Features

Did you move abroad and happened to find your soulmate in your host country? We are so happy for you! Now you deserve to have your dream wedding ceremony. So, whether you are planning your wedding in the place you are currently residing in or your partner's home country, look no further. Expat.com has composed a handy guide with everything you may have to consider before your big day.

If we told you, ten years ago, that professional mobility would no longer be appealing, perhaps you would have never agreed. Today, downward professional mobility seems to be on the rise even though many skilled professionals keep seeking new career prospects overseas for various reasons. Expat.com gives you an insight into global labour market trends according to the Boston Consulting Group's Decoding Global Talent 2018 report, and what professionals worldwide aspire to.

Choosing your next destination involves different criteria including quality of life, environment, as well as facilities set up to ensure our well being. Which are the world's healthiest cities? Spotahome released its annual ranking of the world's healthiest cities according to water and air quality, green spaces, life expectancy at birth, work-life balance and accessibility of sports activities. Here's an overview.

Whether you are about to establish your business abroad or settle in your new home, you will have to choose a telecom service provider from the many available companies targeting the market. Our professional and personal lives are heavily dependant on online, instant communication and wireless telephones, and our home entertainment has incorporated streaming media. In a free market, with more options than ever, it can be difficult to conclude on a telecommunication service provider, especially when you are overseas, and you are not familiar with the brands and expectations. However, there are several things that you need to consider to select a provider which matches your needs.

Millennials demand flexibility at work, push off marriage until they have established their career and have become financially stable, and are more interested in experiences than homeownership. These digital, entrepreneurial, and well-travelled young people cherish change and are keen to take up the challenge of relocation. But where do Millennials flock to, and what are their criteria for liking a place? Nestpick, a global accommodation website, has ranked 110 cities based on professional opportunities, good quality of life, tolerance, and recreation. Here are the five most popular urban centres among Millennials for this year.

With the development of the commercial aviation industry, non-stop flights have become longer — no one could have imagined back in the 1950s that the journey from the UK to Australia which was made of nine layovers would become a 17-hour direct flight. As an expat, you are probably travelling more often than the average person; it's therefore important for your mental and physical well being to know how to manage discomfort during eight, ten, or seventeen hours of flying.

Besides a country's economic and political stability, and its cultural and historical wealth, reputation is another factor to be considered, whether you're moving alone or with your family. The Reputation Institute published its yearly ranking of the world's most reputable countries according to their attractiveness. Ethics, security, natural beauty, lifestyle, quality of life, and friendliness and hospitality are some of the aspects taken into account. Discover five of the world's most reputable countries.

Buying property abroad as an expat can require more research, and may involve more risks than buying in your home country. You should start planning the purchase well in advance, do some research on formalities such as visa requirements for buyers and mortgage conditions, and get expert advice when necessary. Expat.com has put together a guide to finding and buying the right property for you, whether it's an investment solution, a holiday home, or a permanent residence.

Moving abroad is often motivated by the quest for better living standards. Like every year, the Economist Intelligence Unit publishes its Global Liveability ranking based on a range of criteria including stability, education, healthcare, infrastructure, culture, and environment. To help you choose your next destination, Expat.com gives you an insight into six of the world's most liveable cities.

International employees are usually assigned to manage a project abroad by their company back home, and this is how they find themselves undertaking the adventurous journey of expatriation. However, if you have decided to become a self-initiated expatriate because you wish to boost your career, gain new life experiences, or start over again in a whole new country, read below to find out how to create a game plan for your overseas employment.

You are fresh in the expat way of living, and you are still trying to find your way around an unfamiliar place, new work ethics, and strangers. And, to top it all off, your birthday is approaching; but the idea of celebrating it is only intensifying emotions of homesickness and nostalgia for what your life used to be when you were surrounded by family and friends. We encourage you to look for the silver lining of your situation, and focus on the potential beneficent outcomes of your expat adventure — believe it or not, celebrating your birthday abroad is one of them. Read below to find out how you can have an epic birthday away from home.

A country's attractiveness is defined not only by its economic growth and political stability but also by many other factors such as engagement, culture, education, and innovation, among others. The Soft Power 30 index measures the performance of 30 countries based on these indicators. Expat.com gives you an insight into the top five countries for soft power.

The international travel and tourism industry largely contributes to the global economy, making for 10.2% (or about USD 7,6 trillion) of the annual global GDP. In 2016, the sector accounted for one in ten jobs on the planet, creating 292 million positions — a number which corresponds with the 1.2 billion international arrivals during the same year. While we have been used to North to North travel, outbound travel from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific is overgrowing. Here's an overview of a sector that generates high-quality employment opportunities, bridges people and cultures, and has the potential to promote the protection and restoration of our planet's ecosystem.

Working parents in the United States are facing daunting hurdles to find high-quality and affordable care for their children due to the country's inadequate childcare system. Each state has a unique setting, but what all states have in common are the high cost of childcare and the difficulty to access a system whose priority is not the welfare of parents, children, and professional carers.

Usually, the clothes we wear tend to be appropriate for the occasion (e.g. a business meeting, a Sunday hike, a night out with friends) we get dressed for, and often express our mood or reveal our personality. But clothing isn't merely a personal matter; it's a national too. Traditional ethnic wear, which dates back to a certain period of time in history, represents the culture and identity of a specific ethnic group and is often linked to social and religious status. In most areas of the world, western dress codes have been incorporated, and traditional garments are saved for special events and festivals. However, in some places such as Bhutan, the ethnic wear is still worn in public by citizens.

Singapore regularly tops the list of the most expensive cities in the world. In 2023, it tied with Zurich in first place among the most expensive cities in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The same year, a report by Mercer called Singapore the best city for expats in Asia. However, in recent years, Singapore has been experiencing a continuous exodus of expats. Even those who have called it home for a long time are starting to reconsider.

The tech world, already shaken in 2022-2023, is still in turmoil. As AI continues to develop, other sectors will come under the scrutiny of multinational corporations. What does this mean for aspiring expats? Should this be seen as a risk for international recruitment?

To stand out on the international job market and further strengthen the position of the European Union, the European Commission announced the creation of a European diploma. What does this mean for potential international students in Europe?