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Everyday life
Phone scammers are increasingly targeting expats, and it's no coincidence. Fraudsters know that living abroad can mean language barriers, unfamiliar paperwork, and added pressure when something goes wrong. Here's how to recognize the most common scams, avoid the traps, and react fast if you've already been caught out.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is expected to drive more changes in 2026. One of the biggest shifts is the opening of the property market to expat residents and Emirati nationals. At the same time, authorities are tightening the tone toward self-employed expats, reminding them that being self-employed is only possible if residency rules are fully respected.
Malaysia
Malaysia has adopted a new reform that will significantly raise the minimum salary required to employ foreign workers. The government is also introducing additional measures to better regulate expatriate hiring.
Expat news
Bahrain
On 20 January, Bahrain's Parliament approved an amendment that would tie an expat's identity card to the duration of their residency permit. The decision was adopted despite concerns raised by the Foreign Affairs Committee. What should expat expect?
Oman
Oman is expanding its Omanization policy, which aims to prioritize local employment. The Ministry of Labour has confirmed that more than 200 additional roles are now closed to foreign workers.
Thailand
The Thai government is stepping up immigration enforcement with a new measure aimed at reducing visa overstays.
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Features
Schools & studies
Master's degrees, MBAs, PhDs… These qualifications are often seen as a fast track to an international career. But as career paths become less linear, the real value of a degree is increasingly questioned. Is an advanced academic route still the best option, or do employers abroad care more about hands-on experience and job-ready skills, especially intercultural ones? For anyone aiming to work internationally, these questions are now shaping what it takes to build a truly borderless career.
Work
Slow working, slow management and workations have already rewritten the rules in the past years. In 2026, the international job market is evolving once again. So which trends are fading, and which ones are becoming essential?
Everyday life
Moving abroad is exciting, but it doesn't have to be expensive. With living costs rising in many countries, popular expat destinations are becoming less realistic for smaller budgets. The good news is that more affordable alternatives are gaining ground. Here are some of the best places to move to in 2026 if you want to keep costs under control.
England
The UK is going to rejoin Erasmus+ in January 2027, the flagship education and training scheme it left following Brexit. Young people from all backgrounds will once again be able to spend a year studying abroad as part of their UK degree without paying extra fees. European students will also be able to study in the UK as part of their programs.
Everyday life
“Don't worry, everyone speaks English there.” It's a reassuring line many of us hear when preparing for an international move, and one that often proves misleading the moment we arrive. Because yes, in many countries, English is the official language. On paper. In everyday life, the reality is far more complex. Between dialects, creoles, patois and regional languages, newcomers can quickly find themselves disoriented. Which raises an essential question: is learning the local language essential to integrate? Or is it possible to get by, and even thrive, without ever really speaking it?
Visas
If you're looking for a work visa for your move abroad, you may be spending hours scrolling through national government websites, checking eligibility rules and minimum salary requirements. While in most countries it's the national governments that issue the final authorization, in others, you will have to apply to the specific state or province where you intend to settle. Among the countries with these decentralized systems are Belgium, Canada, Switzerland and Australia.
Expat interviews
Everyday life
When Adam and Tara Short from Sheffield visited Mauritius last November, they didn't expect it to change their lives. But one afternoon on the beach in Grand Baie, they realized this was where they wanted to raise their family. Adam, who runs a car and fishing business, and Tara, who owns a hospitality supply company, wanted a simpler, safer, and more outdoor life for their two sons, Spencer (9) and Xander (4). Just months later, they turned that dream into reality. In this interview, the Short family shares what it's really like to swap the busy streets of Sheffield for island life, from choosing schools and settling in, to discovering their favourite local foods and making Mauritius home.
Spain
For many, moving abroad is a leap into the unknown. For Doug Underwood, arriving in Mallorca in 2019 turned into a journey of building community, adapting to island life, and finding a true sense of home. What started as a work opportunity grew into something much bigger, from professional projects to co-hosting Curiosity Night, a monthly gathering for expats and locals alike. In this interview, Doug shares the rewards and challenges of expat life in Mallorca, his advice for newcomers, and what makes the island such a unique place to live.
Everyday life
Moving across borders is never just about changing your address — it's about reshaping your identity, navigating new beginnings, and learning to find “home” wherever you are. For Roberta Maretti, author of Where the World Took Me, the expat life began as a teenager in Tokyo and soon became a lifelong journey spanning continents, cultures, and countless reinventions. From raising children in Asia and the Caribbean to returning to Europe after years abroad, her story is one of resilience, curiosity, and the search for belonging. In this interview, she reflects on the challenges and gifts of a globally mobile life, the friendships and food that anchored her along the way, and the lessons she hopes to share with other expats carving out their own paths.
