
Whilst admitting changing the time period on the 30 per cent tax cut for newly arrived expat professionals could be justifiable, long-term expats in the Netherlands are devastated by the prospect of losing out. Yesterday’s announcement of the reduction in the 30 per cent tax benefit from eight years to five came as a shock to the...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Potential buy to let expat landlords warned to watch out for tax traps
Buy to let property in the UK has become a favourite investment for British expats overseas, but tax traps await those who don’t check their liabilities. Even although the UK’s property market is slowing at the present time, would-be expat investors in buy-to-let can still be confident in its stability as well as satisfactory yields...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Famous British superhero to run across America for childrens charities
Three years after he stunned the world with his superhero-costumed spectacular cross-Canada charity run, Jamie McDonald is at it again! Now known as a real-life superhero after his 5,000 mile dash across Canada during which he raised £250,000 for charities benefiting children, Jamie is now setting out for a mind-boggling run across...
24 Apr at 6 PM
China now a tale of two lifestyles for expats
Whilst China’s mega-cities are firm favourites with the majority of expats, the vast country’s smaller cites, towns and even rural areas are drawing adventurous foreigners looking for a new life. China can be everything most expats will ever need, but the vast majority are living in the huge cities due to work reasons and, just maybe,...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Accidental American protest groups want out
The IRS’s strict rules governing tax liabilities for US expats are hitting hard on the so-called ‘accidental Americans’ living and working overseas. In the bulk of cases, accidental Americans were born in the USA but moved overseas with their parents when they were still young children. They’ve made their lives in a foreign...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Expat students leaving Saudi international schools in droves
Now the annual examinations are over, expat students are leaving Saudi Arabia’s international community schools in huge numbers. The student drop-out rate is increasing day by day as more students request school leaving certificates, most of which are being seen as a prelude for returning to their home countries. In one school, over...
23 Apr at 6 PM
Saudi ruler reassures expat professionals their futures are safe
The Saudi ruler’s recent statement intended to reassure expats their future in the Kingdom is safe may or may not have fallen on deaf ears. Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman’s interview was intended to confirm that his government and all Saudi peoples respect and appreciate the contributions expats have made to the development of the...
23 Apr at 6 PM
UK and Dutch expat groups urge Netherlands to update dual nationality law
British expats living in the Netherlands as well as Dutch nationals living in the UK are urging the Dutch government to update the law on dual nationality. Netherlands lawmakers had pledged an overhaul for the outdated Dutch dual nationality law but have failed to implement any changes to date. With Brexit looming, groups in both camps...
23 Apr at 6 PM
Spain Social Care System available for British expat retirees
Elderly British expats determined to remain in Spain post-Brexit can take advantage of the Spanish Social Care System. At a meeting of the Orihuela Costa and District chapter of the Royal British Legion, Casaverde Homes senior social worker Beatriz Lara explained how British expat retirees can be helped by the Spanish welfare system....
20 Apr at 6 PM
Fight for soft Brexit or no Brexit hots up via House of Lords defeat
The fight for a soft Brexit or even a withdrawal from Brexit is hotting up as campaign groups in support of UK expats in Europe and even the British government’s House of Lords are coming out in favour of defeating Theresa May’s vision for the country. Earlier this week, the British parliament’s Upper House inflicted an embarrassing...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Shindler group attempting legal challenge to EC Brexit guidelines
Expat WWII veteran campaigner Harry Shindler and his group are mounting a charge to nullify the EC’s Brexit guidelines, thus stopping Brexit. Harry Shindler and 12 others are petitioning the European Court of Justice in an attempt to have the Brexit negotiation guidelines set out by the European Council annulled. The annulment would...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Shanghai expat community gives its view on its members
Expat communities aren’t always one big, happy family, according to a recent Shanghai media survey. Shanghai is officially the most popular Chinese mega-city for expats, with literally several hundred thousand making up the expatriate community. The vast majority are enriching the city with their contributions, but what do expats in...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Living the tax free high life in Dubai for expats
Dubai’s fame as a luxurious haunt for the ultra-wealthy draws internationally-minded expats willing to try their luck in the casino of Middle Eastern life. Dubai is one of the world’s most enticing no-tax destinations, attracting not just the cream of the expat professional crowd but also mega-wealthy entrepreneurs and global-minded...
19 Apr at 6 PM
How to avoid the pitfalls of emigration from the UK
British expats often leave the homeland for locations worldwide without calculating the emotional cost of adjustment and the financial cost of settling in an unfamiliar country. Falling in love with a country whilst on holiday is a major reason for many Brits’ decisions to up sticks and emigrate before they’ve any idea of the reality...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Expat fundraisers in Dubai stunned by punitive new regulations
The majority of expats working in Dubai had no idea of the regulations concerning charity work in the emirate until one of their number was arrested for a Facebook post. Lawyers are now warning companies and resident expats that breaking the strict rules may mean massive fines and a 12 month prison sentence. Last year’s announcement of...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwatization to axe thousands of expat private sector jobs
Kuwait’s Civil Service Commission is planning to freeze thousands of expat contracts by 1 July. Kuwatization is taking a new turn as the emirate’s Civil Service Commission is planning to freeze over three thousand expat contracts and shelve them at the beginning of July this year. The move, a significant part of Kuwaitization, is...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Portuguese property prices no longer at bargain basement level
As the European housing market hots up, Portuguese real estate prices are showing the second strongest growth of all EU member states. Figures originating at Eurostat, the EU’s statistics guru, are showing the bloc’s real estate sector is still maintaining steady house price growth of around 4.5 per cent. Ireland recorded the largest...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Spanish Banco Sabadell refuses storm damage insurance payment to Brit pensioner
A British pensioner living in Malaga’s Alhaurin el Grande has been refused an insurance payment for her storm-damaged gate. British expats moving to Mediterranean retirement hubs are often concerned about the reputations of European insurance companies, whether for health, home coverage or life insurance. There’s the language problem...
17 Apr at 6 PM
New plastic eating protein could save expat beach environments
The amazing, accidental discovery of a protein which eats plastic could save oceans, undersea life and expat beach destinations in Spain and across the world. Scarcely a week goes by without reports of once-pristine beaches being ruined by tons of plastic bottles, bags and other detritus, and conservationists fear for fish eating tiny...
17 Apr at 6 PM
UK expats on Cyprus angry at fake news tabloid reports
British expat residents on Cyprus are furious over UK tabloid reports of panicking tourists fleeing in fear of Russian retaliatory attacks following the Syria missile bombardment. Monday’s report in the Daily Star is being condemned by expat residents as scaremongering and irresponsible, with one expat assuring local media reporters...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Data debunks myth of Spain as elderly expat retirement haven
Contrary to the widely-held belief that Brit expat communities in Europe mostly contain retirees, statistics suggest two-thirds of UK expatriates are below retirement age. Recently-released data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics shows 66 per cent of the estimated 784,900 Britons living in Europe are between the ages of 64 and...
16 Apr at 6 PM
UK ambassador to Estonia denies Brexit reassurance to Brit expats
Following the expat hostility seen at the British ambassadors’ Brexit meet-up in Paris last week, reports of similar scenes at an Estonia meet are emerging. British citizens resident in Estonia are reporting the same lack of answers from British officials during a meet last year, with attendees leaving in a more confused state than when...
16 Apr at 6 PM
Cyprus golden visas spur huge hike in property prices
A new report has revealed the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is now a favourite location for expat property investors. The recently-released Cyprus Real Estate Marker Report shows real estate purchased by foreign buyers in 2017 has soared over the 2016 totals by 33 per cent. Limassol and Paphos were the most popular locations on the...
16 Apr at 6 PM
Retired expats in Thailand in fight for affordable private healthcare insurance
Expat retirees living in a number of popular Thailand destinations are pressing for dedicated group private healthcare insurance coverage. A group of retired Swedish expats living in Bangkok, Udon Thani province, Hua Hin and Phuket have banded together in an attempt to find a solution to a major problem affecting retirees - the soaring...
13 Apr at 6 PM
Brit ambassador faces furious expats at Paris Brexit meet
Angry British expats based in Paris gave British Ambassador Edward Llewellyn a hard time during a scheduled Brexit meetup. The meeting was intended as an update on the progress of Brexit negotiations as regards UK expats’ rights, but an audience of furious British citizens had other ideas. In the 18th century British Embassy building,...
13 Apr at 6 PM
New UAE online portal to sell secondhand household goods
The UAE’s new YallaBargain secondhand online portal is sure to become a success due to the turnover of expats arriving and relocating. The expat population of the UAE is estimated to include some 200 nationalities, resulting in a wide range of pre-owned household goods, with millions of dollars-worth of equipment and furnishings...
13 Apr at 6 PM
UK expats with second homes in France hit by huge property tax hike
Second home owners across France, many of whom are expats, are facing swingeing tax increases on their properties. Following his election, President Macron made it clear he would increase France’s tax d’habitation payable by all holiday and second home owners across the entire country. Paris, Bordeaux, Nice and Saint Jean de Luz have...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Lifting of Saudi female driving ban to have positive economic impact
Following the June 24 lifting of the ban on women drivers in Saudi Arabia, many more women are expected to join the emirate’s workforce. Expat economists are not just viewing the move as a victory for women’s rights, they’re also predicting a significant boost in GDP growth as a result of vastly increased numbers of females in the...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Russian expats in London falling foul of racial abuse
As the immature, spoilt children now running the world’s most powerful nations continue their undignified posturing, Russian expats in Britain are facing increasing incidents of racial abuse. For centuries, London has been a melting pot of nationalities brought together by diverse reasons including business, political upheavals,...
12 Apr at 3 PM
Global financiers and Amnesty International support LGBT expat spousal visa battle
After winning her landmark case, brought to obtain a dependent visa allowing her to live in Hong Kong with her partner, an LGBT expat is now forced to fight for her rights again as the Hong Kong government has granted the state license to appeal. Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal will hear the government’s case for denying the...
11 Apr at 6 PM
UK based charities relocating to Europe to keep EU funding
Four UK-based charity organisations are moving across the English Channel to The Hague to avoid losing their EU grants after Brexit kicks in. The first charity to leave the UK, Euclid Network, has moved its entire operation to the Netherlands due to fears it will lose its European funding once Brexit is finalised, The charity’s director...
11 Apr at 6 PM
Two Dubai expats face 500 year jail sentences for massive financial fraud
Following their arrest in 2016, the two traders were finally found guilty and sentenced to 500 years’ imprisonment for their involvement in a $200 million currency trading scam. Ryan Fernandez and Sydney Lemos, both currency traders, had defrauded clients through their Exential Group firm and were first arrested when an investor claimed...
11 Apr at 6 PM
Thai property developers competing to provide sheltered complexes for elderly expats
Thailand has been a popular retirement destination for some years, attracting Western expats from the USA and UK as well as from other first world countries. As with a good number of other world countries, Thailand is an ageing society due mainly to a huge fall in birth rates. It’s also an increasingly favoured destination for elderly...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Expat community in UAE gets free workshop on Ramadan etiquette
Expats in the UAE could be forgiven for not quite understanding the historic and religious culture surrounding the Holy Month of Ramadan, but a free two-hour workshop on its do’s and don’t’s should help. The UAE is reputed to have the largest concentration of expats of any region on the planet, with some 90 per cent of residents...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Thermal drone finds lost rescue dog in the desert outside Dubai
A South African couple in Dubai feared the loss of their almost blind rescue dog until a friend offered assistance with his thermal drone. Stevie, a four-year old German Shepherd dog, was adopted from a local dog rescue shelter by South African expat Michael Rudolph and his family almost four years ago as a four-month old puppy, after...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Missing expats family offers huge reward for information
Lisa Brown’s family are offering a reward of £100,000 for information related to her disappearance in Spain over two year ago. The family’s appeal for information and its reward offer is backed by UK charity Crimestoppers and supported by Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Just 31 years old when she disappeared, Lisa was...
9 Apr at 6 PM
US expats torn between distancing and joining political protests
As US political tensions escalate, American expats are split between watching from a safe distance and advocating support for a common sense solution to the Trump presidency. Caught between feelings of guilt for missing out on the USA’s developing protest movements and relief they’re not affected by the continuing chaos in their home...
9 Apr at 6 PM
Happy ending for Vietnamese rescue dog lost for a week at Paris airport
One of the worst fears for expats relocating with their beloved dogs is that something will go wrong during flight transfers. Nowadays, it’s far more common than in the past for relocating expats to bring their dogs with them, but it’s a scary time both for the pets and their owners. One of the most-asked questions of pet...
