South Africa is one of the expatriate jurisdictions where proactive planning makes a significant difference to the tax and exchange control implications of an international mobile employee. The primary reasons for this proactive planning are: Unlike most other countries, with good planning you only become ‘tax resident’ in the beginning of your sixth year in...

Protection form mosquito bites is not being taken even by professionals in the travel risk business, a new survey has found. Less than a quarter of organisations have pre-travel health programmes in place. Data from medical and travel security risk services company International SOS shows that malaria represents an increasing proportion of offshore medical and...

Despite the benefits of raising a family abroad, parents and children alike take time to settle into their new life. However, the challenge can bring families closer together, according to new data. Almost half of expat parents say their children take longer than six months to feel at home in their new country, with...

A new report which identifies the personal characteristics of successful expatriates has been published by assessment specialist cut‑e, to help multinational employers choose the right people for international assignments. Do you fit the bill? Called Predicting who will be a successful expatriate, the report follows a research study involving 35 expatriates as well as their...

The Saudi authorities are considering a tax on remittances by expats. By tightening the rules on employees sending money abroad the Saudi government aims to raise revenue. It is considering plans to impose a tax of up to 6 per cent on money sent out of the country by expats. New rules may also limit...

A new online tool is designed to help skilled workers in the oil and gas sectors find job opportunities in the wider UK engineering sector, supported by the pipeline of large energy and infrastructure projects, according to the UK government. The existing Talent Retention Solution scheme, which is used by over 1,000 companies in the...

Hong Kong tops the list of most expensive cities for expatriates, pushing Luanda, Angola to second position. Zurich and Singapore remain in third and fourth positions, respectively, whereas Tokyo is in fifth, up six places from last year. Kinshasa, ranked sixth, appears for the first time in the top 10, moving up from thirteenth place....

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...

Anyone moving to Dubai for work or other reasons is no longer able to take advantage of the UAE’s public healthcare facilities. You must instead take out private medical insurance to cover the cost of your treatment. To make sure the new law is complied with you will not be able to apply for a...

Saudi Arabia’s passports department is starting to issue new resident permits with a five-year lifespan for expatriates. According to reports in Arab News, the new resident permits were first issued on 15 October, the first day of the Islamic New Year. Companies and expatriates have to renew the permits yearly online, with no need...

Allianz Worldwide Care has announced the launch of international healthcare plans for individuals and their families living in China. The healthcare plans, which have been designed specifically for expatriates and local nationals, will initially be available for those living in Shanghai, China’s largest population centre. Allianz has a dedicated health insurance support centre in the...