Home » Getting A Visa, Finding A Job, Making Friends, And Saving Money: Expat Essentials Abroad

Getting A Visa, Finding A Job, Making Friends, And Saving Money: Expat Essentials Abroad

This week we’ve put together a number of articles that should help you through the process of moving abroad, especially if you’re planning to move to one of this week’s featured countries: the Netherlands, South Africa and Canada.

Even if your plans are taking you elsewhere, though, we hope you’ll find useful tips and helpful hints scattered throughout the site. And if you have any suggestions for new topics you’d like to see covered in our articles, please share them in the comments below or email them to scar@expatfocus.com – we love your feedback!First up: visas. Arguably the most important thing to sort out before you move abroad, they can present quite a headache if you’re not sure where to start or how to categorise yourself. This week we’ve put together an article on visas in South Africa, which will help you to decide which one would work for you.

Of course visas aren’t just affected by your personal circumstances: the global political situation will also have an impact. Here’s the latest on Brexit and how negotiations may affect your plans.

So, you’ve got your visa sorted and you know which country you want to move to… but there are so many locations you could end up in! Where should you make your home? This week we’ve taken a look at three popular Australian cities and talked about which one might suit your circumstances.

Once you’ve moved – or ideally even before you’ve arrived – you’ll need to sort out some way of making money, unless you’re location-independent or living off a pension. Here’s a guide to the employment sector in Ontario, Canada. And here’s how to get a work permit in the Netherlands.

You might find, however, that certain areas aren’t as expat-friendly as they used to be. The Middle East used to be toted as expat heaven: the perfect place to make your fortune. But the job boom is going bust – here's why.


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A couple of articles that will hopefully be of use to expats everywhere: some money-saving tips to help you manage your finances, and how to make friends abroad when you’re over 50.

If you’re looking for something a little more specific, here’s how to make friends in Amsterdam, including some links to meetup groups you might want to attend.

We also spoke to Sarah, an American expat living in Costa Rica, about her experiences of life abroad.


Would you like to share your experiences with other readers? Answer the questions here to be featured in an interview!


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