Expat Focus Blog

Interview with Oliver Heslop, UK Tax Specialist

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:10:00 +0000

Oliver Heslop is a highly experienced UK tax specialist dealing with expatriate cross border issues and is the official Expat Focus UK Taxation partner. In this interview we learn more about Oliver's background and experience and the services he can offer to British expats abroad and foreign nationals in the UK.

Expat Focus: Oliver, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to join Shipleys?

Oliver Heslop

Oliver Heslop: I did my tax training with Andersens and spent my time mostly in expatriate tax work. I once had a 6 month secondment at Rolls-Royce in Derby looking after their international expatriate program. There were challenges in Jordan and Iran, believe me! Andersens also assigned me to Poland in 2002 and I learned my pidgin Polish by watching Eastenders with Polish subtitles.

After Andersens broke up, most of my career has been with Deloitte tax, but I have had a spell with Ernst & Young in Reading. At E&Y, my clients were very wide ranging - IT workers from India, UK aerospace engineers seconded all over the world, and board directors in media and telecoms. We managed secondments to every continent except Antarctica.

Expat Focus: What services does Shipleys offer and what is your own role?

Oliver Heslop: I am the lead partner in expatriate tax at Shipleys LLP based in London and other centres. Our firm has 21 partners and more than 150 employees. Shipleys are part of AGN International, an association of over 90 firms. This week, I have been working with AGN colleagues in the US, Hungary, Japan and Norway. We are growing the expatriate practice by supporting large multinationals, but also British nationals throughout the globe and foreign nationals all over the UK.

Shipleys LLP offer all of the traditional accounting services - Audit, Insolvency, Corporate and Personal Tax. However our business culture is not like others. Our approach is very personal. We strive to achieve an in-depth knowledge of the opportunities and problems faced by our clients, to understand the personalities, to identify the real needs. The most striking feature about Shipleys is the level of specialism. We have a private client practice that manages many household names, numerous experts in the film industry, and a large trusts team not available at any other accounting firm I know.

Expat Focus: What UK taxation issues do your expat clients typically encounter?

Oliver Heslop: We can always provide the standard services : tax returns, expatriate payrolls, certificates of coverage, tax equalisation calculations and tax planning for foreign nationals.

These are the typical areas that arise when we meet new clients. Ordinarily, I am approached by UK nationals working overseas, or about to leave to work abroad. They will ask about how to stop paying UK income tax if possible, and how their National Insurance will work. These clients often have a UK rental property, perhaps some stock options, and a personal or company pension. We can cover all of these matters.

The other typical client profile is a foreign national who has come to work in the UK for perhaps 6 months, 2 years or even 5 years. They have issues which affect every UK resident, but we also consider the special tax reliefs which may apply, the impact of being non-domiciled in the UK, when the UK can tax their overseas income and how PAYE and National Insurance works...

Read the rest of the interview at http://www.expatfocus.com/oliver-heslop-230710

Heading home for the holidays

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:03:00 +0000

by Russell Ward

It's fast approaching that time of year when expats begin making preparations for the annual pilgrimage home to see loved ones over the Christmas period. The time for buying airline tickets is well overdue and latecomers will be contemplating extraordinarily high prices when purchasing tickets home, if at all available.

This expat attempts the journey home as often as is possible and, more often than not, during the December/January period. Past experience has shown that flights at this time of year are exorbitantly priced, yet I am often advised that, should I book a ticket outside of this peak period, the prices should halve in value. However, this generally isn’t the case. Aside from the fact that holidaying from November to February simply isn’t feasible, your favourite airlines appear to have wised up to the fact that annual travellers look to these 'shoulder peak' times for regular or reduced fares. They, accordingly, refuse to reduce the ticket price. This peak period of the year has therefore grown from a two-week timeslot to almost four months in duration.

Expats also encounter problems with ticket availability for the Christmas period. Flights are often unavailable unless booked almost twelve months prior to the proposed visit, which proves to be impractical to schedule and financially impossible at that time. Thus faced with spending a small fortune on two return tickets to the UK, often months before departure, it begs the question as to whether it’s actually possible to fly home at Christmas without breaking the bank?

One possible solution is to redeem those hard-earned frequent flyer points to gain a free trip back to dear old blighty. In theory, this should solve all problems but the reality can be quite different. Not only are a very limited number of frequent flyer-related seats made available on the airlines but, over Christmas, flights generally require an inflated number of points, in addition to the payment of increased taxes on top. Furthermore, a Qantas representative recently informed me that, to guarantee travel with a frequent flyer seat at Christmas, I should be redeeming points precisely 365 days in advance of my preferred travel date, which is when these flights are made available.

