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September 2013 Expat News Archive
Archived Daily Expat News from the Expats Blog Newsdesk...
30 Sep at 6 PM
No deal Brexit causing concern in British Overseas Territories
As the clock ticks down to October 31, Britons, expats and businesses in the British Overseas Territories are growing more concerned by the day. Unless a miracle occurs, the UK’s 20 overseas territories are as much at risk of dramatic consequences following a no-deal exit as is the UK itself. For example, residents on the Caribbean...
30 Sep at 6 PM
Shanghai ups its efforts to support expat integration
Expats in Shanghai can now access an extra dozen Foreigner’ Social Integration Service Centres located in the city’s research, art and museum institutions. Set up by the Shanghai Exit Entry Administration Bureau after the launch on September 16 of China’s first Permanent Residence Service Centre, the 12 new stations will work in...
30 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats furious at losing their long term right to free healthcare
The news that Brit expats will be forced to pay for healthcare should a hard Brexit be the final result is causing fury in Europe’s foreign communities. Local media outlets are taking up the issue, stating British expatriates paid tax for all their working lives in the home country and calling the announcement a betrayal of ‘thousands...
27 Sep at 6 PM
Saudi Arabia to woo tourists with relaxed dress codes for females
In an attempt to attract more tourists and expat visitors, Saudi Arabia is now relaxing its strict female dress code policy. As part of a push to make the Kingdom a major tourist destination, the Saudi government is preparing to launch a new visa regime aimed at 49 world countries as well as relaxing its former strict female dress codes....
27 Sep at 6 PM
Survey shows Brit expats prefer their lives overseas
A recent survey involving 1,000 British expats suggests nostalgia for the home country has finally faded. Results of a survey launched by an independent financial advisory firm include the fact that more than half of Britons living overseas feel their home country has changed for the worse, with only one third saying they’d return on a...
27 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Spain warned about invasion of aggressive tiger mosquitoes
Expats and locals in the Costa Blanca are being warned of a tiger mosquito invasion. As if the worst floods in 140 years weren’t enough, expats and locals in the affected areas of the Costa Blanca are now being warned over an expected invasion of up to a billion aggressive tiger mosquitoes. The massive inundation of flood waters is now...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Hong Kong-based expats still investing in UK buy to lets
Over the past several years, the numbers of expats in Hong Kong investing in British property has grown substantially. Nowadays, the idea of buying a property in Hong Kong as an investment is declining due to the island’s incredibly high real estate prices, with a basic home priced at almost 20 times the average local salary. As a...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats scammed by property developer granted full compensation by Spanish court
British expats living in Zurgena, Almeria have been granted compensation for new-build homes which were never finished. The case against developers New Medina Villas was brought by 14 mostly British expatriates after work on their new-build homes was stopped and the development seized due to its being on illegal land. A total of 111...
26 Sep at 6 PM
USA expat exodus soars as local retirement costs escalate
More and more American citizens are deciding to retire overseas as stateside costs escalate. In the past 10 years, the numbers of American citizens moving overseas after retirement has increased by 40 per cent, with the trend expected to continue. It seems the Baby Boomer generation is now beginning to realise the massive amounts needing...
25 Sep at 6 PM
Saudi expat exodus reveals link between low status jobs and social status
With almost a million expats now deported from Saudi Arabia, why have locals not taken on their jobs? For the past two years, the Saudi government’s deportation of illegally-working expatriate labour has emphasised its Saudization scheme, with some 900,000 now shown the door for various violations of labour, residency and border...
25 Sep at 6 PM
How risky is entrusting your savings to an expat IFA?
Safety and security are essentially important for newly-arrived expats, especially where pension pots and savings are concerned. Moving overseas for either work or retirement is the dream of many Britons seriously fed up with their homeland’s politics and weather, but keeping hard-earned funds safe isn’t as easy as it seems. For...
25 Sep at 6 PM
Does the ongoing Brexit chaos affect Brit expats in Thailand?
Without a doubt, Brexit has become a disaster for British expats living anywhere in the EU, but how is it affecting those who chose Southeast Asia as their destination? The political turmoil caused by what was sold to the general public as a non-binding advisory referendum hasn’t just resulted in expat dreams being shattered all across...
24 Sep at 6 PM
Kuwait to terminate contracts of 750 experienced expat professionals in education and health
The Kuwait health and education ministries are preparing to sack hundreds of expat professionals and replace them with locals. The emirate’s Civil Service Commission is urging both the health and education ministries to finish drawing up lists of expat employees who will have their contracts terminated by the end of this year. Without...
24 Sep at 6 PM
Dubai real estate market price corrections tempting expat professionals
For expat professionals living and working in Dubai, its falling property prices may present an investment opportunity. The effects of Dubai’s slowing economy and the oversupply of new housing developments have sent the emirate’s property market into a tailspin. However, the newly-introduced visa laws for skilled workers and expat...
24 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expat rights in Spain now dependent on reciprocity for Spanish expats in UK
The news that their rights in Spain will now be linked to the UK’s granting of the same rights to Spanish expats is yet another shock to Spain’s huge UK expat community. In spite of the Spanish government’s recent easing of British expats’ fears over their post-Brexit statuses, Britons are now hearing their rights will be...
23 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats in Spain to get informative talks on post-Brexit life
Informative talks for British expat residents about post-Brexit life are to be held in November, December and January at Marbella’s Palacios de Congresos. The talks, organised by the Delegation of Foreigners and given by a series of English-speaking experts, will focus on the in-depth effect of Brexit and its long-term consequences for...
23 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats in EU call discrimination over post-Brexit free heathcare
Protesting British expats are saying the Spanish government has done more to help them to help them than has the UK government . During an anti-Brexit demonstration in Malaga held by British expats, one protestor told reporters Spain had done far more for Brits than has the UK, a sentiment echoed by UK expatriates in Germany and France....
23 Sep at 6 PM
Malaga locals and expats to join in worldwide climate change protests
Expats living in Spain’s Costa del Sol region are gearing up for a massive worldwide climate change protest. September 27 is the date for the first climate change protest in Malaga, with literally thousands of activists including expats set to make their views known at the city’s Plaza de la Constitucion. The protest is also linked to...
20 Sep at 6 PM
Shopaholic expats have a great choice in Singapore
For expat professionals to whom shopping till they drop is one of life’s essential pleasures, a reassignment or even a short visit to Singapore is a dream come true. The amazing city-state is a shopaholic’s dream destination, with everything from trendy bargains to upscale haute couture on offer for those earning enough to support...
20 Sep at 6 PM
How will the 2020 Dutch budget affect the expat community?
In these troubled times, the word ‘budget’ can send expats’ hearts sinking, in case their purchasing power is limited by increased costs or even swingeing taxation! As every expat is - or at least should be – aware, the economic state of a country can have a direct influence on salaries, especially if they’re paid in the home...
20 Sep at 6 PM
Costa Blanca flood victims to receive emergency grants and aid from local government
In the aftermath of the catastrophic Costa Blanca floods, the Valencian government is preparing to grant financial aid to victims who’ve lost everything. The freak storms, now considered the worst in living memory, flooded a huge swathe of the Vega Baja from Los Alcazares to Orihuela, devastating 300,000 acres of farmland, destroying...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Brit pensioners in EU don’t trust government’s three year uprate guarantee
In spite of the UK government's promise, British expats in Europe are still fearful over their state pension uprates. It seems the recent announcement by the then UK Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd that UK state pension uprates would continue to be paid to British retirees in Europe for three years isn’t being regarded by those...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Is renouncing US citizenship the only way expats can fight FATCA?
It’s official – more than 20 per cent of American expats are planning on giving up their US citizenship and quoting FATCA as the reason. The disclosure came as a result of an expat survey by a major USA tax consultancy firm and reaffirms what every American expat believes – double taxation is a burden which needs to be cancelled...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Expat Brits on Cyprus now have another year to apply for residency
Should a no-deal Brexit be the end result, British expats in Cyprus now have until December 31, 2020 to register for legal status. Wednesday’s announcement of an extra 14 months’ deadline for legal status applications was made on the island’s Migration Department website and will help to calm British expats’ fears as a no-deal...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Al Hashem gets death threat after another attack on expats in Kuwait
Al Hashem has received a death threat after her latest anti-expatriate rant in Kuwaiti parliament. What goes round most certainly came round for Kuwaiti MP Safa al Hashem after her aggressive anti-expat rant in the emirate’s parliament earlier this week. Several local news articles reported the female MP had received a death threat as a...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Johnson slammed by international company CEO for gambling with expat lives
Following on the Luxembourg PM’s tell-it-like-it-is moment, a multinational finance company’s CEO has accused Johnson of being a high-stakes, misguided gambler. Founder of the well-known deVere Group Nigel Green slammed Johnson for risking the futures of several million Britons and their families living in Europe as well as the...
18 Sep at 6 PM
British expat couple in Spain lose literally everything due to devastating floods
In an update on last week’s devastating storms and floods in Spain, one heartbroken expat couple film the bare earth where their home once stood. British expat couple Richard and Liesl Cavender had chosen a plot close by the Segura River and near Orihuela city for their new home after leaving the UK to start a new life. Until the...
18 Sep at 9 AM
Worst storms in living memory hit expats and Spanish nationals alike
Expats in Spain are starting the big cleanup after the biblical storms.. Last week’s terrifying storms and torrential rains hit all of Spain’s south-eastern region including popular expat and tourism destinations, with the death toll now standing at five. According to long-term residents, the annual weather phenomenon was the worst in...
17 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats in Luxembourg protest Johnson visit
Luxembourg-based British expat protestors gave Boris Johnson a hard time as he left after his lunch meeting with Jean-Claude Juncker to attend a meeting with the Luxembourg PM. The scene outside the meeting quickly turned to chaos as the assembled expatriate protestors booed the PM and shouted Brexit chants as he was driven away for his...
17 Sep at 6 PM
Al Hashem hits out again at Kuwait’s expat community
Yet again, expats living and working in Kuwait are being targeted by politicians. Just a few weeks after a major annual survey ranked Kuwait as the worst world destination for expatriate professionals, yet another rant in the emirate’s parliament referred to expat recruitment as an ‘unnatural invasion’. It comes as no surprise that...
16 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Bahrain urged to avoid heart attacks
Due to an increase in the numbers of foreigners in the emirate dying from heart attacks, Bahraini medical professionals are urging expats to adopt a healthy lifestyle. According to healthcare professionals and social workers, some 50 expats passed away due to heart attacks during the past few months, five of whom died this month. Seven...
16 Sep at 6 PM
HRMC QROPS tax windfall transfer charge flops
The British taxman’s cunning scheme to grab millions of pounds from British retirees transferring their pensions to an overseas QROPS is now officially an almost complete failure. When the tax-grabbing scheme was first announced, HMRC gave an estimated windfall figure of around £125 million, raised from estimates of transfers in the...
16 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in French village terrified over no deal Brexit
Expats in a charming French village are living in fear of a no deal Brexit. British expats make up a quarter of the population of the quaint French village of Gouarec, and are becoming more and more anxious about their futures as the clock winds down to October 31. Their fears are focused on access to French healthcare and their pension...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Dismal Kuwait expat survey ranking criticised in Arab online media
Kuwait’s recent ‘worst destination for expats’ ranking in a major expat survey seems to have struck a chord in an online UAE news outlet. After Kuwait’s relegation to 64th out of 64 nations surveyed for the second year running, the ranking achieved viral status as local and international media comments made sure the world’s...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Urgent travel warning issued for expats and tourists as Spain’s extreme weather returns
British expats and holidaymakers in Spain are being urged to take note of the Foreign Office’s urgent travel warning. Following on from the earlier ‘worst storms in over a century’ in Valencia, the Foreign Office is now warning tourists and expats over more outbreaks of extreme weather. Last week, Valencia and its region suffered...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Shanghai receive awards for contributions to the city’s growth
Expat professionals in Shanghai have received coveted awards for their contribution to the Chinese city’s growth. Magnolia Silver Awards were given to 58 expats from 18 world countries in recognition for their contributions to the city’s development as a world trade hub. Recipients included scientists, educators, artists and senior...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Dubai offers co-living spaces for young expat professionals
Are co-living spaces the answer for younger expat professionals in Dubai? As the numbers of young, entrepreneurial expats in Dubai continue to increase, co-living spaces are springing up amongst the city’s clusters of townhouses and high rise apartment blocks. The city’s high cost of living and soaring rental charges have made shared...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats urged to join anti-Brexit protests in Malaga and Gibraltar
For many expat Brits, Johnson’s political manoeuvering resulting in the closure of the British parliament for five weeks in the run-up to October 31 was a step too far. Should a no-deal Brexit happen as planned by Britain’s most unpopular PM ever, the effect on the UK itself is expected to be devastating, but the effect on British...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Popular annual Amsterdam International Expat Fair scheduled for October 6
The 17th Amsterdam Expat Fair for Internationals is due on October 6th, and is expected to be the best ever. The fair is a must-visit for all expats in the Netherlands as well as for those planning to arrive, and has grown in popularity as the country’s expat population has continued to increase. This year’s event will concentrate on...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Biblical storms hit favourite expat destinations in Spain
The Spanish government issued a red alert warning yesterday afternoon as deadly weather phenomena returned to the Balearics and Mallorca. The two affected regions were hit hard again last night by monstrous storms, massive hailstones, tornados and heavy rainfall, with the worst-hit areas to the north and north-east of Mallorca and in the...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Expat survey sees Thailand at its worst ever world ranking
Thailand has dropped to its worst ever ranking in the recently released Expat Explorer 2019 survey. Once a preferred option for many expat professionals looking to change location, Thailand is now ranked 24th out of 64 countries surveyed. The survey took into account expats’ perceived quality of life, personal finance, family life, ease...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Health and environmental concerns now as important for expats as salaries
Nowadays, emigration isn’t just about high salaries and a luxury lifestyle, as health, wellbeing and the environment feature ever more strongly in would-be expats’ destination choices. Perhaps because of the scary changes in world weather, the looming threat of global warning has raised environmental consciousness and how climate can...
10 Sep at 6 PM
American Citizens Abroad takes on the fight for USA expat tax fairness
American expats living overseas are urging their compatriots to join the fight for tax fairness. The non-profit American Citizens Abroad support group are urging all affected USA expats to join them in a campaign aimed at fighting the onerous tax compliance burdens incurred by all US citizens living outside the home country. The campaign...
