My “Wacky” Life Abroad Doesn’t Seem Quite So Wacky

With the “New World Order” filling the headlines for better or worse, suddenly I’ve been inundated by American friends and family who are desperate to become expats. It’s funny – suddenly my “wacky” life abroad doesn’t seem quite so wacky more.

As all expats know, most democracies in the world have better health care, better education, more vacation time, more parental leave, less gun violence, a lower cost of living, and an overall greater sense of happiness than the US of A. It took some rather dramatic circumstances for many of my fellow countrymen to realise this, but they got there in the end.

“Everyone wants to know how and where they can emigrate and are turning to me for advice.”

This week alone, my friend from college is trying to convince her company to let her work in the UK or Portugal and wonders if I can recommend any good international schools. My cousin just graduated from college but wants help getting his Italian ancestry visa (available if you can prove ancestral roots at any point between now and 1861.)

Another friend is considering buying property in Spain, my mother wants to retire in France, and my sister-in-law is looking at ways to live in Japan.

Everyone wants to know how and where they can emigrate and are turning to me for advice as if I’m their personal immigration lawyer. But I’m not complaining, I am more than happy to help American refugees!

If you don’t have a company or employer who will sponsor you, and many don’t, there are other ways. If you have a British or Irish grandparent, you are eligible for Citizenship by Descent. Portugal, Spain, Greece, Germany, Croatia, France, Mexico and Costa Rica all offer a Digital Nomad visa of some kind – ideal for freelancers or those who can work remotely. If you want to buy property, Uruguay and UAE have affordable entry points and quick routes to residency. Argentina offers citizenship after just two years of residency.

For families, Portugal is always recommended by experts as the best option to secure citizenship. This is closely followed by Spain, Greece, Mexico and Uruguay. If you’re retired with minimal savings, seeking warm weather and affordable healthcare – Mexico, Ecuador, Panama and the Philippines are your best bets.

Finally, with international relations in freefall, many are weighing up existential safety and long-term stability. People want to opt out of the geopolitical storm for a place that is not a potential military target – and quite frankly, I don’t blame them. New Zealand ranks number one here (though incredibly hard to get into), followed by Costa Rica, Uruguay, and Mauritius.

Through it all, I can’t stop thinking of my American friend, whose grandfather escaped a Nazi concentration camp. He is entitled to automatic German (or Austrian) citizenship restoration and is pursuing it for his family. They once crossed the ocean for safety – only to cross it again two generations later.

I wonder what the ultimate expat destination will be in the future? Will we all be clamouring to live in Antarctica?