9 Apr at 6 PM
Looming Brexit already affecting Brit SMEs in Spain
UK expat SMEs in Europe have feared Brexit’s possible effects on their businesses ever since the referendum result was announced. It’s not just new expat businesses in EU member states which are likely to be affected by Brexit, as one long-term Scot in Spain has now found out. Gary Routledge arrived in the Andalusian town of Jaen 10...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Survey reveals friendship comes as standard in Ireland
According to the latest ‘friendliness’ survey, the Irish are friendly, sociable, love a laugh and welcome incomers. One of the most important aspects of relocating is making new friends in the locality as well as in the workplace. Now that the UK’s friendliness rankings in surveys is decidedly on the wane, Ireland’s is definitely...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Expat professional women at risk of poverty in retirement
The gender gap doesn’t just apply to top wage levels but continues to ensure a great many expat professional women will be faced with poverty when they retire. Recent media coverage of the salary gap between top-ranking women and their male counterparts misses out on one result – the differential guarantees women retirees will be...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Expat and local businesses fear downturn as Andalusia tourism slumps
British expat businesses as well as Spanish owners of tourism-related enterprises are worried about an unexpected drop in visitor numbers over the past several months. Whilst other regions in Spain are still seeing increases in visitor numbers, Andalusia’s total fell for the first time since the middle of 2016 by 3.1 per cent. At the...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Austrian bitcoin fraud investigation goes Europe wide
Austrian financial authorities investigating a suspected cryptocurrency pyramid scheme related to bitcoins are requesting Interpol join the search for those behind the fraud. Centred in Vienna, the investigation is now considering whether other European countries have also been targeted by a recently-discovered bitcoin-related scam....
5 Apr at 6 PM
US expats get more time to comply with hated transition tax
In a move designed to help US expats overseas comply with the onerous Trump transition tax requirements, the US Treasury has put the deadline back by two months. The news is being welcomed by US expat business owners across the world, but protest groups are still criticising the flawed nature of the tax as it applies to expats with stakes...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Survey shows USA and UK tank for friendliness
If making friends once you’ve expatriated is important, choosing a country rated highly as regards friendly nationals in a recent survey may not be the best way forward. A major issue with relocation, whether it’s for work purposes or retirement, is leaving an established network of friends and attempting to reconstruct something...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwait lawmakers pass expat remittance tax
Kuwaiti lawmakers in committee have passed the controversial expat remittance tax. In spite of warnings about its effect on the economy by the emirate’s central bank, a committee of lawmakers has approved the controversial expat tax on remittances outside the country. According to local media, the bill is expected to encourage expats to...
4 Apr at 6 PM
The reality of being an expat in a strange land
Many long-term expats become so fond of their adopted country they’re happy to stay for the rest of their lives – but what if they’re forced to leave? Whether expatriation is for work reasons or because you’re no longer in tune with the country of your birth’s direction in this changing world, settling down in your adopted...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Southeast Asian beaches not yet wrecked by tourism
Many retirees’ dream destinations involve living within walking distance of a peaceful, sandy beach lapped by azure wavelets and untroubled by hordes of tourists. Dreams of retirement as an expat often focus on beach life as well as warm weather and an affordable cost of living, but mass tourism has wrecked the dream in many countries,...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Expat financial independence winning out over risky IFA advice
Following the seemingly endless media reports of dodgy IFAs, Ponzi schemes and fraudulent cold-calling financial scammers, the new buzzword in the worldwide expat community is financial independence. The online Financial Independence world, usually referred to simply as FI, contains many bloggers describing their own experiences and...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Survey shows Brit expats in France ambivalent on citizenship
In spite of the considerable number of British expats applying to become French citizens, the option isn’t the best one for many. Obviously, the motivation for the massive increase in the numbers of Brits looking to become French citizens isn’t because they wish they’d been born French – it’s because this is the only way to...
3 Apr at 6 PM
New Vietnamese ride hailing app set to outpace Grab
Just a few days after Uber pulled out of Southeast Asia after its sale to Grab, a Vietnamese company has launched its own ride-hailing service via a massive investment. Ride-hailing in Southeast Asia is popular with expats and tourists as well as locals for its inexpensive fixed prices and sheer convenience set against more traditional...
2 Apr at 6 PM
UAE expat good conduct certificate suspended due to chaos
Due to confusion about its rules, the UAE’s controversial good-conduct certificate law is now suspended for an indefinite period. Much to the relief of newly-arrived expats and those changing jobs, the bureaucratic chaos following the introduction of the good conduct certificate law is over for at least a while. The suspension of the...
2 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Spain warned about Airbnb rental apartment scam
Expats and travellers are being warned about yet another Airbnb property rental scam focusing on Spain. Non-existent properties purporting to be on rental booking site Airbnb are being used to con expats looking online for Spanish accommodation. One luxurious central Estepona property discovered on popular e-commerce website Milanuncios...
2 Apr at 6 PM
Bremain in Spain hits out at incomplete transition draft deal
Expat campaign group Bremain in Spain is more than unhappy about the recently agreed Brexit transition draft deal. Head of Bremain in Spain Sue Wilson told it like it is, saying never before in the history of the UK has any elected government knowingly supported a move certain to damage the country. Wilson’s comment came after EU...
28 Apr at 6 PM
HMRC muddying QROPS waters on suspicion of dodgy jurisdictions
News reports originating in the Gibraltar media suggest Britain’s HM Revenue and Customs department is planning to demand reaffirmation from registered jurisdictions that they are complying with UK legislation. The latest HMRC list of QROPS providers came out at the beginning of this week, unusually unannounced by the authority. Five...
28 Apr at 6 PM
Fraudster couple in Spain steal expat rental deposits and flee to Italy
Expats living in Spain and Gibraltar are urging local police to act after a couple fled to Italy with expats’ rental deposits totalling thousands of euros. Convicted fraudster Natasha Lambert and her partner in crime Marco Molinari fled to Italy earlier this month to avoid furious expats who’d been cheated out of their rental...
28 Apr at 6 PM
Trump presidency causes huge rise in Americans renouncing citizenship
Trump’s first 100 days as President has, according to official figures, caused a massive rise in the number of Americans renouncing their citizenship and becoming permanent expats. As the Trump administration struggles to find anything to celebrate about The Donald’s first 100 days as US president, the thousands of Americans who’ve...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Venezuelan riots cause oil giants to relocate expat workers
The political turmoil in Venezuela is forcing multinational oil companies to reduce the numbers of expat employees in the country. Venezuela has a large expat community, with the majority of its foreign professionals working for multinational companies in the oil industry. Most live in the capital, Caracas, or in Puerto de la Cruz,...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Internet speeds and costs in expat hubs
Keeping in touch with this fast-changing planet is now essential for the majority of expatriates and requires fast internet connections which don’t cost the earth. Once upon a long time ago, adventurous expats left their home countries to lose themselves in new cultures or to work in exotic locations they’d previously never heard of....
27 Apr at 6 PM
Panama tightens immigration rules for expats
The popular retirement destination of Panama may not be so welcoming in the future, as its government has tightened immigration rules in order to control foreign access to the country. According to local media reports, the Panamanian immigration authority is tightening a number of rules and bringing in new laws relating to foreigners who...
26 Apr at 6 PM
British Home Office tells EU expatriates not to apply for permanent residence
EU citizens desperate to retain a legal foothold in post-Brexit Britain have been told by the Home Office to forget about trying for permanent residency as it’s been ‘overwhelmed' by the number of applications received to date. The huge number of applications made by EU nationals wanting to continue working and living in the UK has...
26 Apr at 6 PM
Warnings about QROPS pension scammers still hitting the headlines
Due perhaps to the soaring popularity over the last decade of the Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) and its benefits for those on private pensions, the numbers of pension scammers taking advantage of financial novices have also shown a massive increase. QROPS are based outside the UK and must meet stringent conditions...
26 Apr at 6 PM
EU leaders toughen Brexit terms as French lawyer attempts to block referendum result
At the same time as EU leaders toughen their stance on Brexit, a French lawyer is urging UK expats who were unable to vote in the referendum due to the 15 year rule to contact him with their thoughts on how Brexit will affect them. Bordeaux-based lawyer Julien Fouchet is preparing a legal attempt to prove the Brexit referendum was illegal...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Are QROPS tax rules under threat by Brexit
The news that Britain’s final exit from the European Union may well end the present situation whereby UK ex-company and private pensions can be transferred internationally is causing concern amongst finance professionals. According to European law, British expats are able to take their pension pots out of a number of UK private pension...
25 Apr at 6 PM
France worlds best country for growing old
Results of a new study have confirmed France as the best place in the world for long life expectancy, making it the idea destination for retirees. Life expectancy levels in France are some of the highest in the developed world and are continuing to increase year after year. Right now, the average age for women is calculated as approaching...
25 Apr at 6 PM
How to avoid common expat financial mistakes
Wherever in the world you’re planning to go and whatever your financial status, there are common money-related mistakes made by almost all expats when they move overseas. Obvious financial must-haves and must-do’s aren’t included here, as most expats are aware of the need to save as well as spend, plan for retirement and allow for...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Brits in Oz angry about changes to 457 visas
The extension of the number of qualifying years before migrants in Australia can apply for permanent residence is causing anger and dismay amongst British expats on the continent. Previously, the so-called 457 work visa allowed workers skilled in a specified number of professions to apply for permanent residence after just one year, but...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Boarding schools versus international schools for expat children in UAE
Gone are the days when almost all expat professionals working in the UAE sent their children to overseas boarding schools, but are the emirate’s international schools a better and cheaper option? Although boarding schools are no longer a necessity for expat parents wanting the best education for their kids, it’s a fact that one...
24 Apr at 6 PM
UK parliamentary debate agrees motion to axe frozen pension rules
MPs at an admittedly poorly attended House of Commons debate have voted to agree a motion – British parliamentary language for a formal proposal – stating the hated policy of frozen pensions should be axed immediately. Activists who’ve fought for years to get the rule reversed have called it by various uncomplimentary names...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Affordable housing for expats in Dubai is at an all-time low
Expatriate professionals working in Dubai are famous for being amongst the top earners in the expat world, but do they earn enough to support their preferred lifestyles in luxury apartments? It’s true that expats in Dubai earn considerably more than they would in their home countries, but the emirate has been reported as one of the...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Petition to allow long term expats the vote gathers thousands of signatures
Expat media outlets across Europe’s sunshine and retirement hubs are picking up on the news that yet another violation of UK citizens’ democratic right to vote will forbid those British nationals who’ve lived overseas for 15 years from voting in the recently announced snap election. Given the reasons behind the British PM’s sudden...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Major new study to estimate Brexit impact on UK expatriates in Europe
A major new study undertaken at the University of London’s Goldsmiths College is to examine the damage Brexit is expected to cause to UK expats living in EU member states. The research project will form part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s ongoing project entitled The UK in a Changing Europe, and will he headed up by...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Finding the perfect expat location in Singapore
Singapore’s exotic location can be a challenge for newly arrived expats as its many districts are packed with diverse neighbourhoods, each with their own charm and attractions. Tiny Singapore’s appeal to expats includes its diversity and culture as well as its world-famous culinary delights at all price levels. There’s a vast choice...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Buying a home as an expat in Australia
Australia has been a favourite destination for expats for many decades, with a good number enjoying the lifestyle so much they decide to put down roots by buying a home. For expats considering the commitment of a property purchase, the first thing to remember is that foreign nationals do not have the automatic right to buy a home unless...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Brexit encouraging UK expats to consider buying British property
British expats living in Europe as well as those working elsewhere in the world and looking for suitable property investments are having to look harder and longer to get the best mortgage deals. Reports that increasing numbers of UK expats living in EU member states are researching the availability and pricing of British properties have...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Australian 457 work visa cancellation aims at protecting Oz jobs
Australia’s popular four-year work visa, known as the ‘457’, is to be replaced by a different system aimed at keeping Australian jobs for Australian nationals. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told the nation the cancellation of the popular work visa which allowed highly skilled expat workers to claim permanent residence...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Kuwait under pressure in run up to demographic debate
According to reliable sources, the Kuwaiti parliament is preparing for a debate in the National Assembly over plans to tackle the emirate’s controversial demographic imbalance. The debate, due to take place after this year’s Ramadan, is aimed at encouraging the government to take action over problems caused by Kuwait’s huge...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Longstay Brit expats overseas disallowed from voting in June general election
Yet again, long-term British expats who’ve been overseas for more than 15 years are to be excluded from voting in the shock general election called yesterday by Theresa May. The Brexit-induced plight of long-stay UK expats in EU member states who were unable to vote for their futures has been made even more devastating by the news they...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Shanghai still tops for Western expats
For the fifth year in a row, the Chinese city of Shanghai has been voted the best place in the vast country for foreigners. Results of the annual study were released by the State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs during a Shenzhen-based conference on the international exchange of professions. For the fifth year running, Shanghai was...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Stricter driving laws in UAE to cause problems for expat professionals
Seen as yet another hit on expat professionals living and working in the UAE, the new driving regulations include a limit of five years on expat driving license renewals and two year licenses for new drivers in the emirates. Expat professionals with several years’ service or more in the UAE could be forgiven for feeling less than...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Spain loses position as Brit retirement haven due to Brexit
A new study has revealed that Spain, traditionally the favourite retirement hub for British expats, is now losing out thanks to the Brexit vote. The survey, conducted by Anchor, a retirement care and housing provider, is bad news for Spain, once the most attractive destination for many thousands of British retirees. Almost half the...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expat arrested for burglary following a two year crime spree
A British expat has been arrested by French police, ending his two-year crime spree of burglaries at the unattended homes of other British citizens. The as yet unnamed Briton was arrested at his rural home in a small village outside the Western France town of Civray, a popular destination for British expats and holiday home owners. The...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Oman get bargain rentals due to oversupply and falling demand
The rental market in Oman, reeling due to Omanization, the shrinking economy and expat departures, is now the scene of manipulation by wily expats looking to save on rental charges. The plot is simple and involves swapping their accommodation for a similar but cheaper home in the same enclave or street. According to a major real estate...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Brit nationals rush for Irish passports to retain freedom of movement
Applications by Britons for Irish passports have increased by more than 60 per cent since the Brexit referendum result was announced. As the outcome of the Brexit referendum for Brits needing freedom of movement gets gloomier, applications for Irish passports as well as for citizenship of other EU member states has soared. According to...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Survey reveals worlds most child friendly countries
The prospect of moving overseas as a family with younger children inevitably raises parental concerns over safety, education, healthcare and how easy it is for children to feel welcome in their new surroundings. Results of a recent expat survey included important comparisons of over 190 countries as regards the welcome given to children...