10 Sep at 6 PM
Omanisation rules OK as 34,000 expats thrown out last year
Oman’s Omanisation strategy was ramped up last year, with recently released figures showing some 34,000 expat private sector workers headed back to their home countries. It isn’t clear how many of those who gave up and got out were Western expats, but the Sultanate’s construction industry was a major employer of those who left....
10 Sep at 6 PM
British independent schools now affordable for expat kids due to shrinking sterling
Expat families from across the world are taking advantage of the shrinking pound to enrol their children in British independent schools. Perhaps the only thing the UK is now famous for is its top quality independent education, available at a high cost to the children of expatriates as well as Britons. Right now, with sterling looking to...
9 Sep at 6 PM
Hong Kong expats mull leaving as protests continue
Hong Kong’s popularity a an expat hub is mostly due to its position as one of the planet’s major commercial and financial hubs, but the desire for freedom from China’s oppression may change its face for the future. Last week, a major ratings agency downgraded the city’s credit rating due to the ongoing protests, stating its belief...
9 Sep at 6 PM
Ensuring the best outcome when investing in an overseas property
For expats buying a home overseas, it’s often a daunting prospect due to language difficulties and lack of knowledge of property laws applicable to non-citizens. Emigrating on a permanent or semi-permanent basis often includes buying a property in the new country of residence, but it’s a challenge for new arrivals who don’t yet know...
9 Sep at 6 PM
Thailand thrashed by Vietnam in recent expat survey
Thailand is now at a new low in this year’s Expat Insider survey. Once a favourite for expat professionals as well as Western retirees, this year’s survey saw it fall by seven places over the 2017 result to 25th out of the 64 countries represented in the study. To make matters worse, its next door neighbour Vietnam soared, winning out...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Greece experience extreme weather phenomena
As reports continue to come in about worldwide extreme weather phenomena, are expats in Greece wondering if their choice of climate should be reconsidered? Awareness of the fact of climate change is now growing as extreme weather reports coincide with scary analyses of melting polar ice, soggy permafrost and other previously unreported...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Protecting UK expat assets at this crucial time
As Britain’s parliamentary crisis worsens and Brexit creeps closer, Brits in Europe are becoming ever more concerned about protecting their assets. As the Johnson premiership becomes even more unstable whilst the Brexit clock keeps ticking, British expats in the EU are increasingly concerned about protecting their assets against the...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Paywalls preventing Brits in Europe from accessing reliable news
How many UK expat retirees struggling with sinking sterling can’t now afford to follow responsible media outlets due to paywalls, leaving them reliant on the often fake news and biased opinion in the tabloid press? In these trying times, it’s essential for British expat retirees to keep a very close watch on the day-to-day political...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Expats warned after a spate of dog poisonings on favourite Spanish beaches
Expats in Marbella are being warned to make sure their dogs are safe when on the beaches as a poisoner strikes again. To date, one dog has died and four others are seriously ill after ingesting poison whilst being walked on La Cabana beach. Local vets are raising the alarm, saying the poisonings are similar to last year’s 15 dog deaths...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Sunbathers’ shock horror as cannabis smugglers speedboat lands on Spanish beach
Costa del Sol expats and tourists sunbathing on a favourite Costa del Sol beach were threatened by cannabis smugglers arriving by speedboat. Estepona’s beaches on the Costa del Sol are all-time favourites with expats and visitors alike, but one peaceful scene was interrupted last Monday by a gang of cannabis resin smugglers who arrived...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Ongoing UK political chaos sparks fears amongst British pensioners in Europe
Even although British expats in Europe have now been promised uprated state pension for three years post-Brexit, the present political chaos suggests the good times won’t last. Around half a million UK pensioners in Europe are being informed about the three-year uprate by text message, with a good few thankful for crumbs from the...
4 Sep at 6 PM
Tech events for the autumn season aim at expat entrepreneurs and investors
Expat techies are now being offered a wide international choice of events. In 2019, expat tech entrepreneurs have a wide choice of meet-ups and events aimed at informing on the sector’s latest developments, held across Europe and specialising in everything from blockchain and cryptocurrencies to artificial intelligence. The only problem...
4 Sep at 6 PM
Managing your expat spending habits after a salary increase
Expats are being advised not to let a salary increase turn into a financial disaster. For expats who don’t run a household budget linked to their salaries, an increase in wages can lead to a spending trap, especially if they’re living and working in luxury locations such as Dubai, Paris, Switzerland or New York. Salary increases are...
4 Sep at 6 PM
Expats urged to look beneath Dubai’s glitter and glitz
Is there a sinister side beneath Dubai’s glitz and glitter? Dubai is one of the all-time expat favourites for its high salaries, its luxurious lifestyle and its glamorous residents, but some long-term expats sense there’s a sinister undercurrent below the trappings of wealth. Those who’ve ‘made it’ in the city are there to see...
3 Sep at 6 PM
Flog-it auctioneer to host charity valuation event aimed at Brit expats in Javea
Brit expats in Spain’s Costa Blanca region are being encouraged to dig out their valuables and antiques for Flog-it’s auctioneer Mark Stacey. The popular rags-to-riches show is to be aired from Javea on 14 September, with free valuations the order of the day. Stacey’s trip is aimed at raising funds for the Guardian Angel charity by...
3 Sep at 6 PM
UK banks now competing for a share of the expat mortgage market
UK expats hoping to invest in a British property after Brexit crushes house prices may now find better deals from mortgage lenders. Competition between British banks has resulted in something of a price war, with casualties now either quitting or identifying new markets for their products. Either way, the development has simplified expat...
3 Sep at 6 PM
British expats suffering more every week from crashing pound
As the British parliament reassembles for the fight of its life, expats and holidaymakers get slight relief as sterling temporarily stabilises, albeit at a low rate. Ever since the so-called ‘election’ of Boris Johnson as the UK’s latest prime minister, the slide of the pound against the euro and a host of other currencies has...
2 Sep at 6 PM
British government gives £3 million to help UK expats in EU get residency
The British government is setting up a £3 million fund aimed at helping UK citizens living in the EU prepare for Brexit. The money will be distributed to voluntary organisations and charities and will be focused on those having problems filling out the necessary forms for residency. Those helped will include the disabled, pensioners,...
2 Sep at 6 PM
Retired Brit expats in EU to get state pension upgrade of £200 for three years
Retired British expats living in EU member state are being promised an annual £200 pension increase for three years following a no-deal Brexit. In a move aimed at quashing scare tactics suggesting British expat pensioners in the EU would lose out after a no-deal Brexit, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has guaranteed the increase...
2 Sep at 6 PM
Thailand Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce supports expat complaints over TM30 reporting
As the TM30 issue continues to raise ire amongst long-term expats in business or on retirement, the Bangkok-based Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce has weighed in with proposals to amend the situation. Following the Thailand-wide expatriate calls for changes or even the dumping of the unpopular law, chair of the JFCCT Stanley Kang told...
28 Sep at 6 PM
Brits in Spain fighting hotel development inches from their house walls
A British expat couple living in Andalusia are furiously angry after a new three storey hotel's back wall was built just inches from their home. John and Lori Hillman along with other expat residents in their community are seeking legal advice as they believe the construction of the hotel breaks local environmental laws due to its height...
28 Sep at 6 PM
Philippines retirement visa an improvement on other SE Asian versions
If you’ve fallen in love with the friendly locals and laid-back lifestyle in the Philippines, retiring here is easier than in many Southeast Asian countries. The Philippines archipelago has been popular with older Western expatriates for some decades, but the numbers arriving are now increasing due to political instability in formerly...
28 Sep at 6 PM
UK Brexit minister urged to tell France to ease up on Brit expats
After a meeting with British expat groups on Thursday, junior UK Brexit minister Robin Walker urged the French government to guarantee British expatriate rights. The official line from the British government remains that responsibility for ensuring British expats in Europe retain their rights post-Brexit is up to the individual lawmakers...
27 Sep at 6 PM
Two Brit expats in Alicante hospitalised after apartment collapse
The collapse of two apartments in an Alicante housing development resulted in two elderly expat retirees being treated at a local hospital after the upper apartment collapsed. Retired expat apartment owner David Keary, a resident of Orihuela Costa’s Laguna 3 estate, was rescued from the wreckage of his apartment and taken to a local...
27 Sep at 6 PM
Abu Dhabi abandoned dogs fed nightly by expat volunteer
An expat in Abu Dhabi who volunteers with a local dog shelter has been driving every night to the rough desert lands around Abu Dhabi Industrial City to feed the increasing number of abandoned dogs gathering in the area. After he’d seen abandoned dogs close by a factory he’d visited last year, Zeeshan decided to volunteer with charity...
27 Sep at 6 PM
British expat living in Siberia forced to sleep rough in Russian airport
British pensioner Steve Beard was forced to sleep rough in a Russian airport after falling foul of Russian immigration on his way to London. Ten years ago, Steve met his Russian future wife online on a dating website, fell in love and abandoned his home country for a village in the wild wastes of Siberia. He married his schoolteacher...
26 Sep at 6 PM
New Zealand Weetabix Wars break out again in court
For the second time, a Kiwi store selling Britain’s favourite breakfast cereal is being attacked by a New Zealand company which makes a similar product. In the main, British expats in New Zealand live a peaceful existence amongst some of the world’s most spectacular natural beauty, but are more than willing to get seriously riled up...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Is reality dawning about the UAE expat retirement visa?
Is the new UAE retirement visa really an opportunity for older expats, or is it simply smoke and mirrors? In the weeks since the surprise announcement that the UAE is to offer 5-year retirement visas to qualifying expats, reactions from within the expatriate community have veered from positive through maybe to uncertainty about what...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Bahrain warned over increase in burglaries
Expatriates living in Bahrain’s capital have been warned to take care of their valuables and cash after a spate of burglaries over the summer. According to an official, the burglars have been targeting expat homes and taking gold jewellery as well as cash whilst the owners are out or away on holiday. As well as advising expat homeowners...
25 Sep at 6 PM
High UK property prices may encourage expat takeup of Dubai retirement visa
Soaring UK property prices may persuade expats to stay in Dubai after retirement. The problems of replicating a Dubai lifestyle as regards suitable properties in the UK may well encourage British expat professionals close to retirement to stay in the UAE. Expats coming up for retirement are now becoming aware the high costs of luxury...
25 Sep at 6 PM
USA so-called merit-based immigration not good for the UK
As the USA moves to a so-called merit-based immigration system, will the post-Brexit UK decide to follow? At the present moment, highly-skilled expatriates living and working in the USA are accusing the Trump administration of hypocrisy for its attempted move towards a flawed ‘merit based’ immigration system which supposedly...
25 Sep at 6 PM
Bodies of missing Scot expat and Thai wife found buried in their Phrae garden
After having been reported as missing five days ago, the bodies of Scot expat Alan Hogg and his Thai wife Nott have been found buried in the garden of their Thai mansion in Phrae. The couple were reported as missing by a friend who’d been unable to contact them via messaging and arrived at their villa to find blood on the walls of the...
25 Sep at 3 PM
Fake French government sites scamming expats and citizens alike
The French government has issued a warning to citizens and expats over falling foul of fake administrative websites set up by scammers. It’s estimated at least a million people every year are fooled by false government admin websites, leading to stolen funds and identity theft. Costs to victims total at around 1.5 million euros,...
25 Sep at 3 PM
Expat Brits in EU slam Theresa May’s Friday speech
Campaigners for UK expats rights as well as the expats themselves are furious over May’s promise to protect the post-Brexit rights of EU citizens in the UK whilst ignoring the rights of British citizens in Europe. British expatriates living in Europe as well as campaign groups fighting for their rights are dismissing May’s Friday...
25 Sep at 3 PM
Outcry by ignored Brit expats forces May u-turn
After failing to include the rights of British expats in her Friday speech, the PM backtracked in a Saturday interview with the Daily Mail. Campaign groups fighting for UK expats’ rights as well as expats themselves reacted furiously to May’s Downing Street speech following last week’s disastrous meeting between the PM and Michel...
21 Sep at 6 PM
Whitehall attempts expat reassurance on post-Brexit pension payments
Reports that British expats in Europe may lose access to their pensions post-Brexit are being denied as untrue by the UK Pensions Minister. Claims that British retirees in Europe will be unable to access their pension payments are being denied in a statement by the government’s Pensions Minister Guy Opperman. The statement says the...
21 Sep at 6 PM
Expats ponder possibilities and snags of UAE retirement
Long-stay expats in the UAE are debating their concerns about the emirates’ new retirement visas on social media. Following the recent announcement that long-term expats in the UAE will be able to stay on a five-year visa after their retirement from work, local social media pages are buzzing with discussions about the pros and cons of...
21 Sep at 6 PM
Expat campaign groups support EU leaders’ backing for second Brexit referendum
British expats living in Europe are in support of almost all EU leaders’ backing for a final referendum on Brexit. As the news from the negotiating table gets worse, the vast majority of EU member state leaders have made it clear they would support some kind of final Brexit referendum. Their stance is in direct opposition to Theresa...
20 Sep at 6 PM
Will the UAE’s new retirement visas solve the real estate slump?
Long-stay, wealthy expats in Dubai are mostly pleased at the introduction of ‘retirement visas’, but is the move enough to stimulate the emirate’s fading real estate market? One thing’s for sure, the new visas are welcome for expats who’ve spent most of the their working lives in the UAE and don’t fancy starting again overseas...
20 Sep at 6 PM
Expats and citizens in Spain warned over deadly bed bug infection
A distant relative of the common bed bug is on the rise in the USA and Europe and is transmitting a killer disease through its saliva. Known in Spain as the ‘chinches del beso’ (kiss bug), the insect bites its human victims around their mouths or on their facial skin, defecating adjacent to the bite and infecting the bite with a...