A further option would be to purchase tickets with one of the less respectable airlines, which could result in a cheaper airfare. However, this will also likely result in at least three-four stops on your journey home, reduced leg room, unusual eating options, and a safety track record of some concern.

Booking via the UK offices of airlines is something to consider, given the currently much reduced airfares in those recession-hit countries. Yet this approach is generally frowned upon by the airlines and often not possible as a result. Adopting some kind of flexibility with travel dates and times is probably your best option and travel on Christmas Day itself, whilst completely impractical, will often yield the best results.

Ultimately, national airlines could start offering those expats who regularly travel home a place to sign up and receive discounted travel to their country of origin at the peak times of year. Given the likelihood that this will never eventuate, travelling home at Christmas will remain financially painful yet unavoidably necessary.

Read more from Russell at www.insearchofalifelessordinary.blogspot.com

UK Expatriate Taxation Partner, Oliver Heslop - Ready to Help!

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:28:00 +0000

Expat Focus is delighted to introduce Oliver Heslop of Shipleys LLP as our new UK taxation partner providing advice on all aspects of UK expatriate tax matters for both individuals and companies.

Oliver worked in Arthur Andersen’s expat teams for over 10 years before taking an expatriate advisory position with Ernst & Young in 2007. He joined Shipleys as a principal in 2010. He is a highly experienced UK tax specialist dealing with cross border issues arising from the movement of people between different countries and businesses.

To contact Oliver without obligation please use the enquiry form at http://www.expatfocus.com/expat-uk-tax-advice

Vuvuzelas here to stay as French pension reform causes strikes

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:19:00 +0000

by Expat Focus columnist, Sharon Revol

As an English girl in France, I always remark and admire the ability of the French to stand up and defend themselves. There’s no cowering in the corner with them, no polite mumblings of discontentment. Only the roar of their anger can be heard in the way of manifestations and strikes, regardless of who tries to stand in their way.

Take for example the recently proposed reform of the pension age in France which will see retirement moved from 60 to 62 years. France boasts one of the lowest retirement ages in Europe, and yet, people don’t know how lucky they are (or am I just being British about this?)

Within days of the proposal, all the large trade unions and workers had activated their resources in order to organize a massive nationwide protest against the reform which took place on June 24th. There was no stopping them! Maximum disruption to all public services and workplaces is required in order for the full effect to be felt.

In comparison to the UK the French seem to have the right idea though. Whilst my compatriots back home politely digested the bad news of the budget and seemed to calmly accept that they wouldn’t be able to retire until age 66 from 2016, the French were rioting in the streets standing up for their rights. A couple of headline articles were seen in the UK along with some negative comments made by the Trade Unions, but no mass demonstration of discontentment took place, as in France. My compatriots stood back in a gentlemanly manner and gracefully accepted the information that was given to them whilst ranting in private. As my French friends would say: “So British!”

Villa to swap in Central Portugal for similar priced UK property

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 13:44:00 +0000

"Modern spacious (268 m²) 3-bed/four bathrooms villa with outstanding views situated on the outskirts of the town of Lousa, which is 25 mins from the university city of Coimbra, and midway between the airports of Porto and Lisbon . It is within walking distance to the town centre which contains all the usual amenities of a small town, banks, churches, schools, restaurants, swimming pools, cinema, cafes, bars, shops and supermarkets, we are within 40 mins drive to the coast, with nice promenade walks, clean sands and two hours from a ski resort in the Serra da Estrela mountains.

Looking to swap for a similar priced property, or cash either way, preferably in Lincolnshire or East Anglia but will consider anywhere in the UK. Ill health forces my return to the UK and due to the present economic climate, the possibility of selling my villa in the short term is unlikely."

Read more

Expat Experiences: Canada - Lyn Worrell

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:40:00 +0000

Who are you?

My name is Lyn Worrell. My husband Richard had been married before when I met him in Saudi Arabia and we got married in Jeddah at the British Consulate. I "inherited" 2 daughters and now have 5 wonderful grandchildren, ages ranging from 9 years to 18 months.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

I moved to Canada in August 2004 and came with my husband as part of the "truck driver invasion" into Saskatchewan to improve the immigration figures. My husband was recruited by Siemens Transportation in Saskatoon and was sponsored through them with a temporary work permit to work in Saskatoon. We both decided that life in the UK did not hold much excitement for us and felt Canada would provide a better lifestyle for us. We got our Permanent Resident status in November 2006 and the paperwork for our Canadian Citizenship was submitted in July last year and should be completed sometime in 2011.

What challenges did you face during the move?

One of the biggest challenges, was trying to decide which of our belongings to take with us and what to put in storage. We decided to rent out our house in the UK until we had been given Permanent Resident status in Canada. I felt there was just that 1% chance of being turned down and hence we would need somewhere to stay in the UK if we got "kicked" out!