14 Apr at 6 PM
US expats in UK living in fear of IRS discovery
An accountancy firm working with US expats living in Britain has revealed a strong increase in the numbers of Americans declaring UK assets to the IRS for the first time. Fears of a Trump crackdown on the amnesty declared by former President Obama would seen to be the reason for a 75 per cent increase in the number of US expats coming...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Yet more of the same from Brit Foreign Office to UK expats
Tuesday’s British Foreign Office Facebook question and answer session repeated more of the same to UK expats, but failed to dampen fears of the future by giving straightforward answers. The session, held on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Facebook travel page and led by Julia Longbottom, offered no new guarantees but seemingly...
13 Apr at 6 PM
SIPPS advantages over QROPS for UK expats
Whilst QROPS have been seen as the answer for expats of pensionable age, numbers of retirement savers shifting their money to a self-invested personal pension (SIPPS) have soared since pension freedom was introduced. The numbers of retirement savers choosing a SIPPS has doubled since the start of pension freedoms, with some 43 per cent of...
13 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expat couple lose military medals and jewellery to Costa del Sol thieves
A British expat war hero devastated by the loss of his war medals to Spanish thieves is asking local people to let the police know if they spot the medals. David Russell captained HMS Sheffield during the Gulf War, served in the Falklands War and was also active during the Northern Ireland conflict. He and his wife Sally, formerly a...
13 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expats trapped in pensioner poverty due to sterling fall and frozen pensions
Britons who decided to retire overseas and live in modest comfort with the help of their UK state pensions are now facing a poverty-stricken future as a result of the frozen pension rules and Brexit’s effect on sterling. Living with the knowledge that one’s life savings will soon run out, one’s pension payments are shrinking due to...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Freak accident while gardening kills British expat in Phuket
A 53 year-old British expat living on Thailand’s Phuket island was declared dead at a local hospital after being electrocuted whilst pruning bushes close to an electricity supply box. Paul Wilkinson was cutting back the fast-growing bushes outside his Phuket villa when he paused for a rest and leaned against his concrete garden wall,...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Everything expats need to know about available healthcare in Germany
Navigating healthcare requirements and availability in a new country is many expats’ worst nightmare, but the German system is reassuringly straightforward. One of the most important issues for expats, wherever they’re planning to call home, is the availability of healthcare and its bureaucratic requirements. It’s also a subject...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Online help for depression felt by trailing spouses in UAE
British would-be expats are clamouring to find jobs in the UAE in order to enjoy a fresh start but, for many, adjustment to the totally different way of life can lead to serious depression. Research by the World Health Organisation has revealed some three hundred million world citizens are suffering from ill health caused by depression,...
11 Apr at 6 PM
Is Canada the dream location for Brit expats
Canada’s thriving jobs market, strong economy and world-beating quality of life make it one of the most rewarding locations for relocating professionals looking for the expat dream. The contrasting beauty of Canada’s many regions has made it a hub for tourism as well as emigration from the UK for decades, but many professionals...
11 Apr at 6 PM
British expat landlords to be outed in public identity registers
As part of a proposed attack on money laundering by means of UK property purchase, UK expat buy-to-let landlords working through offshore companies are to be included in a public register showing full names and details. British business minister Margot James is proposing the scheme as a means to identify money launderers using property...
11 Apr at 6 PM
MumAbroadSpain website founder rejects relocation to small minded Britain
As uncertainty over the fate of UK expats in the EU continues unabated, a furiously angry expat Mum is refusing to relocate her family to ‘small-minded’ Britain. Enraged mother Carrie Frais is raising her family in Spain and has totally rejected the possibility of moving back to the UK as it’s in no way the Britain she left. She’s...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Hong Kong expats relocating from hi-so districts due to soaring rentals
Soaring real estate prices in Hong Kong’s traditional expat areas are spurring moves to less expensive districts. The traditionally favourite enclaves for the expat community in Hong Kong including Mid-Levels, Discovery Bay, the Peak and Southern District are now no longer affordable for the bulk of foreigners working in the island...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Expat buy to let landlords to face increased tax bills this year
This month's start of the current tax year sees unwelcome changes in tax relief and profit calculations for UK expat buy-to-let landlords. Expat property investors are now being hit by the same changes as UK resident landlords, beginning with the controversial ending of mortgage interest tax relief in spite of several attempts to have the...
10 Apr at 6 PM
UK expat retirees caught in Brexit heathcare trap
British lawmakers at a hearing in the House of Commons have been informed UK expat pensioners living in EU countries will be caught in a healthcare trap if forced to return to the UK. Chair of the British Community Committee of France Christopher Chantrey told MPs British pensioners living in France are in a state of fear and anguish over...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Fears over Gibraltar QROPS status calmed by last minute government session
Fears the status of Gibraltar as a QROPS jurisdiction would be threatened by UK law changes were put to rest at the last minute by a governmental fine-tuning session. Serious concerns in the financial world over risks to the Rock’s QROPS status as a result of new UK rules redefining offshore pension laws were finally quashed on March...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Thailand offers pricey Elite Visa to disenchanted British Brexit remoaners
A charm offensive by Thailand’s tourism supremos is aimed at wealthy Britons feeling disenchanted by the prospect of Brexit Britain. On offer is the Thailand Elite ‘exclusive’ long-stay visa scheme, run by a government-owned agency hoping to lure UK expats to try their luck in the Southeast Asian country rather than enduring two...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Republican lawmakers to file bill calling for FATCA repeal
Two republican lawmakers are about to present a bill calling for the unpopular FATCA tax reporting law’s repeal. USA lawmakers have scheduled a first hearing on April 26 for a bill requesting the repeal of the controversial and much-disliked FATCA legislation. Republican anti-FATCA campaigners Senator Rand Paul and Representative Mark...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Smart Dubai announces new Dubai Careers website for expat and local job seekers
A new central employment portal aimed at expats as well as citizens is now available online, connecting job seekers in all sectors with employers. The Dubai Careers portal, developed by Smart Dubai, enables job seekers at all levels to find work in line with their qualifications and professional experience, according to officials at...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Danish Immigration to deport US expat retiree after 32 year residency in the country
An American expat pensioner who’s lived and worked for more than half her life in Denmark is now facing deportation by the Danish immigration authority. US citizen Mary Stuart Burgher arrived in Denmark in 1985 to work for the World Health Organisation in Copenhagen. Due to exemptions given by the Danish immigration service to...
6 Apr at 6 PM
New UAE UK treaty allows expats tax free transfers from pension savings schemes
A new double tax treaty (DTA) between the UK and the UAE aimed at personal tax matters is now in force, and may result in big savings for expats with pension savings funds. The DTA treaty applies to UAE-resident British expats over the age of 55, allowing them to withdraw their full pension funds on a tax free basis, although certain...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Barnier states no final Brexit deal means expat loss of rights for millions
Should the UK not agree on a final Brexit deal, millions of UK and EU citizens will be left without rights. According to a statement by EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, up to five million EU and UK expats would lose all entitlements to EU rights should the UK refuse to agree to a final Brexit deal. A deal, he said, needs to be...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Costa Rica affordable healthcare attracts expat retirees
One of the most important considerations for would-be expats planning retirement overseas is the standard and availability of healthcare. Along with the standard retirement requirements of a low cost of living, warm, sunny weather and glorious scenery including beaches, healthcare is perhaps the most important consideration. It’s also...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Belize is the best kept secret for expat retirees
Expats who’re looking for an alternative to destinations crammed with retirees living the same lives as they did in their home countries should take a look at Belize. It’s a truism that, especially in retirement, many expats tend to relocate to destinations already home to large communities of their own nationals, forgetting the fact...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Vietnam rising fast as an expat professional destination.
Results of a recent survey showed Vietnam surging ahead of previous favourites Japan, Korea and Taiwan as the best place to further expat careers. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey’s surprise result in the career opportunities sector showed Vietnam’s capital Hanoi in 28th position, well ahead of former favourites Japan, South Korea and...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Finding the best Brussels district for your expat lifestyle
Brussels has been a hub for expat professionals for decades, with the majority of expats in Belgium living and working in the historic city. As much as 27 per cent of Belgium’s entire population is made up of foreigners attracted to the country by its position at the heart of the European Union, with Brussels the centre for...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Wave of USA expat retirees threatens indigenous peoples in Mezcala
A massive increase in demand for properties in Mexico’s Chapala and Ajijic is now threatening the traditional home of indigenous Coca people in nearby Mexcala. The seven thousand American and Canadian retirees already established in the region and the 10,000 or so ‘snowbird’ winter residents have taken up the majority of available...
3 Apr at 6 PM
New Forward Britain campaign lobbying UK and German lawmakers over EU citizenship
Forward Britain is a new campaign launched by UK expats living in Germany with the aim of making sure that rights to remain in EU countries are fast-tracked during the Brexit negotiations. Described by a representative as a grass-roots movement, its stance was made clear by Mark Whiley in an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwait lawmakers at odds over expat focused price increases
The recent surge in prices of expat-focused goods and services is bad news for foreign workers in the emirate, and is stirring controversy amongst both the foreign and Kuwaiti communities. Coupled with increasing links to Kuwait’s demographic imbalance, blame for everything from traffic jams to overcrowded hospitals and a lack of job...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Expat parents hit by increase in international school fees
The annual cost of tuition at international schools is set to rise during the current year by an average of two per cent. The results of a recent survey indicate the global mean annual cost of an international school education for expat children in 2017 is now $15,363 per child, excluding extras. The study, undertaken by ECA...
29 Apr at 6 PM
High Court Brexit vote judgment ignores and insults UK expats
The judgment handed down by the High Court regarding the right to vote in the upcoming Brexit referendum both ignores and insults British citizens who have chosen to exercise their entitlement to free movement within the EU. Although the case will now go directly to appeal at the Supreme Court, yesterday’s decision simply fuels the fires...
29 Apr at 6 PM
No escape from IRS for US expats
Since the coming of FATCA, any chance US expats had of minimising their contact with American bureaucracy has vanished. You can take the American out of America, but there’s no escaping the US taxman, wherever in the world you’ve hung your Stetson. It’s a common misconception that once you’ve brushed American dust off your cowboy...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Brexit court judgment excludes 700000 expat voters
The concerns of 700,000 long-stay British expats have been dismissed by the High Court in a controversial ruling. Judges at the High Court yesterday dismissed the case for allowing British citizens who’ve lived overseas for over 15 years to vote in the upcoming Brexit referendum. The verdict wasn’t unexpected, with lawyers acting for...
28 Apr at 6 PM
UAE visa requirement changes causing expatriate concern
From tomorrow, planning ahead for a visit to Abu Dhabi or Dubai will need to include a compulsory e-visa for citizens of certain countries. The new regulation, set to come into force tomorrow, 29th April, involves expatriates and other visitors arriving via the Oman border. The rule is due to affect over 1,500,000 expats at present living...
28 Apr at 6 PM
Hi tech expat professionals live luxury life in India
As the trend of hiring hi-tech expat experts ramps up in India, are their skills and the resultant high salaries making them the new Maharajas? For several years, expat hiring in Indian companies has been on the rise in order to fill knowledge gaps in the local workforce. The technology sector in particular is seeing a huge increase in...
28 Apr at 6 PM
Elderly British couple and son injured in drunken Thai attack
A vicious attack on a British pensioner couple and their son by a gang of Thai men took place during the Songkran festival in the upscale beach resort of Hua Hin. The popular resort of Hua Hin is best known as the summer residence of Thailand’s much-revered King, and is home to a good number of expat retirees as well as a tourist hub. A...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Survey shows massive expat majority in support of Stay campaign
British expats able to vote in the upcoming Brexit referendum are overwhelmingly in favour of staying as part of the European Union. Global expat network Angloinfo’s survey results released earlier this week showed that almost three quarters of respondents intended to vote to stay. Just 20 per cent are in favour of leaving the EU, and...
27 Apr at 6 PM
US Embassy warns US expats in Sweden over terror threat
A warning from the US Embassy has advised American expats in Sweden to avoid crowded places at all costs. The warning was issued in response to a report of suspected terror threats to the country by a group of insurgents said to have entered Sweden as immigrants in 2015. According to a senior source in the Iraqi security service,...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Canadian expat family torn apart by Ecuador earthquake
A Canadian family living in Ecuador lost mother and son to the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake when their apartment collapsed. Pascal Laflamme. his wife Jennifer and their two children Laurie-Ann and Arthur had emigrated from Montréal to Ecuador’s coastal city of Bahia de Caraquez after travelling to Reunion Island and Mauritius to...