20 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Shanghai prefer e-biking to overcrowded public transport
Due to massive overcrowding in Shanghai’s otherwise satisfactory public transport and on its roads, many expats are turning to e-bikes, scooters and motorbikes as a practical means of getting around. An expat survey by an internationally-focused English language newspaper in the city revealed the majority of expatriates living and...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Expats and visitors to Thailand urged to avoid scams
Whether you’re a tourist to Thailand or a newly-arrived expat, you should take care not to be caught by scams as well as remembering to behave with respect when visiting temples and historic monuments. Thailand is still a favourite tourism destination for visitors from first-world countries due to its warm, sunny weather, low costs and...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Struggling French healthcare services to get massive makeover
If you’re thinking to retire as an expat in France, you should note a major overhaul of its struggling healthcare system is on the way. Once voted the best in the world in a report from the World Health Organisation, the French healthcare system is now struggling to stay afloat, with the government committed to a major overhaul. Perhaps...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Expats on Gibraltar concerned about new Spanish demands
In spite of previous assurances by the British government, UK expats on the Rock are increasingly concerned about new Spanish demands. With just over six months to go before Brexit takes effect one way or the other, Spain is demanding the EU sets up a special deal with the Gibraltar government over issues such as environmental concerns,...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Expat Democrats in Canada urged to vote in US mid-terms
American expatriates living and working in Canada are being urged to vote in the mid-terms in order to thwart Trump. US Democrats are attempting to rally the 200,000 US citizens living in Vancouver to vote in the upcoming US mid-term elections, citing their belief that Democrat expat voters could swing the balance in a number of tightly...
18 Sep at 6 PM
British expat pensioner is oldest PhD graduate ever
A retired, 95-yearold British expat living in Benalmadena on Spain’s Costa del Sol has just been awarded a PhD from Northampton University. His achievement makes Charles Betty the oldest PhD graduate ever from a British university, and his Doctorate of Philosophy was gained by a 48,000 word thesis taking five years to complete via a...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expat social security cheats nabbed by international team
Thousands of Brit expats living and working overseas have been caught illegally claiming British social security benefits. Millions of pounds’ worth of social security benefits have been fraudulently claimed by British expats living and working overseas, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. An investigation by the...
17 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in UAE invited to join annual 500km camel trek
The wonders of the desert and the traditional Bedouin culture and way of life are now open to expats joining the annual UAE 500km camel trek. Registration for the journey of a lifetime across the region’s vast deserts is now open, with expats of all nationalities invited to join in. The trek itself covers the deserts’ vast expanse of...
17 Sep at 6 PM
Brit ambassador to Spain warns all UK expats over registration
Britain’s ambassador to Spain Simon Manley has sent out warning letters to all Britons living in Spain. British expatriates living, working and retiring in Spain have received a warning letter from the British ambassador regarding the need to ensure they’re fully registered by the end of March next year. Whilst the letter expresses...
17 Sep at 6 PM
New UAE long term residence law stabilises expat life
Expatriates living and working long-term in the UAE are welcoming the emirates’ new long-term residence option. The thought that UAE law forces long-term expat professionals to leave their adopted country once they’ve reached retirement age has long been a painful thorn in the sides of those who’d given the best years of their life...
14 Sep at 6 PM
PremierFX bankruptcy scandal spreads to Mallorca
In a follow-up from recent news reports on millions being lost by expat investors in Portugal when a forex trading firm collapsed, details are now coming in about a similar scale of losses by expats living in Mallorca. The sudden, suspicious collapse of PremierFX Ltd’s three offices in London, Portugal and Palma resulted in Britain’s...
14 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expat donates 300 tins of dog food to struggling rescue centre
After an Estepona-based dog shelter made a desperate Facebook plea for tinned dog food, a kind-hearted British expat arrived with 300 tins. Dean Bateson-Payas admits he’s always been a dog-lover, and was very disturbed when he realised Spaniards didn’t necessarily share his affection for four-legged doggy friends. Most are just...
14 Sep at 6 PM
China opens up Chinese stock trading to expats
China is to allow expats to trade in Chinese stocks from Saturday 15th, but it seems very few are in a rush to buy. From Saturday, most expats living and working across China will be permitted to open brokerage accounts for trades in yuan-denominated A shares, but many are in wait-and-see mode, quoting China’s reputation of rushing in...
13 Sep at 6 PM
UK expats win over HMRC in delisted QROPS case
UK expats with delisted QROPS have finally triumphed over the British taxman after a surprising court verdict. Recently in the First Tier Tribunal court, four appeals against HMRC were allowed due to the late serving of discovery assessments on delisted QROPs. Ina Hills, Nicolo Martin, Gary Connell and Gerrard Gordon had all transferred...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in rentals urged to get home content insurance
Given the soaring cost as well as the legal difficulties of owning a home in expat relocation destinations, renting is now the most popular option. Expats arriving overseas for a stint at their employer’s international office almost invariably opt for renting an apartment or house, hopefully for the duration of their relocation but more...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Britons in France resort to anger over their plight
One of the worst aspects of the predicament in which UK expats in France now find themselves is conflicting information. For over two years, British expatriates who’ve chosen France as their home have been subject to misinformation, disinformation and occasionally outright lies by the British government and its ham-handed negotiating...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Survey suggests death of the American Dream
Safety and the excessive cost of living and healthcare are wrecking potential expats’ American dream. Once the dream destination for untold numbers of aspiring expats, the USA is now lagging behind 46 other world countries as shown in the recent Expat Insider survey. Respondents to the survey have to be expats living and working...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Expat professionals rejecting Brexit Britain
A recent survey has confirmed the UK is now one of the worst world destinations for expat professionals. Since the shock result of the 2016 Brexit referendum, migration to the UK from European Union member states has fallen to its lowest point in six years, with net migration also dropping from its previously high levels. Unfortunately,...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Massive Chinese building spree in Phnom Penh worries expat community
Chinese money is changing Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh beyond recognition. The city of Phnom Penh, formerly famous for its French colonial villas as well as its New Khmer Architecture modernist structures, is now becoming unrecognisable due to massive investment by Chinese developers. Over 200 investors arrived along with Chinese...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Scots expat business owners in Spain fear for the future
Scots expat business owners on the Costa del Sol are fearing for their post-Brexit futures. Even although the Spanish government has reassured expat businesses they can continue as normal post-Brexit, many are afraid the knock-on effects of losing the EU’s right to free movement will result in a dearth of British customers. Another...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Expat in Saudi arrested for breakfasting with female co-worker
An Egyptian expat working in a Jeddah hotel was arrested after he videoed and uploaded his breakfast meeting with a female Saudi co-worker. Although the woman was fully covered by a black Islamic niqab, the uploaded video caused outrage amongst ultra-conservative Arab Muslims, especially as the last few frames showed the female co-worker...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Brits on the Rock tell Spain to back off
Gibraltar’s National Day was celebrated with British flag-waving and a demonstration which made it clear expat residents don’t want a Spanish takeover post-Brexit. National Day in Gibraltar celebrates the Rock’s sovereignty referendum in 1967 with its overwhelming vote to stay British. Given the thousands of protestors who gathered...
10 Sep at 6 PM
Expats accused of heathcare fraud in South Korea
Expats in Korea are facing a crackdown on dodgy practices gaining access to the country’s healthcare for free. Foriegners needing expensive treatments have been signing up for private healthcare insurance, paying a few monthly premiums and jetting off to Korea for medical or surgical treatment. After getting operations, cancer...
10 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in the Maldives face new tax on remittances
For many expats, living and working the Maldives is a dream come true, but finances may be getting trickier. The Maldives government is now exploring the possibility of amending the labour law to include imposing a three per cent tax on expat remittances as well as forcing payment for expat workers to be deposited in Maldives-based banks....
10 Sep at 6 PM
Irish weather cited as main reason for emigration
In spite of this year’s souring, prolonged heatwave, a recent survey reveals the Irish weather is the main reason for emigration and the reluctance to return. Lack of sunshine and the resulting overall dampness has been cited by a new survey as the main reasons expats gave for leaving the country of their birth. This year’s Expat...
7 Sep at 6 PM
Expats returning to Dubai after summer break warned over drinking alcohol on flights
Tourists as well as expatriates returning to Dubai after the summer break are being warned not accept an alcoholic drink during their flight. The warning comes after a Swedish expat living long-term in London with her partner and children was arrested and imprisoned for drinking a glass of red wine offered to her by a stewardess. British...
7 Sep at 6 PM
Expats writing about China win awards
An award ceremony saluting foreign authors who write about China took place last week in Beijing. The Foreigners Writing China Programme award ceremony took place at Beijing’s China International Exhibition Hall at the end of last month, with five expatriate writers honoured for their work. The programme is government-inspired and...
7 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Prague may get relief from rowdy pub noise
Prague’s favourite party district now has an official noise meter. Prague’s Old Town Number 1 district is renowned for its pubs, bars, restaurants and nightclubs and music venues, and is said to be on a par with New Orleans’ Bourbon Street and Dublin’s Grafton Street for its riotous late-night crowds and loud music. Residents in...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Saudi shops closing down ahead of Saudization deadline
As Saudi retail outlets shut down due to the Saudization deadline next Tuesday, how will the kingdom’s expat professional community be affected? By 11th of September a huge number of retail stores and service providers in Saudi Arabia must be able to prove that 70 per cent of their employees are Saudi nationals. Retail sectors affected...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Adjusting to life as a newly arrived expat
The demands of expatriation can often result in physical and emotional health problems, with well-being put on the bank burner in the pursuit of money and success. Many would-be expats don’t realise that what’s good for the bank balance can be bad for overall health due to the stress of adapting to a new environment and lifestyle...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Qatar opens up expat permanent residency for the select few
With a recent surprise announcement, Qatar secured its place as the first Gulf State to allow expat permanent residency for a select few. Qatar’s change of heart as regards permanent residency for a limited number of expats is a landmark ruling in the region, even although few expatriates will have the qualifications necessary. Those...
5 Sep at 6 PM
British pensioners refused insurance payout after their car was stolen and torched
A British expats couple are being treated unfairly by their insurance company after they were gassed and had their car stolen and torched. After falling into an unusually deep sleep, pensioners John and Jacqueline Armitage were woken by Spanish police knocking on their door to let them know their burnt-out car had been found after having...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Is Saudi Arabia unraveling as an expat professional destination?
What next for expat professional prospects versus Saudization? In the modern world, it’s sometimes difficult to determine between real and fake news, but numerous recent reports might suggest Saudi Arabia as well as the UAE are unravelling as an expat professional destination. Vision 2030, the brainchild of the kingdom’s Crown Prince...
5 Sep at 6 PM
No deal Brexit still major risk for Brit expats in Europe
UK expatriates in Europe are still unsure of their rights some two years after the Brexit referendum. More than two years after the Brexit referendum, British expatriates living, working or retiring across the EU are no closer to having any security as regards their rights than they were when the result was announced. In spite of empty...
4 Sep at 6 PM
Higher cost of expat employees forcing Saudi SMEs to employ local labour
The high cost to UAE SMEs of employing expatriates is expected to result in a surge of Saudization. Market analysts are predicting a rise in the rate of Saudization amongst small and medium size enterprises in the UAE as a result of an increasing inability to afford the higher rates of pay common in the expat worker sector. According to a...
4 Sep at 6 PM
Expat wine lovers have a choice of retirement hubs
For would-be retired expats who love their wine, there’s a great choice of destinations. For many expats, their chosen retirement lifestyle has to include affordable wines to accompany the new tastes of their chosen haven. Luckily, there are many wine-growing regions in or close by favourite expatriate retirement hubs, with the best...
4 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expat in Germany forced to dismantle his Little Britain museum
A patriotic Brit living in Kretzhaus is being forced to get rid of his homage to the UK by dismantling his Little Britain-themed outdoor museum. As a result of the Brexit referendum, 15-year expat resident Gary Blackburn decided to make his own Little Britain museum in the front garden of his house in the normally quiet town of Kretzhaus...
3 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats in France urged by RIFT to know their rights
The several hundred thousand Britons living and working in France are being urged to research the rights they already have. Some 150,000 or more UK expats are estimated to be living in France, although reality suggests there are far more due to France’s unique ruling that arrivals from other EU countries don’t have to register or even...
3 Sep at 6 PM
Inexperienced expats warned about borrowing to fund cryptocurrency purchase
Expats based in the UAE are warned to beware of borrowing to fund cryptocurrency investments. One French expatriate based in the UAE and working as a cabin crew member with a major airline has lost almost all of the money he borrowed to invest in cryptocurrencies. Early last autumn, the French cabin crew member made several small...
3 Sep at 6 PM
Malaga restaurateurs caught by expat offering fake TripAdvisor reviews
A British expat-owned firm based in Malaga has been caught selling fake TripAdvisor reviews to Spanish hotels, restaurants and other expat and tourism-based companies. In a bid to boost their ratings on TripAdvisor and other global tourism websites, businesses in Malaga have been lured into paying €400 for dozens of fake five-star...
30 Sep at 3 PM
British expats in Spain urged to respond to citizenship survey
Brexpats in Spain citizenship survey to be presented to both governments Britons living in Spain are being urged to take part in a citizenship poll organised by Brexpats in Spain Co-founder of Brexpats in Spain Anne Hernandez organised the survey after Theresa May’s disappointingly vacuous speech in Florence, and is urging all Brits...
30 Sep at 2 PM
New expats in Dubai warned over rental property scam
New expats arriving in Dubai and searching for suitable accommodation are warned to watch out for rental scams. The process of finding a rental home in an unfamiliar city can be daunting for new arrivals, but there’s a good choice of agents in Dubai as well as a choice of online classified advertisements. However, as one unlucky expat...
30 Sep at 12 PM
Expats in Amsterdam blamed for problems and rising rents
<h2>New arrivals in Amsterdam blamed for affordable housing shortage</h2> Noise, rubbish and affordable housing shortages blamed on expats in Amsterdam An Amsterdam local radio station has hit hard on expats in the city, accusing them of of being the cause of rising rents as well as dropping piles of rubbish on the pavements...
30 Sep at 10 AM
Female applicants for Saudi jobs could soar after driving ban reversed
Following the announcement that women in Saudi Arabia will soon be allowed to drive, the local male-dominated jobs market might be in for a shock as more women professionals apply and are accepted. Female workforce participation in Saudi Arabia is far lower than in other GCC countries due to the nation’s stricter form of Islam as well...
30 Sep at 9 AM
Expat flight plans wrecked by Ryanair pilots dispute
The continuing dispute between Ryanair and its pilots is resulting in chaos for expats’ flight plans within Europe. Expatriates needing to travel within Europe over the coming weeks are desperately searching for alternatives as Ryanair’s dispute with its pilots drags on. Literally thousands of flights have been cancelled by the...
30 Sep at 9 AM
Saudi Arabia reverses ban on women driving
In a dramatic about-turn, Saudi Arabia is to allow women to drive cars, with the first licenses due to be issued next June. Saudi is the only country in the world which bans women from driving, with the law based on the Kingdom’s austere version of Islam. In the past, the ban has attracted interest from human rights activists as well as...
