May 2019 Emigrate News Archive

Archived Daily Emigrate UK News...

What do ultra wealthy property buyers get for a million dollars?

What do ultra wealthy property buyers get for a million dollars?
Recent research has shown that, in spite of perceived wisdom, one million dollars doesn’t automatically buy the home wealthy expats dream about. A study by a well-known upscale real estate agency is dispelling the perception that a million euros is enough to buy a Hollywood-style mansion in one of the world’s super-rich stomping...

Calculating the true cost of becoming an expat

Calculating the true cost of becoming an expat
As the UK sinks even deeper into the Brexit mire, more and more would-be expats are planning to leave, some for ever. Starting a new life in a new land is seductive at best, but can be disastrous if financial planning isn’t given serious consideration. Finding a job in a warmer country with higher pay thrown in or deciding on the...

Is Spain just for disenchanted British retirees?

Posted on May 29, 2019 in Spain
STORY LINK Is Spain just for disenchanted British retirees?
Is Spain just for disenchanted British retirees?
Is Spain just an escape from the UK for British retirees? Spain’s well-deserved position as the number one retirement destination for Brits sick of the weather, the politics, the cost and the general misery of life in the UK has been firmly established since the first cheap flight took off from Gatwick Airport a few decades ago. It’s...

Vietnam aiming high via digital transformation

Vietnam aiming high via digital transformation
Vietnam is heading for a major digital transformation, making it the top country for expats in Southeast Asia. As Cambodia struggles with what purports to be a Chinese economic invasion and Thailand limps along under a military government and an expat exodus, Vietnam is forging ahead with its desire to become the region’s undisputed...

Why choose Vietnam for your new home country?

Why choose Vietnam for your new home country?
It seems Southeast Asia is now an accepted destination for expats looking for a new experience, but what’s Vietnam got that makes it special? For Hollywood’s finest, including movie directors as well as stars, the country’s extraordinary scenery says it all, and has been featured endless times in smash-hit movies. For those expats...

US banks outlaw employee post-Brexit commuting from London

US banks outlaw employee post-Brexit commuting from London
It’s bad news for employees of US banks in London who’d hoped to commute weekly from their homes to the banks’ new overseas headquarters. US banks who’ve relocated their London headquarters to European Union cities due to Brexit are now stating their will not pay for former London staff to commute on a weekly basis, The decision...

Kenya wins out as Africa’s best for the digital lifestyle

Kenya wins out as Africa’s best for the digital lifestyle
A recent survey found Kenya’s unrestricted online access and cashless payments are the best on the continent. Africa isn’t in the expat news hotlines as often as the ever-popular hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore and the Gulf States including Dubai and Saudi Arabia, but it’s still a major beneficiary from expat expertise. Nowadays,...

Korea weighs in with copycat compulsory expat private healthcare insurance

Korea weighs in with copycat compulsory expat private healthcare insurance
Expats in South Korea to face mandatory state healthcare programme enrolment. South Korea’s new initiative for long-stay expats comes a short while after the Thai government announced a similar but more costly healthcare insurance requirement for its expatriate community. The Korean announcement gave the same reason for the change in...

Are new UAE longterm visas too exclusive to make a difference?

Are new UAE longterm visas too exclusive to make a difference?
Is the UAE’s new long-term visa scheme just a watered-down version of the controversial Golden Visa? In an announcement today, the UAE announced it has granted permanent residency to some 6,800 foreign investors for a total price of 100 billion dirhams – about $27 billion. The plan is similar to another announced last year, which...

Elderly expats in Thailand furious over accusations of cheating on medical bills

Elderly expats in Thailand furious over accusations of cheating on medical bills
Older expats in Thailand are still furious over visa requirement changes and compulsory private healthcare insurance. It’s impossible to tell how many potential expat retirees will go back to the drawing board and choose another lifestyle destination due to the negative publicity the Kingdom’s immigration authority is generating by...

British property still favoured as an investment by expats living overseas

British property still favoured as an investment by expats living overseas
Searches of British property websites are still rising as house prices continue falling. Overseas buyers are still seeing British real estate as an investment magnet, whether they’re UK expats living and working overseas or Brits being forced to return home due to Brexit or other issues. The growth in online searches has been marked ever...