27 Apr at 9 AM
Brit expats whose home was demolished finally awarded Spanish compensation
The British expat couple who watched their dream home in Spain torn down due to trumped-up planning irregularities have finally received justice, but it’s a double-edged sword. Len and Helen Prior’s appalling experience hit the headlines in 2008 after the bulldozers had demolished their dream villa in rural Spain’s Almeria coastal...
27 Apr at 9 AM
USA expats start international girls only soccer team in South Korea
Two American expats living in South Korea have initiated a girls’ only soccer programme in the hope it will encourage participation in team sports by young Koreans. John Starling and Donovan Loomis both have experience of forming and leading youth programmes for underprivileged children in their home country. Their latest and hopefully...
27 Apr at 9 AM
UK expats down under lure traditional British stores
Expat nostalgia, at least for certain retail aspects of the home country, is alive and kicking in Australia, resulting in several traditional British favourites launching online stores. British expats, wherever in the world they settle, seem to be unable to dislodge their fond memories of traditional British retail outlets and foods....
25 Apr at 6 PM
British teachers flock overseas for international school jobs
Schools in the UK are battling against a brain drain of experienced teachers heading overseas to teach at at international schools. Following the boom in the numbers of elite British schools opening overseas campuses, more and more international schools are appearing in expat-friendly countries worldwide. As a result, lucrative relocation...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Barclays Bank to finally close its Gibraltar operations
After 125 years’ service to expats and residents on Britain’s overseas territory Rock of Gibraltar, Barclays Bank is finally shutting its doors and departing. A strategic review of the bank’s operations in Gibraltar took place in 2014, sounding the death knell for over a century of providing financial services to residents and...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Survey finds expats do have more fun in the Philippines
The results of a recent survey place the Philippines high on the list of best expat destinations for romance, friendliness, language, personal happiness and cost of living. According to the InterNations Expat Insider survey, the reality of living in the Philippines confirms the country’s recent tourism soundbite ‘It’s more fun in the...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Is Switzerland still tops for high end jobs
Is Switzerland’s position as a favourite destination for expat professionals now in decline? For decades, Switzerland’s unbeatable reputation for quality of life and career potential has attracted the brightest and the best to its carefully-tended cities, spectacular scenery and top-class amenities. Foreign workers have come, seen and...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Study shows majority of EU based expats have Brexit fears
A recent study has revealed that two thirds of UK expats living in European Union countries are concerned that Britain’s leaving the EU would have significant negative effects on their lives. The poll, carried out on behalf of an investment and financial advisory company, involved expatriates in France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, the Czech...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Expats unhappy with dual pricing in Thailand
Amongst the many cross-cultural issues which get expats in Thailand hot under their collars, dual pricing at national parks, tourist attractions and other historic sites is possibly the most annoying. Admittedly dual pricing, where locals are charged one price and foreigners are charged double or more, isn’t confined to Thailand, but...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Dos and donts of a stress free expat life
The dream of a different lifestyle draws thousands of expats to foreign locations every year, but planning and research are essential to prevent the adventure turning into a nightmare. In today’s exceptionally mobile world, upping sticks and heading off into the wide blue yonder is a reality rather than just a dream for many. Expat...
21 Apr at 6 PM
US expat voters could decide result of US Presidential election
With eight million or more US citizens living overseas and the campaign for presidential candidates the most controversial for decades, could overseas votes change the outcome of the presidential election? A report issued by Oxford University’s Rothermere American Institute and authored by Jay Sexton and Patrick Andelic is suggesting...
21 Apr at 6 PM
High Court ruling on expat voting disenfranchisement to be delayed
Following this week’s High Court hearing, British expats in Europe are now waiting for the court to make a ruling on the controversial issue. The long-awaited legal challenge of the UK government's ruling of disenfranchisement for expats living overseas for over 15 years has resulted in the High Court reserving judgment on the issue....
20 Apr at 6 PM
Intrusive new immigration form causes expat dismay in Thailand
Expats living in Thailand were shocked by the unveiling of a new immigration form requiring details of their social media habits, frequently used shops, restaurants, bars, pubs, details of their cars, bank accounts and other strictly personal information. The new requirement surfaced a few days ago on local forums, and was at first...
20 Apr at 6 PM
New app aims to help non Mandarin speaking expats in China
A Beijing-based start-up has launched a new app aiming to give much-needed assistance to non-Mandarin-speaking expats living and working in China. With what seems like a genius of an idea for those whose brains just can’t get to grips with one of the world’s most difficult languages, GrabTalk’s new app is bound to be a roaring...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Expats considered of pivotal importance to Qatar development
Qatari Sultan bin Saad has announced that Qatar's expat workforce is of pivotal importance to the development of the emirate and its present economic boom . In his speech at the opening session of the First UN Asia Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights, His Excellency Sultan bin Saad stressed that Qatar fully appreciates the...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Panama Papers fallout may hit expat offshore accounts
Although only a few UK expats are likely to be caught up in the Panama Papers scandal, many more could be badly affected by the knock-on effect of offshore banks’ reactions. Many offshore branches of high street banking names operate from financial centres such as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, serving UK expats now disallowed...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Retirees search for best bang for buck destinations
Discovering the best retirement bang for your pension bucks is a task many would-be expats need to do before they decide on their new country. For the average expat, the decision to leave the home country is based on many reasons, not the least being the need to stretch out a less-than-generous state pension and get a better lifestyle as a...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Expat property investment hubs under the microscope
Expat property investment is seen as an option by many retirees living overseas, but needs to be carefully considered. Buying a second home or investment property outside the home country is a popular option for many expat retirees, but making an informed decision takes a good deal of research as regards location, tax liabilities, renting...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Expat business in Spain fear results of Brexit yes vote
Brexit is fast becoming the topic of the decade for UK expats living in Eurozone countries. Rumours, speculation, whispers, reports, blogs and more, but no real information as to the effect on the British people and British expats living in Europe. This is <a target="_blank"...
18 Apr at 6 PM
China to built vast database to match expat workers with jobs
China is looking to build a massive database containing details of foreign talent as a first step toward matching up experienced professionals with employers needing expat expertise. The database will be China’s first mega-data project and is expected to include foreign workers’ areas of expertise, nationalities, city of residence and...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Shanghai tops list of favourite expat destinations in China
In the latest survey of Chinese cities, Shanghai rates tops for the fourth time in the last six years. In recent years, working as an expat in China has become the norm rather than the exception. Nowadays, Beijing and other massive conurbations are increasingly popular with foreigners looking to augment their CVs and experience this...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Expats Spanish siestas under threat
Spain’s interim Prime Minister has announced a controversial new plan to do away with the country’s traditional siesta. To most of the world and its expats, Spain is best known for three things – paella, bullfights and its much-loved, traditional three-hour siesta. Banks close, shops shut, traffic dies down and the streets empty for...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Omani property companies urge expat property purchase simplification
Omani real estate moguls are pressing the government to enact policies boosting the sector by making it easier for wealthy expats to purchase homes in the Sultanate. At present, expatriates are permitted to purchase only properties located in special Integrated Tourism Complexes licensed as such by a government agency. In addition, any...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Cypriot government ignoring UK expats Brexit concerns
Brexit-related concerns of British expats living and working in Cyprus are being ignored by the island’s government. For many decades Cyprus has been a favourite with British expats, whether for retirement or for business, with an estimated 60,000 former UK residents living a life enhanced by sunshine, lower taxes and stunning...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in China choose local medical care over international clinics
Increasingly, expats working in China are choosing the international departments found in local hospitals as their preferred medical hubs. As charges for medical and surgical treatment in China’s extensive network of international private clinics continue to rocket, a growing number of expats are finding that the international clinics...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Sexism alive and kicking in expat destinations
Female expats unprepared for this negative aspect of culture shock are experiencing sexism in a number of countries. Nowadays, single women are as likely to emigrate either to further their careers or to retire as are men. However clued up they are to cultural differences and diversities in their new country, they’re often unprepared for...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Expat workers again under attack in Kuwait and Saudi
Kuwait municipality’s finance and administration department is looking to find reasons to lay off 60 per cent of expat workers. The municipality is preparing to scrutinise expat qualifications and contracts re their positions, with the aim of amending titles and job descriptions and reviewing salaries. It claims that many of the expats...
13 Apr at 6 PM
Proposal to force expats over 50 out of Bahrain causing outrage
Sunday’s proposal by Bahraini MPs that expat workers over the age of 50 should be sacked and deported is now causing outrage and criticism. The plan, submitted by the National Partnership Parliamentary Bloc, claimed the reason behind the proposal was that older employees are de facto less efficient than their younger colleagues. Although...
13 Apr at 6 PM
Brexit could force inheritance chaos on expats
Should Britain vote to leave the EU, hundreds of thousands of UK expats living in EU member states could experience inheritance chaos due to anticipated changes in current EU rules. EU rulings aimed at the problem of inheritance in cross-border deaths address an average of 450,000 fatalities annually and an amount of around 120 billion...
13 Apr at 6 PM
Expat buy to let mortgage demand still strong
In spite of new restrictions introduced by the government in March’s budget, the expat buy to let mortgage market is seeing increased demand for its products. Expats wishing to maintain a foothold in the British property market are now being offered a wider choice of buy to let mortgages. UK property prices are still climbing faster...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Better work life balance main motivation for relocation
An improved work/life balance is the main reason for expat relocation, according to a recent survey. Professionals looking to work overseas are motivated first by the wish for a better work/life balance, although better pay and improved career opportunities also play a part in the decision. According to the results of a study by AXA PPP...
12 Apr at 6 PM
UK retirees still prefer European destinations for their golden years
Despite increasing fears that the upcoming Brexit referendum will wreck their long-held plans, UK retirees are still planning to head to favourite European destinations to enjoy their golden years. A recent survey showed that one in every ten respondents were intending to use their pension savings to retire overseas. The poll involved...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in UAE unprepared for rainy day scenarios
A new study by HSBC reports that expats living and working in the UAE are the least financially prepared for illness, death and other disasters. The international bank’s Confidence in the Future report may well have been undertaken to boost its sales of life, health and other such insurances, but it casts a dim light on UAE expats’...
11 Apr at 6 PM
New Kiwi retirement visa needs Brit millionaires
New Zealand’s innovative new retirement visa and residency permit may sound attractive, but the financial requirements are sky-high enough to deter all but the wealthy. The stunning antipodean islands of New Zealand have traditionally attracted expats from the UK looking for a British-style environment and friendly natives. However, the...
11 Apr at 6 PM
FCA pension scam crackdown relevant for expat investors
Britain’s financial regulator has announced its main priority for 2016/17 is a crackdown on pension-related investment scams. Although the Financial Conduct Agency has no jurisdiction outside the UK, its prioritising of pension scams gives valuable information both to UK citizens looking to retire overseas and those already abroad....
11 Apr at 6 PM
Wealthy UK expat bankrolls defunct Scottish League football team
A wealthy Scottish expat living in Canada is determined to ensure his childhood favourite football club hits the big time again after decades in the doldrums. Players at Glasgow’s Third Lanark Football Club were John Sweeney’s boyhood heroes whilst he was growing up close by their Cathkin Park stadium. Sadly, the club became bankrupt...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Saudi green card proposal welcomed by expat community
Saudi Arabia’s recently-announced plan to issue green card style permanent residency visas has been enthusiastically received by the expat community. The proposal came to light during Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent interview with Bloomberg, much to the surprise of many expats already working in the kingdom. The...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expats versus Spaniards on stereotyping
One of the most difficult adjustments UK expats in the Costas have to make concerns the cultural differences between the British way of life and that of Spain. Living overseas may well be the adventure of a lifetime but it’s also fraught with challenges, especially for older expats who’ve decided to retire in sunny climes. Spain is...
8 Apr at 6 PM
High Court challenge on expat British voting rights to go ahead
Lawyers for expat pensioner Harry Shindler have said his judicial review against the UK’s expat voting ban will be heard in the High Court as planned. Mr Shindler, a 94-year old WWII veteran resident in Italy since 1982, is bringing the court action on behalf of over two million long-term expats living overseas who are banned from...