29 Sep at 6 PM
Costa Blanca police arrest violent teenaged gang following a spate of burglaries
Police in the popular Spanish expat hub of the Costa Blanca are warning British expats to take care following a surge in violent robberies by street gangs. Costa Blanca police have arrested a gang of teenaged burglars targeting expats after a pensioner was badly beaten whilst confronting the intruders. The young robbers’ modus operandum...
29 Sep at 6 PM
Expats on Bali urge tourists to heed volcano warnings
As Mount Agung continues to spew smoke and ash, expats living on Bali are concerned tourists are not taking notice of international travel warnings. Even although some 144,000 residents have been evacuated from locations close to Mount Agung, tourists are still arriving in droves, causing real concern amongst expats that they’re simply...
29 Sep at 6 PM
Expat salaries increase the most in Saudi Arabia and Switzerland
Expatriate professionals in the pharmaceutical and banking industries are sitting pretty if they’re based in Switzerland with its reputation for extremely high salaries, but those working in Saudi Arabia’s petrodollar economy get even more money. The oil and gas, banking and pharmaceutical industries are favourite sectors for expats...
26 Sep at 6 PM
US expats in Cambodia concerned over anti US threats
American expatriates living and working in Cambodia are growing more concerned about the seemingly anti-US stance of the ruling military government. After the recent closure of independent English language media outlets and radio stations and the arrest of the country’s opposition leader, Phnom Penh officials have focused their rhetoric...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Expats and tourists flee Bali volcano as alert raised
Tourists and expats on the popular Indonesian island of Bali are growing ever more anxious as the likelihood of a volcanic eruption increases. Increasing seismic activity around the Mount Agung volcano has caused Indonesian officials to close off the surrounding area, with warnings of the likelihood of an imminent eruption given to around...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Expat mom legally in UK gets deportation and child removal threats
A Japanese expat mom living legally with her Polish husband in London has endured a life-changing two-year fight with the Home Office. Another Home Office scandal hit the media today, describing the two years of hell endured by Japanese national Haruka Tomioka, who’d been living legally in London with her Polish husband, an EU citizen...
25 Sep at 6 PM
Republicans Overseas representatives go to Washington in support of Territorial Taxation
Since the introduction of FATCA, Republicans Overseas has been fighting for the repeal of Citizenship Based Taxation. Representatives of Republicans Overseas are about to visit the White House in an attempt to have the government repeal FATCA and Citizen Based Taxation, replacing them with Territory Based Taxation. The USA is the only...
25 Sep at 6 PM
Expats advised to research natural disasters when choosing retirement destinations
Following the devastation caused to popular Caribbean retirement destinations, expats are being advised to research natural disasters in their preferred region. Near-retirees who’d almost decided on a relaxing life on a beautiful Caribbean island are being forced to reconsider after two mega-hurricanes struck the region. Hurricanes Irma...
25 Sep at 6 PM
PM speech in Florence ignores UK expats whilst aiding EU citizens in Britain
Theresa May’s speech in Florence was seen as a possible opportunity for clarity on the Brexit negotiations chaos, but is being denigrated by UK expat protest groups as containing less substance, more soundbites. The volunteer group Remain in Spain was the first to voice its disappointment, with chairwoman Sue Wilson commenting the...
22 Sep at 6 PM
When to give up and get a housemaid in the UAE
Nowadays, many trailing spouses whose partners are working in the UAE also have jobs themselves, but coping with housework because of guilty feelings about hiring a maid is no fun. Many trailing spouses from Western countries have feelings of discomfort about hiring a maid to do jobs around the house, mostly because the Western way of...
22 Sep at 6 PM
Survey shows majority of Brits now reject Brexit
As PM Theresa May prepares her Brexit speech, a new poll reveals the majority of British citizens believe the UK is better off within the EU. The poll, conducted by BMG Research on behalf of the Independent newspaper, clearly demonstrates a majority of Britons now understand the complexity and potential disaster of withdrawal and would...
22 Sep at 6 PM
Saudi ends year long ban on WhatsApp and Skype
Saudi Arabia’s ban on voice-activated protocols including Skype and WhatsApp has now been lifted due to pressure from business users. Over the past year, Saudis and expats have been unable to use internet-based communications either for business or personal calls to families back home, due to a government-introduced ban. The lifting of...
21 Sep at 6 PM
Amsterdam Expat Fair draws thousands to network and integrate
The famous ‘I am not a Tourist’ expat fair in Amsterdam is an annual event drawing thousands of international expats to network, find out more about the Netherlands and make new friends. Held in the heart of Amsterdam at the Beurs van Berlage, the Expat Fair is now an established annual event attracting international expatriates from...
21 Sep at 6 PM
Saudi Arabia advised to find ways to attract expat workers
International inancial gurus are advising Saudi Arabia to work on addressing cultural differences in order to attract more foreign professionals. At the present moment, Saudi Arabia is attempting to diversify away for its former almost total reliance on oil as a revenue stream. According to speakers at New York’s recent Bloomberg Global...
21 Sep at 4 PM
Petition calling for referendum vote on Brexit deal wins Westminster debate
A petition calling for a new referendum based on the final Brexit deal has passed 100,000 signatures, forcing it to be debated in the parliamentary House of Commons. The petition requests a referendum to be heard before the official date when Britain leaves the European Union, pencilled in at present as the end of March 2019. The debate,...
20 Sep at 6 PM
Best emigration locations for LGBT expats
For would-be LGBT expats, finding the right country can be tricky, with certain destinations welcoming and tolerant and others the exact opposite. As a general rule, countries in Europe and North America are more tolerant and welcoming to LGBT expats than others where rights for this specific minority may be few or non-existent. Starting...
20 Sep at 6 PM
UK expat pensioners flock to Spain over last decade
Official statistics have revealed the number of British retirees in Spain has doubled since 2007. According to the Office for National Statistics, the total number of British pensioners choosing to spend their retirement years in Spain is now 121,000. The majority of new expat arrivals in the country are over 65 years of age, with...
20 Sep at 6 PM
British hotelier in Marbella slams mayor for persecuting his popular business
The British businessman owner of an upscale Marbella hotel popular with expats and tourists has been forced to sack 50 Spanish employees after the local authority withdrew his music license. The Sisu Hotel, mysteriously the site of a firebombing attack earlier this year, was recently refused renewal of its music license by reinstated...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Portuguese government to tax expat retiree pensions
Portugal’s foreign retiree community’s pension payments are about to become taxable, according to the country’s Finance Minister. The introduction in 2009 of a special tax break for ‘non-habitual residents’ has seen an increase in Portugal’s popularity as an international expat retirement hub, but confirmation that the...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Survey shows older expats in Thailand fear for their futures
Expat pensioners living in Thailand are becoming concerned over the ever increasing cost of private heathcare and the reliability of the Thai retirement visa system. Long considered an exotic but stable expat retirement destination, Thailand is home to expat communities in many provincial cities and large towns as well as in Bangkok and...
19 Sep at 6 PM
New survey for compensation packages based on price of one beer
A new approach to cost of living surveys, calculated on the price of a beer, gives more accurate results than traditional studies. It goes without saying that surveys can be very useful for expats looking for new assignments or pensioners looking for an exotic retirement, but a new, simpler approach is likely to prove very popular as a...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Kuwaiti MPs urge last minute delay for expat health fees
With just days to go before the planned introduction of Kuwait’s unpopular expat health fees law, local MPs are urging its delay or postponement. As large numbers of less well-off expats pack their belongings and leave, it’s now clear to a number of Kuwait’s parliamentarians that the majority of expat labour in the emirate will have...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats in UAE appalled and angry over tube train bomb
British expat professionals living and working in the UAE are furious and appalled at the explosion in a London tube train. The failed major terrorist attack on a London commuter tube train last Friday has resulted in anger amongst the many British professionals working in the UAE. Although the device itself was flawed and its explosive...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Post Brexit chaos threatens UK expats with private pensions
British expat retirees with private UK pensions are being warned their regular payments may be at risk post-Brexit. Chairperson of the parliamentary Treasury Committee Nicky Morgan is calling for immediate action over the risk to UK expat private pension holders that their regular payments may be blocked after Brexit takes effect. Morgan...
16 Sep at 6 PM
Violent American wrecks British family dream of living in Spain
A British family planning to move to Spain for a better quality of life have reversed their decision after being attacked in Marbella by a maniacal American expat wielding a baseball bat. Property developer Julian Higgins, his Chinese wife Lydia and their two children Leo and Jasmine were all set to move to a new, more peaceful life somewhere...
16 Sep at 6 PM
Expat rights campaign groups hold huge rally in London
Campaign groups representing both UK expats in Europe and EU expats in the UK have staged a massive lobbying rally in London. The rally came as news broke that Theresa May is to travel to Florence next Friday to give a speech about Brexit prior to the start of the next round of negotiations. The rally encompassed several venues as well as...
16 Sep at 6 PM
OZ expats shaken by latest terrorist attack in London
Expats from Australia living and working in London have grave concerns after the latest in a series of terror attacks in the capital. Reactions of Australian expats to the latest London terrorist attack are ranging between fear and a wish to return to their home country. The explosion and fire of the improvised bomb on a peak-hour commuter...
14 Sep at 6 PM
Expat retirees favour Ecuador for its varied options
Ecuador is still one of the most popular retirement destinations for expats, according to the latest survey. There’s a great deal of choice as regards retirement destinations for older expats determined to enjoy their lives in the sun, with Ecuador ticking most of the boxes and gaining yet another place in Expat Insider’s Top Ten...
14 Sep at 6 PM
Expats urge Qatar Airlines to reduce charges for transporting pets
Five pet rescue charities based in Qatar are asking Qatar Airlines to reduce their charges for pets flying with their relocating owners. Lufhansa’s flight services to Doha from Frankfurt are due to be withdrawn in October, taking with them the only economical, direct flight option for relocating expat pet owners. Doha’s five dog...
14 Sep at 6 PM
Stranded British expat on BVI reports anarchy and violence
A British marine engineer stranded in the British Virgin Islands is telling the situation as it is, stressing no-one is on the streets without a weapon. Leo Whitting’s partner Claudia Knight left the couple’s family home in Tortola for the UK before the hurricane struck, mostly to ensure their two-year old daughter’s safety. After...
13 Sep at 6 PM
British expats willing to pay for EU citizenship
A recent survey by Experts for Expats has shown more than 50 per cent of British expats would welcome the chance to purchase individual EU membership. Although the survey was relatively small in numbers, responses by UK citizens living across the world suggest all respondents believe Brexit will harm their personal situations as well as...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Qatar mark 100 days illegal blockade
Expatriates living and working in Qatar have marked the 100th day since its illegal blockade by praising the emirate’s safety, security and leadership. It seems the Arab States’ diplomatic blockade of Qatar has had the opposite effect to its intended crushing of the small state. Just 100 days after the crisis began, expats and...
13 Sep at 3 PM
Thai island famous for weddings now a rubbish dump
The formerly stunning island of Koh Kradan, a favourite for Westerners’ underwater weddings, is now trashed on and offshore by discarded rubbish. Environmentally destructive waste including empty plastic bottles, foam boxes, plastic bags, discarded food and more can be seen on Koh Kradan’s formerly pristine beaches as well as in the...
12 Sep at 6 PM
EU expats in UK suffering increased discrimination
The British government is investigating evidence that EU citizens in the UK are being blocked from buying or renting homes as well as applying for jobs or services. # Evidence is mounting over a disturbing trend towards discrimination against EU expats attempting to find jobs, homes or rentals. In response to a growing number of reports,...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Looting and violence terrifying UK expats on British Virgin Islands
British expats struggling to get their lives back from Hurricane Irma’s catastrophic attack on the British Virgin Islands are now facing a state of anarchy. The hard-hit island chain is British Overseas Territory and home to communities of expat residents, many thousands of whom are struggling to survive in the aftermath of the storm....
12 Sep at 6 PM
Thai brides offered one day free government course in interracial marriage
The Thai Social Development Ministry is now offering Thai women a free one-day course in interracial marriage and moving overseas. Thailand is a favourite destination for romance and marriage between older Western expats and younger Thai women, but cultural differences are often ignored. According to the country’s Social Development...
11 Sep at 6 PM
British expat at war with neighbours over quirky British tribute
A British expat in Germany is causing uproar amongst his neighbours with his quirky ideas on garden design. Tree surgeon Gary Blackburn lives in the German town of Kretzhurst and obviously misses his homeland very much – or at least the artefacts he believes define British culture. His German neighbours, however, don’t share his...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Gulf State slowdowns affecting real estate sales
Dubai as a must-have for expat professionals might now be more affordable as its property market stalls. As economies in the Gulf States slow down, house prices and rentals are becoming more affordable for expats. Dubai’s developers are hoping to encourage incomers to invest in pre-sales in order to offset the fall in oil prices and...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Survey shows India sucks as an expat destination
The results of a recent expat survey have revealed India is amongst the 10 least popular expat destinations. The recently released Expat Insider survey saw India languishing in 57th place out of the 65 countries surveyed, and the result wasn’t due to problems with salaries and living costs. Expats were content with the sub-continent’s...
8 Sep at 6 PM
UK expats in Caribbean angry at slow British government response
Two British Overseas Territories have been severely damaged by Hurricane Irma, with a third lying right its path. Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands archipelago have already felt the destructive force of one of the worst hurricanes in modern times. The devastating storm is now roaring down on the low-lying Turks and Caicos island...
8 Sep at 6 PM
UK and USA lose their charm for expats
Once hailed as two of the most popular destinations for career-oriented expats, the UK and USA are now in free fall due to Brexit and the Trump presidency. It’s no surprise that the world’s two major English-speaking countries are feeling the effects of upheavals caused by the Brexit referendum and the election of Donald Trump as US...
8 Sep at 6 PM
US expats heading to Ecuador for retirement
As it becomes increasingly difficult to fund an enjoyable retirement in the USA on the average pension or social security payment, older would-be expats are looking to exotic yet affordable locations such as Ecuador. Many are finding they can enjoy luxuries as well as plan a comfortable budget for necessities, and there’s lots to see...
7 Sep at 6 PM
Romantic Italy hits rock bottom in expat survey
A recent survey has revealed expats choose Italy for romance but don’t rate the country for career opportunities or salary levels. This year’s Expat Insider survey hasn’t been kind to Italy, a country better known for its romantic ambience than for its career opportunities and generous salaries. Out of 65 countries, the historic...