Expat Experiences: Costa Rica - Andy and Fran Browne

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:37:00 +0000

Who are you?

Hello, we are Andy and Fran Browne, two hard working yet forcibly retired gringos now living in Playa Hermosa Guanacaste Costa Rica.

Fran and I grew up in South Florida, attending many of the same schools and lived only blocks apart, but somehow we never met. One day while at party at a friend's house, we finally did meet. At the time, Fran was dating a friend of mine but it seemed that things between us just clicked. Within three weeks we were sharing an apartment and just 6 months later we wound up married.

What can I say... it was the 70's and we all did impulsive things. So here it is, 38 years later, we're still married, unemployed and loving life in Costa Rica. To our credit, we raised two wonderful sons, one of which is married and has graced us with two very energetic grandchildren and our second son remains single, but is trying to settle down.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

In August 2008, within the short span of just one month, Fran lost her job as a Marketing Executive with a large printing company in Charlotte North Carolina and I lost my job as an I/T Vice President with Wachovia Bank. For years we joked about moving to Costa Rica following a vacation there in 1999. However, months before everything came crashing down, we had a feeling something bad was going to happen regarding our employment situation. So we immediately began looking at what our post employment plan B was going to be. Heck, we were only 58 years old at least 7 year before any sort of planned retirement. But our backs were up against the wall. Failure to plan now would put us at the mercy of our employers and that was not a very comforting feeling.

The first thing we did was to contact our Financial Advisor. We needed to know the value of our ever declining retirement "war chest." The second thing was to create a very detailed accounting of all our expenses including our debt pay down. It was at that time we realized that our current funds would only last us for maybe seven more years... just in time for Social Security. But the down side to that is we would have spent through all our cash reserves and living on the government dole. That was unacceptable to us.

We began looking for alternative places to live. Having traveled quite a bit to Europe, we thought about moving to the Tuscany region of Italy. We loved it there. But truth be told... our war chest would be depleted in only about three years...

Expat Focus Recommended Website Award: Cyprus Living

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:39:00 +0000

Cyprus Living

http://www.cyprusliving.org

A Paphos based information site for people living or holidaying in Cyprus, or for people considering relocating or retiring to Cyprus.

Expat Experiences: Bali, Indonesia - Mike Henry

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:18:00 +0000

Who are you?

My name is Mike Henry and I am currently living on the island of Bali in Indonesia. I am originally from Melbourne, Australia.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

I have actually been living overseas for most of my life, including 10 years in Japan, two years in China and now about one year in Bali.

I moved to Bali because I wanted a change in lifestyle. Ever since the first time I visited Bali, I knew I wanted to go back again for a longer period of time. There are so many great things about Bali including the culture, the people, the tropical weather and the many different places to visit in Bali.

What challenges did you face during the move?

Indonesia's bureaucracy can be difficult to deal with, especially immigration. Fortunately there are agents that can help you to get the right visas.

I moved to a village in Bali, so it was difficult to get internet and there was no chance of getting a telephone line. I had to get a post office box as it wasn't easy to get mail delivered to our house. Last year there were rolling blackouts once every ten days and we often had problems with the town water. It was good in a way, as I learnt not to take these things for granted.

Can you tell us something about your property?

I found my first house through an agent. When that lease expired I rented a house from a friend and it was much cheaper than going through an agent. In Indonesia you usually have to pay one year's rent in advance

What is the property market like at the moment?

The property market particularly in the south of Bali is really booming right now. Property prices are rising steadily. If you move out of the main tourist areas though, you can find more affordable accommodation...

Expat Experiences: Bulgaria - George St Clare

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:12:00 +0000

Who are you?

British Lion Food Store

My name is George St Clare and I currently live in Balchik on the Northern Black Sea Coast of Bulgaria. Prior to Bulgaria, I have worked in the computer field in the UK and Qatar, computers and real estate in Russia and real estate in Malta. In Bulgaria, I run three companies - GPS systems, real estate and specialised British Food.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

My move to Bulgaria took place at the end of 2004 from Malta. The real estate market was not really moving there at that time and there appeared to be good opportunities in that area in Bulgaria. Malta is a small island and having driven round the whole island many times in a couple of hours, it was beginning to become a lot less interesting than it had been! I am now married to my fourth Russian/Ukranian wife whom I met in Balchik.

Both the real estate and GPS markets waned with the financial crisis in 2008 and that is when I decided to move into specialised British Food. I run the British Lion Food Store in Balchik. I am pleased to say that we have the largest selection of British food in Bulgaria (around six hundred different food products) and have also branched out into selling DVDs and Books. Having lived in Russia for seven years and speaking fluent Russian, I find that the culture here suits me better than the Middle East or Malta. Virtually all Bulgarians speak Russian or at least understand it, so that is very helpful, although my Bulgarian is very basic. I did actually come out to Sofia in Bulgaria in 1977 as part of my Russian degree course and always felt I would be back!

