A study has found that there has been a big drop in the number of British people being sent on international assignment for work. The UK has been revealed as the third most popular location in the world for international work, behind only USA and China, according to new research by Santa Fe Relocation. The...

One of the first things that an expat should do when they move to a new country is familiarise themselves with the healthcare system there. Some expats will find themselves moving to locales where they can freely access a publicly subsidised healthcare system (sometimes at no cost). However, others will find that they either don’t...

Malta has a British feel, and so attracts UK retires who want something familiar – but with sunny Mediterranean living. Pensions might go further on this island too. ‘Retiring to Europe’, a new website and book, explores in depth the attractions of Malta. The following are brief extracts. Understanding where you are tax resident is...

Portugal and the UK have had close links for centuries and in recent years Portugal has become a popular retirement place for Britons. As a new website and book – ‘Retiring To Europe’ – explains in depth, there may be tax advantages in moving there. The following are brief extracts. There are many issues that...

Historically, in countries where there is no tax-driven, government-approved pension savings framework (most countries in the Middle East and Africa for example) expat workers have relied on ‘international pension plans’; in reality a marketing name for what is essentially a long term savings plan. By Paul Beard For a long time these were the only...

As employers send more staff abroad they need to be aware that kidnap and ransom can occur in any region, according to the Health Insurance Group. It says that employers underestimate this risk and need to do more to protect their employees. Approximately 40,000 kidnappings occur every year and over 40% of these are of...

Research by life insurance advisers Unusual Risks shows that 28% of UK insurance companies offer life insurance products to British expats. Only 7% of providers are prepared to accept an application for critical illness cover from expats. The figure for life insurance was a significant increase from the previous year’s finding of 16% and indicates...

In global prime property markets even small percentage changes in currency can have significant monetary implications. Currency, ownership costs and taxation are becoming increasingly important considerations for investors, especially as the rate of price appreciation slows in some global city markets. New research by property consultancy Knight Frank suggest that individuals need to be conscious...

More than half of the businesses questioned in new research said sending staff on global assignments has improved the performance of their international operations and 44% said it improved employees’ skill level. However, the research by international health insurer AXA, conducted among 250 multi-national firms headquartered in eight different countries and 372 expat workers across...

Research has shown that 30 per cent of expats said that they relocated for better career opportunities and a quarter listed increased pay and benefits. A further 15 per cent relocated for an improved work/life balance. The research, by global healthcare provider AXA, also found that 14 per cent moved for a better environment to...

From July, Saudi Arabia is collecting a new tax from expats and their dependants, a move that is seen to boost the country’s revenues amid weak oil prices. The new fee will be 100 Saudi riyals (SAR) per dependant per month, around £21 or $27. The amount is expected to increase gradually every year until...

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...