7 Sep at 6 PM
Australian PM plans evacuation for Oz expats in Asia
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is planning to evacuate 200,000 Australian expats living and working in Asia should the threat of war become imminent. Australia’s federal government is closely monitoring the escalating tensions between North Korea and the USA and is planning a mass evacuation of 200,000 Australian expats...
7 Sep at 6 PM
Bahrain ticks all boxes as an expat destination
The tiny island-bound nation of Bahrain has won top position in a 2017 expat life survey. Beating out strong competition from other favourite destinations such as Mexico and Taiwan, the island nation of Bahrain is now the Expat Insider survey’s top pick as an expat destination. Rated 19th in last year’s survey, Bahrain’s leap to...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Ten Brit expats arrested in Magaluf on serious drugs charges
Ten British nationals living in Magaluf ‘s Punta Ballenna have been arrested on charges of drug dealing. The gang, four of whom are women, had been boasting openly on social media about their jobs, which involved targeting visitors to local nightclubs and lap dancing bars. According to local police, a huge quality and range of illegal...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats in Europe in no rush to repatriate
In spite of predictions of a mass exodus from Europe, expats living in European Union states seem to be in no hurry to up and leave. A report for the UK’s Office of National Statistics, (ONS), has stated the number of UK expat pensioners leaving the UK for sunnier climes is still rising despite the uncertainties caused by Brexit. In...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in the Caribbean fear Hurricane Irma disaster
As Hurricane Irma barrels across its first landfall in the Caribbean at an incredible 190mph plus, residents, expats and tourists along its path are fearing for their lives. The chance of two ferocious storms hitting the USA within two weeks of each other is rare, with Irma already classified at category 5 and spreading widely enough to...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Kuwait cracking down on private sector employers of expat professionals
In another attempt to accelerate Kuwaitization of its workforce, Kuwaiti private sector companies are to be charged a fee for each expat employee over an allowance of 50 per cent of the workforce. The announcement by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Social Affairs is likely to affect almost every private sector company, as 90 per cent of the total...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in South Korea believe nuclear threat is smoke and mirrors
As international tension caused by the war of words between Trump and Kim Jong Un escalates, expats in South Korea are still refusing to panic. The vast majority of foreign residents in South Korea’s capital Seoul are staying calm as tensions between the North and the USA escalate, with most believing they’ve heard it all before. Most...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Cambodia Daily publishers banned from leaving Cambodia
In a further attack on the publishers of the now closed Cambodia Daily English language newspaper, the General Department of Taxation has prohibited them from leaving the country until the $6 million dollar back tax bill is paid. The paper, like many expat daily news outlets worldwide, is said to have always operated at a loss, leaving...
4 Sep at 6 PM
British high street banks still closing UK expats accounts
Over the past 18 months, UK expats living overseas have seen British banks clamping down on accounts held by expatriates. Traditionally, Britons who chose to emigrate to warmer and often cheaper climes were able to maintain their UK bank accounts in order to receive pensions and other regular payments. Nowadays it’s almost impossible...
4 Sep at 6 PM
Expats rights campaigners to hold mass human rights lobby of UK parliament
Two major groups representing both UK and EU expatriates are organising a mass lobby of British parliamentarians on behalf of the human rights of all expats affected by Brexit. The Westminster event, organised by the 3Million and the British in Europe coalition, will take place next Wednesday, with both groups stressing it’s not...
4 Sep at 6 PM
Cambodia English language newspaper closed down for political reasons
Expats in Cambodia are mourning the politically motivated loss of the English language Cambodia Daily newspaper. The demise of the Cambodia Daily comes after 24 years of publishing English language news, views and opinions aimed at the country’s expat community. As with many such media outlets, it was never a financial success but...
1 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in rural Spain endure four weeks without water
A small expat community in sunny Spain has been left without water in one of the country’s hottest ever summers. The dwindling municipal water supply in the Axarquia village of Colmenar has left residents including expats without piped supplies for a month, with no sign of the situation being dealt with by local officials. It’s the...
1 Sep at 6 PM
IRS admits its website is confusing US expats
For US expat taxpayers, it’s essential to have the knowledge necessary to avoid mistakes, but the IRS’s website is often less than helpful. Especially since the introduction of FATCA, US taxpayers living overseas have a special responsibility to get everything right on their returns. Most refer to the IRS’s website for the latest...
1 Sep at 6 PM
Expats EHIC healthcare agreed by EU and UK
Today’s good news is that, for expats living overseas on the date Britain leaves the EU, healthcare rights under the European Health Card scheme will be protected, as will those of EU citizens in the UK. The bad news is that the rest of the Brexit negotiations are proceeding at a snail's pace with, according to Davis, ‘some way to...
30 Sep at 6 PM
FATCA and complicated tax codes spur US citizenship renunciation
The huge rise in the number of Americans giving up their citizenship is being blamed on confusing tax codes and the introduction of FATCA. In the year 2008, just 231 US citizens renounced their heritage and gave up their citizenship, but 2015 saw a record number of 4,279 Americans following suit, a 20 per cent rise on the number in 2014....
30 Sep at 6 PM
Shrinking Hong Kong financial sector causes falling rents
Downturns in Hong Kong’s financial sector have resulted in cheaper apartments in many locations popular with expats. Falling rents in a number of favourite expat neighbourhoods are being seen as signs of the continuing downturn in the island’s financial sector as well as an indication that expats are moving on. For decades, residential...
30 Sep at 6 PM
New UK law forces British banks to allow expat accounts
Discrimination by British banks against UK expats with no ties to the country wishing to open accounts is now against the law. For some years, British banks have refused to open accounts for UK expats living overseas, and have even closed existing accounts. The reason behind the discrimination seems to be that not having a UK address...
29 Sep at 6 PM
Benefit of expat presence in Qatar outweighs disadvantages
Whatever the local feelings about the huge number of expats in Qatar, it’s a fact the emirate benefits enormously from their expertise, economic stimulus and cost effectiveness. Qatar’s total population is around 2.3 million, with expats in the emirate far outweighing the number of Qatari nationals. Frequent complaints are heard about...
29 Sep at 6 PM
UK and expat investors stymied by untimely death of scammer
An expat fraudster working in the UK and Spain has died unexpectedly, leaving her investor victims unable to trace millions of euros. Wendy Smart, also known as Wendy Jeffery, died before the estimated four million euros of investor money could be located. The fraudster persuaded dozens of expats in Spain as well as UK residents to invest...
29 Sep at 6 PM
LMIM investor group plans legal action in UK and other jurisdictions
A victims’ group attempting to get redress for the LM Investment Management Ponzi scheme collapse is investigating the feasibility of legal action in the UK and other jurisdictions. The LMIM scandal is perhaps this century’s most damaging example of investor fraud and is believed to have cost the 12,000 investors involved some A$750...
28 Sep at 6 PM
Saudi Arabia employers now listing expat details on jobs website
Over two thousand expat professionals’ resumes have now been uploaded to a new government website as job cuts continue. The Kawadir Labor portal was recently opened as a response to the changing circumstances of employers and their expat employees due to the dramatic fall in oil prices. Both employers wishing to rid themselves of pricey...
28 Sep at 6 PM
Eurostat survey reveals Spanish city with most expats
Statistics from a recently released Eurostat survey have confirmed Spain as the most popular of all European states for expat living. It’s old news that Spain is and always was the hottest destination for expats, especially retirees, with the results of a new Euro-survey identifying coastal Torrevieja in Alicante as holding the highest...
28 Sep at 6 PM
US expats in China using world view in vote for presidency
Americans living and working in China are finding they’re viewing the upcoming presidential election with a world view rather than as a purely domestic agenda. Shanghai’s Boxing Cat Brewery was the scene last weekend of a Democrats Abroad event held to register US expat voters for the upcoming presidential election. Democrats Abroad...
27 Sep at 6 PM
Vietnam scores high for expats in Asean states survey
It’s not just foreign investment that’s changing the game for expats in Vietnam, it’s career progression, lifestyle and the country’s overall charm. The recent 2016 Expat Explorer survey placed Vietnam as the second-best ASEAN country for expats after long-term winner Singapore. In addition, last year’s 25th place globally became...
27 Sep at 6 PM
Expat buyers rush for properties in Cyprus
The Cypriot property market’s surprise recovery is being led by foreign buyers and is showing a significant increase in sales over the past months. Although interest from Cypriot buyers is still at an all-time low due to difficulties in getting loans, foreign buyers have stepped in and are behind a huge improvement in the island’s...
27 Sep at 6 PM
US expat voters targeted as campaigns reach final weeks
Both sides in the upcoming US presidential election are aggressively targeting American expatriates, believing the expat vote may swing the results. Republican and Democrat campaigns are both actively wooing US expats following media suggestions that the hundreds of thousands of unregistered overseas voters may hold the key to the...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Too little too late repeal of 15 year UK expat disenfranchisement
After years of broken promises, lawsuits, appeals and campaigns against expat electoral discrimination, it seems UK citizens who’ve lived overseas for over 15 years may yet get the vote. The millions of Brits living in EU member states and recently excluded from voting for their future security in their chosen destination may well greet...
26 Sep at 6 PM
US and UK expats arrested in Bangkok after body parts found in freezer
The English language media in Thailand is reporting three expats have been arrested in Bangkok after a police raid discovered dismembered body parts in a large freezer. UK national Peter Colter together with US nationals James Eger and Aaron Thomas are in custody after a Bangkok police raid connected with forged passports also revealed...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Unlicensed expat real estate brokers in Qatar to face deportation
As part of Qatar’s newly introduced real estate brokerage laws, any non-Qatari, unlicensed real estate salespersons will be arrested and will face immediate deportation. The new penalties for non-licensed expat estate agents have now been confirmed by Qatari Minster of Justice Hassan bin Lahdan Mohannadi, with the legal draft itself now...
23 Sep at 6 PM
Abu Dhabi Irish school offers Gaelic classes to expat children
An innovative new school in Abu Dhabi is aimed at teaching Irish to the children of expats from the Emerald Isle. The unique Gaeliscoil Irish-language school exists to teach the children of Irish expats working on contract in the UAE, in the hope that its pupils will stay in touch with their heritage and history through the beauty of the...
23 Sep at 6 PM
How to avoid expensive mistakes when buying Spanish property
For decades, Spain has been the top choice for British expats looking for second homes or retirement villas, but ‘look before you leap’ is still the best advice. Spain’s sunshine, friendly people, great food, fascinating history and culture and ready-made expat communities have been attracting the British since the early days of...
23 Sep at 6 PM
Switzerland social life sucks and money rules OK
According to a recent survey, expat salaries in Switzerland are the highest in the world, but the social life is a disaster. HSBC’s 2016 expat survey saw alpine Switzerland placed fifth in the world overall as well as scoring tops in the economics and career prospects sector of the poll. However, it seems that friendship is being...
22 Sep at 6 PM
Expats love France for its quality of life
A respected online survey taking in the world’s major expat destinations has praised France for its quality of life. Although France in general received brickbats as well as praise, its quality of life for expats was rated a deserved fourth out of the 45 countries surveyed. The result was far in advance of the USA at 26th and the UK...
22 Sep at 6 PM
Avaaz anti Trump campaign launches in London
The latest attempt to save the world from the unthinkable prospect of Donald Trump in the White House was launched in London on Wednesday. The campaign, organised and run by registered US charity Avaaz, is being promoted as the ‘October surprise which will end Trump’, and seeks to mobilise the more than eight million unregistered...
22 Sep at 4 PM
Totals of UK expat pensioners winter fuel payments slashed following crackdown
The recent crackdown on payment of winter fuel allowances to UK expat pensioners living overseas has resulted in the total cost of providing the benefit falling by two-thirds. The British government’s bill for winter fuel payments to pensioners living outside the UK has fallen dramatically since new rules for its entitlement were brought...
21 Sep at 6 PM
Hints on healthy living in your expat paradise
Whether you’re a retiree, an expat professional, a backpacker or just looking for a permanent change of scenery, it’s wise to look out for common illnesses and their causes in your chosen destination. No-one expects to move to a new country and find themselves in an unfamiliar hospital being treated for a local bug, but it does happen...
21 Sep at 6 PM
Survey suggests a city for every type of expat
The difference and diversity of the world’s most popular cities means there is one perfect urban retreat for every potential expat. Expats come in all shapes, colours and desires, with finding the dream destination especially important as it ensures the expat experience is all it can be. Each world city has its own original sense of...
21 Sep at 6 PM
Research shows international schools hard hit by oil price crash
Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern international schools are facing an enrolment crisis due to the drastic fall in oil prices. Redundancies as well as shortened contracts in expat professional hubs are expected to have an unprecedented effect on enrolment in international schools. The Middle East is predicted to be worst hit, as contracts...
20 Sep at 6 PM
Thailand Tourism Authority holds Bangkok event to attract more expats
The Expat 2016 fair is due to take place in Bangkok on October 1 and 2, aimed at attracting more expats as well as wealthy tourists. The Tourist Authority of Thailand, (TAT), better known for its imaginative predictions of massive increases in tourist numbers, is holding a two-day event in Bangkok aimed at attracting more long-stay expats...
20 Sep at 6 PM
US expat activists hoping expat voters will tip the election
As polls continue to predict a tight finish for the US presidential election, activists on both sides believe expat voters can make all the difference. Expat Americans living overseas are a massive, mostly untapped reservoir of voters numbering in their millions, the majority of whom rarely, if ever, bother to vote. Activists from both...
20 Sep at 6 PM
91 year old UK pensioner in Canada fights for pension indexing
One of the 150,000 British state pensioners living as expats in Canada is carrying on her fight to have frozen pensions outlawed. Anne Puckridge served her country during the Second World War, receiving two medals for her exceptional contribution to the war effort, but is now living on a knife edge due to the British government’s refusal...
19 Sep at 6 PM
New Oz rules for pension cap to affect UK expats
A confirmed Australian government rule change has raised the lifetime pension contribution limits to $1.6 million, and is likely to complicate pension planning for UK expats. After scrapping a previous plan aimed at capping lifetime pension contributions at AU$500,000, the Australian government has done a u-turn and increased the cap to...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Oman clamping down on work visas for female expat professionals
Female expat professionals who’ve been offered jobs in Oman are either having to wait over a year to be approved or their visa applications are simply being refused. According to the Times of Oman, female professionals who’ve applied for work visas in the Muslim country are facing long waits before the correct paperwork is provided,...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Brexpats in Spain protest group expands to thousands of members
Whilst politicians in the UK fight over the effects and even the legitimacy of the Brexit referendum, a protest group in Spain has expanded to include thousands of UK expats. Begun several months ago in the Spanish town of Mijas, the group evolved almost overnight into ‘Brexpats in Spain’ due to a huge response from UK expats across...
