Why are people so supportive of moving to the US for work, but when an American considers moving to Europe, the response is always that the job market is terrible, pay is low, and rent is expensive? I could say the exact same about the US from experience.

I’ve considered moving to Europe for a better work-life balance and because I’ve absolutely loved the countries I’ve visited in the past. But whenever I bring up even the brief idea of an American moving abroad, people seem determined to talk me out of it.

I’d rather earn an average salary, walk to a local shop, and use public transportation instead of making six figures and spending my free time sitting in 5 lanes of stopped traffic on my way home everyday.

I know every country has its downsides, and I’m definitely not here to say US is the best, but why does exploring the possibility of moving abroad feel so controversial? Has anyone else experienced this?

Hi, I’m a Singaporean based in London and I moved to the UK for uni 5 years ago, currently living and working in London.

I have moments where I feel sick of living in the UK and I want to move back to Singapore. I don’t miss the people (mindset and attitudes not the best) but I love / miss the food and how modern and convenient everything is. Compared to the UK, UK feels very backwards and high taxes however offers a relaxed lifestyle with more work life balance.

I’m Currently experiencing burn out in my current job leading me to think about what I want long term. Do you think it’s worth moving back to Singapore to try it out again? I remember being a kid and not having much to look forward to, it feels like everything was so stressful back then and everything revolved around being better than your peers and it just feels like a rat race. Now as an adult, I’m keen to see if things might have change and if I want to settle in Singapore.

I’m married to my British partner and he doesn’t seem that keen to move, and we are also deciding whether to move to Hong Kong solely for making more money and having lower taxes. I know the living conditions in HK isn’t ideal, but also keen to see how it’s like to raise kids there.

TLDR:

Is the UK really that bad as everyone make it sound? Would you sacrifice to go to Singapore and HK and come back to UK to raise children?

They offered to relocate me for 1 year to bangalore to help with the offshore engineers.

What kind of package is even feasible or could make it worth it? What's standard for relocations? I see Indians trying to escape India, never seen people trying to get there.

Note: I'm looking to leave my company and this got thrown at me - just curious what I could expect

Granted that things are not perfect in the US and that there is so much I don’t like, living here is still infinitely better than living in my home country. People seriously have no idea. They ask me if I am crazy for moving to the US from one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and they seriously have NO IDEA.
I always meet people from the US who think they can move to my country and everything will fall into place. I miss certain things about my country, but I would never go back. The bureaucracy alone is abominable. You have no idea how bad it is. The entire system is designed to make the simplest thing as difficult as possible and to exhaust you. I had to request a simple certificate and have been struggling for months, having my parents go to several public offices in person, then there is always some form that needs to be notarized, then some official stamps you need to buy, all of it because they refuse to digitalize everything. In my country, the entire system is designed intentionally to complicate things. If there are 100 ways to do something, they will choose the most laborious, tedious, exhausting.

I work at sea, have like 3 to 4 months off at a time. During my vacation I spent about 2 months in Chiang Mai and loved it a whole bunch. I'm not a digital nomad per se but typically look for them since I fit in well, and I'm trying to get into a remote gig on the side too. The only issues with Chiang Mai are:

-Burning Season

-Long ass flight there (im from USA)

-11 hour time zone difference from home (cant call people easily)

-Though its not too bad, theres still a lot of 18 year olds and whatnot, lots of people just there for 3 days at a time. Looking for a more long term crowd, and I'm in my mid twenties now and would like similar crowds ideally

Besides that though I love Chiang Mai. Cheap, not a tourist trap, walkable, very good spread of people, feels authentic, yadda yadda.

But South America seems like it could be a killer place, but I dont have South America figured out. Where to look? where to go? Thailand I know. South America could be the best of all worlds IF I could find "The Spot" what do yall think?

Successfully, or unsuccessfully, it's fine. I've been thinking about emigrating for years, I learned the language to an intermediate level, I have the financial means to support myself for the foreseeable future, I know what visa I'm going to go for, I know how I'm going to deal with health insurance and banking, all the random crap which I already know is going to be a challenge anyway, and I'm not going anywhere for a year or so while I scout cities.