What challenges did you face during the move?

Bulgaria is a country of challenges! The first challenge was to actually get my personal belongings imported into the country - this took two months and frequent visits to customs posts in three different towns. The mentality here is very different to that in the West and the bureaucracy is particularly stifling. This would be acceptable if the procedures were the same in every area, but each area seems to have different "rules". I had thought things would be simplified after entry into the EU in 2007, but that has proved to be very far from the case...

Expat Experiences: Costa Rica - Deb Klipper

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:06:00 +0000

Who are you?

Deb Klipper

I am Deb Klipper and I have been joyfully married to my best friend Rob for 28 years. I am 58, he is 62. I left a job as a Special Educator in San Antonio Texas and he retired from a job as a biomedical researcher. We have two grown daughters and two granddaughters all living in the USA. Here in Costa Rica, we have a wonderful adopted yellow Lab named “Dude” and an adopted Calico cat named “Sarita”.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

We vacationed in Costa Rica for 3 weeks during the summer of 2002. With a rental SUV, we traveled over 2000kms. As we sat in our hotel room the night before our departure we were both in tears. We did not want to leave this place where we felt the level of peace and connectivity that we did. The seed was planted.

Once back in Texas, we began researching all things Costa Rica, how to obtain residency, how to begin the retirement process for my husband, how much pension he would receive and determine If we could afford to do this, get our home ready to sell and prepare all family and friends of our intention to move to Costa Rica.

All our married life Rob said “When we retire I want to live in a tropical country.” He was born and raised in Panama as a result of his father working as an electrician on the Canal. Rob had fairly good Spanish speaking skills, we both loved the idea of a warm year round climate and Costa Rica possessed the values most aligned to ours.

That being a non-militaristic Democratic government, no civil unrest, socialized medical system, and a cost of living that a retirement income could more readily afford. Additionally, we were both very weary of the “fear and paranoia” that the post 911 terrorism events created in the states. We were unhappy with the involvement of the US in the “war without end” and all the tax dollars supporting it. Costa Rica would become our asylum from the negative climate in the USA.

With house sold, following three garage sales, boxes packed and labeled, shipper and customs broker arranged, residency paperwork translated, stamped and ready for the Migracion officials, we boarded our plane for Costa Rica, having no idea where we would live upon landing. Our leap of faith had begun...

Financial Planning Issues for Expats Moving to the USA

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:14:00 +0000

There are numerous issues that need to be addressed when moving to a new country and it seems the more “developed” your new country of residence, the more important it is to understand and follow regulations.

Individual Asset Management provides financial planning services to non-US citizens living and preparing to live in the United States, and I have identified seven topics that anyone moving to the US should consider:

1. Visa / citizenship issues
2. Reporting and taxation of non-US financial accounts
3. Obtaining loans / credit history
4. Pension transfer
5. Investment management
6. Estate tax
7. Education and retirement savings plans

We cannot delve into any great detail on these topics here – my purpose in this article is to highlight why each issue is important so that the reader can decide whether his or her specific situation warrants seeking further counsel.

1. Visa/citizenship issues: Entire books have been written on this topic and there are many legal firms in the US that specialize in the business of obtaining work visas, permanent residency (Green Card), and citizenship.

There are a number of avenues through which it is possible to obtain permission to live and work in the United States. Broadly speaking, it is possible to obtain a work visa, and ultimately permanent residency, through employer sponsorship, by completing a course of studies at a US institution of higher learning, or by investing in a business or an economic-development zone. There are also paths to residency for certain groups of individuals such as asylum-seekers, family-sponsored individuals, people with exceptional talents, and Diversity Lottery winners.

The bottom line is that if you have substantial funds to invest in the US or a valid business idea, are willing to study at an American university, have an exceptional and recognized talent, have family connections, or fall into certain specialized categories; then a good immigration attorney can likely find you a path to working and living in the United States.

2. Reporting and taxation of non-US financial accounts: Many non-US citizens, especially if they have been working outside their country of citizenship for some time, have acquired investment accounts in offshore jurisdictions. It is important to understand that, while you are allowed to have non-US financial accounts while living in the United States, you need to report these accounts to the US Treasury department every year if the total of the accounts amounts to more than $10,000. The form used for this is Treasury Department form TDF 90-22.1 – if you do a web search for this it will come up with links to the form and instructions. The penalties for not completing this form can be steep so I highly recommend looking into this and reporting all your financial accounts, including certain non-US pension accounts.

A further issue of great importance is the taxation of non-US accounts while you are a US tax payer. The US tax code is ridiculously complex and there are numerous gray areas so you should seek the assistance of a US tax professional familiar with expatriate tax matters – most US tax advisors are not knowledgeable in this specialized area.

