Moving to a foreign country can be intimidating and finding the best place to rent can be daunting. Dubai expatriate population steadily increasing and the demand for rentals is high. Unfortunately for tenants has resulted in the skyrocketing rents. About half of UAE residents spend about 30% or more of their salary on accommodation expenses. Despite the Costs, most expats opt to lease, especially in the UAE for short-term contracts, rather than to invest in the property market. To facilitate Many of these are looking to rent a property in Dubai, the government has passed a law which provides that no rent increase is not accounted for 7% of the annual rent does not exceed may impose. There are also several new developments underway that should take some pressure off the market in the near future.

Housing is usually part of the expat package. Although in the past, companies would account for the entire rental amount, the trend now is for expats to be allocated a certain percentage of the total annual costs for accommodation, the rest being paid for out of their salary. Others note fees when renting include a security deposit (refundable At the end of the lease if the rent than those in good condition, by the landlord), possible parking fees, monthly utilities, municipality charges (usually) 5% of the lease, and 5% commission if you use the services of an estate agent. Maintenance and repair of the property covered by the landlord. Tenants are not allowed to make changes to the structure of the property inside or outside, without the permission of the landlord.

The rental agreement is often drawn between the landlord and the tenant companies operate / sponsor. If an expat signs the lease himself he must have a visa or a residence permit at least one Letter issued by his employer confirming that a visa is being processed. The normal duration of a lease is one year. Unlike in many countries, where rent is payable monthly, in Dubai in the year the rent is paid in advance, usually with 2 or 3 checks. For example, in the case of the semiannual payments, the first 6 months of the lease are paid off immediately with a current from the check, while the rest of the year with a post-dated check. (Short-term furnished monthly accommodation in Dubai is available but it is often more expensive.) It is important to understand that once the lease is signed, the tenant is bound by the treaty. To terminate the lease, the tenants would have the permission of the landlord. That being said, the rental laws in Dubai actually favor tenants. Landlord can not force tenants, without a very good reason to leave (for example, the property for personal use) is missing. Even if the lease for one year only, as long as the tenant does not break all aspects of the contract, it is assumed that the lease be extended. The municipality has established a special department, the Dubai Rent Committee will review all disputes between Landlord and tenant.

After expenses, the situation is probably the biggest factor in determining where to rent. Dubai is in two of the Deira Creek, with split (or "Old Dubai") on the one side and "New Dubai" on the other. The decision to hire, where you are working on factors such as accessibility to schools, Shops and hospitals. Some of the most popular locations are for rent:

• Garhoud: located near Dubai International Airport and offers a low-rise apartments and vacation homes at affordable rents.
• Mirdiff: a recent development, consisting mainly of villas, past the airport.
• Bur Dubai: near Bur Juman Shopping Center and offers low-cost housing.
• Downtown Deira: cheap low-rise apartments are readily available in this area is even if work or schools are on the opposite side of the bay, the traffic can be a nightmare.
• Satwa: a nicely located area between Sheikh Zayed Road, Bur Dubai and Jumeirah located, with low-rise apartments and cheap villas. It is believed that zoning regulations in the near future for Satwa change will enable the development of skyscrapers.
• Jumeirah / Umm Suqueim: ideally located near parks, the beach and schools, this is probably the most popular Area for the European and local communities, upscale villas and townhouses.
• New Dubai Developments: including The Greens, Arabian Ranches, The Lakes, The Meadows, Emirates Hills and Dubai Marina and close to Dubai Internet City. Many offer gated, family friendly communities with access to swimming pools and other leisure facilities.

The search for Dubai rental property can be substantial Find listings in the classifieds, or directly from the developer as Alpha Real Estate, Arenco Real Estate, Cluttons UAE, Better Homes and Century 21 Search for the perfect place to lease can be very time consuming and seems overwhelming. Understanding UAE rental laws, only with a reputable broker, and the investigation The best locations are all part of making the search for an apartment or villa in Dubai successful. About the Author:

Ahmed Juma is a local UAE businessman who owns and manages several apartments and villas for rent in Dubai. He is also the owner of Emirates-Ads, a free Dubai classifieds site with listings for jobs, property and accommodation, used cars, and items for sale including used furniture.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Property for Rent in Dubai

BBC Middle East Business Report: Dubai Expats Jailed

Posted under General

What is the income tax for expats living in Malaysia? At one years before the deduction of 200,000 RM – which would take the home with you?

