Choosing the right healthcare insurance policy can make a real difference to how successfully you start your journey abroad – or whether you start it at all. For expats, it’s as important as picking the right country: health insurance varies depending on many factors (location, lifestyle, family size, etc.), and individual needs differ – students,...

Retiring abroad is a major decision and one of the key issues if we are to get the best out of life in retirement wherever we are is access to good quality healthcare.  The accessibility of healthcare should be one of the key factors in the decision on where to retire. There can be a...

The freedom to retire means no longer having to work every day and having the ability to travel at leisure. It also means you can sell your house and spend your senior years living in a foreign country, taking in new experiences and meeting new people; but as romantic as retiring abroad sounds, there are insurance considerations that...

Working your dream job in another country is an incredible lifetime achievement. However, behind the wonderful experience of living in a foreign land, there’s a challenge that many people don’t talk about often. Living for an extended period in an unfamiliar place leads to loneliness. If mishandled, the isolation could affect an expat’s well-being, leading...

Blue Monday was a term coined by psychologist Dr Cliff Arnal in 2004.  He worked out a formula to show how the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year. It takes into account factors including the average time for New Year’s resolutions to fail, the bad weather, debt, the time since...

Research by AXA has revealed that as many as two in five (41%) young expats aged 18-24 are negatively impacted mentally by social media and tech addiction. AXA – Global Healthcare has reviewed the Mind Health Index, looking at how young expats are affected by social media. The research found that those who report a negative...

Access to the Portuguese health system is based on residence. Everyone who’s registered as a resident can also register to access the Portuguese national health service (SNS) on the same basis as a Portuguese citizen. This is the same if you’re employed, self-employed or not working. Here we outline how expats can access healthcare in...

In recent years, an increasing number of people have thought about relocating to Europe to live, work, or retire. Europe has a lifestyle that many people find appealing because of its temperature, varied cultures, and rich history. If you’re considering moving to Europe, your top concern should be determining the kind of healthcare you and your...

The NHS could face a bill of almost half a billion pounds if retired British people currently living in other EU countries decide to return to the UK in the event that their right to healthcare in those countries is withdrawn after Brexit. This figure could be substantially higher if the NHS has to pay...

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your gut. They are often called “good” or “friendly” bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy. Probiotics can be found in some foods, such as yogurt and sauerkraut, and supplements. Some people believe that probiotics can also protect you from getting sick...

Is drinking organic wine better for you? In a nutshell, yes. Organic wine is produced according to organic viticulture standards that prohibit the use of harmful chemicals and substances. Here we set out why drinking organic wine is healthy. Statistics show that the wine market will reach up to 1...

It is widespread for expats to lack the proper mental health care coverage abroad. Some locations even lack access to mental health professionals and institutions for everyone, not just expats. And even if you end up in a place where counseling is available, like a school in case you are studying abroad, it’s most likely only going...