If you do have offshore investment accounts, I would highly recommend that you do some tax planning several months before you move to the US. For example, it may be to your great advantage to establish a higher tax basis for your offshore investments before moving to the US since you may be liable for tax on any distributions you take from these accounts while a US resident based on the total gain of the underlying investments – not the gain from the time you entered the US – the total gain from inception. Furthermore, it is possible that you may be liable for US tax on the growth in your non-US accounts, even if you don’t take distributions. A little tax planning can go a long way in such a situation...

Expat Experiences: Australia - Jennifer Tice

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:31:00 +0000

Who are you?

Jennifer Tice – Former Marketing Manager and now travel blogger at www.jennifertice.com

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

I decided I needed a big change in my life, sold all of my belongings and headed overseas for an indefinite period of time. So far stops include two weeks in New Zealand, one year in Australia, and then off to Asia.

What challenges did you face during the move?

I found that once you really commit yourself to the trip things seem to fall into place. At first it was difficult to sell all of my belongings, but after a while it became a very freeing experience, and a good way to get some extra cash for traveling.

Can you tell us something about your property?

Since I have been moving around Australia every few weeks/months, I have stayed in a variety of places. Hostels for places where I am only staying for a few weeks, and then share apartments for longer stays. Gumtree.com.au is the best resource over here for looking for short term accommodation.

Are you employed or self-employed? What challenges did you face in either finding employment or running your own business?

Finding a job abroad is all about timing, and knowing what skills you have that are applicable to vacant jobs overseas. I first found work with a temp agency for office placements which was great. Not long term contracts, but good to start getting a few days/weeks of work here and there. Then I worked in hospitality at a restaurant in Sydney for about 4 months – if you are looking to work in this field, everyone hires like crazy during November. After that time period it is going to be a lot harder to find work...

Expat Experiences: France - April Hollands

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 07:51:00 +0000

Who are you?

I'm April Hollands, originally from Melbourne, Australia before spending a few years in London, then flitting between the French Alps as a ski bum in winters and working two jobs in Cambridge to pay for the luxury, then finally moving to the French Alps permanently and finding work.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

I moved to London back in 2000, telling my mum I'd be back in a year and to look after all my belongings for me. By 2008, my dad made me sell my piano and my mum had a spare room! I've moved ten times in ten years. By the time I moved to my current location, St Jean de Sixt, in November 2009, the whole process of moving had become a habit. I left Australia because I wanted to explore the world before I settled down with someone. I left England because I fell in love with the snow in the French Alps. I went back to England, gained citizenship and a passport, and came straight back to France.

What challenges did you face during the move?

For the move to England, the toughest thing was realising that speaking the same language does not mean the transition will be easy. Different administrative processes, personal space and different words (thongs, pants are both items of underwear in the UK and outerwear in Australia) were all challenging to come to grips with. For the move to France, the language was by far the biggest challenge — and remains so to this day. Paperwork comes in a very close second...

Expat Experiences: UK - Melissa

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:45:00 +0000

Who are you?

Melissa Richards-Stoey.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

I moved to England in 1988 as a member of the U.S. Air Force. I joined the military with the intention of travelling and I chose England as my first choice for duty station. I had been an Anglophile since the age of 13 so going to England had always been a dream of mine.

What challenges did you face during the move?

I didn't know a single soul, not even another American. I was supposed to be picked up at Gatwick by a bus that would take me to RAF Chicksands where I was to be stationed. The bus never showed, so there I was in an airport in a new country with no idea of how to get to where I needed to go. All I could think to do was jump in a cab. Sixty pounds later I arrived at my new home. On the very first weekend there, I met a Scottish man at our NCO club and we hit it off instantly. Ten months later we were married. If it weren't for him, I think I would have had a lot more challenges than I did. He made it easy to get to know the culture and make friends.

Can you tell us something about your property?

I rented two different flats while living in England and the rental process was as simple as it is in the U.S. Back then I think I paid something like £400 - £600 a month. Property in the U.K. tended to be quite a bit smaller than what we are used to in America, although that has begun to change in the last ten years or so...

Expat Experiences: Saudi Arabia - Lynne Charnley

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:28:00 +0000

Who are you?

My name is Lynne Charnley.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

I worked in Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia from May 2008 to November 2009. Having been made redundant in the UK I was looking for work, and a friend of mine was acting as a consultant to a Saudi airline, he suggested me to the airline and it all happened from there.

What challenges did you face during the move?

