Emigrating Britons show little signs of stopping

The number of people emigrating each year from Britain is increasing and with a recent survey conducted by NatWest International predicting that by 2025 more than 1.8 million Britons will have retired abroad, that shows little signs of slowing down.

Apparently the best rated county to emigrate to was Canada, closely followed by New Zealand and Portugal. Most ex pats said they enjoyed a better quality of life and some even said they had no intention of returning to the UK. There were a few however, who did admit to feeling a bit homesick and missed the British sense of humor and way of life as well as the friends they had left behind.

One thing the survey did highlight was the health care issues facing ex pats abroad. A number of the people emigrating to a better way of life are doing so at a late time in their lives. They then find that if they are ill, the provisions on offer to them abroad may not be up to the standards they were used to her in Britain.

Unlike Britain where health insurance is an option, when living abroad it is a necessity as there is no NHS and while some of you may think that is not a bad thing, the reality of that is, with out insurance, being ill can turn out to be extremely expensive.

Since 2004 the NHS has tightened up its access rules preventing ex pats from returning for free treatment. France, Spain, the Netherlands and some cantons in Switzerland have also clamped down on what was known as the "health tourists".

Whilst the medical treatment abroad is fantastic it is probably well worth investigating all the medical insurance there is on offer and choosing one that best suits you before you decide to emigrate. That way if the worse should happen you know you are safe.

www.natwest.com