Do expat retirees favour bitcoin trading because they’re bored?

Do expat retirees favour bitcoin trading because they’re bored?
A shock report is showing bitcoin as this year’s best performing investment. Cryptocurrency in general has had an exciting ride over the past several years, with bitcoin’s spectacular rise and its equally spectacular fall making and losing investor fortunes in short order. From the amazing 2017 rise to $20,000, followed by its collapse...

Hints on expat property purchase in Germany

Posted on May 15, 2019 in Finance
STORY LINK Hints on expat property purchase in Germany
Hints on expat property purchase in Germany
One of the most challenging aspects of life as an expat is finding and buying a suitable home. For the majority of working expat professionals, renting a condo is perhaps the easiest and most convenient option, especially for those on shorter-term contracts. However, for those with families, entrepreneurs working on start-ups and those...

Editor of Chiang Mai expat magazine tells the truth about pollution

Editor of Chiang Mai expat magazine tells the truth about pollution
In an article published by The Nation English language newspaper, the owner and editor of Chiang Mai’s much-loved City Life magazine tells it like it is about pollution in the city. Pim Kemasingki is known for her love of her city and for the magazine itself, a long-time statement of her work in sharing that love with both expats and...

Saudi Arabia approves elite Green Card style residency permits for expats

Saudi Arabia approves elite Green Card style residency permits for expats
The Saudi Arabia Shura Council has approved a major new proposal aimed at the introduction of a Green-Card style residency system. The new residency permit, aimed at attracting expat investors to the Kingdom, will offer qualified and highly skilled expats a full permit without the need for sponsorship[ by a Saudi national. Under Saudi...

Relocation checklist for expats heading for Singapore

Relocation checklist for expats heading for Singapore
If you’ve landed the perfect job and are headed to Singapore, a carefully considered checklist of your needs can help. A relocation checklist is essential for would-be expats heading away from the home country into an unknown culture, as it can save time, money and very definitely unwanted hassle. The first and most important is your...

Salaries for expat medical professionals in Prague still rising

Salaries for expat medical professionals in Prague still rising
If you’re in Prague and in the medical sector as a doctor, you’re also in the money! Doctors in Prague, whether local or expat, are now earning around 84,000 crowns per month, with their average salaries growing by 43 per cent since 2015. Nurses are now on an average of 43,000 crowns monthly, a 32 per cent increase over the past five...

How to make a go of expa life in Paris

Posted on May 7, 2019 in France
STORY LINK How to make a go of expa life in Paris
How to make a go of expa life in Paris
If living and working in Paris is your dream, understanding the city and its diverse culture will help it become reality. Known as the City of Lights, Paris is one of the world’s most loved and most visited cities for its sheer beauty, its magnificent history and heritage and its dynamic present day personality. It’s also home to a...

Italian diet and laid-back lifestyle keeps expats healthier for longer

Italian diet and laid-back lifestyle keeps expats healthier for longer
If you’re looking for health rather than wealth as an expat, Italy is one of the world’s best options. Italy is best known for its healthy lifestyle and Mediterranean cuisine, making it no surprise that the country came second in the latest Bloomberg survey’s global rankings. Spain was the overall winner out of the 169 world...

British pensioners may find Ecuador the perfect retirement destination

British pensioners may find Ecuador the perfect retirement destination
To many would-be expats from the UK as well as other European Union member states, Ecuador is a ‘faraway country with a strange sounding name’. but the truth is getting around. Central and Latin America are long-term favourites for USA pensioners, evidenced by the huge number of websites aimed at older Americans and stressing expat...

International removals made easy for nervous expats

International removals made easy for nervous expats
Moving house is rated as one of life’s worst experiences, especially if it’s across continents rather than to the next town! Experienced expats who’ve moved many times know the secret is to make and stick to a detailed plan covering the entire process from start to finish. For everyone else, it’s the perfect nightmare as it...

Expat parents in China choosing local schools rather than internationals

Expat parents in China choosing local schools rather than internationals
Increasing numbers of expat parents in China are rejecting international schooling in favour of local education for their kids. An increasing number of expat parents in China are now choosing local public schools for their kids in the hope they will become fluent in Mandarin Chinese. It has to be said that high international school fees...