I just went through a breakup, which wasn't unexpected, but now there's really nothing keeping me from getting the whole long, complicated, stressful process started.

So what was it like for you? What was it like leaving whatever support system you had (if any) in your home country to see what life is like elsewhere?

I am moving for the cultural representative program in the USA for a year from Italy and our agency that sponsored the job offer and visa suggested Mondassur. Honestly I am not sure if I wanna pay 830 euro ahead and it does not cover pre existing conditions, terms and conditions are not very clear at all.

I sent a mail and they called me but the lady on the phone could barely speak english.

I have to take medication with me and the birth control pill and eventually I need a prescription for those, obviously i need to have some coverage. Also, it is tricky because they are psych meds and not every insurance covers that.

I am thinking about Cigna, or Allianz.

I am in the USA for work, not leisure.

Apparently Cigna does not cover pre existing conditions if they are.not mentioned but they make you fill in a questionnaire and tomorrow I should have an interview and get more info.

I am German, in my late 20s, and have been living in Norway for the past 4 years. Lately, I've really been feeling the itch to move to a different country again, and the UK is very high up my list.

It has always been a country I've felt incredibly comfortable in, and if it weren't for Brexit, I think I would have already tried living there at some point. Since Brexit did happen, I moved to Italy after finishing school, stayed for 3 years, moved back to Germany for a bit, spent a year in Slovenia, moved back to Germany, and then ultimately moved to Norway, where I've been ever since.

In the past, I didn't think much of these decisions, but since my last move was at 25 and I started out by doing a master's, I do feel like my situation now is a bit different. Many people my age are settling down, have fixed friend groups etc. Objectively, I would also be giving up a very good life in an incredibly safe country, as well as a good job, just to experience something new again. My main motivations for moving would be London as a city (as lovely as Oslo is, it is not exactly metropolitan), and the general itch to experience something new again. So nothing to deep, but also something that can make it worth it.

I am obviously aware that, for visa-reasons, I can't just pack up and move like I did previously, but right now, that's not much of a concern. If I don't find a job that would make me qualify, that's the end of it, and that's that. I am more so wondering if I should seriously start looking into opportunities.

So if anyone here has any input on any of the following questions and topics, I would really appreciate it:

• For those of you that have move in their early/mid twenties and in their late twenties/early thirties: did the latter make it markedly harder to build a network?
• Going off of that, those of you that moved at roundabouts my age while single, do you regret it?
• What is London like for finding connections? Are people generally open to making new friends as adults, and what are good arenas to meet people?
• For those of you that have lived in both Norway and the UK: is the quality of life actually noticeably lower in the UK? (I've always felt like the UK had more extremes, but that it wasn't enough to affect you as a fairly well-situated person, but of course, visiting is not living)

I have an 11mo old daughter and we all live in Sweden and my partner is Swedish. I speak Swedish fluently. But me myself, I come from a country where two languages co-exist harmoniously and often people speak both or speak one and understand the other (we are an ex colony so we have our native language and then the one of the colonizer). I spoke our native language to my dad and the colonizer’s language to my mom since they come from different regions where different languages dominate.

So the most natural for me is to speak both. ChatGPT says I should do what feels most natural. But sometimes I do have concerns that the lack of consistency will result in her not speaking any of them. I do try to make a stronger emphasis on my native language since it is a minority language even in my home country. So books I read only in my native language, routine phrases like lets go brush our teeth or we’re going to sleep she only understands in my native language. I only speak Swedish to her when I need her dad to understand what I am saying.

But we visited my home country last month and we were in a city where colonizer’s language is predominant and I could tell she didn’t understand much (obviously not too big of a concern at this age, i still have time to catch up). But I am just feeling puzzled and not really knowing how i can provide both at an equal degree. I probably will not be able to and one of them will give in….

Just curious if anyone else is in a similar situation where they grew up in a bilingual household and feel the responsibility to provide both languages

I often see people relocating from their countries, but usually it is either because they had family/a partner there or got accepted into a school. I might be wrong but spontaneously it feels like if you don't get a studying opportunity in another country, your chances to relocate are almost non-existent. I am very close to graduating now and it would be a waste for me to drop my studies just to try studying abroad.

