expat network

Malaria Poses A Risk To Contractors And Beyond

Protection form mosquito bites is not being taken even by professionals in the travel risk business, a new survey has found. Less than a quarter of organisations have pre-travel health programmes in place. Data from medical and travel security risk services company International SOS shows that malaria represents an increasing proportion of offshore medical and...

Choosing A School When Expats Return To UK

When moving to a new expat posting, often the best-known expat school is the obvious choice for your child. Even when there are wider options, often these are restricted by where there are places, or where a company may have a fast-track debenture. By Fiona Hodgkins Perhaps the most complex and challenging school choice of...

expats with kids

Expats With Kids Take Six Months To Settle

Despite the benefits of raising a family abroad, parents and children alike take time to settle into their new life. However, the challenge can bring families closer together, according to new data. Almost half of expat parents say their children take longer than six months to feel at home in their new country, with...

Top Savings Rates For Expats – May

Many expats can benefit from using offshore bank savings accounts. They are useful for working in different currencies and for gathering interest without deduction of taxes. By Iain Yule See the article ‘British Expats – Do You Need An Offshore Bank Account?’.   The best current offering for sterling offshore savers is Standard Bank’s 1.2%,...

Top Three Ways To Save On Your US Expat Taxes

Ah, filing expat taxes…one of the necessities of living overseas. While it may not be the most enjoyable thing about your adventure abroad, fortunately the IRS provides a number of ways to avoid double taxation so you can save money come tax time. By Greenback Tax Here we highlight the top credits, deductions and exclusions...

international school

Expats: How To Select An International School

Moving to a new job, a new town, a new country – effectively a new life – is challenging. Add in the fear and guilt that you are disrupting your children’s lives, that they may struggle to adapt, and your anxiety and stress levels soar. By Fiona Hodgkins Although local schools offer the best opportunity...

New Zealand Visa

New Work Visa Rules Could Hinder Expats

Jobseekers could find it harder to land expat assignments as the US, Australia and New Zealand bring in new expat visa rules. Temporary skilled worker laws are facing change. Australia announced that the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (known as the 457 visa) will be abolished and replaced with a new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa in...

Making The Move To Be An Expat In Spain

Once you have decided to relocate you have to choose from the many removals companies operating between the UK and your destination. You then have to decide between exclusive transportation or a cheaper shared-vehicle option. By Julie Bridge Simon’s move from Leamington Spa to Almeria in Spain used shared transport provided by Matthew James Global...

British Expats Find Mortgages For UK Property Elusive

British expats have to look longer and harder to find affordable deals for UK house buying. Problems encountered by expats include having to find much larger deposits than UK-based customers, and higher interest rates and arrangement fees. These come on top of the usual hassles of finding and conveyancing a property purchase from a distance....

pension transfer tax

UK Expats: Beware The Pension Transfer Tax

The overseas pension transfer tax can see the UK taxman take a quarter of expats’ transferred funds. Those thinking of moving UK pensions need to know the new rules. One of the few surprise announcements in the UK 2017 Spring Budget was the ‘Overseas Transfer Charge’ – an immediate tax on certain transfers to offshore...

Sponsored: What Expats Should Know About Maternity Insurance

For many, moving to a new country means making big adjustments due to the different culture and systems. If, for example, you were moving from a Scandinavian country that has universal healthcare to an Asian country that does not provide healthcare to new expats, you may find yourself unfamiliar with the private insurance plans that...

Sponsored: Securing Property In UK Made Easy

Buying UK property as a British expat used to be tricky – yet, thanks to mortgage products specifically created for this purpose, and new applications that calculate how much you can borrow, and that even give you an agreement in principle online, securing an investment property in the UK is easier than ever before. Since...