The hardest part was getting into Saudi and obtaining an Iqama (work and residency permit). This is normally done through your sponsor but I had to have 2 medicals - 1 in the UK and another in Saudi, the paperwork must be handled by a licensed agent in the UK. You cannot do anything without an Iquama - rent property, set up a bank account, get a driving license/buy a car (only applicable to males - women cannot drive in Saudi) or buy a mobile phone without one. Married women and children share their husband's/fathers Iqamas. Your forum and a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide to Saudi Arabia were a Godsend before I actually moved.

Expat Experiences: Australia - Lesley Snell

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:39:00 +0000

Who are you?

My name is Lesley Snell. I live on the Northern Beaches in Sydney with my husband and three children. I am a UK trained primary schoolteacher and Director of a small business on the Northern Beaches in Sydney, Australia.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

I have been very lucky to have moved around a fair bit. Over the past twenty years I have lived in New York City, London, Sydney, Washington.D.C. and Miami. We have moved because of my husband’s job within the airline industry. We became Australian Citizens a few years back and we are now settled here on The Northern Beaches.

What challenges did you face during the move?

Lots!!

Initially it was missing our family and friends. When we had children away from family we missed the Grandparents and the support they can provide. It’s difficult to miss family events as we undoubtedly have. One of my hardest challenges has been seeing my parents get older without me being there for them.

Once you have children abroad you need to consider schools and areas you and your children want to live in. Deciding where to “Put down your roots” is no easy task and you need to figure out your priorities.

We also missed the social side of pubs and particularly High Street stores!!! (no need to mention names!)

Making new friends is also difficult - you have to be thick skinned and THROW YOURSELF into your new life!!!

Expat Experiences: Italy - Stef and Nico

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:24:00 +0000

Who are you?

I am Stef (male, 50 years of age, only just), married to Nico (male, almost 60), both born in The Netherlands and a couple since 1985 (prehistoric times).

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

We moved to Italy in 2008 after staying at Pavia for half a year, for reasons of study (medieval history).
In these 6 months we found our dream villa in the unknown Oltrepo Pavese region, south of Pavia, which was perfectly suited for our plan: starting a B&B vacation rental business.

What challenges did you face during the move?

Selling our own house in Holland, surviving the Italian real estate agent and trying to avoid disasters during the buying process.

Can you tell us something about your property?

We found the property via an advertisement in one of the many free magazines that circulate in Italy. It didn’t look very attractive from the photo, but price and description made it interesting. We knew the region more or less, as we had made daytrips from Pavia to explore it. The house turned out to be perfect internally and with respect to location: the panoramic view was breathtaking. The price was very reasonable. It “just” needed some restructuring to render it even better suited to tourists/guests...

Getting Sheared In Armenia

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:05:00 +0000

by Karen van der Zee

If you’re a globetrotting expat you know all about moving from one country to another and what it takes to get adjusted to life in a foreign environment. Let me tell you about the second day of my new expat life in Armenia, a former Soviet republic. It’s an arctic January day and since I’ve just moved from tropical Ghana, I’m in climate shock as well as culture shock.

While my man labors away at his office, I’m scouting around Yerevan, the capital, on my own, walking very carefully in my new boots, shivering in my also-new down-filled coat. The town is blanketed in old dirty snow. The ice-covered sidewalks are treacherous, the buildings grim and gray, and why is everyone dressed in black? I asked one of the office girls this question this morning and she gave me a blank stare for a moment, as if she had never noticed or thought about it. “Because we like it,” she said finally.

Not surprisingly, I notice Armenian words everywhere, on road signs and billboards and shop windows. Written in the Armenian alphabet, which is unique in the world and completely indecipherable. There is no way to even make some educated guesses. Having grown up European, I’ve learned a couple of languages here and there, and usually I can fake my way around the continent, but not here. The Armenian language itself is also unique, not related to any other languages in the universe. There's Russian on signs and buildings as well (Russian was the official language in Soviet times), but that doesn't do me much good either.

So, I am not a little bit ecstatic when in the center of town near Independence Square I spot the English words hair saloon on a sign with an arrow pointing into a courtyard. This gives me great hope for an English speaker inside. And because I really do need a haircut and because maybe it's warm inside, I'm thinking I might as well give this a try. I find the “saloon” and push open the door.

Illusions are there to be shattered. It's only just above freezing inside the tiny space and none of the three girls (all wearing serious party make-up) speaks English. They try Armenian on me, and then Russian. Then they give up. They know no English. I've never felt such an illiterate in my life. But next week I still won't speak either language and hey, a haircut is not rocket science. I indicate a couple of centimeters, about an inch, between my thumb and forefinger and the fake blonde goes for it while keeping up a running conversation with her buddies shivering in their shabby fur coats. I don’t want to sound paranoid, but I suspect they’re discussing me by the way they’re checking me out -- my funny light-colored coat, my in-elegant flat-soled boots. All three are wearing boots with 4-inch spiky heels.

