Lifestyle - Expat Magazine
If you recently moved to a new country and are finding it hard to open up to others and connect, then keep on reading, because here you'll find the top 10 tips to make new connections and friends in a new country.
For Sarah, an American expat, being a trailing spouse is far from being a boring life. She is an art director, designer, illustrator, photographer and all-around creative guru based in Austria, where she relocated in October 2020. She talks to us about her new life in her host country amid the pandemic.
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Would you like to relocate to Spain? Known for being an amazing country with a great quality of life, Spain is actually one of the most popular expat hotspots in Europe with a range of benefits, regardless of your nationality. So if you're ready for a change of lifestyle, here's how you can get your dream home on the Spanish Coast.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia imposed strict border restrictions. Recently, the government also introduced a new rule that affects Australian citizens and permanent residents living overseas and visiting Australia. Additionally, there are local restrictions within the country. Foreign expats living in Australia, as well as expats from Australia living overseas, should familiarize themselves with the relevant restrictions ahead of making travel plans.
While living abroad is a popular desire of many worldwide, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is presenting challenges for current and future expats that they perhaps didn't foresee. Some may have no choice but to return home due to changed circumstances in their host countries, while others may choose to return home, perhaps even leaving behind their dream destinations and careers.
Lin is originally from China. She relocated to Belgium in 2009 on a student exchange program and fell in love with the country. In spite of the language barrier and cultural challenges, she made it and shares her expat experience with Expat.com.
Many expats have seen their plans fall apart over the past year, with borders closing and lockdowns in place. Staying put has been the easiest and often the best thing to do, as we were all eagerly waiting for better times. As things are now finally starting to look up and international borders are re-opening, we can't help but wonder: are expats actually still keen to work and move abroad?
People choose to become expats for many reasons, including better futures for themselves and their families, have interesting experiences, and travel. Many countries also benefit from immigration and expat-presence. However, expat life also has inherent challenges, including facing discrimination against locals at times. Conversely, in some places, locals may view expats as privileged.
It's been more than a decade since Laura, who is of Spanish origin, relocated abroad. She currently lives in Australia, a country she fell in love with during a trip from New Zealand. Today, Laura is a Purpose Coach & Expat Mentor in Sydney. She talks to us about her new expats adventure amid the pandemic.
There is definitely a world before and after Covid-19. For those aspiring to live abroad in Asia, the next world promises to be considerably different. The epidemic outbreak hitting part of the continent has left residents in limbo. Many expats have left their host country. The attractive territories are toughening their rules.
Every year, many websites rank the most attractive expat destinations, taking into account factors like economic dynamism, quality of life, the healthcare system, etc. The climate is one thing that people often fail to consider before moving abroad. Will the latest natural disasters be a game-changer?
Alexandra is a Romanian expat who followed her spouse to Berlin for his career, but that doesn't make her a trailing spouse. A diplomatic spouse rather, who is always busy volunteering, writing books and articles, and taking care of her family. She talks to us about her reality.
Senegal
Sara is a travel enthusiast and loves to discover new cultures. It has been a few months since she moved to Dakar with Djibril, her Senegalese boyfriend met in Shanghai. Sara is currently working as a volunteer in a non-profit organisation specialising in the reintegration of street children in the educational and vocational mainstream.
According to a recent article published in the Dutch media, 171,000 foreign nationals relocated to the Netherlands in 2020. This reflects 44,000 fewer expats compared to 2019, the pre-pandemic period. But it's worth noting that the pandemic has only slowed down the immigration trend.
Many expats are leaving their overseas dreams and returning home for COVID-19 pandemic-driven reasons, including job cuts, affordability, and to be with loved ones. An exodus of migrant workers may have negative impacts on economies already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, returning expats may need to adjust to a new lifestyle in their home countries all over again, especially after lengthy overseas stays.
Being an expat has many perks, especially for people who like to discover and explore. It is a great opportunity to have new and exciting experiences that may change our lives. However, not every opportunity abroad is a pleasant one. That's when we ask ourselves when is the right time to go back home.
Joanna is a Pole expat who has had a great passion for travel for many years. Today, she is based in Qatar, following her Tunisian husband, who had a job there. She talks to us about that turning point in her life and the lifestyle she really enjoys in Qatar.
Some countries have already implemented requirements for vaccination passports or proof of vaccination from travellers, and some others are going even further by requesting health passports to attend regular day-to-day activities. The health passport requirements may encourage more people to get vaccinated, but not everyone is happy with such restrictions.
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