1. Is it sufficient for a family of 3 with a school going child? 2. Is it possible, a little money to live a decent life once a week, save food, send the child into a good School and all basic amenities. 3. What would be the cost of living in Subang area? All the good places to live around it – they are safe?

With RM 200,000 Your annual income tax would be at 27% and employee provident fund at 11%. You with RM 10,000 per month, which would be just enough for a family of three on expat Send rent a two-storey link house in Subang, you 1 child to international school (the cheaper it is) and live moderately. They should for housing and transport allowances Ask your employer to have more disposable income. Try to live in gated community for security.

It’s A PAC-ky Day!, Vlog #9

Posted under General

The Ideal Candidate For A Teaching Job Abroad

A teaching job abroad can enrich your life and add money to your pocket. But do you have what the recruiters are looking for? Do you have what it takes to thrive living abroad? The answers to these two questions must be answered before you continue in your plan to teach abroad.

It might be tempting to skip over this article, sure you are indeed the right person for the job, however, there is key information included in this article which will help determine your employability, your motivation for beginning this quest and your preferences for what kind of position you’d like.

Single or married with dependents?
Teaching couples are the most sought after commodity in international schools because they are the most cost efficient to hire. They are hired together and require only one living allowance.

Singles would come next, and are especially attractive if they are willing to share housing. Also, some schools will only hire single people. Towards the beginning of the new academic year, when schools are becoming desperate to fill their remaining vacancies, single teachers become even more attractive because they are usually very mobile, in that they have no dependents to make arrangements for.

Couples with children would head up the bottom of the list. One or two children are not an unattractive prospect for most schools, but you might find that you will not get extra benefits for having more than two children. Some people I have worked with that have three children have reported that they have had to pay tuition fees for their third child.

Teaching couples
Teaching couples and teachers with dependent spouses and/ or children should apply early on in the process when there is more flexibility. If you are intending to find positions as a teaching couple, you are not likely to be very successful to attend job fairs towards the end of the season.

It is often the case that one member of a teaching couple will find the perfect job, whilst the other member may have to make do with an acceptable or part time post.

Single teachers
Single teachers are able to find positions through to the beginning of the new academic year because they can fill school’s unfilled or unexpected vacancies easily.

Age (at both ends of the scale)
Age might be an issue in some countries because of visa requirements, but usually more mature people are attractive to international schools because they are believed to be stable.

On the other hand, many schools operate a salary scale that makes less experienced (which frequently means younger) teacher financially attractive to schools.

If you are used to being on the top of the pay scale, you might want to ask if the salary step you start on is capped. I have heard that some schools require all new teachers to the school to start on the same salary step, regardless of years of experience.

Qualifications and experience
Some sources of information on teaching in international schools state that you have to have a degree in education, a licence to teach and two years experience. This is not true at all. You will need some kind of qualification OR experience, but there are opportunities for almost everyone.

If you don’t have two years experience, then you will need to pay close attention to the sections on finding a job through job advertisements. You will probably not be invited to attend a job fair, as two years experience is one of their selection criteria for candidates. This doesn’t mean you are an unattractive candidate for schools, just that you aren’t necessarily going to get a job through a job fair.

If you have a Bachelors’ degree and a TEFL qualification you will be able to teach in an ESL position in most schools. The nature of your Bachelors’ degree is usually inconsequential; many countries expect this basic level of education to qualify for a working visa. My first teaching job was in a private language school in Taiwan when the only qualifications I had were a Bachelors’ degree in business and a TEFL certificate that the ink was still wet on.

If you have no teaching qualification at all, and no experience in teaching children, you will need to look at the section titled ‘What employment opportunities are there for my non-teaching partner?’, look into getting a TEFL certificate or one of the many non-government organisations that sponsor or offer internships in teaching in different countries.