16 Sep at 6 PM
Two dead and 20 injured in Indonesian fast ferry explosion
A modern, Australian-built fast ferryboat has exploded during a run between Bali and the island of Lombok. The Gili Cat ferryboat was carrying around 40 people when it blew up after smoke was seen pouring from its engine. It’s not yet certain whether the dead and injured are all tourists holidaying in Bali or whether expats were caught...
16 Sep at 6 PM
Oil price crash threatens Qatar economy and expat jobs
The effects of last year’s dramatic fall in energy prices are now threatening to change the face of Qatar and the lives of both locals and expat workers. Qatar’s formerly thriving economy relied on its position as the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas until lower oil prices kicked in due to a surplus of the ‘black...
16 Sep at 6 PM
UK expats wanting snow as well as sun should head for Canada
For UK would-be expats with post-Brexit worries about settling in EU states, Canada is the perfect answer, especially if snow as well as sun is a requirement. The vast expanses of Canada are no strangers to Britons, as the first UK citizens arrived in the 15th century and have been arriving ever since. Nowadays, ultra-modern cities nestle...
15 Sep at 6 PM
Practical help for new expat arrivals in Brussels
Brussels is a hotspot nowadays for professional expats from the UK, with settling in made easy via everything from a Welcome Desk to newsletters and practical guides. Settling in to a totally new environment is perhaps the most confusing aspect of becoming an expat, wherever in the world you’ve landed. Those heading for Brussels,...
15 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Hong Kong score bargain apartments with bad Feng Shui
Expats in Hong Kong have found the way to bag a bargain rental apartment is to find one where someone has recently died. Many traditionally superstitious Chinese strongly believe that when a death occurs in a private home, the result is bad Feng Shui or –to put it in a Western context – the home will be haunted by the spirit of the...
15 Sep at 6 PM
Furious British couple up sticks and move to Malta after Brexit result announced
One British couple were so incensed by the Leave victory in the Brexit referendum they immediately sold up, left the UK and are now permanently settled in Malta. Like many millions in the UK, Nigel Lippard and his Hong Kong-born wife Linda didn’t believe the Leave campaign had even half a chance of winning the June 23 Brexit referendum....
14 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in North Cyprus may get their evening entertainment back
Popular with tourists and a smaller number of expat residents than in the southern part of the island, North Cyprus was a desert last year as regards evening fun due to restrictions on visiting entertainers. Many Brits considering emigrating to Cyprus after their retirement kicks in may not even be aware that North Cyprus is also a...
14 Sep at 6 PM
British expats in Spain say NO to Brexit
British expats in Spain are still reeling from the shock of the Brexit result, plus the fact they’ve been left in limbo ever since. The strength of feeling and resentment against the chaos resulting from the referendum result is ramping up in Spain’s expat communities as time passes and no reassurances as to their status are being...
14 Sep at 6 PM
New French universal heathcare system to benefit expats
Earlier this year, the French government introduced a new universal system giving automatic and continuous healthcare rights to permanent legal residents. The new Protection Universelle Maladie system is available to all permanent legal residents in France including expat retirees. To qualify, expats need to have been living in France for...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats in Spain sue Rothschild over mis-sold equity release schemes
According to a recent article in the Sunday Times, a group of four expats living in Spain have filed a lawsuit alleging mistreatment in the matter of an illegal equity release scheme. The lawsuit due to be heard in Britain’s High Court is being seens as a test case for more than 800 British retirees in Spain, Portugal and France who were...
13 Sep at 6 PM
China rejigs visa system in favour of highly skilled expats
Chjna is planning to upgrade its visa system in order to give priority to attracting more top-level expat professionals and limit the numbers of low-grade workers. At the present time expats wishing to work in China have two visa options – the foreign expert work permit available from the State Administration for Foreign Affairs or an...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Post Brexit expats may need residency visas to live in Europe
According to the Home Office, Britons planning to emigrate to European Union member states may well need long-term residency visas. European countries are favourite destinations for British citizens wishing to retire overseas, with the EU freedom of movement laws allowing easy access. The Brexit vote takes away freedom of movement,...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Expat experiences during the attempted Turkish coup
The night of July 14 will remain in the memories of expats in Turkey as a time of frightening uncertainty underlined by the realisation they could abandon the country if necessary. The bloody, thankfully unsuccessful coup began on the evening of an average working day, just as citizens and expats were settling down for a normal evening’s...
12 Sep at 6 PM
UK Treasury launches lost pension tracking project for Brit expats overseas
The UK Treasury’s new online project will hopefully be a godsend for long-term Brit expats who’ve lost track of their various employer pension plans. It’s estimated that the average UK worker will rack up around 11 different jobs over his or her working life, several of which will involve pension plans maturing on retirement. The...
12 Sep at 6 PM
French property pitfalls for unsuspecting expats
Older, run-down or derelict properties in France, however charming and remote, may be the worst real estate decision expats ever make. Falling in love with a ramshackle, stone-built French cottage miles from anywhere is a familiar syndrome affecting a large number of Brits desperate to leave their overcrowded, politically unstable home...
9 Sep at 6 PM
Telephone and internet scams now targeting expats in China
China is the latest expat destination in a long line of countries being seen as magnets for low-life scammers, fraudsters and internet villains. Chinese lawyers are now warning expats of an explosion in fraud via telephone, text and email scams and other rip-offs. Telecom fraud cases have increased by an average of 70 per cent annually...
9 Sep at 6 PM
EU president to face expats legal challenge over negotiations ban
Under the umbrella of the Fair Deal for Expats campaign group, UK expats are mounting a legal challenge against the EU president’s ban preventing any Brexit negotiations taking place before Article 50 is triggered. This new legal challenge is based on proving EU President Jean-Claude Juncker’s ban on any pre-Article 50 negotiations...
9 Sep at 6 PM
Reasons for the ongoing expat love affair with VPNs
Wherever expats live nowadays, a reliable internet service is high on the list of must-haves, both for financial, social and business reasons, but a number of countries are now imposing restrictions on its use. During the past several decades it’s been almost impossible to live life without an internet connection, whether in your home...
8 Sep at 6 PM
How to enjoy expat life by working fewer hours
Expat lifestyle surveys aren’t just about how much money is earned, where’s the surest destination for fast career advancement and what’s best for families, they’re also about spending as little time as possible in the office. Expat networking website InterNations’ latest survey is hitting the headlines by identifying the top...
8 Sep at 6 PM
Expats and tourists fleeing stinking garbage mountain on Thailand's Koh Tao island
Tourists on holidays in Thailand’s Koh Tao island are packing their bags and leaving due to the appalling stench from a 45,000 ton mountain of decaying garbage. Visitors expecting glorious weather, beautiful beaches and a fun nightlife are departing in droves, and expat residents are closing their doors and windows before taking off to...
8 Sep at 6 PM
UK embassy launches social media campaign for new expat arrivals in UAE
The new ‘Checking In’ campaign aimed at UK expat workers newly arrived in the UAE follows on from the recent ‘Checking Out’ campaign aimed at Brit workers leaving the emirates after their contracts ended. September is the busiest time of year for new arrivals taking up jobs in the UAE, with the campaign aiming at providing useful...
7 Sep at 6 PM
Three Spanish teenagers arrested for starting Costa Blanca fires
Local reports of the arrest of three teenagers accused of starting the blazes have confirmed police reasonings that arson was the cause of the devastating Costa Blanca fires. After Sunday night’s evacuation of several thousand people including expat residents and tourists, police and firefighters became convinced the three separate...
7 Sep at 6 PM
US expats overseas may hold the key to locking out Trump
Eight million US expat voters living and working overseas may hold the key to locking Donald Trump out of the White House. The vast majority of US citizens living abroad are regular followers of the US political scene, especially in presidential election years. This time, with both candidates contentious, to say the least, it’s hoped...
7 Sep at 6 PM
Western expats in Saudi made to pay for oil price crash
Foreign professionals working in Saudi Arabia already bearing the brunt of the soaring cost of living will now be forced to pay more for their visas, work permits and residency visas. Due to the dramatic fall in oil prices, the Saudi government’s budget is disappearing down a massive black hole of about $98 million. It seems the chosen...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Cyprus urged to make UK as well as Cypriot wills
Making a will is one task likely to be overlooked, as the disposal of assets after your demise it’s not a pleasant thought. However unappealing the thought of making a will may be, it’s a necessity if there are assets to distribute after your death. For expats living in Cyprus, it’s even more important, as Brexit may change many...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Kuwait adds more fuel to expat fires of discontent
The expat situation in Kuwait is set to deteriorate further as the government draws up plans to limit the number of expat workers and their length of stay in the emirate. Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labour and State Minister for Planning and Development Hind al Subaih announced yesterday her ministry was preparing to...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Costa Blanca expats flee as huge wildfires destroy homes
Hundreds of expats and tourists were evacuated from their Costa Blanca homes and hotels as massive wildfires consumed mountain slopes and spread towards residential areas. The popular Costa Blanca resort town of Javea, home to a large expat community as well as being a hub for summer tourists, is in chaos this morning and fires are still...
5 Sep at 6 PM
More reasons for Kuwait’s dismal survey result
As part of Kuwait’s new expat-related restrictions, the emirate’s parliament health committee is considering bringing in a compulsory private health insurance requirement for visitors. The latest in a series of xenophobic new rules, the health insurance requirement is to be fast-tracked through government procedures. Reasons given...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Brit expats offered Brexpats Spanish Nationality Course
A joint effort by the Costal del Sol’s Parnell Academy and the support group Brexpats in Spain has resulted in a course aimed at British expats wishing to become Spanish nationals. The Brexpats’ Spanish Nationality Course, due to start next week, is being held at Mijas’s Parnell Academy and aims to teach a command of Spanish as well...
5 Sep at 6 PM
British Consul on Mallorca attempts to allay UK expat Brexit fears
A meeting between concerned British expats living in Mallorca and the British Consul General was arranged to give expats a chance to express their fears and concerns over the Brexit referendum result .Consul General Lloyd Milen and Vice-Consul Lucy Gorman joined newly-appointed Deputy Head of Mission Tim Hemmings and a selection of the...
2 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Russia caught up in early contract terminations
Expats working on contract in Russia are being discriminated against by having their contracts cancelled early and being replaced by workers from central and eastern Europe. Recruiting firms in Russia are reporting increasing instances of Western expat professionals having their contracts terminated early and being replaced by either...
2 Sep at 6 PM
Expats ignoring Amsterdam jobs due to education and housing concerns
Companies searching for international expat professionals are having a hard time filling positions due to Amsterdam’s expensive housing costs and lack of international school places. Amsterdam’s international business community is recognised as a hub for creative companies, but supplying the high demand for inspirational expats is...
2 Sep at 6 PM
Spain buyers market tempts expats but care should be taken
Spain is back in the headlines again as a tempting property investment as well as a great place to retire, but care still needs to be taken when purchasing a home. Over the past decade, many enthusiastic buyers who didn’t check the facts were left without homes due to unscrupulous developers and dodgy local authorities. Now that the law...
1 Sep at 6 PM
Expats vote Kuwait the worst location in the entire world
2016 is the third year running for Kuwait’s unenviable position as the worst expat destination worldwide, with the result based on all the necessities for enjoying life overseas. Losses compared with last year were made in all the Expat Insider survey’s categories, from family life through ease of settling in, personal finance and...
1 Sep at 6 PM
Should expats transfer their pensions following PPF bad news
After the UK Pension Protection Fund’s recent warning of shrinking retirement incomes, many expats worldwide are considering transferring their pensions. According to the PPF in its role as protector of salary-linked pension plans, many expats nudging closer to retirement are expecting gold-plated final salary deals. Given the present...
1 Sep at 6 PM
Cheapest world destinations for impecunious expats
Whatever the reason you’re desperate to desert your home country, if you’ve limited funds you need to research the cheapest world destinations before you start packing. Expats become expats for a variety of reasons, one of which is they’ve fallen out of love with the country of their birth. This alienation is tricky to deal with,...
8 Sep at 3 PM
Irish expat dies in car crash in Spain
An Irish expat living in the Spanish resort town of Estepona has been killed in a car crash, according to reports from southern Spain. The motorist is thought to be 34-year-old Sean McShea, who was declared dead shortly after emergency services turned up at the scene at 5am on Monday morning. Reports state he was driving the vehicle and...
8 Sep at 9 AM
Austrian expat found dead in Thailand
An Austrian expat has been found dead on the Thai resort island of Phuket, with early reports stating that he had been suffering from drinking and gambling problems. Walter Edhofer, 53, lwas discovered by neighbours in Kathu early on Monday morning, confirmed Thai police. He had left a voice message on hos phone explaining that he had not...
7 Sep at 4 PM
Angry expat in Spain in TripAdvisor dispute
A disgruntled expat business owner in Spain is fighting with TripAdvisor after her best reviews were lost, meaning her restaurant is no longer listed as one of Marbella’s best eateries. Belgian Eveline Taeleman’s renowned restaurant Terraza Aguadulce, was formerly rated as the second best restaurant in Puerto Banus on the travel site....
7 Sep at 2 PM
Russian expat series airs in UK
A comedy drama series which centres on Russian expats living in London has aired on British TV. The show, Londongrad, became the first Russian TV series filmed nearly entirely in the English capital. Part comedy, part detective, the show exaggerates the lives of Russians living in the UK. Heathrow Airport, Leicester Square, Brasenose...
24 Sep at 6 PM
Expats letting out UK homes face new mortgage problems
A new EU ruling may cause hassles for expats wishing to let out their UK homes using a buy-to-let mortgage whilst they work or live overseas. Until March next year, expats looking to take up a contract overseas are able to let out their UK property with the permission of their mortgage lender. After that date, new EU rules will compel...
24 Sep at 6 PM
Missing expat Premium Bond prizewinners urged to claim their windfalls
Two British expats who’ve probably forgotten they’d bought Premium Bonds are sitting on a major windfall totalling £150,000. The UK’s Premium Bond scheme encouraged millions of post-war Britons to buy its shares at £1 each and take part in its monthly draws. Many savers won small or larger prizes over the years until the National...