I am already an expat for context, but moved when I was a kid due to my family's job (from one EU country to another tho, and the options that seem most desirable right now are both outside of EU and Schengen)

Hey guys
I have been with my partner for 5 years with many ups and downs. We’ve done long distance and are 5000 miles away from each other. We’ve finally made it and are due to get married in January for me to then move to him.

Everytime we talk about the wedding I change the subject only because I don’t want to leave my family. It’s not guilt. It’s because I genuinely don’t see the point in life if I’m away from them. Being away from my parents and siblings? I see so many posts on here from people who live abroad saying it’s hard and doesn’t get easier. I am so blessed to be part of an amazing family and have my siblings around me too that I see every single weekend.

I am torn and don’t know what to do anymore or why I feel this way. Does it ever get easier?

Has anyone here sent international wires from State Department Federal Credit Union? I’d like to hear how it went.

Background: I’m taking a 401(k) distribution from Fidelity, and Fidelity will only pay it out to a domestic checking account by EFT. No concerns over the taxes and penalty. I won’t go into why my existing US accounts are bad options. My problem is purely finding a good account to receive the money and then wire it abroad.

What I need is an account that Fidelity can link to and pay out to, and that lets me send international wires online without calling in or flying to the US. I also no longer have a US residential address, so the bank has to accept a foreign one.

Plenty of people pointed me to Schwab. Because of my foreign address, Schwab said I could only open their international brokerage account, and that the process would be smooth. It hasn’t been. Getting the account opened took repeated contacts over issues they had told me wouldn’t happen. Once it was open, linking external accounts inside Schwab kept failing, and Fidelity couldn’t link the Schwab account either, even though I entered the checking routing and account numbers exactly as given. I’m done with Schwab.

Then someone mentioned SDFCU. I joined American Citizens Abroad and applied for SDFCU accounts yesterday, and I’m waiting to hear back. While I wait, I’d like to learn from people who have actually used them:

Have you had trouble receiving a large incoming transfer at SDFCU? What happened, and how did you resolve it?

Have you wired a large sum from SDFCU to a foreign bank account? Did you do it completely online? Did it go through smoothly?

Or, have you used Wise to internationally wire a large sum? I have a new Wise account, but I feel insecure to use it, since it is not a traditional bank and not insured. In addition, if it fails to receive the 401(k) from Fidelity, the money can't be returned back to the plan.

Anything else I should know before I rely on them for this? I don’t want my money stuck somewhere, or staying up many nights dealing with their representative because of the time difference.

There’s an older thread here about SDFCU, but it’s about eight months old, so I’m starting a fresh one. Someone in that thread asked whether SDFCU blocks foreign IPs. I had no trouble reading their site or submitting my application from Taiwan, so maybe they block certain ranges rather than all foreign traffic. For what it’s worth, Colorado state sites block me constantly, and I’ve had to use a VPN just to pay bills there.

I’ve been thinking about moving to Japan myself, even if just for a while, and I’d love to hear about your experiences, both the good and the bad.

Hi. Anyone got any recommendations on pet international travel from the USA to the UK? I’m a British citizen and have been living in the USA for a few years now. I’m moving back home to England. Any recommendations for pet travel companies? I will not be traveling with my dog at the time. I need to send her before June 2027, as that’s when I will be traveling but here in the southern states I know it gets hot. I’m aiming to send her around April time.

Please help with advice. Thanks.

Sorry if my title is a little vague, I’ll try to explain here. Whenever I read about Switzerland as an expat destination, so many people sound like they’re miserable there. The beauty of the country is undeniable, but people are saying that the overly strict (and abundant) rules, the closed nature of the Swiss, the discrimination if you don’t speak the local language and other facors are killing their joy of living there.
However, I feel like many of those unhappy people are from either the US or “warmer” (in temperament especially) countries. I’m trying to gauge what Switzerland would be like for someone who might be a little closer to that culture already.

