Immigration to Ireland is increasing despite pushback from the far-right
Ireland shouldn't be overlooked as an expat destination in Europe. It's especially popular with expats from Turkey, Nigeria and India. As reported by Schengen Visa Info, in the first three months of 2023, slightly over 7,000 work visas were granted to non-EU expats moving to Ireland, and out of those, nearly 3,000 were granted to Indian expats.
In 2022, Ireland created the Critical Skills Employment Permit, which allows highly-skilled expats to work in the country for 2 years if they land a job offer that offers at least €60,000 or at least €30,000 for the most in-demand jobs on the Critical Skills Occupations List (CSOL). This list covers jobs in industries like healthcare, engineering, IT, logistics and finance. The health sector, in particular, is offering generous relocation packages worth over €4,000 for the flight, licensing and initial accommodation fees of new expat workers, even if they're flying from a country far from Europe.
In mid-2023, the Irish government made a slightly usual announcement: anyone who moves to its small offshore islands and renovates a derelict property there will be offered €80,000 cash-in-hand by the state. Of course, expats with a valid work/residence permit in Ireland can also do that. Ireland has around 30 of these remote islands.
Ireland is also a good Plan B for English-speaking expats who are struggling to afford the expensive visa and international tuition fees in the neighboring United Kingdom. Visa and tuition fees are lower in Ireland, although not as low as in other non-English-speaking European countries. Unfortunately, the cost of living in Ireland can be as high as in the UK. Housing in the capital of Dublin is scarce and as expensive as in London.
There has unfortunately also been a flare-up of xenophobic far-right protests in recent months. In May, far-right extremists even burned down a refugee tent that was pitched in front of Dublin's International Protection Office. Lately, they have been protesting a proposed bill that will curb hate speech. The growing far-right in the country is worrying, but for now, they have not been able to change the government's immigration and diversity policies.
Iceland: An increasingly popular Nordic expat destination despite a high cost of living and stringent visa requirements
The Nordic island of Iceland has a population of less than 400,000, most of which is concentrated in the capital of Reykjavik, while the rest of the country has a harsh but stunning landscape. Despite this unusual demographic situation and difficult climate, it has become an increasingly popular expat destination in recent years.
The Iceland Monitor reports that expats have grown to comprise 17% of the population, which is nearly 67,000 people. That is 12,000 more than in January 2020. Statistics Iceland reports that the largest expat group there is the Poles, who form a community of over 20,000, followed by Danish, Lithuanian, American and Romanian expats. While the country is not part of the European Union, it is a member of the European Economic Area and Schengen Area, which might explain why many expats there are other Europeans. What might attract them to Iceland?
Like many countries in Northern Europe, Iceland has an excellent quality of life. It consistently ranks near the top of measurements for democracy, gender equality, education, healthcare and safety. The World Happiness Report ranked it as the 3rd happiest country in the world based on criteria like GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support and perception of corruption. The level of pollution there is low, and Iceland offers many glaciers, mountains, caves and waterfalls for those who love being out in nature.
Iceland was one of the first countries to create a digital nomad visa during the Covid pandemic. Created in October 2020, this visa, unfortunately, has a very high-income requirement: 1,000,000 kronas or around US$7,500 per month. It is partly understandable because the country has a high cost of living. The visa allows nomads to work in Iceland for 180 days, i.e., about 6 months. The capital of Reykjavik is a good digital nomad hotspot because it has excellent internet connectivity, and the local population largely understands English.
It can be more challenging for non-EU/EEA expats to obtain a longer work permit. The Icelandic company hiring them must perform a labor market needs test to prove to the state that they can't find local talent for a specific position before giving it to a non-EU/EEA worker.
Colombia is an emerging Latin American expat destination with affordable visas
Mexico has been in the limelight lately as a Latin American digital nomad hub. In the same region, Colombia is also an emerging hub. In the past, the country has had a poor reputation for safety because of the drug war. But its safety has vastly improved in recent years, and many parts of the country are quite safe from violent crime. Medellin, Bucaramanga and Cartagena have decent reputations for safety in the present, while Bogota and the Pacific Coast are still considered a bit risky.
For middle-class expats, especially, the low cost of expat life in Colombia is very attractive. Living in this South American country rarely costs over US$1,000 per month. The monthly cost of living ranges between US$600-950, with bigger cities like Medellin being at the most expensive end. The country has a fairly high inflation rate of around 13%, but expats earning or keeping their savings in more stable foreign currencies are partly shielded from its effects.
Like many countries, Colombia has also introduced a digital nomad visa after the pandemic. Its digital nomad visa has one of the lowest income requirements worldwide: only US$650 per month, earned from abroad, of course. It remains valid for 2 years. There also exists a Colombian Resident Visa for expats who wish to remain in Colombia permanently. For a permanent immigrant visa, it is also very affordable at US$455.25.
Because of its proximity to the United States, Colombia is a popular expat destination for Americans. According to the US Department of State, there is currently a community of around 60,000 American expats in the country. Colombia has a lot of cultural richness and natural beauty, from a great range of street food to pristine Caribbean beaches, which surely also attract expats.
Taiwan is an affordable expat destination with excellent quality of life
When people think of expat destinations in Asia, the first countries that tend to come to mind are the financial hubs of Singapore and Hong Kong, China as a major world economy and tropical Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand.
The island of Taiwan, with a population of only 23.5 million, should not be overlooked. It offers an excellent standard of living to expats without being as expensive as Singapore, Hong Kong, or even big Chinese cities like Shanghai. Generally, a person has to spend between US$1200 – $2,200 per month to live in Taiwan.
In 2022, the global affairs magazine Monocle ranked the capital of Taipei as the top 10th city worldwide regarding quality of life. Among the criteria included in their appraisal were the cost of living, the sense of hospitality, the quality and accessibility of healthcare, urban green spaces, the efficiency of transport and the crime rate.
Taipei has been lauded by Monocle for its efficient public transit, its low crime rate and the availability of affordable 24/7 food stalls and marts. Nature is also well-integrated into Taiwanese cities, with many public parks and trees with QR codes that help people identify them. Taiwan's rail system is modeled on Japan's and is a fast and efficient way to travel between the island's cities. It's also the only Asian country where same-sex marriage has been legalized, which makes it a good destination for expats of the LGBTQ+ community.
As the country has an aging population, it has been trying to attract expat talent. The Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals Act was passed in 2017 to simplify the procedures for foreigners to study and work in Taiwan, and in 2021, the Taiwan National Development Council gave itself the goal of tripling the number of expats in the country by 2030. There are currently nearly 1 million expats in the country. Taiwan has three main visas for expats: the Working Holiday Visa, the Resident Visa and the Taiwan Gold Card.
The Working Holiday Visa is limited to young people between 18 and 30 from partner countries who want to gain some work and education experience abroad. As for the Taiwan Gold Card, it offers more options than a digital nomad visa. With it, expats can work remotely from Taiwan for 1-3 years but also take up employment locally. However, applicants must work in one of eight high-value fields: science and technology, economics, education, culture and the arts, sports, finance, law and architecture.
Even with these great visas, CommonWealth Magazine reports that there still exist some hurdles to attracting and retaining expats in the country. Banking and buying a house remain complicated for expats, and accessing legal services is still difficult without a knowledge of Mandarin Chinese. The tense political relationship with China and the possibility of war also make some expats wary about moving there.