Insights from professionals
Children
Growing up as an expat child means learning, very early on, how to navigate different worlds. For some, it's a profoundly enriching experience. For others, it can raise difficult questions: Who am I, really? Where do I belong? For parents, supporting this identity-building process can feel like a real challenge, especially when a child's reference points are constantly shifting between home, school, the home country, and the host country. Cécile Solar, a certified coach and co-author of the Objectif Orientation guidebooks published by Hachette, helps us better understand what these children living “between two cultures” go through.
Everyday life
From diplomatic tensions to sudden policy changes, geopolitical events are increasingly felt far beyond headlines. For expatriates, they can affect everything from job security and mobility to personal safety and well-being. Yet these everyday impacts remain largely undocumented. Researchers are now gathering firsthand accounts from expatriates to understand how global political shifts are playing out on the ground.
Everyday life
Expat life is often associated with openness, new encounters, and discovery. Yet, paradoxically, it can also bring a deep sense of loneliness. Even when surrounded by others, expats may feel isolated, out of step, or unseen. This experience is not a weakness. It reflects a fundamental human need: the need for meaningful connection. In a professional setting, this loneliness can quietly but significantly affect mental health. Preventing distress, therefore, also involves learning how to nurture relationships, create spaces of belonging, and recognise that well-being depends largely on the quality of our connections.
Expat stories
Work
Starting a business with your partner sounds like a dream, Palm trees, shared goals, flexible schedules, maybe even long lunches in the sun. But here's the truth: building a business and maintaining a healthy relationship takes intention, grit, especially when you add the stresses of doing it in a new country. I have done it with my husband—and we're still talking to each other!
Everyday life
Many aspects of life today are shaped by constant judgment and evaluation—annual reviews, performance indicators, goal assessments, skills audits, and more. But should we apply the same lens to an international relocation? Living abroad is a rich and complex experience, which raises an important question: how—and why—should we evaluate it? Is it to strengthen an application for a new role and better reflect the value of our intercultural experience? To gain clarity about future goals in an international setting? Or perhaps to make sense of the reasons behind a return?
USA
As the year 2021 comes to an end, we're hoping for this very stressful period for expatriates all over the world to be over. Expats living in the USA on an E2 visa have been faced with a particularly complicated situation. In addition to the pandemic's impact on their businesses, they will also have administrative difficulties obtaining visas or even their renewal.
Everyday life
From October 1, 2021, South Africa moved to Alert Level 1 after multiple Covid-19 peaks, and life is slowly getting back to normal. Hannah, an expat from the UK, was lucky enough to relocate to Cape Town in September following her husband's intra-company transfer. She shares her views about expat life in the country she now calls home.
Everyday life
Does being an expat mean always being the outsider? Not quite at home in your host country and a little bit of a stranger to your home country. Stephanie discusses how she navigates this identity as a Brit living in Paris.
Moving
Expatriation started as a necessity when I was looking to progress with my academic studies of a Master's degree in England. However, it was earlier in my life, when I began travelling for leisure, that I figured out moving countries is a lifestyle I would like to revel in. Since 2007, I have lived and worked in five countries in Europe, Africa, and East Asia, and I am currently preparing for my next expatriation project. I may find it easier to board a plane and start all over again than deciding what to have for dinner, but the journey is not anxiety and sorrow-free. So, if you are interested in how a life away from everything you take for granted is, please don't ask me (or any other like-minded expat for that matter) any of the following questions — here's why.
Expat of the month
Everyday life
Angelica is originally from Verbania, Italy. It's been nearly ten years since she moved to the UK, hungry for independence and new experiences. She has also spent a year in Germany for her studies before going back to the UK and is currently in the process of obtaining British citizenship. She talks to us about living in London as an expat between Brexit and the Covid pandemic.
Articles from our local editions
Mauritius
Mauritius still feels like a dream destination. With pleasant weather year-round, political stability, a strong sense of safety, a welcoming culture, and a business-friendly environment, it appeals to people relocating for a new job, a fresh start as an entrepreneur, or a more peaceful retirement. But beyond the postcard image, one issue is increasingly hard to ignore: the rising cost of living. It's now a regular topic of conversation and a growing concern across expat communities.
Mauritius
Concerts, cultural festivals, major religious celebrations and sporting events are shaping the month of February in Mauritius. From long-standing traditions to contemporary performances, there are plenty of ways to get out, explore and experience the island, whether you've just arrived or you've been here for years. Here is our pick of the events you won't want to miss.
Mauritius
The breathtaking lagoons surrounding Mauritius hide a far more fragile reality: a coral reef barrier that is weakening, partly due to plastic pollution. To take action on the ground and raise awareness without shaming anyone, Stéphane Doré, a French resident who has lived on the island since 2018, created Protez Moris. In this interview, he explains the initiative's goals and shares practical steps everyone can take to help protect Mauritius's natural treasure.
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