Context: I’m Danish, I have been in the US for a little over a decade. Here with my husband and two kids, all were born in Denmark but the kids have lived the far majority of their lives in the US. I’ve been wanting to get out for a long time, but we want to wait for our oldest to get her high school diploma here, so she can use it in Europe. Moving back to Denmark is definitely an option but we are also entertaining others, and Switzerland has been on top of our list because (ice) hockey for our youngest is a priority. But I sometimes get a little deterred when I hear some of the horror stories (neighbor calling the cops on garbage bin left in the street or stuff like that).

We Danes are known for being notoriously cold and challenging to befriend, and I know a lot of other nationalities find our country difficult to integrate in. I’m just wondering if Switzerland is similar enough that it’s easier for other “colder” cultures, if that makes sense.

I know my post is a simplification of expat life and culture, but I would still love to hear thoughts. Thank you in advance.

Hello all,

My husband and I are both in our twenties and currently live in New York City. I’m American, and he’s Haitian. We’ve been navigating immigration uncertainty in the U.S., which has made us reconsider where we ultimately want to settle down. He currently has a NTA despite our filings earlier this year which is making me think forward about everything.

We want children eventually, but stability, safety, healthcare, and the ability to travel together are extremely important to us.

I have several years of experience in hospitality and aviation and am currently exploring remote opportunities with a salary of $70K+ USD. My husband works in fire and life safety, although we’d potentially be relying on my remote income initially.
We’re interested in Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Costa Rica, and possibly Haiti, but we’re open to other suggestions.

For couples who’ve relocated abroad:

• Which country did you choose, and why?

• How difficult was obtaining residency for both spouses, especially if you held different passports?

• Could you comfortably support two adults on
approximately $70K+ USD annually?

• How do healthcare, housing, safety, and family life compare with the U.S.?

•Did you experience any unexpected difficulties after relocating?

We’re researching legal residency pathways and understand that our current U.S. immigration situation needs to be addressed before any move.
I’d love to hear both the positive and negative experiences. We’re not looking for a permanent vacation, just somewhere we could genuinely build a good life together. Thank you!

Random thought: imagine budget is completely irrelevant and you’re 20 years old.

Where in Europe (or anywhere else in the world) would you choose to live, and why?

Which city or country offers the ultimate combination of lifestyle, vibrant energy, culture, safety, and overall quality of life for someone in their early twenties?

I've been looking online at visas and stuff and there are so many options and so much to read through and understand that it's completely lost me.

My situation is I'm 23 and I want to move to the Netherlands. I'd be living with my Dutch friend. I currently work part time at a warehouse as a regular worker however I want to work full time.

I don't have any college or uni degrees, I would like to go to higher education but I'm not 100% sure on what I wanna learn, and my college options are limited as the nearest adult education center is about 2 hours away which would interfere with work, so I'm stuck doing online education.

I'd like to either work full time in the Netherlands, or study there and have a part time job. Is this possible in my current situation? I know there are requirements on income and employment, I just don't know which applies to me. Also I don't know any Dutch but I do want to learn, I feel the best way is to learn whilst living there.

If someones willing to help out, what are the exact extra steps I need to take, and what exactly is the thing I need to live in NL, whether it's a work visa, work permit or something I don't know the difference.

Oklahoma

Hello everyone,

I'm reaching out to get some advice or general perspectives because I feel pretty stuck.

I’m 24 and recently moved to Bangkok to find a job and build a life here. I originally moved from France, but because I had to leave an abusive family situation urgently, I didn't have the luxury of time to prepare as much as I would have liked.

I’ve always been drawn to Bangkok, and while I know living here is very different from visiting, I love the city.

My main hurdle right now is finding a job. I know Thai labor laws and visa rules are strict, even with a decent CV . Over the last month, I’ve sent over 300 applications, on top of countless cold emails, calls, and direct messages, and the constant silence and uncertainty are taking a heavy toll on my mental and physical health.

I completely understand that moving without a full safety net isn't ideal, and under normal circumstances, I would have planned better. But leaving when I did was necessary for my safety.