7 Apr at 6 PM
What do Scots expats miss about their unique homeland
With many thousands of Scots living all over the world and millions more with Scottish heritage, what do expats far from the glens and braes miss about their country? It’s true to say that the Scots have always been an adventurous race, and even truer that their love for their small country stays with them wherever they roam in the...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Newbie expats need to work at assimilation
A recent survey highlights the efforts needed before newbie expats are assimilated into the established community. . Moving abroad may have been a lifelong ambition, but the reality is that, just like other worthwhile projects, getting it right requires a good amount of hard work, self-examination and adjustment. The study, commissioned by...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Expat mom facing deportation due to heartless UK visa rules
US expat Katy James, wife of Dominic and mother of two-year-old Madeleine, is awaiting deportation back to the US due to a heartless immigration decision. Mrs James’s visa application was rejected due to a recently introduced visa rule disallowing UK citizens from bringing their spouses back to the UK unless they are in work and earning...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Expat wives worst nightmare in Southeast Asia
Of all the fears and uncertainties felt by expat wives whose husbands have dragged them to relocation in South-East Asia, the worst is losing their man to a local slant-eyed beauty. All the major Southeast Asian cities have a reputation as sex central, with their red-light districts a hotbed of girly bars, prostitution and fleshpots...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Shanghai struggle with gridlocks and dodgy drivers
Although Beijing still tops the list as China’s most user-unfriendly city as regards pollution, traffic accidents and daily gridlocks, Shanghai is catching up fast. Now in third place in China’s most congested metropolis list, Shanghai is also placed 24th of the world’s 146 most gridlocked cities. The rapid rise of the Chinese...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Saudi Arabia mulling Green Card system for expats
Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince has put forward the possibility of a visa system for expats which resembles America’s Green Card. During an interview with Bloomberg, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud mooted the idea of a new visa system based on the American Green Card. The system would, he said, be an important source...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Expats warned over unregistered FAs and unregulated investments
Despite, or perhaps because of the many financial misselling scandals over the last few years, it’s still possible to recover lost funds in the UK via due legal process but, if you’re an expat living overseas, your chances are slim to none. Legislation in the UK as regards the giving of financial advice has tightened considerably...
5 Apr at 6 PM
Majority of UK trainee doctors plan emigration after graduation
Over half of second year medical students at Birmingham University are planning to find jobs in overseas hospitals after they graduate. It seems the reason for the potential mass emigration of newly-qualified doctors, nurses and technicians is the new contract already responsible for strike action amongst junior doctors all over the UK....
5 Apr at 6 PM
Finding the right home is worst headache for expats
One of the biggest problems when emigrating overseas is finding the right home at the right price. Moving overseas is perhaps one of the most stressful undertakings you’ll ever face, whether you’re relocating for business or personal reasons. If your destination is one of the three top favourites for expats, Switzerland, India and the...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Private members expat voting bill dropped after brief debate
In yet another setback for British expats overseas desperate to vote in the June 23 Brexit referendum, a private members’ bill has been withdrawn due to governmental evasive tactics. The private members’ bill, introduced by Labour MP for Christchurch Dorset Chris Chope, called for the removal of the 15-year expat voting rights...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Kuwait to pay huge power price increases
Expats look set to lose out in the Kuwaiti government’s fight over increased electricity and water charges. A government bill proposing increases in charges for electricity and water across the board in Kuwait was thrown out yesterday by the National Assembly’s committee for financial and economic affairs. In its place is a new bill...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Channel 4 filmmakers need Brit families living wild in Iceland
A team of BBC Channel 4 documentary filmmakers is searching for British expat couples and families who’ve gone back to nature in rural Iceland. The documentary series Escape to the Wild focuses on Brits who’ve dumped the pressures of Western city life in favour of sustainable living amongst stunning natural beauty and peace in rural...
1 Apr at 6 PM
Kiwi expats face tougher UK entry requirements
New entry rules announced by the British government are expected to make it tougher for New Zealanders to work and live in the UK. Kiwi would-be expats are questioning the new restrictions recently announced by the UK government, asking whether they are being treated unfairly in comparison with the benefits available to UK expats in New...
1 Apr at 6 PM
QROPs transfers OK for former expat workers in UK
QROPs can be had by foreign expats with UK workplace pension rights. It’s a well-known fallacy that expats from overseas who’ve had workplace or personal pension plans can’t access them once they’ve retired in their home country or overseas. The main reason for this frustrating belief is that many occupational and private...
1 Apr at 6 PM
Learning the local language is the worst expat challenge
Whether you’re emigrating to enjoy retirement in the sun or taking on a challenging new position overseas, your worst nightmare is likely to be the local language. Research states that becoming fluent in a new language is a huge challenge, especially if you’re not as young as you used to be. For those working overseas, the biggest...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Expat mothers prefer life in Spain
Nearly half of the expat mothers living in Spain never want to return to their home country because they feel they have a better quality of living in their adopted country. MumAbroad.com conducted a survey that found that 49 per cent of expat mothers residing in Spain, Italy, Germany and France planned never to return home. Meanwhile,...
29 Apr at 4 PM
Expat pimp arrested in Spain
A Belgian national dubbed ‘Europe’s biggest pimp’ has been arrested in the Spanish resort town of Torremolinos. Stefan Rene faces charges of heading a prostitution ring that spans the continent. He was picked up by the Guardia Civil after a Moroccan woman who worked for him told Belgian authorities where he was staying after he...
28 Apr at 3 PM
Expats in Spain told to hand ID into banks
Thousands of expatriates living in Spain could see their bank accounts temporarily closed if they fail to present their bank with digital ID. Spaniards in the Iberian country have been told to take a copy of their DNI national identity card into their bank, while foreigners must provide either their passport or residency card prior to 30...
28 Apr at 12 PM
British expats to be hit by NHS clampdown
British expats living in European countries such as Spain are likely to feel the full force of a proposed clampdown by the NHS. Many UK citizens living overseas often fly back to their homeland for doctors’ appointments or procedures such as operations because of the hassle involved when dealing with local health authorities abroad,...
27 Apr at 6 PM
Drunk expat punches motorist in Dubai
A drunken Russian expat in Dubai punched a motorist in the face twice after saying the victim had parked in the wrong place, a court has been told. The 24-year-old man was set to go on trial faced with consuming alcohol and assault charges but did not show up at the Dubai court on Sunday. Prosecutors told that the assault on the...
27 Apr at 4 PM
New Zealand issues increasing number of visas
New Zealand is becoming more and more popular with expats from all over the world, with the most recent data showing a rise in the number of work, visitor and student visas issued. Visitor arrivals to the country hit a record high for March, a rise of 15 per cent on the same month last year and eight per cent greater than in 2013,...
25 Apr at 9 AM
Benidorm wants Unesco status
Spain’s most popular holiday destination Benidorm is vying to be granted Unesco world heritage status. After you’ve checked the date and realised it’s not 1 April and it is actually Benidorm, yes Benidorm, frequented by hordes of drunken Brits year-round, you can read on and see just why the sunny haven, well, fun-in-the-sun-type...
25 Apr at 9 AM
World Bank reveals top migrant locations
The US, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Russia are the five most popular countries for expat workers, according to the latest data from the World Bank. The bank’s Migration and Development Brief also showed that the top five nations in terms of the amount of remittance received were India, China, Philippines, Mexico...
23 Apr at 12 PM
Pattaya expat angers Thais with satirical cartoons
An expat in the Thailand resort town of Pattaya has caused a stir among locals by sharing satirical cartoons deemed offensive among Thais on his Facebook wall. Photographer Harris Black’s images resulted in him being criticised by a number of news websites after they were reported by the Naewna Online agency. The cartoon, entitled...
23 Apr at 12 PM
Retired expats told to prove they are alive
An estimated five million Brits reside abroad and many of them are retirees who are claiming UK pensions; however, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has the problem of knowing whether the correct person is drawing the funds as some countries do not share certain information. Around £45m is said to be paid out to Brits who have...
22 Apr at 4 PM
Expat couple to star on Channel 5 documentary about demolition of Spanish villa
A British expat couple will appear on Channel 5’s Horror Homes to reveal all about how their dream villa in Spain was demolished. Len and Helen Prior, who were living in the Andalucian town of Vera, saw their villa bulldozed on January 2008 because of “planning irregularities”. Despite being in possession of the required...
22 Apr at 2 PM
Elderly expat Scot murdered in South Africa
A Scottish grandmother who moved to South Africa 35 years ago has been murdered in her Cape Town home. Sandra Malcolm, 74, was due to fly back to Scotland in May to visit friends and relatives but her grandson discovered her hacked to death in her home on Sunday morning. Police have launched a manhunt for the killers. The killing of Ms...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Half of UAE’s expats thinking about relocating
The United Arab Emirates has long since been a major draw for expats because of the quality of life on offer for qualified individuals in particular, with perks such as tax-free salaries on offer. Such benefits have meant that expatriates could live and work in the Middle Eastern country, earn and save potentially vast amounts of money and...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Bar and restaurant-owning expats in Spain suffer since economy crisis
Since the onset of the Spanish economy crisis, bar and restaurant owners in the Iberian country have been losing out to supermarkets, with wine purchased in the latter having gone up by six per cent. The Bank of Spain’s macroeconomic report has revealed that spending on the majority of products has gone down, but spirits and liqueurs...
20 Apr at 6 PM
Finnish expat in Spain loses lengthy loft conversion battle
A Finnish expat living in the Spanish town of Estepona has lost a six-year legal fight to keep her loft conversion after being told it had to be demolished. Terttu Balson, 70, was instructed to begin work on removing the loft, despite the fact her neighbour has one. Furthermore, the grandmother has also been handed a 24,300 euro fine...
20 Apr at 6 PM
British pensioners heading overseas after cashing in on reforms
With the new pension reforms in the UK, British retirees are cashing in and heading to pastures new in foreign lands. Among the main investments pensioners are making after withdrawing substantial sums of money from their savings are holiday homes abroad with, unsurprisingly, Spain being the most popular destination. Chancellor George...
18 Apr at 10 AM
Iran: 20,000 foreign students studying in the country
Around 20,000 expat students are currently studying in universities across Iran, according to a Science Ministry official. The latest data indicates that there are 19,800 students from abroad based in Iran’s universities, revealed Samad Haj-Jabbari, the director of general science, research and technology at the ministry’s Non-Iranian...
15 Apr at 4 PM
Murdered British expat could have been killed over stolen veg fight
A British expat who was discovered dead in France last week might have been killed six months ago after a row about stolen vegetables. Last week, police arrested a Frenchman on suspicion of killing David King, 70, who was originally from London but is believed to have been living in northern France for 15 years. The retired lorry driver...
15 Apr at 2 PM
French police searching for missing British expat
Police in France have launched an investigation for an 80-year-old British expat after her rural home was found empty with lights on and two cups of unfinished coffee. More than 70 officers in the Dordogne region supported by helicopters began the search for Violet Price after being alerted that her whereabouts were unknown. She had...
14 Apr at 4 PM
British expats angered by BBC Costa del Sol documentary
Many British expats residing on Spain’s Costa del Sol have been outraged by the BBC’s ‘Costa del Sol: Last Brits Standing’ documentary after it portrayed life on the sunny coastline in a negative manner. The locals interviewed on the show described the Brits living there as “crazy” and “barbaric” among other not so positive...
14 Apr at 2 PM
Irish gangsters in Spain face prison after fatal stabbing of expat
Two Irish mobsters face up to 20 years behind bars for murdering a fellow countryman at his Costa del Sol apartment. Wayne Lennon, 38 and Brian McConville, 30, stand accused of stabbing expat Paul Feathers 44 times in the town of Benalmadena in 2010 in a killing that is reported to have lasted an hour. The pair, who went on the run...
11 Apr at 9 AM
Frenchman arrested after British expat found in well
Police have arrested a frenchman on suspicion of murdering his British neighbour and then disposing of the body in a well in Normandy. The British expat originally from London has been named as David King, aged 70. He hadn’t been seen by anyone for the past six months. After he retired from his job as an engineer 15 years ago, he...
11 Apr at 9 AM
Expat ATM scammers arrested in Phuket
Yesterday, Thai Immigration said that an Australian man and British man on the popular holiday island of Phuket worked together in order to skim cash from ATMs. At the immigration media conference, it was reported that Jamie Steven McKee, aged 31 and from the UK planned with his Australian friend, Darrin John Williams, 48, to defraud...
10 Apr at 10 AM
Expat from Britain arrested after his daughter dies from fall in Hong Kong
A British man and Filipino women have been arrested after their teenager daughter fell to her death from their upmarket residential building. According to police, they aren’t treating the death as suspicious however they have arrested the parents on suspicion of ‘neglect or ill-treatment of a child’. Nick Cousins, aged 58 and the...
10 Apr at 9 AM
Maids in Saudi Arabia working illegally in small businesses
It has been discovered that some Saudi women are illegally employing their domestic workers to go and work in their small businesses such as cooking sales and other long working hour positions. Many experts and businesspeople think that women are forced to do this as getting the correct visas for expatriates is becoming increasingly...
9 Apr at 2 PM
Expat played important role in India’s freedom of speech
IT entrepreneur, Javed Farooqui, has made it possible for Indians to post comments online and tweet without the fear of getting arrested. Mr Farooqui, one of mouthshut.com’s founding directors who is based in Dubai, got his company to file a writ petition contesting Section 66A contained in the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 to...
9 Apr at 9 AM
Two Brits named in relation to missing expatriate Agnese Klavina
Names of the two British men who were questioned over the disappearance of the Latvian expatriate Agnese Klavina have now been released. Craig Porter and George Wesley Capper were in court on Monday facing questioning over the incident. Their names have been released after a gagging order regarding the case was lifted. The two men were...
