expat network

New Zealand Continues To Attract Britons

New Zealand has voted, following a national referendum, to keep its current flag, which features the British Union Jack alongside the Southern Cross star constellation. It is also attracting record numbers of migrants. Britain has a rich history with New Zealand. People, commerce and ideas have flowed between the two countries for many generations. The first...

Saudis Consider ‘Green Card’ System

Saudi Arabia is considering setting up a ‘green card’ system, similar to that used in the US, as part of plans to raise $100 billion of revenues annually by 2020. The green card system and a plan to charge companies a fee for hiring more foreign workers above official quotas could raise $10 billion each...

Currency Woes Hit Expat Pensioners

The majority of expat pensioners are now living off an income which is worth at least 11% less than a decade ago, according to Equiniti Group plc which manages the payment of over 60,000 expat pensioners. Of the 60,000 pensioners the largest group is receiving their pension in the Eurozone, where market uncertainty and the...

World’s Best Places For Retirement Property

International Living magazine’s Annual Global Retirement Index has identified the most-affordable places to buy or rent property abroad in retirement Ecuador was found to be the best in this category. In the colonial city of Cuenca, you can rent a two-bedroom apartment for $500 or less, while the same property in the popular mountain town...

How UK Inheritance Tax Affects Expats

One of the most important financial tasks you have as an expatriate is to plan how and to whom you will leave your assets. It can be a complex process, involving inheritance taxes and succession law of more than one country, but it is vital to have a solid ‘estate plan’ so your estate is...

Computing the Benefits Of Internet Finance

As an expat, the internet has made managing your finances much easier, but make sure you are doing it safely, says Iain Yule. As expats become more prepared to trust the internet as a means of handling their financial transactions so the banks are developing more and more exclusively online offerings. This is potentially of great...

PROMOTED: A Better Deal To Send Money Abroad

As expats, or expats-to-be, we all know how many overheads and worries, both large and small, are involved in making a move abroad. If you’re lucky enough to have a new job lined up, there are still issues around accommodation, visas, taking family members (and pets) – and this is before you even buy the...

Dream Over For Expat Retirees?

A third of British people who have retired abroad intend to return to the UK, according to findings from the eighth annual NatWest International Personal Banking (IPB) Quality of Life Index. While ‘retired expats’ retiring to warm European countries is an enduring cliché, the index  has found that younger expats (aged 25-35) are actually increasing...

PROMOTED: Cutting Ties With Home…

When moving overseas, either permanently or temporarily, most of us will keep some kind of base/connection with the UK – whether that’s renting out a property, having post forwarded to friends and family or keeping our UK bank account. Apart from practical and financial reasons, for a lot of us, keeping that link to the...

Most Expats Don’t Plan To Go ‘Home’

Those looking to improve life satisfaction should consider moving abroad it seems, with over half of expats saying they have no intention of going home. Just two per cent of expats are overseas for the short term and actually have a date set to return home. On average, 60 per cent said the move lived...

New App Provides News From UK

The Times and The Sunday Times have launched The Times of London Weekly, an international digital app that provides readers with a world view from London. The new app pulls together journalism from both titles in a single digital edition, published once a week on Thursdays. The Times of London Weekly is designed to be...

Switzerland Is Best Place For A Career Abroad

According to expats, Switzerland is the best all-round destination for a career abroad, combining excellent earning prospects with an enjoyable work culture and enviable job security.Almost two thirds of expats in Switzerland say the country offers higher salaries than at home, while 53% praise the working culture and 43% feel more secure in their job,...