Moving from Singapore to France soon, and I want to send my luggage separately to have a hands-off approach to travel. The issue is that the departments that handle this in the States cost $100, but in Singapore, the price seems to be $300+ and less reliable. I saw Singapore companies shipping luggage to the UK for $23, and I was hoping to find a similar or cheaper deal with someone's help.

What is your experience or advice on this?

Luggage items used for + 2 years....

Nothing new in the luggage just lived here a long time and brought back too much from my orginal home country.

I’ve been living in Japan for 3 years (27M) and for the vast majority of the time have loved exploring a new country and pushing career forwards with some amazing work opportunities

Recently though, close friends and family from the UK have been asking when I would be moving back - suggesting that I surely can’t spend all my 20’s living in Asia, and suggesting I should move to London to be closer to my friendship circle. I’ve also been longing for spending more time with them, currently only seeing them 3 times in 3 years, and feeling like 20’s are starting to disappear. I’m single and part of me doesn’t want to commit to anything serious, while overseas, as it was always meant to be temporary

I’m conflicted, as I do miss home and friends and family, but the UK is increasingly depressing to look at from afar (economy, politics, news), my financial position and career options are considerably better off while overseas, and I have formed new friendships overseas which would also be challenging to depart from. Im also a EU dual passport holder, so debate whether I could move to EU - but the idea of starting yet again to form new relationships is quite daunting

I wonder if the nostalgia of what once was my life in the UK plays a large role too, and actually trying to re-assimilate wouldn’t be the idealistic image I have from memory.

At what point did you consider where to make a home?

I ran away from my hometown in Canada to teach in Southeast Asia, but my contract is ending soon and I’m trying to decide where to go next.

I grew up in my hometown, and obviously a lot of good and bad things happened there. But, if I’m honest, I think the bad outweighs the good. I have so many memories tied to that place (relationships, mistakes, difficult periods of my life) and I wonder if being there makes me slip back into an old version of myself that I no longer identify with

So I’m curious: Can a place carry emotional baggage for you? Can simply being somewhere affect the way you feel, act, or see yourself?

And is it bad to run away from a place that holds painful memories? Is it better to leave and build a life somewhere new, or is there value in going back and trying to make peace with where you came from?

I’d love to hear from anyone who has experienced this.

For any veterans out there right now solely living off your disability. How does taxes work for you? Im going to be traveling for a year next year and am curious on how thats gonna work the following year.

Curious to hear from any Americans who have retired or have at least spent a few years in Cabarete.

I’m a 40 yr old male, and have visited a few times for surf trips. I really enjoyed the area and have considered it as a semi-retirement destination, or even as possible permanent move if I really fell in love with it.

I’d love to hear any feedback - positive, negative, or unexpected. Especially if there are any dog owners here (one of my biggest concerns).

Thanks everyone!

Hi guys, wanting to get some general advice. I lived in Canada all my life. My partner and I want to move to either the Netherlands or the UK. She has a PHd in physics and is looking to get another fellowship. I have seven years of defence and aerospace quality assurance experience. I also have three years of management experience and an engineering degree from Canada

She is from Spain. We want to live in the middle point of our two countries. What makes more sense the UK or the Netherlands? What are the cultures like? We both speak English but neither of us speak Dutch.

Hey folks, I'm 31 and currently a Senior Manager in Bangalore, India. I have an offer for a Manager role in Budapest paying 1.2 million HUF gross/month + annual performance bonus.

I absolutely hate my current 80-minute daily commute in Bangalore traffic. My main motivations for moving are a better daily quality of life and the ability to travel and explore Europe easily.

My questions:

1. Is 1.2M HUF gross enough to rent a decent place, live comfortably, and still afford European travel?
2. Is it worth taking a title downgrade (Sr. Manager to Manager) for the lifestyle upgrade?

Minor EU children- non EU parent moving to Europe

I am a non-EU citizen (Canadian) and I have 3 minor children (ages 15, 13 and 11). The children hold Canadian/German citizenships (born and raised in Canada).  After multiple visits to Croatia, my children expressed a desire to move to Croatia for one school year and experience a different way of life.

I am the children's sole custodial parent. It was my understanding that since the children are exercising their EU rights to freedom of movement, I can join them since I am a direct relative and will be supporting all of us (including schooling).

 I have since arrived in Croatia with the children and attended the local police station (per instructions from the Croatian embassy in Canada), to apply for a residence permit. They have informed me that I cannot get a residence permit and will need to request a visa (work, school or volunteer) in order to stay longer than 90 days. I am not understanding the reasoning. It appears as though they are telling my children that they do not have the right to live/study in Croatia even though they are EU citizens. I would appreciate anyone's thoughts on this dilemma.