If you do not qualify for your dream job now, do not give up in defeat. There are many opportunities to increase your qualifications both by going back to university full- or part-time, or distance learning online. Use this book to help you discover what qualifications you need to get your dream job, and go get them.

Your situation does not need to stay stagnant, there are always options to try. If you absolutely must get overseas now, then you should seriously consider TEFL as you can get a qualification to teach TEFL in 2-4 weeks full time study. Again, with TEFL qualifications there are distance and part-time options available.

Easy-going, flexible and adaptable people
Recruiters are looking for people who will cope well with the move, living in a new culture and fit in seamlessly to existing staffing situations.

Here are a few personal qualities that recruiters are looking for in candidates:

* Good sense of humour
* Easy-going
* Flexible
* Adaptable
* A good team player
* Positive outlook
* Can do anything attitude
* An optimist

Recruiters are only going to employ people who they judge to be able to thrive in challenging environments and in the midst of culture shock. It’s fine to suffer from culture shock, but you must be able to function in your job whilst going through the shock of moving countries.

There is a reason that recruiters are looking for these qualities in applicants. They are needed! It’s tough enough learning your way around a new city in your own home country, now imagine going through that learning process in a different country where you don’t speak the language and can’t read any of the signs.

If this sounds awful to you, rather than an exciting opportunity, then you probably aren’t the right person for a position at an international school. There are lots of opportunities for you to work in a country more in line with what you’re used to. I started out moving from the NZ education system to living in the UK and working in the UK education system. Check out the resources and links I’ve put on my website about finding a position in NZ or Australia.

Teaching in NZ and Australia

This is a better option to maybe work your way up to working in a really foreign environment. Don’t try and be what you aren’t when applying for positions with international schools.

Your children’s education
If you have children you will need to consider how they will adapt to the new situation.

If they are going into Year 11 (Grade 10), it is not advisable for them to enter either the IB MYP or the IGCSE system because both of these programs finish a program at the end of this year. The IGCSE exam is the culmination of two years work, and the IB MYP will only offer certificates to students who have completed two years in the program and studied all 8 subject areas.

Students are able to sit IGCSE exams without being in school for the full two years, but they will need to complete extra study in order to make up for missing the first year of the course.

Students who do not complete two years in the MYP program will receive a Record of Achievement for their final year.

For your older children, the last two years of high school in a British curriculum school or an IB Diploma school also comprise of a two year course. You will need to investigate the possibilities for your particular circumstances once you have identified schools you would like to apply for. Remember that you can ask questions as a prospective parent before you even apply for a position.

Understanding your goals
It is important to understand what you are trying to achieve by making this change in your life. This will help you to focus your job search on securing the position that will enable you to meet your goals.

Consider whether
* you are looking for new challenges personally or professionally
* you are looking to make financial gains or take a pay cut in order to give something of yourself to developing communities
* you want to develop new relationships
* you are looking to fund your move to another country in order to adopt a child
* you want to fund personal or professional research
* you are curious as to what it would be like to live and work overseas

All of these goals are perfectly valid and you probably consider that more than one of them applies to you. Or your goals may not be on this list. Whatever your goals, you must be aware of them and keep them in the back of your mind throughout the process that follows.

You might have more self development goals in mind, and working in an international school is a fantastic boost to your self esteem. I know I am an attractive employment prospect, simply because of the many experiences I have had and my proven adaptability.

Secure Your Teaching Job Abroad Today With These Proven Strategies!

Get your free copy of Kelly’s "Escape The Rat Race – Teach Overseas" here.

Posted under Employment

Britons Who Fled in Search of French Idyll Feel the Pain of the Pound’s Fall

Combination of ‘le credit crunch’ and sterling’s slide causing nightmares for those trying to live the expat dream.

It has long been the stuff of dreams, of bestselling books and sometimes even of profit. The British love of France has led tens of thousands to cross the Channel in search of a better quality of life, a ruin to renovate, or simply to snap up a cheap second home.