8 Apr at 9 AM
Illegal expatriates who work in Oman offered amnesty
According to embassy officials, the Oman government is offering amnesty to expatriates working and living in there illegally, starting this week. Head of Chancery at the Pakistani Embassy, Naheed Naveed, said that they have already started working on the process of drawing up detailed standard operating procedures in order for a smooth...
8 Apr at 9 AM
A New Zealander’s view of Thailand
Chiang Mai, Thailand is one of the greatest places to be an expat according to Iona Proebst, the Executive Director of The Branch Foundation, a charity focusing on providing renewable energy, education and income generation for marginalised communities in South-East Asia. With the city’s colourful and vibrant life, there are always...
7 Apr at 12 PM
Properties in Costa Calida proving to be popular amongst expats
There seems to be a recent return of foreign buyers in the Costa Calida region. According to figures which have recently been released, the amount of property purchases made by foreigners in the final quarter of 2014 are rising compared to figures recorded in the same region during 2013. Last year, there was a total of 11,040 properties...
7 Apr at 10 AM
Family murder in Gibraltar thought to be due to mother’s post natal depression
A Spanish women who was found dead with her British partner and two children is though to have taken her own life after killing her family. It is believed that the 37 year old Spanish woman, Anarda de la Cardiac Perez Friman, was suffering from post-natal depression during the period in which she and her family were found dead in their...
6 Apr at 9 AM
UAE: 16 per cent of expat kids have school fees paid by employers
A recent survey from an educational online consultancy has revealed that in the UAE, companies pay school fees for over 16 per cent of expatriate’s children. According to the survey, UK/IB schools are least likely to have everything paid for by families whereas families who send their kids to Indian school eternally received the least...
6 Apr at 9 AM
Scandinavian link to murder in Gibraltar investigated by police
Police in Gilbraltar are looking at a possible link to the women’s Scandinavian ex-partner and the family which was found dead this week. There has been confirmation from the police that they are investigating the mother’s family in particular. She was found with her throat slashed along with her six-week-old baby and four-year-old...
3 Apr at 12 PM
Gibraltar murders: Adults’ state of mind to be investigated by experts
A 31 year old British man and 37 year old Spanish women were found dead along with two children in Gibraltar on Monday. The police are looking into both the adult’s state of minds. According to police, the names of the deceased are being withheld until the arrival on the Rock of their next of kin. Two girls, one aged four and the...
3 Apr at 9 AM
Century-old tapas bar to shut down in Almeira
After more than 100 years of service, the ‘most famous tapas bar in Almeria’ has been forced to close. Case Puga, which is run by brothers Jose and Leonardo Lopez, has fallen foul of rental laws that have recently been enforced. Over 2,00 people have been campaigning to save the bar which is popular amongst the expat community in...
1 Apr at 12 PM
After a string of burglaries, Benidorm murder victims tried to sell their house
The British couple who were recently murdered in their villa in Benidorm previously experienced two robberies and had put their property on the market in order to move closer to their son in Mallorca. Their three bedroom villa had reportedly been put up for sale for €230,000 after they had been burgled twice so that they could move to...
1 Apr at 12 PM
“Full English’ breakfast to be banned in Benidorm
Measures such as clamping down on what type of food can be served and licensing hours are being taken by the town council to improve the reputation of the bargain package holiday resort. Traditional Spanish fare will replace typical British dishes under the new bylaw which is expected to be passed today by the council, the effects of which...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Expat savers warned to get out of Britannia or lose out
Expat savers with Britannia International Isle of Man are being warned to move their savings fast or lose out on rapidly falling interest rates. Part of the troubled UK-based Co-operative Bank, Britannia International announced recently that its Isle of Man base is to close down. The wind-down will result in steadily reducing interest...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Expat exodus causes further falls in Spanish property prices
With the Spanish economy in chaos and property prices still falling, is this really the best time for expats to leave the country? The UK media is having a field day reporting the end of the expat dream in Spain and the continuing crash in its property prices, but is now the best time to return to the UK or should expats hang on in there...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Expat property buyers in UAE locked out of market by soaring prices
As property prices in Dubai soar towards their 2007 levels, mid-range expat and local buyers are being left far behind. Nowadays, cash is king in the Dubai property market, with overseas buyers underpinning the sector and construction of new apartments and homes picking up at a surprising rate. House prices are fast approaching levels at...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Former US Marine beats deportation for misdemeanor conviction
Good news concerning immigration decisions in the USA isn’t heard often, but Carlos Solorzano is now an American citizen thanks to his top-notch immigration lawyer. Carlos was one year old when his Mexican parents brought him to the USA to start a new life in Lake County, California. Whilst he was a student at his local school, he...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Report identifies goldmine countries for expat property investors
Along with an increasing reluctance to invest with banks due to exceptionally poor returns on fixed rates, reports on countries with stable economies are encouraging expat property investors. According to government surveys, international capital flows were on the increase in 2013, as were investment property purchases. Now that 2014 is...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Returnees form Spain face bleak futures due to house price crash
Tens of thousands of UK expats in Spain returning home after losing money on their retirement villa sales are telling tales of etirement dreams turned into nightmares. The 2008 financial crash was the beginning of an undreamed of nightmare scenario for UK expats across the world as their investments failed and their pensions were affected....
25 Apr at 6 PM
Expat Media Request: BBC Radio Interviewing British Expats Returning From Spain
Radio 4's consumer programme, You and Yours, airs every weekday at 12-1pm. They're looking for interviewees for a piece they're working on about British expats returning from Spain. They want to talk to you about the reasons you left the UK, why you returned and talk about what life was like in Spain as well as how you're adjusting to life...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Do UK expats fully understand the Statutory Residence Test
With so many changes being introduced as regards tax on pensions, it’s important for UK expats to understand the implications of the Statutory Residence Test. Introduced in April 2013, the SRT was intended to clarify decision-making about residency or non-residency, but ended up creating more confusion due to its wording. Making the...
25 Apr at 6 PM
UK expats abroad face losing their Barclaycards
Barclaycard is threatening to cancel little-used Barclaycards belonging to expats overseas unless a UK address is provided. Barclaycard, the UK’s largest provider of credit cards, has written to customers living overseas who haven’t used their cards for six months or more, The letter states that unless a UK address is given, their...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Pension liberation firms tricking younger expat savers
Warnings have emerged over pension liberation firms tricking savers under the age of 55 into cashing in their funds. Companies are claiming that the new rules set out in UK Chancellor George Osborne’s budget speech allow pension savers under 55 year of age to get early access to their cash. It’s a new tactic by pension liberation...
24 Apr at 6 PM
British expats in UAE celebrate 88th birthday of Queen Elizabeth
Diplomatic missions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi spared no expense for get-togethers in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 88th birthday. The red carpet was rolled out in earnest earlier this week for the great and good from the UAE’s 120,000 strong expat community. Hundreds of invited guests thronged the embassy grounds in both cities in...
23 Apr at 6 PM
Should expats be wary of cashing in their pensions under the new rules
Experts are warning that UK retirees living overseas may face tax implications if they choose to cash in their defined contribution pension pots. The new rules outlined in the chancellor’s 14 March Budget speech appeared to offer enhanced flexibility, but the finer details have yet to be worked out. Although the present rules as regards...
23 Apr at 6 PM
Brit expats flee Spain due to troubled economy
A recent data release has revealed that the number of British expats officially registered as living in Spain decreased in 2013 by 20 per cent. The official number of Britons living in the crisis-hit country as recorded by town hall registers totalled 385,179 at the beginning of last year. However, the British Embassy believes there are at...
22 Apr at 6 PM
UK Consumer Panel fears risks for savers after budget annuity shock
When the Consumer Panel published its damning report on annuity sales at the end of last year, no-one expected reform to arrive as early as the March 2014 budget. However, now that the dust is beginning to settle, the Panel is concerned over risks for consumers at home and abroad once the market is flooded with new, flexible financial...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Do expats remember what drove them mad in their home countries
Following an amusing take in the expat media about frustrating experiences in the host country, do expats still remember what drove them crazy in their countries of birth? It’s easy, once the trauma of moving across half the world has subsided, to forget what prompted such a drastic solution to the stress and strain of everyday life...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Public sector pension QROPS transfers under fire
Public sector workers and civil servants are being warned by pension experts that they may be barred from transferring their pension pots to a QROPS. UK chancellor George Osborne has already stated that different pension rules may be introduced for pension savers working in the public service sector and the civil service. The plan may...
21 Apr at 6 PM
Innovative graph shows global migrant flow over 20 years
Researchers have published a graph showing the migrant pattern between countries over the last 20 years. Many believe the 21st century to be the century of migration, with surveys suggesting that more people than ever before are keen to try for a new life outside their country of birth. However, a new and innovative graph has demonstrated...
18 Apr at 6 PM
When is a third country QROPS the best expat choice
Since 2006, expats planning to emigrate and those already living abroad can transfer their pension pot in to a QROPS, with pension savers allowed to base their investment outside the UK. As long as the product provider has complied with HM Revenue and Customs’ regulations, savers can base their QROPS in a choice of worldwide financial...
18 Apr at 6 PM
New international health insurance gives expats freedom to roam
Hard on the heels of the possible withdrawal of overseas heath benefits for expats and travellers, a health insurance company has launched a cross-border medical insurance plan. A major medical insurance company is re-jigging its plans in order to give customers the freedom to cross borders without having to rearrange their health...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Expat savers rates may rise in early 2015
Expat savers frustrated by the literal lack of interest in their fixed term savings accounts may see a light at the end of the tunnel by the second quarter of 2015. Although, earlier this month, the Bank Of England’s Monetary Policy Committee failed to upgrade its legendarily low interest rate of 0.5 per cent, analysts predict that...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Former Dubai expats plan trip down memory lane
Expats who helped build the businesses which brought Dubai from a desert oasis to its present cosmopolitan luxury and wealth are hoping to revisit the city by invitation. Those working in Dubai during its transformation still hold fond memories of simpler times including romantic camping trips into the desert, and have formed a Facebook...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Strong pound boosts expat spending power in South Africa, Turkey and Thailand
As the pound strengthens along with the recovery in the UK, a newly-introduced online currency index will help travellers and expats to select the countries with the most favourable rates. Fluctuating currency rates are an endless worry for most expats on UK pensions or with investments paying interest in sterling. Over the last year, the...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwait considers scrapping expat fuel subsidy and reducing electricity subsidy
Expats in Kuwait could find their petrol and electricity bills soaring if the Kuwait parliament agreed a proposal to scrap the expat fuel subsidy and cut the subsidy on electricity charges. According to a recent report, the Kuwaiti parliament is prioritising the controversial proposal for debate, amid rumours that a black market would be...
15 Apr at 6 PM
FCA warns insurers to treat clients fairly on pensions advice
In yet another move to protect savers at home and abroad from mis-sold investments, the FCA has warned insurers, IFAs and pension providers against disadvantaging clients when advising on the recent changes in annuity law. The regulator is to issue a set of guidelines telling pension providers and financial advice firms how to handle...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Advice for expat confusion over living in Singapore
Given that Singapore is now the most expensive world city for expat living, a few useful pointers can ensure financial survival as well as having a great time. Most expats arrive in the booming city aiming to stay several years at most, and rush out to rent an apartment rather than buying straight away. Experienced expats consider renting...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Figures show massive scale of LM fund sales by expat FAs
A year after the LM Investment Management Fund (LMIM) called in the administrators, figures have revealed the huge scale of sales of its Managed Performance Fund. Now referred to in the financial press as the latest in a long line of Ponzi schemes, the fund was touted by FAs in many expat destinations for its alleged returns. However, a...
14 Apr at 6 PM
Expat homeowners in Cyprus fear repossessions after new law stalls
A new law protecting expat homeowners in Cyprus from banks attempting to claw back bad debts through repossession has stalled in the island’s parliament. Expats on the island, many of whom are retirees, had expected the law to be passed within a few weeks, but are now terrified the delay will allow banks to go ahead with repossession...
11 Apr at 6 PM
European Health Insurance Card fiction and fact
Expats from EU member states as well as travellers may well be aware of the benefits of the EHIC, but there’s more confusion over its use nowadays than at any time in its 10-year history. A recent survey revealed that over 50 per cent of those travelling with the card believed that it gives free emergency healthcare in any world...
11 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Spain take to Twitter with their frustrations
Expat life in Spain, believed to be one long succession of sand, sea, sangria and sex, is taking a hit on Twitter, with foreign residents venting their frustrations online for all to read. ‘Only in Spain’ moments are being tweeted in all their often hilarious glory, with the expat lifestyle laid bare as being somewhat short of...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Good news on tax for savers reversing annuity decisions
Following the shake-up of pensions announced in the UK’s 2014 budget speech, many thousands of savers who changed their minds about annuitising as a result have voiced their concerns about tax penalties. The good news that a number of product providers have extended their cooling- off periods, giving savers time to get professional...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Wealthy Brits overseas rushing to buy into booming UK housing market
International buyers, including wealthy UK expats living in the UAE, France and Switzerland are rushing to take advantage of Britain’s booming real estate market and weak sterling exchange rates. A survey by a British bank has revealed that the boom in house prices in London and the Home Counties combined with a weak pound has attracted...