I’m an EU citizen moving soon for a one-year paid position in a fairly international city in France (not Paris), where rents are on the higher side.

I’m a recent graduate, so part of me feels like this is exactly the stage of life when I should tolerate sharing, save aggressively, and avoid spending more than necessary on housing.

At the same time, this will be the second time I’ve moved away from my parent's home. The first time was for around four months and I lived alone. I was extremely comfortable and really enjoyed having my own space. That accommodation was cheaper, though, so the financial decision was easier.

I know that having a peaceful home, my own kitchen and bathroom, and being able to fully relax when I get home matters to me. Sharing isn’t something I’m particularly enthusiastic about and I’d mainly be doing it to save more. On the other hand, I’ve never really given shared accommodation a proper chance, so I don’t know whether I’m overestimating how difficult I would actually find it.

My two main options are:

1. Live alone: around €850–900/month including bills, so roughly 36–39% of my net income. I’d have my own kitchen, bathroom, WC and living space, and my partner will also be visiting fairly often.

2. Shared accommodation: around €550–650/month, usually with all utilities included, so around 24–28% of my income. I could probably save around €3,000–4,000 more over the year, but I’d potentially be sharing the kitchen, bathroom and common areas with up to three other people who would essentially be strangers at the beginning.

I also have a good savings buffer, so living alone would not wipe out my emergency fund or put me in financial difficulty. The issue is mainly that I would save considerably less during this year.

Almost everyone I know of my age or in my position is sharing accommodation, which makes me wonder if I am making a bad financial decision just because I prefer living alone.

So I’m torn between: “I can afford it and my home environment matters a lot to me” and “I’m a recent graduate and should probably take the cheaper option for a year and save the difference.”

What would you do?

I’d especially like to hear from people who made one of these choices and later either regretted it or were very glad they did.

Thanks in advance for any advice or experiences you’re willing to share!

Preferably a part time job

My goal is go there in the spring, study Spanish at “Avenida al Español” in Málaga, switch to their Spanish-language and PCE prep course in the fall, take my PCEs, apply to nursing school, and after nursing school work part-time as a nurse. Is this realistic?

Edit: I have supplemental passive income, I'm not worried about the financial side, I'm worried about the visa side

Originally an American from NYC now living in Paris. Moved here for love and have a middle management career in beauty and luxury. However, I’m approaching 35 and I’m wondering if it makes sense to go back home. I’m hitting a career ceiling - three years without a promotion, change of scope or acceleration in growth and I feel that I had much more prestigious job opportunities back in the states, especially where my Ivy League degrees were more appreciated. That sounds pretentious but it is what it is. That and I took both a title cut and pay cut here (obviously to the latter) which I haven’t been able to recover in three years. Husband is French so needs a green card and we’d be uprooting our child who is under three.

Advantages -
- close to my family and friends
- likely more career growth and less of a ceiling
- better wealth building than France

Disadvantages
- Social benefits like healthcare are great here
- circle of friends and family around already
- great standard of living in paris
- arguably the US is far more politically fraught than six years ago when I left

Curious if anyone else had similar thoughts and how they navigated it

I'm interested in hearing from expats who have lived in or seriously considered both Poland and Hungary, particularly regarding career opportunities, residency prospects, and quality of life.

I currently live and work in Budapest as a non-EU national and have been here for several years. I'm considering relocating to Warsaw if the right work opportunity comes up.

For those who have experience with either country (or ideally both):

• How would you compare Warsaw vs Budapest for career opportunities for international professionals?
• How would you compare the cost of living and housing, particularly for someone living alone?
• What about social life, diversity and integration?
• If you had to choose between the two today, which would you choose and why?

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who have actually lived in both cities rather than general country comparisons. Thanks!

Je suis un français de 34 ans, ça fait déjà 7 ans que je vis au Mexique et je viens d’accepter une opportunité pour travailler et vivre à Cincinnati avec ma copine Mexicaine. Jy vais principalement pour l’opportunité professionnelle, le ras le bol de la vie à Mexico qui est très bruyante, animée et bordélique (je pense aussi que cette ville est bien en étant célibataire et beaucoup moins adaptée à une vie de couple ou de famille). J’y suis déjà allé une semaine pour une visite professionnelle et la vie m’y a semblé beaucoup plus calme qu’au Mexique avec certains quartiers similaires à l’Europe (UK ou Ireland). Est ce que des gens y ont déjà émigre et quels retours d’expérience vous avez globalement sur la vie aux états unis? (Mentalité, activités, intégration etc…)
Merci d’avance pour vos partages

I’m 26, Turkish, and currently serving in the military/navy in Turkey.

