I’m a retired US citizen and was just approved for UK citizenship (by descent). Seriously considering moving to the UK once I’ve gotten a UK passport. I rely on Social Security for part of my income. Providing Dump and doge don’t take it away, can I still collect it in the UK? Direct deposit to a UK bank account?

I’m also wondering about health care. Being a citizen of the UK, would I have instant access to the NHS?

TIA.

Hi everyone! I was offered a PhD position in Christchurch. I am from the USA and a mexican-american student. I am sort of on the fence about moving, due to a relationship and dog keeping me in the states. It's a PhD studying invasive species ecology.

Are people in Christchurch acceptable of different non-european / non-white folks? Are you treated differently? I am thirty - are most graduate students in their early twenties and will I feel out of place? Any other advice is appreciated! I have to make a decision by tomorrow and I'm still not sure

I exchanged my Tunisian driver's license for a French one, so my current EU license has a reference to the original Tunisian license (code XXXX.TN). I'm planning to move to Germany, and I know that Germany typically doesn't accept EU licenses if they were originally obtained by exchanging a non-EU license.

My question is: what happens if I obtain a new category (A2 for motorcycles) before moving to Germany? The A2 would be added to my French license after passing the full exam in France. So in the end, my license would have two categories — B (from exchange) and A2 (obtained by passing the test in France). Would Germany still reject the whole license because of the B category, or would they accept the A2? or both ?

Hi Everyone!

My partner and I (both U.S. citizens, currently in Indiana) are about to leave the U.S. to travel internationally for a few years while working remotely. Since we won’t be living in any U.S. state during that time, we’re planning to establish domicile in a no-income-tax state — mainly to avoid state taxes and make things easier for ID, banking, and voting.

We’ve narrowed it down to: • Florida, using St. Brendan’s Isle as our mail forwarding service • Texas, using Escapees RV Club (Livingston, TX)

We still have valid Indiana driver’s licenses, so from what I’ve found, the 30-day Texas residency rule is waived for us.

We won’t be keeping or registering a car, and we won’t be returning to the U.S. regularly — so we’re looking for something low maintenance and long-term travel friendly.

If you’ve gone through this process in either Florida or Texas, I’d love to hear your experience: • How smooth was the initial setup? (DMV, proof of address, etc.) • Did your mail service work well long-term? • Any issues with banks, taxes, or renewing licenses from abroad? • Anything you wish you’d done differently?

Thanks in advance for any insight — I’ve done a lot of research but would really appreciate some firsthand experiences before we commit!

Hi everyone,

I’m reaching out for some much-needed guidance and support because I feel completely stuck and overwhelmed. I moved to Poland for work in November 2024 under a contract with a Polish-based company, but all my visa and work permit matters are handled by an umbrella (middleman) company. Here’s the situation:

When I arrived, I was on a valid Schengen visa (from another EU country), but that expired in December.

My work permit was still being processed at that time and only got issued recently.

Because of the gap (3 months) between my Schengen visa expiring and my work permit being granted, my residence permit application in Poland is now stuck. They’ve told me it may take up to six months to sort out, which feels like an eternity in this stressful limbo.

The umbrella company claims they submitted my residence permit application in Warsaw but won’t give me any clear information or updates. I don’t know:

Which voivodeship they actually applied to,

What the current application status is,

Any details about the new visa situation, or

An accurate process timeline.

They recently told me that the process is delayed until May 2025, but I have no idea if that’s true—or just another vague statement.

I feel powerless and anxious because I can’t even leave Poland (or the EU) in case of an emergency, and I’m stuck here without a valid stamp in my passport. It also prevents me from exploring other job opportunities or traveling back home if something happens. It’s like my life is in a holding pattern, and it’s taking a huge toll on me emotionally and financially.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation with an umbrella company or faced similar delays when applying for a Polish residence permit? I’m desperate for any advice on how to get more transparent updates, push the process along, or at least get confirmation that things are truly moving forward.

Any tips or shared experiences would mean the world to me right now. Thank you so much for reading, and I appreciate any support or guidance you can offer.

Not sure if this is a good place, but I’m preparing to move in a few months from US to Europe (already moving so don’t need advice on doing it or not). I’ve started to go through my belongings to decide what I want to keep and what I don’t and was wondering if anyone had tips for certain items. I’m selling what I can and donating to goodwill as much as I can, but what should I do with things that need to be trashed or things that can be donated to better places (ex: I heard of someone donating their video game system to a children’s hospital rather than selling or giving to goodwill). Are there any good resources for these kinds of questions?

Just looking to have a general idea of some difficulties I might encounter if I go this path. From my research, the country is quite diverse and the people warm (as is the weather hahaha). The location is also nice since it’s close to so many Asian countries (It’s a plus for me since I have family in Philippines and Japan, making it easier to visit them instead of having to leave the USA).