But the expatriate community has become the latest casualty of recession, with a ruinous exchange rate biting into the rural idylls of the French countryside just as it has in the "Little England" retirement enclaves of Spain and Portugal. "Cheaper" France is vanishing as the pound slips closer to the rising euro, raising food, wine and energy costs, while devaluing the incomes of those getting wages or pensions from the UK.

"We’re all doomed," said Linda Norton, who lives near Cherbourg in Normandy. "If we can’t grow it, we won’t be eating it next year."

Expats are returning to Britain in their droves, selling houses or leaving them on an increasingly stagnant property or holiday rental market, while sales of homes to UK buyers are down by 50% in some areas.

More than 200,000 British passport holders are registered as resident in France, with more than 100,000 owning second homes and countless others unregistered. The most popular areas are Dordogne, Normandy and, since the Channel tunnel opened, Pas de Calais. There, just 80 minutes’ drive from Calais, surrounded by patchwork flat fields, is the village of Capelle-ls-Hesdin, population a little over 400. It has just three shops; the general store, the butcher’s and the local computer wizard.

Under an icy blue winter sky, the Roziers’ farm looks idyllic: picturesque orange tiled roofs, blue shutters and whitewashed walls. The farmhouse, stable block with tower, huge wood-framed barn and two neat gite apartments frame a vast gravelled courtyard. Chickens, ducks and friendly dogs wander.

Tara and Gary Rozier were a typical London career couple, respectively a nurse and a lawyer, living in a small flat and bringing home 4,000 a month, but "somehow I was still living on my overdraft", said Tara. Now they raise daughters Hannah, five, and Katie, three, in the countryside, running their gites and growing their own vegetables. Both have made huge efforts to learn the language and integrate into the village and, while they fear the numbers of British visitors might dry up, they are not going back.

"We know people who have had to sell up," said Gary, 39. "But if we wanted to sell who is going to pay what it’s worth except someone who was going to run a gite?" They hope that Brits who would normally go further afield will still brave the exchange rate to come to northern France. "It’s still half the price Devon or Cornwall," said Tara.

A few minutes down the road from the Roziers live Kate and Mark Graves with their daughters Royan, 13, and Ciara, 11. They came from Maidstone, Kent, looking for a better quality of family life and have restored an old house with two small self-catering apartments.

"We found it," said Kate smiling. But the exchange rate is hitting them hard because Mark, 39, a chartered surveyor, is one of an army of cross-Channel commuters. He mostly works from home, but travels weekly to his office outside London and is paid in sterling. "I’ve lost 20,000 just in salary this year," he said. To cut costs, the couple have stopped using their central heating and rely on a wood-burning stove for warmth and won’t be going back to the UK to visit family over Christmas.

"It’s a shame," said Kate, 37, "but we have to cut our cloth. The idea of cheap France has gone. We’re not going back like other people we know, though. Anyway, we probably couldn’t sell this house, so we’d be stuffed. There are so many English second homes up for sale."

One of the second-home owners of Capelle-ls-Hesdin, where ferry prices are discussed more intensely than house prices, is Jill Ribbons, 63. She bought her detached, modern house with her sister and spends around a third of the year there, the remainder at her home in Surrey. The retired immigration officer was philosophical about currency fluctuations. "The British expect things to be done for us, it’s that nanny state, we’ll be looked after and nothing bad can happen mentality, so everyone is so shocked when it does," she said.

"I feel you shouldn’t be here moaning about it. We came out here and bought their houses cheap, so to then start complaining is a bit crass. We took advantage. We had everything so smooth for so long."

It’s a sentiment Michael Gibson, 67, recognises. He has lived in France for 11 years. "The exchange rate is biting hard – people came to France because life here was cheaper. They could buy an old ruin with a bit of land, keep animals and grow vegetables. To earn a living, they could look after gite change-overs and maisons secondaires. It was a sort of self-perpetuating merry-go-round. That was then, this is now. The merry-go-round has become a vicious circle. Those of us reliant on pensions are economizing where we can. Fewer shopping trips, wine, newspapers."