23 Sep at 6 PM
Spanish tax man hits out at expats with Gibraltar properties
British expats living in Spain who also own property in the British offshore financial hub of Gibraltar are being targeted by the Spanish tax authorities. The sovereignty of the famous Rock of Gibraltar has long been a thorn in the side of Spain, although Britain has managed to hang onto it for several centuries. Spanish finance minister...
23 Sep at 6 PM
Travel insurers refusing accident claims on alcohol grounds
A warning from the UK’s Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)has accused travel insurers of turning down medical claims using a reference to alcohol in their small print. Expats who have private health insurance restricted to their country of residence and book travel insurance online for their overseas holidays are warned to read the small...
22 Sep at 6 PM
Saudi banks to monitor expat account incomes in proportion to salaries
In a move designed to trace foreign workers with unofficial as well as officially permitted jobs, Saudi banks will now begin monitoring expat bank accounts for unexplained income. The move is aimed at expat workers in the kingdom who are receiving salaries for a permitted job and are also operating businesses on the side. It’s also...
22 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Thailand worried about long term stay prospects under junta
For decades, Thailand has been a favourite expat destination for Westerners due to its relaxed immigration rules, great weather and exotic culture, but the dream may be about to end. Traditionally, immigration laws were interpreted loosely, allowing long-term stays on short-term tourist visas for those not married to Thais or ineligible...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Survey reveals most investors have problems with financial jargon
According to the UK government’s Money Advice Service, most investors and pension savers have difficulties understanding financial jargon. Almost 90 per cent of those surveyed admitted they didn’t read the small print before signing up to investments or funds. Worse still, the majority had no understanding of the acronyms used by...
19 Sep at 6 PM
EU court rules against Spanish inheritance tax discrimination
Expats with properties in Spain and holiday home owners are to benefit by an EU court ruling allowing them the same range of tax relief options as Spanish citizens. Discrimination against non-residents as regards tax liabilities has long been an issue amongst UK expat property owners who spend time in both countries. By the use of tax...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in UAE shunning local banks for offshore accounts
A recent study has revealed that almost 50 per cent of expats working in the UAE prefer to put their savings in offshore bank accounts rather than in UAE banks. The survey, undertaken annually by an emirate-based financial comparison website, showed that 48 per cent of respondents were happier saving their spare cash in home country or...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Singapore to introduce mandatory driving tests for expats
Singapore’s driving rules and regulations are due for an overhaul, with new laws due to take effect from June 2015. Mandatory driving tests will be introduced for all foreign workers whose job includes driving commercial vehicles, and the tests will be backed up by a basic theory exam. Employees holding work permits or the Singapore...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Will UK politics interfere with pension freedoms after general election
Insurers and financial experts are holding meetings behind closed doors to discuss the possibility of a Labour win next May derailing last March’s budget changes to pension withdrawals. Most pension savers as well as expats have welcomed the new pension freedom measures allowing them to withdraw or transfer their savings without having...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Top ten world cities for the ultimate healthy expat lifestyle
Environmental concerns are creeping up the list of must-haves for a successful life overseas, but healthy places to live aren’t just found outside major world cities. A recent survey by CNN News identified no less than 10 world cities which offer a healthy lifestyle for migrants. Surprisingly, the giant metropolis of New York featured...
16 Sep at 6 PM
US renounce citizenship fee soars as thousands leave to avoid FATCA
The fee payable to the State Department by US citizens wishing to renounce their citizenship has soared by over 400 per cent since the introduction of the FATCA reporting system. Originally just $450, the charge for renouncing US citizenship now stands at $2,350. State Department officials claim the new amount represents the actual cost of...
16 Sep at 6 PM
Survey shows vast majority of Brit expats happier overseas
It’s not just the combination of weather, lifestyle and lower cost of living that appeals to disenchanted Brits, it’s also that the majority of their expat neighbours are loving thier new lives as well.. Estimates reveal that at least 5.5 million UK expats have given up on their home country’s ever-worsening weather, soaring taxes...
15 Sep at 6 PM
How to avoid losing your pension savings pot in Qatar
Many expats living and working in the Gulf States are becoming concerned about UK-based pension savings plans and pension transfers. Qatar is fast becoming the most popular of all the Gulf States for expats, with its capital Doha attracting a large number of foreign professionals due to its recent expansion and improvements. The oil and...
15 Sep at 6 PM
Scots expats missing out on momentous independence vote
Scots living or working overseas can only watch from the sidelines as the crucial independence referendum threatens to change their home country for ever. Hundreds of thousands of expat Scots are forbidden from making their feelings known about potentially their home country's most momentous decision in several centuries. According to...
12 Sep at 6 PM
UK pension reforms in a nutshell for retirement savers
The continuing fallout from the bombshell of the March 2014 Budget Speech pension reforms has confused many retirement savers as to their rights and the best way to plan for their future financial lives. A fact sheet recently issued by the UK Treasury department is aimed at clearing the fog surrounding the new rules, even although some...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Is private health insurance really necessary in Thailand
Most expats arriving in Thailand have been used to paying for private heathcare in their home countries, but is the expense of an international healthcare plan really necessary in Thailand? Due to its recent Westernisation, low cost of living and great weather, Thailand is an ever-popular destination for expats from Australia, the UK and...
11 Sep at 6 PM
UK government confirms QROPS ban on public sector and civil service pensions
Workers in the UK’s civil service and public services hoping to retire overseas via a QROPS have had their hopes dashed by a government ban on unfunded defined pension transfers. UK Chancellor George Osborne has announced that, from April 2015, some transfers from civil service and public pensions will be banned. Although the news...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Are expats missing out on value for money healthcare deals
Many would-be expats may be missing out on international value-for-money private heathcare insurance by simply signing a leaver option on their existing package when they retire. The majority of Western heathcare policies, including those which involve employer contributions, allow retirees to carry on with the same cover by simply signing...
10 Sep at 6 PM
House prices in Singapore slated to fall 20 per cent by 2016
A recently-published research report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) suggests that the price of a home in Singapore is likely to fall by 20 per cent over the next two years. The bank believes that property loan curbs and economic restructuring will continue to drive down house prices until at least 2016, and overkill on population...
10 Sep at 6 PM
Sky News to launch replacement for ABC international satellite TV channel
Following the bad news of the Australia Broadcasting Corporation’s upcoming shutdown, the good news is that Sky TV is to launch its own Australian Channel to fill at least part of the gap caused by the departure of the popular ABC channel. Devastated fans of ABC’s satellite TV offerings can now take comfort in the fact that Sky News is...
9 Sep at 6 PM
Expat investors lose 50 million in Isle of Man Louis Group crash
The liquidators of a sector of the Isle of Man-based Louis Group have revealed that millions of pounds sterling are missing from the accounts of the disgraced financial firm. In yet another disastrous indication that the casino culture is alive and well in expat financial jurisdictions, the collapse of the company has resulted in losses...
9 Sep at 6 PM
Saudization programme crackdown closes thousands of firms
The tightening of Saudi Arabian employment laws has forced the closure of 200,000 private companies in the Kingdom over the past year. Recently-released official figures from the Saudi Labour Ministry have confirmed that the controversial ‘nitiqat’ laws aimed at replacing expat workers with local staff have decimates smaller, private...
8 Sep at 6 PM
Expats in Spain looking to face LMIM and Axiom crooks in court
Expat victims of two massive investment scams, LMIM and Axiom, are targeting the product providers and salesmen whose greed has resulted in the loss of millions-worth of retirement savings. Rogue FAs operating in Spain as well as the product providers themselves are to be named and shamed in court actions. Groups representing the victims...
8 Sep at 6 PM
Expat students rejecting Saudi private unis for studying abroad
Saudi Arabia’s private universities are failing to attract expat student, most of whom are choosing to gain their degrees in overseas centres of excellence. According to local academics, only 30 per cent of expat students are taking degree courses at the Kingdom’s private universities. The majority are returning to their home...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Expat and UK resident investors slate life companies over LMIM losses
As lawyers in the UK and Australia prepare court cases on behalf of victims of the largest financial scandal to hit Australia in decades, many are accusing life companies of a lack of due diligence. The failure of LMIM and its Managed Performance Fund (MPF) has devastated savers and investors in expat locations such as Hong Kong, the UAE,...
5 Sep at 6 PM
UK expats urged to join campaign against bank account closures
UK expatriates facing the closure of their UK bank accounts or refusals to open an account are being urged to join a new campaign aiming to change the rules. During the last several months, Santander and other high street banks in the UK have begun a crackdown on expat account holders and those wishing to either change or open accounts....
4 Sep at 6 PM
UK pension revolution sees annuity sales fall by 50 per cent
The biggest change in UK pension legislation in almost a century, slated to result in significant losses for product providers and FAs, is already triggering a massive fall in annuity purchases. The new rules won’t come into effect until April next year, but a huge slowdown in annuity sales is already being reported. Previously,...
4 Sep at 6 PM
US expats mount legal challenge over Canada FATCA declarations
As the dreaded FATCA financial declaration requirements get under way, angry US expats living in Canada are legally challenging the Canadian government under the Rights and Freedoms Charter. Canada was a later signatory to the US’s controversial scheme which forces foreign financial institutions to report all expat US citizens’ private...
3 Sep at 6 PM
Special Fraud Squad targets failed Axiom legal financing fund chief executive
The news that the CEO of the failed Axiom litigation fund is finally being investigated by the UK’s Special Fraud Squad may come as encouraging to victims, many of whom are also caught up in the LMIM Ponzi scheme. Nowadays, awareness of the risks of investing with rogue salesmen is at its highest level ever in the worldwide expat...
3 Sep at 6 PM
UK Tory party pledges end to expat 15 year disenfranchisement
In their manifesto for the 2015 general election, the Conservative Party has announced it will scrap the unpopular rule preventing expats who’ve lived overseas for over 15 years from voting in UK general elections. Britain is one of few EU member states which enforce disenfranchisement for expat citizens, with the rule causing anger and...
2 Sep at 6 PM
Is your cash protected in an offshore savings account
Offshore bank accounts give convenient access to regular or emergency cash, but how many depositors know how much of their savings are protected? Migration planning for would-be expats often includes opening an offshore bank account for access to pension payments transferred from onshore accounts. The option may become even more popular...
2 Sep at 6 PM
Dubai may reintroduce rent to own property scheme
Industry experts in Dubai are pushing for a re-run of the popular rent-to-own real estate scheme which allows expats to put rental charges towards purchasing their chosen home. Expatriate real estate purchases have declined recently, due to stringent regulations including a mortgage cap introduced by the government as a way to cool down...
1 Sep at 6 PM
LM expat investors launch lawsuits against FAs and insurers
Expatriates who lost millions due to the failure of the massive LM Managed Performance Fund, now declared a Ponzi scheme, are banding together to take legal action against dodgy FAs, pension fund trustees and their associated offshore life insurance firms. The LM scandal is now regarded as the offshore financial industry’s biggest...
1 Sep at 6 PM
Expat oil and gas workers warned of training scam
Expat workers in the highly lucrative oil and gas industry are being warned about UK-based online fraudsters offering full training and jobs on the North Sea Rigs. The high salaries paid to workers in the harsh conditions of the North Sea oil rigs attract many expats as well as British workers with experience in other locations. The...
30 Sep at 6 PM
UAE expats may be hit by proposed remittance tax
A proposal at present under consideration by the Dubai government is expected to hit expats working in the emirate and sending money home. Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Hamad Buamim has confirmed that the proposal is under serious consideration, although the government has yet to receive feedback from the emirate’s...
30 Sep at 6 PM
Melbourne Greek community sets up Greek school for immigrant children
The ongoing economic crisis in Greece has forced an ever-increasing number of Greek families to head for Australia, with Melbourne a popular location due to its long-established Greek community. Many new immigrant families find it difficult to adjust to their new country, and keeping in touch with their language is a priority as many...
27 Sep at 6 PM
Local requirements for expat driving licenses
Although sorting out driving necessities before leaving for an overseas post or new life isn’t top of the average expat to-do list, it’s wise to get an idea of local requirements as well as driving standards. Getting mobile in your new country makes settling and equipping your new home far easier, and those moving to from the UK to...
27 Sep at 6 PM
Kiwi immigration minister gives expat deportee permission to stay
In an immigration drama similar to the internationally publicised tale of the Fat Chef, a New Zealand minister has allowed another unfortunate expat to avoid deportation. Martyn Payne, a garage owner living and working in Kapiro, arrived in New Zealand from the UK almost 10 years ago and soon became a pillar of his rural community for his...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Survey finds UAE expats save less than those in Asia
A recent survey indicates that expats working in the United Arab Emirates spend more on luxury lifestyles than their counterparts in Hong Kong and Singapore. The survey, commissioned by Standard Life, compared the average spend of expats working in Singapore, Hong Kong and the emirates, and found that Western expats in the UAE were more...
26 Sep at 6 PM
Pope speaks out on World Day of Migrants and Refugees
On Tuesday’s Migrants and Refugees Day, the Catholic Church’s newly-appointed Pope Francis urged world countries to welcome both migrants and refugees rather than treating them as ‘pawns on the chessboard of humanity’. His message stressed that all host countries should encourage a change of attitude to incomers, whatever their...
25 Sep at 6 PM
Recovery of sterling gives good news for expats
After a good while spent lurking at the back end of the currency pack, the pound sterling is racing back to life against major currencies, spurred on by positive economic news. The summer slump in sterling exchange rates may have pleased exporters but it did nothing for holidaymakers and expats who saw their regular pension transfers...
25 Sep at 6 PM
More shocks for expats as Spanish property tax laws bite
Expats in Mediterranean retirement and holiday home hotspots are falling foul of new tax laws as at-risk countries attempt to revamp their economies. Spain is the latest to hit out at property owners, with its review of taxes and property values likely to result in unexpected bills either at point of purchase or years afterwards. Over one...
24 Sep at 6 PM
Changes to Italian tax regime to hit hard on expats
Recent changes to Italy’s tax structure will mean that expats living in the country must declare more information about assets held overseas, including overseas property and savings. Previously, rules stated that only assets worth more than £8,400 needed to be declared to the Italian tax authority, but the threshold has now been...
