Features
Everyday life
Economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic is having a significant impact on the global labour market – with shorter working hours for some and the risk of being laid-off for others. This situation is of much concern for thousands of students around the world, as well as working-holidayers. Here are some tips to guide you in case you go broke, until things get better.
To help contain the pandemic, most countries have opted for partial or total lockdown of the population and schools were often the first to close. Although schools are doing their best to support children while they are at home, teachers do struggle to guarantee proper follow-ups. As a result, parents are forced to become, somewhat unwillingly teachers.
Everyday life
The COVID-19 crisis shakes up couples' habits but also single people's lives. How to cope with being single and quarantined? How can one still search for love during lockdown? Suggestions from a single expat lady in her thirties.
Morgan is an expat in Sweden and Andrea and Mirko live in Thailand. Measures taken to fight the COVID-19 in these countries have been rather mild. No full lockdown in Sweden, for example, and only partial lockdown in Thailand. How do these expats feel about this?
Everyday life
For many, lockdown means complete isolation, bringing along a feeling of loneliness, especially when you have moved abroad. How can you keep in touch with your friends and family and stay informed about what's going on in your home country during the pandemic? We've got you some tips.
Schools & studies
Studying abroad is the dream of thousands of students around the world. This year, however, many are seeing their dreams being crushed. Others, still, are trying to redefine their plans due to the coronavirus pandemic. If you are one of them, how likely are you to study abroad?
While most people are at home during the lockdown in New Zealand, expat Stumpy works in a farm, making sure that there is no food shortage.
Everyday life
Despite the health crisis which seems to have brought the world to a halt, life is still running its course. How does one prepare for childbirth in the context of a global health crisis? Between working remotely, cooking and prenatal yoga, Julie, a French expat living in Mauritius, shares with us her daily life as a confined future mother.
China
While local authorities are taking strict measures to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections, life is slowly getting back to normal in China. Four expats in China talk to Expat.com about their experience during the lockdown and how they are expecting things to be in the coming weeks.
What has changed since last week? Any new countries under lockdown? The COVID-19 situation around the world at a glance.
The current COVID-19 health crisis will, according to economists, have lingering economic consequences. What will that mean for the world of work? How easy will it be to find a job abroad in the aftermath of the COVID-19 health crisis?
Germany has just voted $500 million to help artists amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Indeed, partial or total lockdowns, empty streets, closed bars, restaurants, cinemas, cabarets, theatres and museums are leaving professional artists backstage. Around the world, artists and freelancers are circulating online petitions while governmental and private organizations are launching crowdfunding, grants or loans. How are musicians, actors, dancers, comedians living abroad... facing the COVID-19 crisis?
We interviewed a French musician living in the United States and an actor from Romania living in Canada.
Since the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 has forced a big part of the world to total lockdown. Some are spending their quarantine with their partner, others with roommates, some live alone or with their pets. And some are parents, single or separated, confined with their children. How do you cope with a lockdown situation when you are a single parent? Joël, expatriate in France, is sharing with us his new day-to-day life with his three kids.
Everyday life
More than 63,000 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded around the world, all nationalities combined. Nearly three-quarters of them happened in Europe. Add to that the growing number of new cases every day. Alarming right? What if your family was concerned during your stay abroad? Here are some tips to help you cope with this kind of situation.
Everyday life
For some, confinement means boredom and loneliness. Meantime, others are seizing the opportunity to do things they have always been dreaming of. What if you also started doing things you never find time for? Expats around the world talk to Expat.com about their achievements in spite of the lockdown in their host country.
The COVID-19 crisis may have suspended your expatriation plans, you may have had to go back to your country of birth or maybe you are an expat in quarantine. Wherever you are you can still discover your country of adoption's culture… from your couch. Famous British actor Charlie Chaplin said: “There are more valid facts and details in works of art than there are in History books.”. Here is a small world tour of online cultural offers that will enable you to learn a bit more about your country of residence without going out.
Borders closed? Lockdowns? Offices closed? Schools closed? Expat.com offers a quick overview of the situation around the world and particularly in the most affected countries.
Health system
Can I claim health insurance as an expat if I'm contaminated by the COVID-19 abroad? If so, what are the conditions applied? As the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the globe, health insurance is increasingly a matter of concern for millions of expats, especially since some of the world's best healthcare systems are crumbling down with a daily rise in the number of positive cases.
Other Types
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If you've been searching for a stable, profitable, and strategically located country to grow your business or diversify your investment portfolio, Panama should be at the very top of your list. Panama is not just a country with a famous canal. It is one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America, a regional financial hub, and a proven gateway for companies looking to expand across North and South America. With a dollarized economy, a territorial tax system, world-class logistics infrastructure, and investor-friendly immigration policies, Panama offers a unique combination of advantages that few countries in the world can match.
Everyday life
Moving abroad is often associated with adventure, discovery, and new opportunities. While it can be a deeply enriching experience, there is often a less visible reality behind the excitement of starting a new life abroad: exhaustion. In my consultations, expats sometimes describe a fatigue that never seems to lift, unusual irritability, a sense of disconnection, or the feeling that they are no longer quite themselves. What I have also observed is that this distress is rarely confined to one person. In expat families, when one parent begins to struggle, the entire family often has to adapt. Partners may feel isolated or lose their sense of direction, while children can pick up on their parents' stress, worries, or emotional fatigue, even when these feelings are never openly discussed.
New Zealand
Since June 1, foreign workers seeking certain work visas in New Zealand have been subject to new English language requirements. The government says the changes are intended to improve migrant integration and help prevent workplace exploitation.
Sweden
Since June 1, Sweden has tightened its work permit regulations. The new rules introduce higher salary requirements, stricter conditions for seasonal workers, mandatory health insurance in some cases, and increased scrutiny of employers.
Belgium
Belgium's latest reforms, which took effect on June 1, bring greater flexibility to the labor market in an effort to support job creation. At the same time, the government has introduced stricter requirements for non-European students.
United Arab Emirates
Foreign residents in the United Arab Emirates should take note: under UAE regulations, residence visas are generally canceled if the holder remains outside the country for more than 180 consecutive days. In most cases, affected residents must apply for a new visa before returning. However, several categories of expatriates are exempt from this rule and can retain their residency status despite an extended stay abroad.
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