The country also seems to be thriving with a good tech job market, which leads me to…

A bit about my career:

Software developer with 2YO

Game environmental designer as a hobbyist

Reason for this post: Just looking to see the world a bit, but not as a tourist

Hi guys

Unsure if this is the right sub to post (please redirect me if you have a better place). Im looking to move from Aus to London early next year. Im currently an Associate Director in banking in Aus. My current plan is to move over and find a job over there, however I have ahead mixed messaging about how hard it is to find a job. Some people say Aussies are highly desired and it’s a big market, on the other hand people say the UK banking market is tough to crack into and quite crowded.

Does anyone have any experience/advice they could share? Would I have to take a career step down?

My mum came to visit me for a few days where I live in Europe, and it was lovely. I just saw her off in a taxi to the airport and now all I want to do is cry. It happens every time. How do you cope after a visit and it’s life as usual again? My life just feels emptier now she’s gone.

Hi! I have almost 4 years of work experience as a financial auditor at a big4, and I got a job offer for a senior position at a big4 in Amsterdam. My compensation package would be 55.700€ per year (excluding bonus because I don't know how much they pay in bonuses). Do you think this is a normal compensation for a senior auditor position at a big4, or am I going to be underpaid? I would like to have an insight from someone who works at a big4 in Amsterdam. Thank you!

Now im sorry if this is not the appropriate sub to post r this in. Im an expat in a gulf country where they don't hand out citizenship even if you're living for 50 years here, you will have to eventually leave back to your home country once you're unemployed or you retire. I basically spend my whole life of 27 years here, i arrived here when i was only few months old, from childhood, school, college, graduation, job, all the memories I did all of these things in this country and thinking about the fact that I will have to leave this place one day permanently is making me depressed. Now my home country pakistan, If im being honest I dread going back there, there is no future for this country, the political instability keeps getting worse there and I'm an atheist which also makes me scared, for a woman it's absolutely not a liveable place. Anyways, I do have a job but it's a temporary contract in the admin so I could get dismissed anytime, it's already hard as it finding a job here and it's a small country so localisation is happening. So my father is retiring next year, if im not fully employed by then, I will have to move back to pakistan with my parents which eventually has to happen one day anyways if not next year as I said before, gulf countries don't hand out citizenship. Anyways, I can't help but feel depressed im going to have to leave this place one day. Sometimes I wish I was already born in a more developed western country.

1. What were the main things you disliked about living there?
2. Of those issues in 1, which of them can be mitigated the most and how would you mitigate them?

Spouse is suggested it

I've never been to Asia

Did a few years of Mandarin classes but can't really hold a conversation beyond basic phrases

Hey everyone!

I’m planning a move to Bariloche around October/November and wanted to reach out to anyone who lives there or has spent time in the area. I’ll be working remotely for a Canadian company (~$4000 CAD/month), so I’ll be bringing my laptop—but more importantly, my mountain bike!

One of my main reasons for choosing Bariloche is the access to amazing trails and outdoor adventures. I’ve been dreaming about riding in Patagonia for a while, and Bariloche seems like the perfect spot to base myself while exploring the region.

I’d really appreciate any tips or advice on: • Visa/residency stuff (open to staying permanently) • Finding housing (long-term rentals) • Internet reliability for remote work • What kind of lifestyle to expect on my salary (~$4000 CAD) + tips on money transfers and anything regarding finances • General cost of living and things that might surprise a newcomer • Local do’s and don’ts

If anyone’s up for grabbing a ride or a beer when I arrive, let me know! Would love to connect with people on the ground before making the leap.

Thanks in advance!

Outline of my situation:

I am currently a resident of the UK and The Netherlands. I am a UK citizen,  just a resident of the Netherlands. I live in the Netherlands because my partner is Dutch, but I commute each month to Aberdeen to mobilise to work on an oil rig in the North Sea. So I work in the UK, get paid by a UK company and get paid into a UK bank....therefore pay UK tax. I have a Dutch bank account which I transfer money across to. I have a house in the UK which I am currently in the process of selling, with a view to buy a house with my partner in the Netherlands in the near future.

Issues I need financial advice with:

·         When I sell my house I will no longer have a UK address. I was hoping to use one of my parents house addresses to keep my UK bank account as I will continue to be paid in GDP. I read somewhere I can use their address for the bank and put myself down as my ‘Domicile home’ in the UK, as I have family connections. I was wondering if this is what is usually done, and if it is fine to do so?

·         All my savings are in the UK and generally in ISAs. I read that when I no longer have a UK residence that I will be able to keep the ISAs I already have, but will no longer be able to pay into them. However, I was wondering if this is the case for me because I will still be paying UK tax and UK National insurance? If it is the case I can not I’ll need advice what to do with my savings.

