Features
Health system
As China officially announced that the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak has been reached, the situation is slowly getting back to normal. Sumayyah Hosany, a Mauritian expat living in Wenzhou with her husband Hamad Abdul Zahir from Pakistan, talks to Expat.com about her feelings about the pandemic. Both are doctors who have been volunteering in the Ouhai district in Wenzhou.
Health system
204, 404. This was the official number of cases of Coronavirus around the world on Wednesday afternoon with 157 countries and territories affected. As the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the world emergency by calling the virus a pandemic, leaders in affected countries are sounding the alarm. Lockdown, closure of institutions, non-essential public places and borders ... Drastic measures are taken to prevent the spread of the virus. The latest statistics indicate a total of 6,518 deaths worldwide, including a higher and increasing rate in China, Italy, South Korea, Iran, Spain, Germany, France and the United States. Here is a country by country breakdown of the most affected territories.
Italy
The Coronavirus outbreak has had the world holding its breath since the beginning of this year. While China has managed to minimize the spread of the virus, Italy is now the most affected countries of all and has been under lockdown since the 9th of March in order to contain the virus.
Tax
The amendment has sent shockwaves across the expat community in Portugal. On the 27th of January, the Portuguese government announced it would be reconsidering the fiscal advantages non habitual residents benefit from: tax exemption on foreign earned assets is officially over. Does this mean the end is in sight for Portugal as an expat destination?
Everyday life
A study run by Expat.com and aiming at uncovering the repatriation habits of expats has found 65% of working expats seek work abroad but only want to live abroad temporarily. Indeed, only 35% of them consider permanent expatriation. Out of which a certain amount ends up coming back anyway.
Everyday life
A survey run by Expat.com in November 2019 aims at uncovering the repatriation habits of expatriates. An important part of the survey was dedicated to understanding the approach of retirees to settling abroad. When they plan to live abroad, do they leave for a set duration or do they want to settle abroad permanently? And do they change their minds while abroad? The current survey shows that one in three retirees shorten their expatriation.
In September 2019, Expat.com invited expatriates to participate in a survey which aimed at uncovering their expatriation habits. Do expats usually settle abroad permanently or temporarily? How often do expatriates cut their life abroad short?
Everyday life
Moving abroad is a massive change. Uprooting your life to a whole new country is, in itself, no easy feat. And this can become even harder when moving into a country with a completely different way of life, laws and regulations that are the opposite of what you've always known like when you move from a liberal to a more conservative country. So how do you deal with this?
Hong Kong
The fall is non-negligible. In its latest report, ECA International (Employment Condition Abroad) ranked Hong Kong as the 93rd most attractive city for expatriates. The city stood at the 50th place in the 2018-2019 edition of the ranking. Hong Kong is far behind other major Asian cities: Tokyo is 3rd. Singapore keeps its 1st place (2019-2020 figures).
How to measure the real impact of the current context - political crisis, coronavirus - on the attractiveness of Hong Kong? What effects on the attractiveness of Hong Kong to investors, professionals and other expatriates?
England
If you've been following the news, then chances are, you already know that after a long three years, the UK has finally decided to move forward with its divorce from the European Union. One of the main issues politicians promised to tackle with Brexit was immigration. Fearing the loss of jobs for native UK citizens, the government's introduced a new points-based immigration system that'll go into effect on the 1st of January 2021.
Thinking of immigrating to the UK after that date? Then here's what you need to know.
Moving
When we move to a new country, we hope desperately that everything will work out and that we'll stay for as much as we plan to and maybe more. But unfortunately, things don't always work out. Whether it's due to personal circumstances or the law, there comes a time when some expats may have to either move back to their home country or somewhere else. But when you're dealing with a difficult personal situation, how do you know if you should persevere just a bit longer, or it's actually time to move on? We discuss some important factors to base your decision on.
Formalities
Settling down in a new country is no easy feat. Getting your head round all the new laws surrounding residency and your rights as a resident but also, if you want to, staying in touch with your home country's political and economic life is a lot to take in. Usually, embassies and consulates are present to help you settle in. But what exactly are their use to an expatriate? And more importantly, can one settle in a country where there is no diplomatic representation?
Netherlands
Recently, ECA International released its list of top 20 most livable cities for European expats. Four out of the 20 top cities were found in the Netherlands with The Hague, Eindhoven and Amsterdam all being in the top 10. Quite obviously, this country is a highly attractive destination for those wishing to relocate. But why? In this article, we'll dissect the good (and the bad) of the Netherlands so you can decide for yourself if it's a good destination to move to.
Work
Paris is the number one city in the world for freelancing, according to Small Business Prices, a British business information site that has released, earlier in February, its ranking of the best cities to become a freelancer. When it comes to professional trends and working styles, one thing is certain: we have entered the age of the ‘digital nomad.' Around the world, professionals are abandoning office life in search of freedom and freelancing - armed with a passport and a laptop, their office might be a hammock in Thailand, a café in New York or a coworking space in Buenos Aires. But what if you don't want to move from place to place? How possible is it to establish yourself as a freelancer in a new country? What about visas and taxes? This article is a great place to start if you're thinking about making the leap into international freelancing.
Everyday life
Whether you've been living abroad for a while or you have just arrived, if you have an expat circle of friends, then you have definitely met the following types of expats. And if there is a type you cannot quite assign to anyone, then it is probably you!
P.S: We did not need to carry a study to find this out, we have enough expats here in our Expat.com's team ;)
Everyday life
Numbeo has just released its list of the safest and the least safe cities in the world. Abu Dhabi, Doha, Taipei, Quebec city and Charjah in the UAE are the safest cities while Caracas, Port Moresby in New Guinea, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Durban in South Africa are the least safe, Numbeo found.
But should the safety levels of a country stop you from living your expat dream? Realizing your dream expat destination is not as safe as you might have thought doesn't mean you can't still have an amazing time. It just means you have to be smarter about it.
Read on for some helpful tips on how to settle in and stay safe after you've moved.
Work
More and more professionals worldwide are now switching to digital nomadism which makes it possible to work anywhere in a flexible way. Becoming a digital nomad also means being on the run for new opportunities at all times, with fast internet as your main tool. A recent survey conducted by Small Business Prices gives an insight into current digital nomadism trends and the places you should move to, given their benefits for your career.
Accommodation
While rents in expensive cities like London, Amsterdam, or Munich seem to have stabilised at the end of 2019, there was a significant rise in many European cities that used to be relatively affordable. The HousingAnywhere International Rent Index gives an insight into the saturated property market in Europe and what you should expect in the coming months.
Other Types
Sponsored
JJ Associates
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.
Open a bank account that suits you
Discover the best international banks to manage your money securely.
"