Expat Advice

International Living’s expat network is your key to a new life in a new country. Get real, honest advice from people just like you. Discover the tips, tricks, shortcuts, and strategies you can use to cut through red tape and improve your life overseas right away.

Read about and learn from real-life experiences our expats have had in their new home countries, from health care to taxes, earning an income overseas to buying real estate…and much more.

Expat Advice Archives

So Many Opportunities to Choose from in Ecuador’s Highlands

So Many Opportunities to Choose from in Ecuador’s Highlands

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July 1, 2014

When my husband David and I decided to move to Ecuador, we had a very long list of reasons why we felt the move would be the right choice for our family. Moderate weather, low living expenses, and exposure to a different culture were right up at the top. But one of the things we most looked forward to was the chance to run our own business. The economic conditions and miles of red tape back home convinced us that being self-employed in the U.S. was not the wisest choice.

Ditching Hollywood Glitz to Get a Real Life in Europe

Ditching Hollywood Glitz to Get a Real Life in Europe

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June 1, 2014

Arlene Gibbs was on-set in Toronto, working on a movie in production, when she realized she needed a life change. The two months she spent on location was the longest period she had been away from Los Angeles since she began working there 10 years previously. “Everything in L.A. was about ‘The Business’,” she says. “Everyone I interacted with at work…at the cafes…even at the gym was involved in the movie industry.”

An Easy Way for Graduates to Work and Live in Spain

An Easy Way for Graduates to Work and Live in Spain

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June 1, 2014

I ’m putting my three-day weekends in Europe to good use. I’ve visited Germany, Britain, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Portugal, and the Netherlands…all from my Spanish base in the beautiful city of Salamanca in the region of Castile and Leon. Everywhere I go, I seek out cheap places to stay, eat, and play. I love traveling and my job gives me the opportunity to do so while still making some money.

From Bakers to Bakery Franchisors

From Bakers to Bakery Franchisors

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June 1, 2014

Like many expat business people, Eric and Stephanie Slater spotted an opening in the market and came up with a business idea to fill it. In their case, it was a need for good bread. It’s an issue across Central America but particularly in San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua where the couple decided they wanted to settle down. San Juan is a beach town with a ready market of hungry surfers, backpackers, and other travelers.

Belize Makes Expat Business Easy

Belize Makes Expat Business Easy

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June 1, 2014

Belize is a small country, with only 330,000+ residents. Ninety percent of businesses here are small or microbusinesses, making it a good place for an overseas venture. I’ve lived here full-time for six years now, and I know expats running all types of businesses. It’s surprisingly easy. For example, Frik De Meyere, owner of Belize Wind Energy and a real estate agent with Mannsfeld and Associates, says he spent 80% of his time on paperwork back in Europe. But in Belize, paperwork only takes 10% of his time.

Microbrewing Yields Lifestyle Dividends

Microbrewing Yields Lifestyle Dividends

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April 1, 2014

People are brewing small quantities of beer in garages all across America….but some of them have taken that passion for “home brewing” overseas and turned it into a livelihood. It seems the whole world is waking up to the higher quality of craft beers, and the market for them is growing. If you’ve been in a bar recently you know about the thirst for craft beers

Go Dutch: Get an Easy, Two-Year Residence in Europe

Go Dutch: Get an Easy, Two-Year Residence in Europe

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April 1, 2014

While other countries in Europe require millions of dollars for the privilege of allowing you to move there (Switzerland and Austria come to mind)…ask for proof of ancestors that you might not have (Italy, Ireland)…demand that you endure painful bureaucracy (France)… or ask that you exhibit special technical talents that no one else in the world possesses (everywhere)…one mighty little European country is actually making it relatively painless for Americans to move there: Holland.