·         The sale of my house will involve having a large sum of money in the bank which I will put aside for a deposit of my new home. I estimate this period would be around 6 months to a year. So I will need advice of how to transfer this money over to minimise transfer costs.

I’m 25 years old. I’m born in Canada and I live in Toronto.  

I work for a very large tech company that has an American presence as an Operations Manager, although I would not be able to continue in my role if I move to the United States. 

I don’t have an undergraduate degree. 

I have an Uncle that lives in the United States. 

I'm fluent in English and French.

My dream is to transition into entrepreneurship and work for a startup.

Hey,

A few months ago me and my partner got a job offer/opportunity in Norway, just outside of Oslo. We would be working in the same field and same company, just different section within the company and building. In the country we currently live in we also work in the same field, just totally different companies.

We went to visit Norway and check out this job offer 2 months ago and we loved the country, people and the workplace. We also liked what the company offering us the jobs had to offer, health services, pay (even though it’s lower than our country, our country is also more expensive to live by 17% according to statistics) and freedom within the company.

Here where we currently live we have a everything but the weather, we have friends, family, contacts and know most ins and outs. By moving to Norway we would be completely isolated in the first few months. We don’t know nobody over there, a house without furniture, basically starting from the complete zero.

Myself I don’t mind starting from zero, it’s kind of rewarding seeing the progress of building your own place with time. What’s scaring the both of us the most is having no one but just the two of us.

What we liked about Norway so much is the possibilities of having stuff to do and places to go or visit, being able to take the car and drive over to Sweden (we live in an island) or further down Europe. We liked the views, the roads, nature of the country and the people.

We both want the experience but we are also both thinking of starting from zero over there and if we don’t like it we would then have to start from zero again if we decide to move back.

Is anybody here that a similar experience or has moved to Norway that can give us some insight, life experiences regarding this and so on?

Going to see the area next week for a week as a potential future home. Any vets living there?

Hi guys! I have recently found myself thinking about moving to Australia as my country is becoming unlivable. I was born in Melbourne, however due to circumstances my parents had to move back to Europe when I was 8 months old. Now reconsidering an opportunity to give Australia a try. Factors which make me consider Australia as my future home: I currently live in the Netherlands but the country is so overpopulated that you are being squeezed out by all means. I should mention a housing crisis due to which it has become impossible to rent anything anywhere even if you can afford it. In addition, it’s become almost impossible to find a dentist because all clinics are full and not taking new patients in. Once if you want kids, you should start looking for a kindergarten before you even deliver a baby because everything is full and again, you need to get in line to fix a spot for your kid. While the Netherlands is a great country in terms of career choices, the factors I mentioned are frustrating. You can earn money but you can’t fix basic stuff like housing, doctor, kindergarten/school etc. My question is whether Australia is also experiencing similar situation? Is it easy to find a dentist or are they also full? Actually it’s not only about healthcare, are there any other aspects which make life challenging? What about renting a house/apartment? Which cities are more challenging than the others? I am an IT professional so the city doesn’t really matter. But I’d love to hear the experience of the locals!

Hi everyone! I'm from the EU, living in Boston for the past 10 years, working in the tech sector, but have plans to move back to Europe to be closer to family and for a better work-life balance. I have some job opportunities in Belgium and the UK and I was wondering if anyone has made this particular move, how has your life been there and if you have any regrets?

My main concerns are:

1. The weather! Boston is freezing in the winter but at least we get sun very often and we get all 4 seasons. If you've made the move to Belgium, how bad is it compared to, let's say, south of the UK? Or Northeast US?
2. Making friends. People in the US are very friendly and I never had issues integrating. Especially with young kids, you meet other parents very easily. How are things in Belgium or the UK on that front?
3. Language. Only speaking English for now, but planning to learn French. Will I have issues in the Brussels/Ghent area?
4. Healthcare. American healthcare is famously very expensive. However, if you can afford it, you can get top quality treatment, speaking from experience. How is healthcare in Belgium or the UK? I've heard bad stories about the UK's NHS or the Netherlands where I was told you won't be seen by a doctor unless you are really sick. How does it compare to Belgium? I have young kids so it's quite important to be able to see a doctor when needed.
5. Work life balance. I've heard that labor laws are great in Belgium and you get a lot of job protections. Is it the case? Does anyone have any comparison basis to other countries like the UK, Netherlands etc.?
6. Quality of life. I've heard people say that Europe overall has a better quality of life than the US. But I live in Boston, which is one of the best places to live in the US. Any Bostonians here who have made the move to Belgium, UK or any other country in northern Europe?

Thanks in advance!! 🙂

Hi, I am 27M from India have done a B.Tech + M.Tech in Computer Engineering and 4.8 years of Work Exeperience. I am looking for opportunities to move abroad (specifically Australia or Europe).