Some time later my stylist is finished with me and I look really interesting.

What I meant when I indicated the inch or so was to have that much hair cut off, not to have that much left. And just in case you didn't know this, hair keeps your head warm, if you have it.

My stylist writes down the amount I owe her, in standard numerals, the gods be thanked, and I pay it. It's only three times as much as I should have been charged someone tells me the next day. My sincere hope is that these shivering girls get enough suckers like me to be able to save up for a functioning space heater.

Ah, but spring and summer do arrive eventually, and so do the tourists. The town turns cheery with flowers blooming in the many parks and gardens. Open air cafés and outdoor restaurants spring up like mushrooms. The men still wear black, but the younger women dress in brighter colors. And yes, I’ve found an English speaking hair stylist and I now know the right price for a haircut. Things are looking up!

--

Karen van der Zee is the globetrotting author of 34 romance novels as well as the humorous non-fiction e-book You’re Moving WHERE?! She blogs about her (mis)adventures abroad at LIFE IN THE EXPAT LANE.

Expat Focus Country Groups on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:42:00 +0000

Our country groups on Facebook are the easiest way to stay up to date with news, tips, events, meet-ups, recommended websites, interesting forum discussions and more - all related to a specific country. You can join as many groups as you want and leave whenever you wish.

To join a group simply click the relevant link at http://www.expatfocus.com/groups and then click the "Join" button on the group's homepage.

Expat Experiences: Portugal - Wendy Manning

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:38:00 +0000

Hello, I am Wendy Manning and I live in Central Portugal with husband Paul and Children James (9) and Daniel(6). We moved from the UK towards the end of 2007, like many others it seems. We just decided that we had had enough of working to live and keep a very expensive house and mortgage so we sold up and decided to move to Portugal.

Portugal was an easy decision as we had been visiting The Algarve for a few years, my husband has family there. We liked Portugal but we agreed we could not live in the Algarve - too British and commercial, oh, and expensive. The move here was quite straightforward - the children were still young, one started year 1 in our local village school a week after we arrived and the other started Jardim de Infancia a couple of months later. They both picked up the language easily, but it has not been as easy for Paul and me, that bit older you see!

We found our house through the internet, we used a proper estate agent and a lawyer (not solicitor). We approached it like buying a house in the UK and made sure all the paperwork was sorted (which of course, this being Central Portugal, it was not); as I say, we used a lawyer rather than a solicitor, more expensive but worth every cent. The more stories we hear about things going wrong with purchases here the more smug we are that we paid to get the right advice when we needed it. I am amazed that British expats still move to a foreign country and spend hundreds or thousands of pounds buying property without taking proper legal advice or using a registered Estate Agent...ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, JUST DO THE SAME AS YOU WOULD IN THE UK!

We have a second property we renovated to sell, but the market is a bit slow at the moment. We switched from GBP to Euros when the rate was good, I would not like to do it now, and can understand people waiting.

I am employed by my own company which is an LDA, like a Limited company in the UK. It was very daunting at first with tax, social security etc but we found a very good accountant who speaks excellent English and she has helped us along the way. It would have been impossible without her, with limited Portuguese...

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Expat Experiences: Norway - Angela Davenport

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:25:00 +0000

Who are you?

My name is Angela.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

Myself and my partner moved to Kirkenes in North Norway in February 2009. It was a job offer with his company that brought us here. Before accepting the position, we did as much research on the area as possible and the only thing that was putting me off was the temperature, which can plummet to around -35 centigrade, or worse, in the winter. Having said that, I am not a lover of hot places, I do prefer the cold.

What challenges did you face during the move?

Our biggest challenges for moving abroad were really from the UK side of things. We had pets that we wanted to bring and found that there was so much confusion over laws, that by the time we had any kind of answers from the UK side we had no time left to arrange what we needed to, so we had to re-home our cats. This was a painful experience and would not have been necessary if any UK vet had have known what the correct procedure was for moving a pet to Norway.

Attempting to arrange for all services to be terminated in the UK was a nightmare. You’d be amazed at how difficult it is for people to understand that you are going to live abroad, therefore will no longer require a phone line or satellite TV etc. You’ll often be penalized if you’re within a contract. You might also find that most of them don’t really believe you’re moving away! The worst offender for lack of intelligence, believe it or not, was the UK police! We had a speeding ticket 2 weeks before moving, it actually took over 3 months to resolve! They even sent us a letter thanking us for visiting the UK and hoped we enjoyed our time there! They couldn’t understand we were UK citizens and just moved abroad...

Expat Experiences: Netherlands - Stuart

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:07:00 +0000

Who are you?

