expat network

Moving To Portugal – What You Need To Know

Portugal Discovery Tours 2022

Enjoy a tailored tour with someone who knows the area inside out to help you decide the right location for you, who can assist you in planning your move and answer your questions.

Adjusting To Life As A Distance Learner

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many students to adapt to online learning. It’s an educational process that allows students to perform tasks without being physically present in a classroom. It offers many benefits such as the ability to study at your own pace and enjoy flexible expat education as you can attend classes from…

The Kyero European Overseas Property Market Tracker: Q2 2022

A quarterly overseas European property market tracker based on market leader Kyero.com user data. Updated quarterly, benchmarking three key areas; average asking price per overseas market (Spain, France, Italy, Portugal), numbers of properties for sale per country and consumer interest in each country. Key findings for Q2 Average asking prices for European properties remains…

How To Stick With Your Workout Routine When You Are Always Traveling

Traveling can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work. Coordination rooms, planning routes, and packing can feel like a full-time job when you are frequently on the road (or in the air). That doesn’t even touch on what it can do to a fitness routine. Luckily, you don’t…

Why Expat Families Should Stick To Their Family Rituals?

When moving to another country and wanting to build a life there, you must adapt to numerous completely new things. Those could be a new language, school or working environment, manners, food, roles in society, and so on. However, as much as adapting can sound good, it’s crucial to maintain a balance. Fitting in is…

Record-Breaking Year For European Overseas Property Buying

2022 is set to be record-breaking year for moving overseas, as ‘expat-preneurs’ search for property in the sun. Kyero have seen an increase in buyer interest and have conducted a survey to identify the reasons people give for their overseas property buying. 2022 is set to be a record-breaking year for…

How To Explain A Gap In Your CV

There can be many reasons why you have a gap in your CV and many try to hide the reasons feeling it will reduce their chances of getting the next job even if the gap was for a valid reason. How should you deal with the career break? Illness, accident, caring…

Lifestyle Benefits Of Nutrition

Living abroad poses an exciting chance to experience new environments, cultures and people. But on a longer trip or assignment, it’s hard to avoid becoming ill at some stage. To increase your chances of staying healthy, it’s important to consider nutrition and your diet. Wriiten for Expat Network by Rebecca Freer,…

Take The Climate Guilt Out Of Your Holiday With Our Top Travel Tips

The pandemic scuppered international travel for many of us, and understandably the nation is looking forward to getting away for a change of scenery. However, with the climate crisis a growing consideration for everyone, even when we’re away, OLIO’s co-founder Tessa Clarke shares her top travel tips for holidaying as sustainably as possible. …

Work Visa And Work Permit Requirements In Portugal

Portugal is often seen as a destination for people retiring to the sun but it is also a destination for people wanting to work in Portugal. What are the work visa and work permit requirements in Portugal if you are not an EU citizen? Who needs to apply for a…

5 Natural Ways To Reduce Body Heat

After a long winter period, the weather starts to heat up in many parts of the world. As expats around the world prepare for summer and as travel restrictions ease and families plan to enjoy some fun in the sun the heat can be a problem as well as a pleasure. Here are some…

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.