9 Apr at 6 PM
UK government cracks down on expat second home owners
In a move aimed primarily at expats but sure to hit UK residents as well, the government has announced a crackdown on ‘flipping’ as a means of tax avoidance. Flipping, the practice of changing which of two properties is an owner’s main home in order to avoid capital gains tax on a sale, was notorious as part of the MPs expenses...
9 Apr at 6 PM
New Zealand emigration spurred by feelings of inequality
The high rate of migration amongst New Zealand citizens is now being put down to a feeling of inequality due to financial insecurity. The need to start again in another country may well be driven by a lack of opportunity at home, but is also the result of a feeling of inequality and exclusion caused by comparative poverty. The OECD...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Fight for unfrozen expat pensions attracts international support
Following David Cameron’s somewhat half-hearted and decidedly unofficial support for unfreezing 5,600,000 British state pensions paid to expats overseas, the word seems to finally be spreading. Leading overseas pension provider Pryce Warner International has thrown its hat into the fray, stating that the British pension system is flawed...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Emerging economies are best for high wages and quality of life
As the 2014 Expat Explorer gets underway, results from the 2013 poll are showing that emerging economies give the best chance of a good expat quality of life on a more than decent wage. Last year’s survey showed that expats in Asia are the highest-paid in the world, with those in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and China receiving remuneration...
8 Apr at 3 PM
Expat Media Request: Are you a Geordie Abroad?
PRESS RELEASE: The Chronicle in Newcastle upon Tyne is keen to hear from ex-pats who would like to be featured in a new weekly Geordies Abroad column. The paper, and its website www.chroniclelive.co.uk, is looking for people all over the world who have emigrated or who are living temporarily in another country and may be writing a blog...
7 Apr at 6 PM
FCA review finds majority of FA firms mislead customers
The UK Financial Conduct Agency’s latest review into financial advice firms found that failings are widespread across the sector. The review concentrated on advice given by FAs to their clients, and found that 58 per cent of those questioned were not providing clear, upfront information as to their charges. A majority of 58 per cent...
7 Apr at 6 PM
UAE denies considering plans to restrict expatriate driving licenses
Following a ban on the issuing of Qatar driving licenses to expat labourers, the head of Dubai Police’s traffic division has denied that the emirate is considering restricting expat driving licenses. Maj.Gen. Mohammed Saif al Zafeen assured local media that there was no plan to cut back on driving licenses issues to expat workers in the...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Osborne to go ahead with taxing expat pensions
After a brief mention in George Osborne’s recent 2014 Budget speech of a plan to tax expat pensions spurred concerns in many migration destinations, it seems taxing those not considered resident or domiciled in the UK is on the cards. The Chancellor is now making it clear that expats must decide whether they are out or in the UK’s tax...
4 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwaiti government curbs police expat deportation powers
The new laws enacted last year giving Kuwaiti police the power to deport expats for traffic offences are to be curbed by order of the government. Following Kuwaiti Labour Minister Thekra al Rasheed’s controversial announcement last spring that 10,000 expats were to be deported annually for 10 years, deportation by senior police officers...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Expats to lose out on new top up pension scheme
Over half a million UK state pensioners living in 150 world countries will get a worse deal than their UK-based counterparts if they buy into the government’s top-up pension plan. Those retiring before 6 April 2014 will be unable to take advantage of the higher state pension of £155 per week payable from April 2006. Instead, they will...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Over 20,000 UK pensioners desperate to leave Spain
A hard-hitting study has revealed that 20,000 UK retirees are desperate to relocate back home, but are finding it difficult to sell their properties. According to the survey, the main reasons for heading home are the rising cost of living when set against the low UK state pension, the strain of being apart from families in the UK and a...
2 Apr at 6 PM
UK Budget may cause problems for expat savers and QROPS industry
The rewriting of many pension rules unveiled in the UK’s recent budget could result in troubled times for QROPS providers as well as expat savers. Experts are stating that the Budget pension reforms may well threaten the future of the profitable QROPS industry, with reduced tax restrictions likely to dilute the appeal of the product....
2 Apr at 6 PM
UAE expats benefit from UK passport cost cuts but others may not
The news of a cut in passport renewal costs is good for UAE expats, but those living elsewhere may not be overjoyed. The 33 per cent cut in UK passport renewal costs is supposedly due to savings to be made on the cost of processing overseas. In future, all expat passport renewals will be dealt with in the UK. For UAE-based expats,...
1 Apr at 6 PM
Singapore to stay expensive for expats but acceptable for citizens
Singapore’s strong currency is likely to continue putting pressure on expats living in the city, but inflation is expected to be manageable for its citizens. A study by the Asia Competitiveness Institute research centre has revealed that expat workers in the country are likely to find the cost of living a serious drain on their finances....
1 Apr at 6 PM
Britons make up one in every 20 Australians
According to the latest Australian census, the country hasn’t lost its popularity as an expat destination for disenchanted UK citizens, as 5 per cent of Oz’s total population are Britons by birth. A total of 1.1 million Brits are now living in Australia, according to the survey ,and outnumber New Zealanders, the second largest group,...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Canadian Federal Internship programme begins to show results
Canada’s Federal Internship for Newcomers Programme (FIN) was praised recently by immigration minister Jason Kenney for its success in helping new arrivals to integrate. Kenney highlighted the programme’s success at an Ottawa university’s graduation ceremony, saying that since its launch over 200 newcomers to the country have...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Reports of violence in India turn away potential expat workers
Recent reports of violence and rape in India have damaged the country’s attraction as an expat workplace, with many now heading for Middle East and Asian destinations. The results from a survey of over 2,000 expat professionals keen to work in India are disturbing, with 72 per cent of those surveyed now setting their sights on the...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Expat investors hit hard as Harlequin Properties calls in receivers
After several months of uncertainty and a class action or two, beleaguered Harlequin Properties has thrown in the towel and gone into receivership. After failing to keep up with regular contracted payments to their investors and an ongoing investigation by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office and Essex Police, the action by the Essex-based...
29 Apr at 6 PM
Saudi Arabia drags feet on expat wives work permits
A popular suggestion that English-speaking expat wives should be granted work permits to teach in Saudi schools may have fallen on deaf ears within the kingdom’s government. The proposed decision by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Labour, welcomed by a majority of the kingdom’s teachers, involved permission of wives and daughters of...
26 Apr at 6 PM
Kenney warns those who hate Canadian values to stay away
After speaking at a meeting of Canada’s parliamentary immigration committee, immigration supremo Jason Keeney told reporters that would-be immigrants who hate Canadian values must not come. The blunt message came after news that cultural groups were working with police agencies to identify possible troublemakers before they could show...
26 Apr at 6 PM
Oz minister helps immigrant surgeon avoid deportation due to age
A Romanian-born GP, skin cancer specialist and surgeon told she must leave the country next year due to her age has been given a verbal guarantee of an extended stay by Brendan O’Connor. Mihaila Guguila, 52, was refused permanent residency by immigration officials due to her age, with post-July 2012 rules stating that only those under 49...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Increase in expat influx pushes up Swiss property prices
Switzerland’s continuing popularity as an immigration destination is causing a further increase in the country’s already high property rental prices. Real estate agents in the country are reporting further increases over and above the 2.3 per cent 2012 increase in rental charges for apartments. Rents are already another 2 per cent...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Could USA immigration reform spark Canada’s own Silicon Valley
As the battle to reform the broken US immigration system drags on, other Western countries are introducing ultra-fast skilled worker visa programmes in the hope of grabbing top-tier innovators. Canada’s recently-announced Start-Up Visa Programme is one such, and the most comprehensive yet, aimed solely at entrepreneurs looking to start...
24 Apr at 6 PM
UK Foreign Office moves to warn expats on Thailand road deaths
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is pushing a road safety campaign to alert tourists and expat residents overseas about dangerous drivers and road conditions in several countries. The move comes as a response to reports of a high number of Britons in popular holiday and expat destinations being killed or injured in road...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Christchurch earthquake rebuild attracts surge in expat workers
The rebuild of New Zealand’s South Island city of Christchurch after the massive earthquake two years ago is now attracting increasing numbers of expat workers keen to be part of the effort. Figures recently issued by Statistics New Zealand show a marked increase in arrivals over the past year to March 31, a dramatic reversal from the...
23 Apr at 6 PM
Expat jobs at risk in Middle East due to employer problems
A recent report reveals that, due to increasing costs to employers and move by Arab governments to cut the number of expat workers, lucrative postings in the Middle East may become hard to come by. Middle Eastern employers with a high number of expat workers are being squeezed by the ever-increasing cost of expat packages including...
23 Apr at 6 PM
NZ Irish expat group spreads positive stories about Ireland
Following recent bad press about unemployment, depression and austerity in Ireland and reports on the latest Irish Diaspora, a New Zealand Irish group is publicising positive stories on social media. A volunteer expat service providing help to new immigrants from Ireland is determined to counter depressing media reports about the state of...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Expat investors show renewed interest in US Green Card
Amidst the present-day flurry and controversy over the US immigration reform bill, renewed interest by expat investors in a route offered by America’s Green Card is emerging. The little-known EB5 immigration scheme offers a way in for entrepreneurial investors with half a million dollars to spare, and involves investing in or starting up...
22 Apr at 6 PM
Kiwi immigration authority criticised for risky fast-track visa deal
Senior officials within New Zealand’s immigration services’ risk, intelligence and integrity division are highly critical of a new fast-track visa deal struck with a Chinese airline. According to representatives of NZ Immigration, a deal giving fast-track immigration procedures to upscale passengers on China Southern Airlines was...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Wealthy Chinese migrants look for unusual immigration destinations
As the present-day Chinese Diaspora gathers momentum fuelled by wealthier business people eager to stash their cash in safe locations, less obvious havens such as Portugal and St Kitts are emerging. Scared by the savings grab in Cyprus, unimpressed with the USA, disallowed in Canada and perhaps not quite rich enough for Australia, wealthy...
19 Apr at 6 PM
Expat families enjoy growing number of Asian theme parks
Asia’s burgeoning theme parks craze is helping expat families by providing an ever wider choice of entertainment for kids of all ages. The number of theme parks scattered across Asian expat destinations has been growing exponentially due to the booming economies of the region. Families based in Asia are taking full advantage of the craze...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Is Australia the new Switzerland for expat financial stability
Switzerland’s most famous product wasn’t the cuckoo clock or the sound of unmusical yodelling, it was its traditional reputation for secrecy and financial stability. A well-managed currency, sound banking system and its long tradition of secrecy and exquisite service to its wealthy international clients put the country at the top of...
18 Apr at 6 PM
Malaysia property boom spurred by increasing expat numbers
As a result of its successful economy, an increasing number of expats are heading for Malaysia, causing house prices and rentals to soar in popular areas in which to live and work. New records are being set for property prices in Kuala Lumpur as well as for rentals of condominiums and houses, and George Town is fast becoming another expat...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Expats warned to deal only with experts re medical cover
Professionals in the field of expat medical insurance are again warning that expats should only seek advice from financial advisers qualified in the speciality. Arranging adequate medical insurance as a part of migrating to a new country can be a problem for retirees with existing heath conditions or those settling outside the safety net...
17 Apr at 6 PM
Canada expat worker programme attracts criticism
Canada’s notorious temporary foreign worker visa programme has recently hit the headlines for attracting a heated debate, but experts feel the country shouldn’t respond by shutting its doors. Immigration is an essential part of Canada’s population growth and workforce maintenance, but many now feel that the visa programme is badly...
16 Apr at 6 PM
Shanghai job fair advises on hard to find expat positions
With a large number of English-speaking expats now heading for China’s huge cities in hope of finding work, it’s obvious that a wide variety of jobs are being sought in diverse sectors. However, Shanghai employers in general are looking for world-class talent with an understanding of Western culture, specialised skills and the ability...
16 Apr at 6 PM
Expats with homes in troubled Eurozone states face threat of wealth tax
Following the EU’s Cyprus savings grab, expat residents in other troubled Eurozone countries may be subject to a wealth tax on their properties in support of possible bailouts. Senior advisors to the German chancellor Angela Merkel are strongly suggesting that wealthier households in weaker Eurozone member states should be forced to...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Irish support groups in Oz report migrants arriving unprepared
Immigrants from Ireland arriving in Australia are resorting to seeking help from Irish migrant associations as they’re unprepared for the challenge of finding work and a place to live. The Friends of Sinn Fein and the Claddagh Association, both based in Perth, Western Australia, are reporting a considerable increase in the number of...
15 Apr at 6 PM
Salary cuts for expat lecturers in Italy branded as discrimination
Massive salary cuts of up to 60 per cent imposed on British and European expat lecturers at three top Italian universities have been branded as racist by leading politicians. The lecturers subject to the cuts, including David Petrie, president of the Association of Foreign Lecturers in Italy (ALLSI), were already working for lower salaries...
12 Apr at 6 PM
EC pressures France to backtrack on expat healthcare denial
The European Commission is pressurising France to reverse its denial of healthcare to expat retirees in the country. The ongoing row over health care for expat pensioners began in 2007, when the French government brought in new rules stating that EU member country retirees living in the country were only entitled to free healthcare after...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Cyprus banking crisis causes expats to consider asset diversity
Difficult times may be ahead for many thousands of expats who believed that banks were the safest place for their savings and investments. In the wake of the ongoing banking crisis in Cyprus, expats living in many favoured destinations are being advised to diversify their assets to prevent being caught in a similar trap. It’s slowly...