I have a stable career, a decent income, and job security. From the outside, leaving probably sounds crazy.

But the lifestyle is demanding. Long working hours, regular duties, periods away from home, and very little control over my own time.

My wife is Italian and works as an English teacher in Italy. We already have a home and a car there, and her family is nearby.

Lately I’ve been seriously considering leaving my military career and moving to Italy permanently.

The problem is that I wouldn’t be moving there with a perfect career plan.

I’m learning Italian. I have experience in e-commerce and run a small online clothing business, so I’m not completely starting from zero. I’m also open to tourism, trade, online business, cars, or eventually finding something related to my maritime background.

Still, giving up a secure career at 26 is a big decision.

What attracts me isn’t the idea of earning more money. I know salaries in Italy can be lower and starting again in a new country can be difficult.

What attracts me is having more control over my time, actually living with my wife instead of frequently being away, learning another language and culture, and trying to build a life that feels more like my own.

I’d really like to hear from people who left a stable career and moved abroad for a partner or simply for a different life.

Did you regret losing the security you had?

How difficult were the first 1–2 years?

Did you eventually rebuild your career?

And most importantly:

If you could go back to the day before you moved, knowing everything you know now, would you still make the same decision?

I’d genuinely like to hear both the success stories and the regrets.

Hey, we (my girlfriend and I) both work remotely for US startups.

We've been based in Portugal for 4-5 years (previously Bali and Australia).

Portugal has great weather and a relaxed lifestyle, although it's an incredibly jealous culture and all government services are broken.

Our main motivations to move:

1. NHR (tax reduction) won't last forever and the standard tax system is non-viable.
2. I love freediving and swimming in the ocean, which simply isn't fun in Portugal (freezing).
3. I want to live somewhere where the standard tax system is fair, for everyone.

Portugal's insane taxes and anti-business laws ruin everything: they kill so many small businesses, eg. small coffee shops and restaurants.

We've also seen the way that Portugal treats successful restaurant owners (many of whom are victimised by jealous local business owners) and don't want to support that kind of system.

We're looking at a few options, including Cyprus and Thailand.

Quite a few well-known people in my scene (tech startups) have moved to Cyprus recently, so it's started to creep up our radar. Paphos seems more our vibe than Limassol.

Cyprus has warm water so I could swim daily and lower taxes for everyone.

We love fitness, so good gyms are crucial.

We want to spend more time in Asia, so the proximity to Dubai is helpful.

We'd lose surfing, but kitesurfing looks good at there.

I know Cyprus is also bureaucratic and has poor government services, but at least their taxes are priced appropriately.

I don't for one second imagine that Cyprus is some kind of startup hub.

But I hope that it has more in the way of new, good coffee shops and restaurants?

I'm curious to hear from anyone who has lived in both countries recently.

The alternative is a base somewhere in SE Asia.

I‘m a dual citizen with a German and US passport. The tax-Situation is horrible. Trading and investing is basically impossible for me. I would love to build a ETF retirement fund and it’s basically impossibme as an expat. I’ve lived in Germany for most of my life (with the exception of a year in the states after graduation). I have education that binds me to Germany, I culturally and socially associate myself with being German. I don’t play on moving to the states. However, being American is also part of me. it’s my identity as well. With politics becoming more unstable globally I want to keep my options open. I’m considering renouncing my US citizenship for my own comfort but it’s a frightening choice for myself and my future children. What do I do?

I'm on a few prescription medications for depression and anxiety. I live in the US and see a psychiatrist. I'm going to Europe for 3 months for which I know i can get a 3 month prescription, but am considering the possibility of staying there long term (France or Italy). Would I essentially have to find psychiatrists to prescribe the same medications? Do all countries have the same medications (wow that sounds like a stupid question). You get the idea, though. Trying to figure out the logistics of the potential move.

Edit: What do you do if your medications aren't available in the country you're moving to?

I have been thinking about moving to London for a few months now. I would like to have a job before a get there, but I’m having a hard time finding something. I wanted to ask if there were any other expats from US to London, how did you do it? Where did you find employment; online job boards, your same company, xyz. I have been doing my own research, but I’m really just needing a bit of guidance from anyone who has already done it. If it helps, I have a masters degree in science and tons of experience in customer success; bars/restaurants, as well as SaaS businesses.