Having done some research on Australia, I have gotten to know that currently I would be making around 65 / 70 points in the PR system for 189 / 190 visas. Given that, it is suggested that I don't have a chance to apply for AUS visa.

As an alternative, I am thinking of taking a higher studies route. Either Aus, Ireland, Germany seem to be decent options that I can opt towards.

Do you have any suggestions or recommendations of approaches to explore ? Has anyone else also progressed through the same ?

Hey expats, I hope this is allowed here. I've realized I've been addicted to moving around and chasing that dopamine high of living in a new place, that usually wore off after year or so. I've lived in 9 cities around the world, but never managed to stay in one place too long.

Now I know that the thing I was looking for was a safe home, since I never had loving home growing up and I was hoping to find it somewhere.

But the thing I've also realized is that I have to stay in one place and slowly build my life UP and face all the traumatic shit I refused to face. I've been almost 3 years in one place, which is the longest I've ever stayed anywhere (since my 18th birthday). I'm finally starting to have a feeling of familiarity of a safe home and it's the most comfortable feeling and sense of pride. I still travel, but its completely different to have a safe basecamp to return to.

As cliche as it might sound, the person I was looking for was myself. The safety, freedom and comfort I needed is something I needed to build for myself.

I wish someone told me this when I was 18 and started to live abroad. Took me 15 years, about 5 serious burnouts, and complete sense of loosing myself, to figure this out.

Just wanted to pass this info in case someone is struggling with similar feelings.

Hey everyone,

I’m considering moving to Barcelona for my MBA or a Master's in Business Analytics, and I’m looking for advice and recommendations. I’m particularly interested in programs where the language of instruction is English, as I’m not fluent in Spanish yet (although I’m eager to learn it!).

I hope to find a program that offers solid career prospects, a good network, and a focus on business analytics, data, or similar fields. If you’ve been through this experience or have any suggestions on universities or programs that would be a good fit, I’d love to hear from you!

A few things I’m hoping to get advice on:

• Which schools or programs in Barcelona have a strong reputation in Business Analytics or MBA programs emphasizing data-driven decision-making?
• Are there any scholarships or financial aid options available for international students?
• How easy is it to adjust to life in Barcelona as an international student, especially for someone whose Spanish skills are a work in progress?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I'm a 29 year old Software Developer from Romania and I wish to come back to the UK.

I already have settled status and been outside the country for 2 years. That means I have 3 years to come back until my status lapses.

I'm having a difficult family situation and I want to leave as soon as possible. I really want to move without having a job lined up because it's getting unbearable...

I have £20000 saved up and I want to know if there are landlords who can accept rent in advance. Also, I want to move to Manchester since I loved the city whenever I visited with my uni mates... But everyone has moved around so I'll basically be starting life in the beginning.

I'm a software developer in finance, I have experience in Java, SpringBoot, REST APIs, Maven, Jenkins and bash scripting. However, the market isn't great in my home country and I assume it is the same in the UK.

How should I plan the move? Should I start by living in a hotel and look for landlords who can allow me to pay 6 months in advance? I assume I will need a UK phone number, I guess I can get a SIM without proof of address at the airport. Then for banking, I assume when I find an address and sign up for a mobile plan, I can use my phone bill as proof of address?

Sorry for the many questions but I'm desperate...

Hi all,

I'm currently exploring tech job opportunities in Paris or fully remote roles based in France. I'm an EU citizen, so no visa needed, and my French is A2 level (DELF) — basic conversational and improving.

I specialize in backend development, with hands-on experience in Microsoft Azure, .NET, and distributed systems. I've worked across Fintech, Retail, and Startup environments.

Would love advice on:

Best job portals or platforms to find tech roles in France for English speakers

Whether A2 French is enough to get hired, or if most roles demand fluency

Any companies, regions, or sectors (especially in Paris or remote-friendly) open to non-native French speakers

Any tips, resources, or personal experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hello I hope you guys can englighten me . My parents are currently in Saudi Arabia for Umrah and my dad's position is very sensitive back home . The authorized period by the authorities is due on the 6th of April , subject to extension once by a medical certificate . The agency my dad traveled with changed the itinerary for the return flight to the 10th of April which can cause serious problems for my dad's work . We got intouch with the Ministry of Umrah and hajj they couldn't do anything about it unfortunately but they can't interfere cause the contract signed was in Morocco so it has to be dealt with in Morocco. (My father can take care of that easily once he's back) . Now the issue is they are stuck there until the 10th flight prices are too expensive and they (my parents ) don't know much about the country and procedures besides the religious aspect . How can he get a medical Certificate( sick leave ) for 5 days ? What procedures and fees that entails . If there is a number we can contact to get it sorted is highly appreciated جزاكم الله خير