11 Apr at 6 PM
Dublin seminar explores reasons behind the present Irish Diaspora
Four leading social scientists met yesterday at Dublin’s Trinity College in an attempt to quantify the many reasons behind the rush to emigrate now referred to as the modern-day Diaspora. The symposium is slated as part of Dublin’s Trinity Week 2013 programme during which eminent academics gather to examine issues of concern to...
11 Apr at 6 PM
Failed UK Border Agency backlog hurting Kiwi migrants
In spite of the sudden shutting down of the failed UK Border Agency and its subsequent splitting into two separate divisions, its massive backlog of visa applications is still hurting Kiwis. Known in New Zealand as the UK Backlog Agency, the now defunct department’s total failure to deal with visa and other immigration issues has meant...
10 Apr at 6 PM
Kuwait drastic reduction in expat workers not feasible
Kuwait’s recently announced plan to shed one million expats workers over the next ten years via an annual reduction of 100,000 workers has been slated as not possible. Denouncing the plan put forward by Thekra al-Rashid, Kuwaiti Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, a number of high-ranking executives and officials have stated that...
10 Apr at 6 PM
British expat in China becomes TV talent contest singing sensation
When British expat Iain Inglis was invited to audition as a contestant on the TV talent show China’s Got Talent, he took it as a joke, never dreaming he’d become a household name for his performances. Convinced that he’s one of the worst singers on the planet, Southampton-born and Cardiff-raised Iain donned fake military gear and...
9 Apr at 6 PM
Thousands of expat engineers in Saudi Arabia have fake degrees
A recent investigation into degrees held by expat engineers working in Saudi Arabia has revealed that thousands of degree certificates used to get jobs and visas were faked. The Saudi Council of Engineers states that at least 15,000 foreign engineers working in the country’s construction industry are holding false documents. The news...
9 Apr at 6 PM
Expat pension pots suffer from plummeting pound
The weakened state of the pound sterling has devastated many expats relying on their pensions for their day-to-day living expenses. Recent research has revealed that British pensioners living on their retirement pensions in many overseas countries have seen their purchasing power drop by 50 per cent or more. Pensioners living in the...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Expat children in Middle East face integration challenges and expensive education
All Middle Eastern destinations include the United Arab Emirates present a challenging environment for children of expat workers in the region. According to a recent expat survey, the entire region scores poorly as a place to raise expat kids, as well as having some of the most expensive international schools on the planet. One of the...
8 Apr at 6 PM
Expat residents in Beijing flee toxic pollution levels
The record toxicity of Beijing’s winter air pollution is likely to be followed by a massive expat exodus to cleaner air and fresher locations, according to senior expat executives in the city. Diplomats and the many businesses catering to the vast city’s large expat community are expected to leave as well. It’s not only...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Expat homeowners in Goa face confiscation of retirement homes
Expats from Europe living the dream in tropical Goa are now facing the loss of their homes and businesses in a land and homes grab reminiscent of the Spanish property scandal. Around 450 expat-owned properties have been declared illegal purchases by Goan officials after local politicians blamed foreigners in the state for the rise in...
7 Apr at 6 PM
China is the least appealing destination for expat postings
Around 33 per cent of foreign workers posted to China by their companies are failing to complete their agreed terms in the country. A recent survey placed China very near the bottom of pile as regards enthusiasm for postings to the world’s key country for new business. Since 2008, Western companies have struggled to gain a hold in the...
7 Apr at 6 PM
Social media highlights corruption for expat workers
Earlier this year, a minor corruption scandal involving an expat worker in Thailand and the tax authority hit Twitter and went viral. Immigration regulations in Thailand for those wishing to work require a dedicated work visa, work permit, tax certificates for renewals, and other hoops which need to be negotiated. The British expat who...
7 Apr at 6 PM
LM Investment scandal leaves expats bereft of savings
Australian financial advisory firm LM Investment Management’s spectacular crash has left thousands of expat savers without their nest eggs and FAs without their commission. Following the 2008 financial meltdown, various Ponzi schemes, the dramatic fall in offshore savings rates, the Cyprus savings grab, non-performing insurance-wrapped...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Popular Bali sees rocketing real estate prices in 2013
A popular destination for 50 years with expats and tourists alike, the tropical island of Bali is seeing high demand for its properties resulting in even higher real estate prices. Demand is spiralling upward as more Australians and Brits flock to the island for its glorious weather, sheer beauty and laid-back lifestyle, giving capital...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Expats in Spain must report overseas assets by end April
Expats living in Spain are being reminded that the end of April is the deadline for the declaration of any overseas assets, property or pensions to the tax authorities. The new rules were introduced as part of a wider anti-fraud scheme aimed at reducing tax evasion.All expats are required to report overseas assets totalling more than...
3 Apr at 6 PM
New Canadian immigration guide highlights Queen, marriage and military
The brand new guide produced for immigrants to Canada will focus on the country’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth, the Canadian armed forces and their role in defending the county and acceptable marriage customs. ' The tome, entitled Welcome to Canada, is twice the size of the previous guide and contains 146 pages. Personal experiences...
3 Apr at 6 PM
Expats fight capital losses caused by offshore investment ripoffs
2013 may yet be the year when expats worldwide turn on rip-off salesmen for offshore investment companies whose procedures have caused huge losses. Popular expat destinations such as the UAE, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Thailand have long been plagued by hordes of unqualified salesmen intent on mis-selling offshore investment...
1 Apr at 6 PM
Saudi businessmen believe expat workers needed for 40 years
In spite of Saudi Arabia’s controversial Saudization scheme which promises jobs in major sectors for all nationals, Saudi businessmen believe expat workers will be needed for 40 more years. Government leaders would seem to agree, according to the head of the country’s vocational training organisation, who stated that it will take at...
1 Apr at 6 PM
British expats in Cyprus join together to help the needy
The famous WWII spirit shown by Londoners during the blitz has surfaced again in Cyprus, with British expats joining in a crusade to help those in dire financial need. Since Cyprus’s financial crisis struck, many British pensioners on the island have been unable to access their savings via ATMs, and the British Government has suspended...
30 Apr at 6 PM
Neil Heywood death under fresh scrutiny in business deals
One person involved in the business deal claims that Gu wanted to utilise it to pay for the prep school tuition of her son, Guagua, who is now a Harvard University student, and whose luxurious lifestyle has been cited as proof of his family’s corruption. The deal sheds new light upon Mrs Gu, her lifestyle in the UK, and how she changed...
27 Apr at 6 PM
UK woman stabbed in Spain by intruder
As reported by the Telegraph, A UK expat living in Spain was hospitalised after an intruder stabbed her in her home, say local reports. The 53-year-old female, who has been unnamed, was taken to hospital in a rush, according to Spain’s news agency EFE. The woman was allegedly stabbed in the belly with a kitchen knife at her home close...
26 Apr at 6 PM
Tech advances help UK expat lifestyle
As reported by Easier, advances in technology are helping British expats deal with home sickness. As the capacity to keep in contact with friends and family gets easier, expatriates have been settling into their new homes more quickly, says the NatWest International Personal Banking Quality of Life Index. The Quality of Life report, in...
25 Apr at 6 PM
Bo Xilai wife present at Heywood murder
As reported by the Telegraph, the wife of Bo Xilai, Gu Kailai, who is accused of killing the UK businessman Neil Heywood, confessed that she was present when the victim was poisoned. Wang Lijun, the ex chief of police of Chongqing, has told US officials that Mrs Gu had pleaded guilty to murder with the phrase: "I did it." Wang...
24 Apr at 6 PM
Weetabix seller disobeys food giant
As reported by the New Zealand Herald, a shopkeeper in Nelson has told Sanitarium to leave him in peace after the company threatened him with legal action for vending a UK cereal to homesick expatriates. Bob Wren received the menacing letter after Sanitarium officials visited his shop and demanded that he quit selling Weetabix, a UK...
23 Apr at 6 PM
Chinese police assure protection of foreigners post Heywood murder
As reported by the Sacramento Bee, Police in Chongqing, China, are vowing to better protect expats after the murder of UK businessman Neil Heywood, which has ignited an global political scandal. Mr Heywood’s case is a rare one, says an anonymous Chongqing city official to the Xinhua news agency; the source added that very few foreigners...
21 Apr at 9 AM
Britain raises doubts on Neil Heywood death four times
As reported by the Telegraph, the British Foreign Office expressed concerns surrounding the death of UK businessman Neil Heywood to China’s authorities on four occasions during a period of seven weeks before its investigation was announced. The Foreign Secretary sent out a written statement saying he had hoped the inquiry on the death...
19 Apr at 2 PM
Brits win compensation for terror attacks overseas
British people who are injured in terror attacks abroad will now be able to claim compensation due to new rules brought in by the government. As of this week, travellers and expats will be able to claim up to £50,000 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, whereas previously the money could only be used for people injured within the...
19 Apr at 9 AM
Expat teen murderer gets 35 years in jail
As reported by the Daily Mail, a British man who killed a girl who turned down his romantic advances has been sentenced to at least 35 years in jail after he killed her and her parents to death at their home. Prosecutors claimed that he left his victims’ bodies in their blood stained home after stabbing them about 112 times. Jason...
17 Apr at 6 PM
UK expat tax caution on offshore bonds
As reported by the Telegraph, expats with offshore portfolio bonds might need to alter their tax planning now that the UK has reformed its tax management of these bonds. The UK government has sealed a loophole which used to allow British expats with overseas bonds to avoid paying taxes on investment gains. Overseas portfolio...
16 Apr at 4 PM
Low paid expatriates lament high price for childrens education
As reported by Arab News, school fees for expat children are too high, argue the parents of children attending tuition-paying international schools in Saudi Arabia. Though education is free for Saudi citizens, the children of expats face rising school costs. With the relatively low wages of many expat workers, the rising fees are creating...
13 Apr at 2 PM
Hong Kong soon to be top expat destination
As reported by IFA Online, Hong Kong’s booming economy is attracting increasing numbers of UK expats who are passing up on more traditional destinations, reports international financial expert Guardian Wealth Management (GWM). A flourishing economy, Hong Kong also offers a vibrant culture, as well as a low tax regime, which makes it an...
12 Apr at 6 PM
Protest in Malaga over equity release scams
As reported by the Olive Press, over 30 expat victims affected by equity release scams assembled outside of Hacienda yesterday in Malaga to protest an alleged fraud which could lead to many of them losing their properties. The mainly British group, which is led by Ian Sherdley and Euan Armstrong who created the Equity Release Victims...
11 Apr at 6 PM
Brown criticized for Irish visas bill
As reported by Enterprise News, Senator Scott Brown (Republican, Massachusetts) has recently come under fire for going forward with a bill that would offer 10,500 work visas per year for Irish citizens looking to emigrate to the United States. At a time when the US Congress has been deeply divided over passing comprehensive immigration...
10 Apr at 3 PM
Britains hardest working father goes to Oz for better life
As reported by Express, Britain’s hardest working dad has emigrated to New Zealand, along with his spouse and 12 children, since they see the future at home as too bleak for their children. Dave and Jackie Jones landed in Australia yesterday, thinking it offers them new opportunities. Dave, 42, says he must do what he can for his...
9 Apr at 3 PM
Shropshire couple Spanish house dream goes sour
As reported by the Shropshire Star, a Shropshire mechanic put almost £50,000 into his dream house after leaving his hometown to build a new life in Spain, but has now revealed the dream has turned into a nightmare. Martin Wade, aged 41, says he has now been left penniless and is now having to cancel his wedding to his partner of four...
6 Apr at 6 PM
Expat finance posts in Asia to be slashed
As reported by the Telegraph, Asian financial hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore have enjoyed vibrant trade, with several US and EU banks and investment houses going East to tap into the globe's most populous region. Corresponding to the changes have been a shift of asset managers, bankers and financial service staff flocking to Asia to fill...
5 Apr at 3 PM
UK expats see new fixed rate accounts
As reported by the Telegraph, Skipton International has revealed a second version for its two-year fixed rate International Reserve Bond. The bond, which will be available only for a short time, will pay 3.5% gross per year on minimum balances showing £10,000. The offer will be withdrawn once its funding limit has been reached. If...
4 Apr at 9 AM
Shoura decides no taxes on expats
As reported by Arab News, the Saudi Arabian Shoura Council has rejected a proposal to tax the salaries of individual expat workers in the private and public sectors. The council meeting was headed by Council VP Dr. Mohammed bin Amin Jafri. Dr. Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, who is Secretary-General of the Shoura Council, said the group reached the...
3 Apr at 9 AM
Company to help expats repatriate bodies
As reported by Gulf News, a funeral service company in Al Foah is helping to make human remains repatriation less stressful for expats, as it concerns itself with dignified procedures for foreigners of all faiths. The company, Al Foah Funeral Services, operates the very first licensed multi-religion crematorium in the United Arab...
2 Apr at 3 PM