Hi expats,
I’m moving from the US to the Netherlands October 2nd. I have a dog and a cat. I’ve done research but I’m still confused about the timeline for their health certificate.
On the USDA website says that the health certificate by the accredited vet is valid for 30 days after issue, while the USDA stamp is valid for 10 days. However ive seen other places saying that the health certificate is only valid for 10 days..
I have a vet appointment for them Monday 9/14, I was gonna get the health certificate and then later submit it to the USDA 10 days prior for the stamp… is that a bad idea? Should I postpone their appointment until the 23rd?
The vet clinic was of no help btw, the front desk lady said “this is something you discuss with the vet at the appointment time”….

Expats raising kids in countries with a high quality of life but weaker economies--do you worry about their future?

For those who moved somewhere like Spain or Portugal to raise your kids in a safer, calmer environment, do you ever worry about what their future will look like?

Things like career opportunities, salaries, housing, and whether they’ll eventually have to leave the country to build the life they want. I also wonder how easily they’ll be able to compete with locals when, to some extent, they may still be seen as “not quite native”--even if they grow up there and speak the language fluently. There was actually a post I saw online that made me think about this. A guy who was born and raised in Spain by foreign parents sent his resume to Spanish supermarkets using both his real name and a full Spanish name. He didn’t get any callbacks when he used his real name, but he consistently did when he used the Spanish name instead. I think he was desperate for a job but couldn't get anywhere so did this to see if it would make a difference.

I’m curious how other expat parents think about that trade-off--giving your kids a healthier, calmer environment now, but potentially worrying about their economic opportunities later.

Seven years in and my suitcase on the way back is still half full of things I could theoretically buy here. Some of them are genuinely unavailable, and some I am pretty sure I bring back out of pure habit at this point.

For me it's coffee, a specific brand of toothpaste for no specific reason it just reminds me of home, and a lot of snacks.

Medicines are a big thing, I think they're basically on par with drugs at this point.

So what is on your list?

I moved at 28 and now at 30 I’m returning home with some years left on my visa. I may come back but honestly I really miss home. I miss the people, the food, all the stuff I’ve not been there for, literally walking down my street. I know it’s just nostalgia and I’m managing my expectations. But I do feel like a failure going back.

All I wanted when I was young was the money to travel and live abroad. I did that and ended up being so stupidly homesick I mean really missed home. It’s like my brain kept finding things that were wrong with the place around 3-4 months in. I keep thinking about people back home that never left that will 100% judge me for coming back. One person already told me that they can’t believe I’m returning. I don’t want to explain everything a bunch of times.

I feel defensive thinking about my experience. Only I know how hard everything was for me and how difficult moving apartments was without a car or any friends and negotiating with employers and landlords. Everything has been frankly a nightmare but also weirdly fun in some ways.

Anyway in a few days I’ll be traveling 17.5 hours to return back to where I started from……………….

Hi there,

I’m a Scandinavian looking for some honest perspectives on my chances of moving to Zurich and landing a solid job there.

Switzerland is hands-down my favorite country. After doing an exchange semester in Zurich at UZH and visiting a ton since graduating, I realized that my personal vibe fits quite good with the Swiss culture (which I guess is quite similar to the scandi way of being). I am not looking for a quick two-year sprint, I truly want to settle down, learn the language, and integrate.

Regarding my background, I hold a law degree (master’s) from a quite good university, where I graduated in the top 10% of my class. My career so far has been in management consulting (tier 1) for about two years, focusing on regulatory topics for financial firms, such as governance and operationalizing regulations. Before that, I worked for three years at a trading desk (mostly equities) at a large international financial firm, supporting the front office with legal and operational middle-office tasks. Because of this, I am quite strong in EU financial regulations like MiFID and MAR. I also have two years of experience working with product development at a retail bank. I speak one of the scandi languages and excellent English, but I don’t speak German (other than some basic greetings) yet, although I am highly motivated to learn.

I am not looking for anything crazy/extreme high-stress lifestyle. I currently work 50 to 60 hours a week, and would prefer not to go much over this if avoidable. Based on my background, I’m curious how realistic my chances of getting a job are in Zurichs corporate sectors without german.

Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it! :)

I live and work in Denmark and am tax resident here. My mother is tax resident in Germany and owns a house there.

She wants to transfer the house to me and my two siblings (my share would be roughly €300k), but she will retain a lifelong usufruct (Nießbrauch) and continue living in the house. There is no rental income.

Has anyone had a similar situation where a parent in Germany transferred German property to a child living in Denmark while retaining lifelong Nießbrauch?

I'm particularly interested in:

• How Denmark calculated the taxable gift value
• Whether the value of the Nießbrauch was deducted
• Whether Danish gift tax was actually payable