If anyone who has navigated the job market here has advice on how to keep pushing forward, alternative channels to explore, or just how to stay sane, I would deeply appreciate your insights.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Hi all, I've lived in four countries, and I still have apps on my phone from all four. They were necessary for everyday things like transport, shopping, banking, or local services.

I know I'll never use some of them again, but I haven't deleted them.

I'm not sure why I hold on to them.

If you've moved countries, what did you do with your old apps? And if you kept them, why?

Hi everyone,

I am a non-EU citizen who applied for a long-term residence permit for the purpose of scientific research (based on a hosting agreement with a Czech university).

My application was submitted on August 19, 2026, which means it has now exceeded the standard 60-day processing period. The online status still shows “Being processed,” and when I reached out to the Ministry of the Interior, the only response we got was to keep waiting and that they can extend the timeline.

I would really appreciate any advice or recent experiences from 2025 or 2026:

• How long did your scientific-research residence application take in total?
• Is it normal for this type of application to exceed 60 days, and how much longer does it usually take?
• Is there any effective way to follow up or expedite the process, or should I just wait?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

I want to live in Sweden, I speak the language already, but I couldn’t afford university there. So I ended up moving to Italy for university, but to get to Sweden I’d need to apply remotely to jobs or wait 3 years to the uncertainty of a long term European residence to move there with a job. I cannot stand every single summer here in Italy, and it’s a loophole. Careerwise? Not bad, but economically not good. So should I go back to Mexico (I don’t want to either), work there while I live with my parents and save up for rent until I can afford university there or maybe get a scholarship? What is the best strategically?

Waiting for citizenship literally will take 10 years here, and I’ve been only two years so far, and Spain I feel it’s also kinda hellish right now and if the right wing wins this November it’ll be tougher to get citizenship too. I feel sort of trapped. Also because my career sucks a bit right now… it’s UX/Ui

I’m a 31 year old guy who currently lives in Canada. When I was growing up, I always thought Canada was such a cool and interesting place, and I made it my mission to live there someday. I’m proud to say that I achieved my goal, and that I’m only a few months away from becoming a Canadian citizen.

Unfortunately, my dream isn’t everything that I thought it would be. I was very grateful to have this experience (and to come to Canada as a masters student), but I feel like my current situation is no longer serving me. I just feel like my life isn’t really going anywhere.

After graduating from my masters program, I’ve had a few different jobs, none of which have been very good (in terms of how I’ve been treated). Despite making a respectable income (~100k CAD), I’m still renting a basic apartment in Vancouver with no real aspiration to ever buy my own place. I do aspire to keep working my way up in my career, but moving up seems challenging when opportunities can be difficult to find.

Socially, I’ve made some connections here, but most of my friends are still at home. Despite being a pretty open and social person, making friends in Vancouver has just not been easy. It’s the same for forming any sort of romantic relationship. I haven’t really dated or anything since I moved.

I feel like it’s time for a change. I’m not sure what that looks like for me yet. Maybe it involves going back home, maybe it involves trying out a new location. Regardless, I just feel like I’ve accomplished my goal and that it’s time to explore other possibilities.

I don’t really talk about this with most people, because I feel like a lot of people become hostile if I bring any of this up. Sort of like “how dare you not like it!” Or “you must be a right wing nut if you want to go back to America.” None of that is true. I just feel like the definition insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

I’m just curious to hear what you’d do if you were in my shoes.

I thought I had it all figured out and was getting ready to put my plan into action but now questioning it. So we're starting slow travel end of December. I was going to sign up for a mail forwarding service in South Dakota and then go there and get residency and use a family member's address in WI as our residential address in the US for financial compliance.

Now when I went to look again it occurred to me that the financial institutions may issue 1099 forms at the end of the year based on an address in WI and not SD where we're registered to vote and have driver's licenses etc. The internet is giving me information overload and I'm not able to meet with a CPA for a while. How real is the possibility of this being a problem?

For added context we'll be cutting ties with NC where we've had residence and we won't be earning any income anywhere except for investment income. So, we won't spend time in WI but since that will be listed as the home address, could wires get crossed with taxes?