You’ve been dreaming of the expat life for years. You’ve done all your research, picked a destination, worked out what your new cost of living will be, planned your goodbye party, bought the airline tickets… and then your new home decides to reform its citizenship rules. Suddenly you might be back to square one, no longer able to fulfil the requirements of the visa you’ve been coveting for years.
This is a reality for many expats, including those moving to Australia. We’ve put together a short guide to the new citizenship reforms and how they might affect you.If you haven’t quite got that far yet, you might be dreaming of living abroad but unsure what you need to think about before you leave. This month, FC Exchange share their tips for moving abroad in middle age and some of the things you might want to consider.
It’s not just citizenship reforms that can complicate matters. In the UAE, stagnation of wages alongside general inflation has led to many expats facing financial challenges.
Perhaps you know you want to move to a European city, but you’re not sure which one. Here’s why many people choose Brussels as their next home; then again, if you have kids you might find Amsterdam to be a great option.
Sometimes living abroad presents challenges we weren’t prepared for, and it’s all too easy to try to pretend everything is fine. However, honesty about the challenges you’ve faced can really help other people who may be thinking about making the same move. In a recent podcast, Jasmine Turner talks about some of the obstacles she’s come up against in South Korea, and why she’s decided to stay there anyway.
Rather than deciding on a single destination, some people end up moving from country to country on a regular basis, earning them the title of ‘serial expat’. This week we interviewed Amanda Walkins on the podcast – she’s a freelance writer who has moved around a lot and currently resides in Malta. We also caught up with Bethany, a teacher and serial expat, about life as part of a mixed-race couple abroad.
Two other expats shared their experiences of life abroad this week: Catie in Turkey and Katie in Australia.
Would you like to share your experience of life abroad with other readers? Answer the questions here to be featured in an interview!