My name is Stuart. I'm an Englishman in his early 30s with a well documented reputation for accident proneness and bizarre situation finding. I moved to Holland to start working as a designer in the computer games industry. Originally this was only supposed to be a stay of sixth months but the tempting lure of "lekkere bitterballen" and good beer has turned it into a much longer stay.

My favorite colour is army green, my lucky number is seven and when I grow up I want to be a Ghostbuster.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

I moved to Holland in the summer of 2001 but it was not really planned. It was kind of an accident but a happy accident none the less. A short while after I had finished college I tried to find a job in the computer games design industry so I could use my education as an excuse to play computer games all day.

I was not having much luck in my search until I found a job advert in a computer game magazine. It was the strangeness of the cryptic job advertisement that caught my eye. It had no address, no phone number and hardly any other important detail printed upon the page. All it really had was a dot com email address to which I applied.

I waited for a reply while wondering if the strange cryptic nature of it all could lead to a situation where I wake up in a bath of ice in a basement somewhere having fallen victim to a gang of black market human organ dealers using a games company as a front for their diabolical scheme.

A few days later I received an email which included three surprises. Surprise number one was that in no part of the email did they enquire about the condition of my internal organs. Surprise number two was that they were offering me an interview and surprise number three (which was the biggest) was that they were offering to pay for my flights to the interview location... in the city of Amsterdam... in Holland!

Since there had been no address in the advertisement or any indication of its location upon the globe I simply assumed the job was in Britain (since it was in a British gaming magazine). Not wanting to turn down a free day trip to another country I went for the interview, not really knowing what to do if I was offered the job... which I was.

All these years later I am still living and working in Holland. Plus I still have both my kidneys which is a bonus...

Toni Hargis: Learning the Lingo

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:51:00 +0000

About the Author

Toni Hargis is the author of the popular expat book "Rules, Britannia; An Insider’s Guide to Life in the United Kingdom" and blogs as Expat Mum

How long do you have to live in a country to feel like you know what on earth everyone’s talking about? In my case, there’s not even a second language involved as we’re all supposed to be speaking English. I’ve written at length about the vocabulary differences between British and American English, but in my experience, the real confusion comes from day to day expressions which bear no relation to their actual meaning.

For example, even though I’ve been in the USA almost twenty years, I apparently have had no idea what “being behind the eight ball” means. It’s a very common phrase here and I always assumed it was a good thing (don’t ask me why but I had really good pool/snooker players in mind), but no, in fact it means quite the opposite. If you’re behind the eight ball, you’re in serious trouble, or in a tricky situation.

OK, what about a getting the “bum’s rush”? No – get your minds out of the gutter, it means to be forcibly ejected from somewhere or told to leave in a hurry. Remember, the American word “bum” means a tramp rather than a posterior, so the bum’s rush derives from wanting to rid a place of undesirable characters.

And what if someone requests your John Hancock? It hardly bears thinking about really does it? John Hancock was one of the founders of the United States and the first man to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Apparently from the late nineteenth century onwards, John Hancock has been slang for one’s signature. A bit like Cockney rhyming slang without the rhyming...

Victoria Twead: Tales from a Spanish village - Killer Caterpillars

noreply@blogger.com (admin) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:18:00 +0000

Joe and I are seriously considering building an ark. The rain, which started well before Christmas, is still coming down like stair-rods. The Spanish news speaks of little else and shows us images of flooded towns, collapsed bridges and roads blocked by mudslides and rock falls. Apparently, this is the wettest winter on record.

To get into our village, residents have to zig-zag and slalom past mounds of rocks and mud. The council is doing its best, but as fast as they clear the road, more mud-slides occur. Geronimo, who is a sort of village policeman, battles valiantly with the daily damage, but his efforts are in vain. As fast as he shovels mud aside, more slides down. Water oozes out of every crevice on the hillside, eating away at the mountain. You can’t fight nature, so we’ve given up fretting about our leaky roof; we just keep pots and buckets on standby, ready to catch the drips.

Before Joe starts building his ark, he’s decided we need to get fitter. So we have a new regime. Every day, weather permitting (which isn’t often, so far) we walk the almost perpendicular path to the shrine halfway up the mountain. Our first attempt took us 16 minutes, with frequent rests. We can now do it in 12 minutes, still needing frequent rests. But the pain is worth it for the view from the top, and we see something new every time we take the walk.

Halfway up, we pass Geronimo’s donkey. He watches us with interest but we can’t stop to speak, our mission is to reach the top faster than the last time, or to die in the attempt.

A couple of weeks ago, we arrived at the shrine as usual, panting, heaving and gasping. It’s a kind of look-out post with benches and a few shade trees and we sat down to recover.

‘What’s that?’ I asked, having gained sufficient breath to form words again. I pointed at something a few feet away and Joe walked over, crouching down to examine the curious spectacle I’d spotted...