How can the Expat Manual help you?
This section of our website is aimed at providing potential expats with everything they need to know about making a move abroad as well as offering an overview of what the world can offer expats. Whatever your reasons for moving, you are bound to have countless questions and concerns about life as an expat and we hope that this section can act as a valuable information source.
The expat manual covers 10 distinct areas:
1) Is the destination right for you? Where are the best places to live in terms of cost, standard of living and healthcare? Which places should you avoid? This section provides an overview of some of the popular expat destinations, providing you with an insight into their pros and cons. Where possible we have provided you with tangible facts and figures that can help you make your mind up about any potential move abroad. For more detailed and specific information about each country you can visit the “Guide Content” section where you can access detailed guides that are written by expatriates who live and work the expat life in these countries. These guides are ideal for those who know where they will be relocating to and are searching for a one-stop shop guide about living in that destination.
2) Company relocation: This section looks at the common practices involved with relocating as a result of a job change or internal move. If you have been offered a job abroad, then the information in this section can help you to ensure that you negotiate the best possible salary, attain the right contract and agree a package that is suitable for your needs.
3) Organizing your departure: This section provides a handy reference guide for everything you need to take into account before you leave your own country to start the expat life abroad. Things that you will need to take into consideration are detailed together with a countdown planner that can help you to ensure that your move goes as smoothly as possible.
4) Settling In: Here we describe some of the steps you can take to ensure that your first few weeks in your new country are fun and stress free. Starting a new life as an expat presents significant challenges but we hope that, by providing you with an insight into the type of events you can expect, you will be more prepared to get the best possible experience out of your exciting new life abroad. If you visit our “Guides” section you can find much more detailed insider information about each expat destination, including visa requirements, how to find a suitable living location, how to set up bank accounts and utilities, the best places to meet new friends and much, much more.
5) Moving with others: Within this section we look at the implications of moving with your partner, children or pets, and present practical advice on how you can ensure that your family get the best possible experiences out of their lives as expatriates. Issues such as schooling, learning new languages, keeping relationships healthy and quarantine requirements (for your pets not the children) are addressed.
6) Vocations: Not everyone will already have a job lined up abroad and trailing spouses in particular may face significant challenges paving a career for themselves in their new country. We hope this section can help by providing insights into the best way to approach the job hunt and factors to take into consideration when you do search for a new job abroad. This section also looks at starting a new business abroad and presents ideas for how expats can set up on their own.
7) Retirement: If you are in the enviable position of starting a new life abroad in retirement then this section’s for you. Make sure you make the most of your retirement and get the best possible experiences from your expat life by reading the hints and tips you will find here.
8) Nationality Specific Information: Depending upon which country you are from you may have a number of obligations to fulfill to your home country in order to retain your passport and keep within the law. This area of our website contains specific information about a number of different nationalities and we recommend that you read this carefully in order to ensure that you don’t have any problems when you want to return home.
10) Resources: Here we provide you with a list of the top websites, books and expat forums that you can use to find further useful information about life as an expat. The recommendations here are provided at a general level. However, if you know which expat destination you will be relocating to, we recommend you check out the resources sections in our individual guides, where you will find extremely useful destination specific website links and resources.
All the information contained within expat manual pages is general information that will benefit any potential or existing expat. For destination specific information we recommend you consult the city guides, which contain a plethora of facts, figures, insights and tips that are written by real expats who live in those destinations. The expat manual guides are updated regularly, this meaning that you can be assured that you have up to date, reliable information at your fingertips.