24 Sep at 6 PM
Russian expats looking to take over Spanish retiree havens
The latest sun, sea, sand and warm weather haven to attract huge numbers of Russian residents is Spain’s Costa Blanca. For decades, the warm, sunny weather and friendly expat communities of Spain’s Costa Blanca have attracted older people from colder climes such as the UK, all planning to spend their retirement years enjoying the...
23 Sep at 6 PM
Expat executives hit Saudi Arabia glass ceiling
However crucial a part they may be playing in the largest economy in the Middle East, most expats hoping to land the top jobs in Saudi Arabia are doomed to disappointment. According to the Saudi Labour Department only 15 per cent of nationals in the country work in the private sector. However, at the highest executive level, management...
23 Sep at 6 PM
Revamped Quebec skilled occupation list focuses on medical professionals
The May 2013 Canadian immigration list of occupations in demand in the country took overseas nurses and doctors by surprise, as it excluded medical professionals and concentrated on engineers. However, the Quebec government’s recent revamp of their list now includes nurses, giving those shut out earlier this year another chance to...
20 Sep at 6 PM
British expat hopes of right to vote dashed again by EU court
The European Court of Human Rights has rejected 93-year-old UK expat Harry Schindler’s appeal against its former decision not to act on the law which prevents expats from voting after 15 years’ stay overseas. The court’s decision has dismayed many thousands of UK expats who still have ties to the UKand may even be paying tax, owning...
20 Sep at 6 PM
Financial tips to help expats make the most of their move
After the initial buzz of finally making the decision to emigrate has subsided, reality sets in as the list of things to do gets ever longer and more confusing. Relocating all your worldly possessions, often including children and much-loved pets, can become a nightmare in a very short time, causing migrants to forget less urgent tasks in...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Female expat teachers in Saudi hit with qualification test
Following the scare over the legitimacy of female expat teachers dependent on their husbands’ visas, many private schools in the kingdom were relieved that they could continue to legally employ their foreign female staff. As a result of the change of heart by the Saudi government, private schools went ahead and re-hired female expat...
19 Sep at 6 PM
Expat retirees with private pensions at risk of bad advice
As the UK financial authority prepares to sign off on the biggest shakedown of the private pension industry for two decades, what can expats do to make sure of their financial futures? It seems that those in the know are finally realising that the casino culture wasn’t confined to the big players, as the new UK Financial Conduct Agency...
18 Sep at 6 PM
Expat high flyers in Saudi investing in European property
As the escalating trend in EU states of offering residency to expat purchasers of upscale properties takes hold, Saudi’s high-earning expats are taking notice. At present, around five per cent of the expat high-earning elete are buying expensive European apartments in order to obtain residency permits. Talal Samarquandi of the Jeddah...
18 Sep at 6 PM
The pros and cons of pension drawdown for expat retirees
The latest buzzword in financial advice for expat retirees is pension drawdown, but how many of those considering it are fully informed as to whether it’s the right move given their circumstances? Given the dearth of qualified, ethical FAs in most popular retirement destination and the difficulty of discovery one who is more than just a...
17 Sep at 6 PM
Saudi private expat businesses on hold as new laws hit in
As the swathe of new laws introduced in Saudi Arabia kicks in, many expat-owned businesses have been put on hold for fear of punitive action by the authorities. The majority of businesses on hold are privately owned by foreigners who run small enterprises as well as working for their sponsors. The practice has been widespread in the...
17 Sep at 6 PM
Expats living in Europe to get lower mobile roaming charges
A European Commission plan is likely to result in cheaper mobile phone roaming costs from as early as next year. Expats living overseas in EU member states who enjoy touring around neighbouring countries are at present forced to pay for their pleasure via hugely expensive mobile roaming charges on top of their phone bills. The EC ruling...
16 Sep at 6 PM
Tragic death of fiancé leaves British bride facing deportation
Ellen Gregory’s life turned to tragedy when her fiancé Jukka Guy died just a few days before they were due to marry. Heartbroken, she buried him on their wedding day and is now facing deportation from Australia.Jukka, 27 years old, died suddenly in his sleep, and was buried on 5 April, the day of the wedding. The tragedy was compounded...
16 Sep at 6 PM
UK expats overseas squeezed by soaring living costs and falling house prices
Thousands of Brits emigrate to warmer, more laid-back climes every year, but might just be better off staying in their home country, according to a recent survey. The study, commissioned by the Post Office’s Expats Payment Index, revealed that the cost of living in a number of popular expat destinations has risen by up to 10 per cent in...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Frozen Pension protesters urge Queen to ban the UK from the Commonwealth
British expat retirees living in countries where their UK state pensions are frozen have taken their grievances to the head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II. The International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP) has been fighting for pension parity with their counterparts living in EU countries and states which have reciprocal...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Daughters of expats in Saudi forced to quit work and stay home
A recent law in Saudi Arabia prevents the daughters of expats working in the kingdom from being employed, even if they were born and raised in the state. The new rule prevents the daughters of expats from transferring their sponsorship from their fathers or guardians to an employer, a move necessary before employment can be taken. Brothers...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Costa Rica expats supplementing pensions by unofficial mortgage lending
Expat retirees in Costa Rica have hit on a good way to supplement their pensions by using their savings to lend for mortgages at a healthy rate of interest. With interest rates in the country at an all-time high, expat retirees who’ve a tidy sum in savings are making good use of it as well as avoiding financial advice scams. Many are...
12 Sep at 6 PM
Saudi construction companies hit hard by expat worker levy
Construction firms in Saudi Arabia are now feeling the effect of the recently imposed expat worker levy, with many small firms closing down and major companies’ profits falling. The expat worker levy, introduced at the end of 2012, together with the quota system for Saudi employees, has forced a number of smaller firms to close their...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Expat aimed mortgage famine causes problems for returnees
Expats planning on returning to the UK after a working stint overseas are falling foul of lenders who refuse to grant mortgages until they’ve been home for several years. The mortgage companies’ stance is connected with the fact that expats who’ve been abroad for number of years no longer have a financial track record in the UK....
11 Sep at 6 PM
Obese chef threatened with deportation from NZ wins reprieve
The bizarre tale of South African Albert Buitenhuis, who spent years as a chef in New Zealand before being threatened with deportation for being too fat, has finally ended via a 23 month reprieve. The obese chef and his wife Marthie arrived in Christchurch six years ago and were granted visas without problems, although at that time...
10 Sep at 6 PM
Massive new independent expat survey now live online
The world’s largest survey of everything to do with expats and their experiences has finally been launched online, and is aimed at expatriates across the world, whatever their nationality. Whether respondents decided to make the biggest move of their lives for reasons of work, for retirement, for quality of life or simply out of a...
10 Sep at 6 PM
Oz immigration seizes Indian doctor convicted of sexual assault
An Indian doctor who was sentenced to 32 months in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a female patient has been seized by immigration officers and now awaits deportation.. Suhail Durani’s permanent residency was revoked after he was released from prison, and he has been fighting deportation ever since. He was...
9 Sep at 6 PM
New Zealand’s new same sex marriage law hits visa snags
New Zealand’s new law allowing same-sex marriage came into force in August, with its supporters expecting the country’s tourism sector to benefit. The first two gay couples who’d arranged to get married under the new law arrived from Thailand last week, but were met by immigration officers who grilled both couples about the gap in...
9 Sep at 6 PM
Expat life toughens up in Saudi Arabia and UAE
Expat childrens’ education, the necessity of making a Western will and the difficulty of integrating with local people are making the Emirates an expat nightmare. As private school fees soar and expat kids are now barred from state schools, legislations over expat iqmas is threatening even continuation at private education facilities in...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Nova Scotia town fights British immigrant family deportation
Residents in the Nova Scotia town of Bass River are fighting against a deportation order served on a popular British family whose dream is to become Canadian citizens. Sean and Becky Platneur and their daughter emigrated to Canada four years ago under immigration’s provincial nominee programme, but are still attempting to complete the...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Expat investors advised over worst investment strategies
Expats looking to augment their pensions are strapped for choice nowadays, with offshore banks closing their doors, the market in a state of fluctuation and dodgy FAs lurking around every corner. Even expats with little or no interest in investment strategies are now being advised to understand the market and analyse its options. It’s...
5 Sep at 6 PM
Bahrain businesses sign petition against new expat worker levy
The Bahraini government announced late last month that the formerly cancelled tax on foreign workers was to be reintroduced with immediate effect. The announcement by the Labour Ministry Regulatory Authority came as a shock to the country’s smaller businesses, many of which are still struggling to turn around after the 2011 unrest which...
5 Sep at 6 PM
UK calls on expats to help catch Brit criminals in Spain
Operation Captura, set up by the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency and Crimestoppers, is calling on UK ex-pats in Spain to help is catch the last few wanted men. Of the 65 criminals on the run identified as living abroad since the operation began in 2006, 53 are now serving time in UK prisons. Their crimes, committed in the UK, range...
4 Sep at 6 PM
When to fly home and when not to
Emigrating may be one of the most exciting experiences in your life, but it brings its own dilemmas if you’ve family, friends, business interests or investments in your home country. Everyone who leaves their country of origin, either temporarily for reasons of work, for retirement, or a better, perhaps warmer, lifestyle, leaves aspects...
4 Sep at 6 PM
Expat Brits with frozen pensions given hope by two MPs
Many thousands of expat Britons affected by frozen pensions discrimination are being given hope by two MPs determined to have the law changed. Two senior Conservative backbencher members of parliament, Sir Peter Bottomley and Sir Roger Gale, have announced that they will attempt to ensure that all overseas British pensioners will receive...
3 Sep at 6 PM
Demand for Geneva upscale property falls amid tax break fears
Uncertainty over the future of Switzerland as a tax haven for wealthy expats is causing a sharp fall in Geneva’s real estate market. For 150 years, Switzerland’s tax breaks and secrecy have attracted the seriously wealthy to its manicured cantons with their exquisite, expensive mansions. The system allows foreigners exemption from...
3 Sep at 6 PM
British banks dump longterm expat customers and close offshore branches
Expats with funds in British banks or their offshore arms are facing a double whammy as banks dump non-profitable customers and close down overseas branches. In a disturbing development, thousands of longstanding, loyal customers of British banks, many of whom are now pensioners living overseas, are being dumped without explanation. At...
2 Sep at 6 PM
Expats lose faith in FAs as bogus firms continue trading
In spite of repeated warnings by the UK’s Financial Conduct Agency, bogus financial advisors peddling dodgy investments, illegal pension unlocking schemes and online scams are still trading happily. The warnings are listed on the FCA’s website which, it seems, is rarely visited by prospective investors who have already had contact with...
2 Sep at 6 PM
Spanish and Greek real estate prices still heading downwards
Due to continuing severe recessions and unemployment in Spain and Greece, house prices in the two countries are still falling, giving migrants from the UK a chance to bag a bargain. Spain’s property prices continue in free fall after dropping by more than a third between 2008 and 2012. The fall has continued into 2013 by a further 13...
29 Sep at 9 AM
Rise in Irish emigration
Ireland’s Central Statistics Office has published new figures which reveal that the number of individuals quitting the country has gone up during the past 12 months. For the 12 months ending April, 46,500 Irish nationals opted to leave the country, a yearly rise of 16 per cent. The number for all nationalities quitting the Emerald Isle...
27 Sep at 10 AM
Expat salesman jailed for murdering Russian wife who was born a man
An expat businessman who killed his Russian wife after learning that she was born a man has been handed a 24-year jail sentence. Chris Collier, 40, battered and smothered his wife Julia, 35, at their Kusadasi apartment on Turkey’s Aegean coast. He was taken in by police the day after the killing on 27 November, 2010, and was sent to...
25 Sep at 9 AM
Expat in Dubai accused of ‘white magic’ attack
An expat in Dubai is on trial facing charges of kidnapping a woman and using ‘white magic’ in order to convince her to be his wife. The Dubai Court of First Instance was informed that the pair first met in October last year and the woman alleges that the man persistently asked her to be his wife, leading to her getting a new mobile...
22 Sep at 2 PM
Canada to block middle-aged UK expats
Canada is aiming to attract more younger British workers to the country and is prepared to block middle-aged expats from the UK as a way of doing so. The country is an extremely popular destination for British professionals to take up employment, but official data has revealed that the average expat moving across the Atlantic from the UK...
20 Sep at 4 PM
Many expats in UAE move without properly researching
Nearly half of the expats who relocated to the United Arab Emirates have said they didn’t research enough practical information, according to a new study. Furthermore, one third of respondents said the moving experience was tougher than they expected, revealed the research from insurance group Zurich. Once they had relocated, 21 per cent...
18 Sep at 4 PM
Expats demand higher wages in UAE
UAE employers are being told by expats that they must pay higher wages in order to attain their services. A recent survey of 75 Dubai-based companies found that four in 10 human resource directors said that prospective candidates’ salary demands are above what the UAE’s market levels of remuneration are. Slightly more than half of the...
15 Sep at 9 AM
UAE abandoned cars: not entirely expats’ fault
Luxury cars that have been abandoned at airports throughout the United Arab Emirates might not completely be down to expats fleeing strict debt laws, according to reports. Recent studies have shown that there is a high number of luxury sports cars that have been abandoned at Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports by expats worried that they will end...
13 Sep at 6 PM
Webb denies talk of DWP unfreezing expat pensions
UK pensions minister Steve Webb has denied rumours that the government is set to unfreeze British expats’ pensions. Speculation began after Australian minister Jenny Macklin said last week that she had talked about reforming the policy of British state pensions being frozen from when expats quit the UK with Iain Duncan Smith, the British...
11 Sep at 6 PM
Executive expats in Hong Kong pay higher housing costs
Hong Kong has remained as the most expensive city in the world for business expats to live in, as China’s financial capital continues to deal with the financial crisis better than cities in the West. There was an increase of 7.4 per cent in the cost of executive housing prices over the first six months of this year, according to property...
8 Sep at 12 PM
Expats in Hong Kong losing out on pay packages
Expats living in Hong Kong are getting paid less than their counterparts in Japan, South Korea and India, a management consulting company has claimed. ECA International has revealed that the expats in middle manager positions receive an average salary of US$231,000 per year. In comparison, those in the same roles in Japan, South Korea and...
6 Sep at 6 PM
Marmite dispute for UK expat in NZ
A British importer living and working in New Zealand is fighting authorities to get 2,000 jars of British Marmite, after the local variation of the spread’s manufacturer said that selling the good would fall under trademark infringement regulations. The New Zealand version of the spread has been produced by food company Sanitarium for...
4 Sep at 2 PM