George and Iris Belsham, a retired couple, are cutting out their daily English newspaper. They left their village near Canterbury for Capelle-ls-Hesdin when developers began building more houses and groups of teenagers began to hang around the local shop. "Here, the kids are behind doors at night," said Iris, a former PA.

"France was cheaper, quiet and friendly," said George, 76, a former lorry driver. They don’t speak much French, but live happily with their five cats, although they are cutting back on eating out. They know some drastic belt tightening may be ahead. Iris has stopped looking up the exchange rate each morning: "It’s too depressing," she said.

The French, too, are worrying that the British invasion is in retreat. Retired primary teacher Annie Lombardet came to Capelle-ls-Hesdin from Paris with husband, Andres, five years ago. The couple renovated a large 17th-century farmhouse and turned it into a gite

But there are no bookings after the new year. Lombardet said: "I’m not usually pessimistic, but it looks very bad. British people have always loved France and I think it is a pleasure to have them but we will see less, that’s for sure."

British Expats in France and Spain Receive the Most House Guests

British expats living in far-flung destinations are the safest placed when faced with an invasion from family and friends, research from Alliance & Leicester International.  Read more…

Firms in India start to see cost disadvantages of hiring expats.
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Posted under General

Sorry, Your Health Insurance Plan Does Not Cover You For That

All too often people think that once they have paid their health insurance premium they are covered for all medical treatment but, as can be seen from this article, this is a long way from being the case.

All too many people assume that once they have a medical health insurance plan they are covered for all eventualities but this is not the case and most healthcare plans will exclude a range of treatments. Many people also think that once they have paid their premium that their medical bills are covered. Once again this is not the case and you will almost always be expected to meet a proportion of your medical costs.

The first important point to understand is that there are different forms of health insurance and that each provides cover for different forms of treatment. A traditional indemnity plan for example will not normally cover preventative treatment, such as annual check-ups and immunization, although this is usually covered under an HMO plan.

This situation is beginning to change and an increasing number of insurance companies are realizing that they can save money if they concentrate their attention on encouraging policyholders to stay healthy in the first place. As a result more and more plans are now covering preventative medicine and some even go so far as to offer discounts for the use of such things as health clubs and programs which help people to stop smoking.

Today most plans cover annual check-ups, annual eye checks, routine medical care, immunization, pre-natal care, well baby visits, urgent and emergency care and hospital care, including x-rays, blood tests and other laboratory work.

The precise mix of treatment covered however will vary between plans and so it is important that you check your plan document carefully to see just what is insured. Equally, you must read through the plan carefully to see what treatment is specifically excluded. Most health insurance plans will clearly specify any excluded treatments which will typically include such things as dental and eye care (except for routine annual eye checks), as well as a sometimes lengthy list of treatments for anything from acupuncture to weight loss.

Another thing that you need to look at carefully is the cover provided for prescription medicines. A growing number of insurance companies are excluding payment for prescription medicines from their plans as the cost of medicines continues to rise rapidly. Where cover is excluded it is often possible to arrange cover through a separate plan, as indeed is the case with dental and eye treatment.

Health insurance plans are complex legal documents in which the detail really is to be found in the ’small print’. Simply purchasing a plan and assuming that you are covered for all medical events is likely to result in your being told, "Sorry, your health insurance plan does not cover you for that" when it come time to make a claim.

MedicalHealthInsuranceToday.com provides information on all aspects of medical health insurance including individual and family health insurance plans, short term health insurance, expat medical insurance, health insurance for pre-existing conditions and much more.

How to Get Cheaper Expat Travel Insurance

Getting travel insurance in place is quite possibly going to be one of the absolute last things you have in mind when planning and starting your new life abroad. Read more…

Dealing with Homesickness when Living Abroad

Many expatriates say that it took them up to 2 years to settle in and truly embrace their new life abroad…and we can certainly concur with this. Yes you can find a home, get a car etc. Read more…

Posted under Health Issues

International Medical Cover : Friend In Need

Tremendous improvement in communication methods like telecommunication and Internet, and economic liberalisation in countries all over the world have given rise to insurance sector, too. Several of bigger and private companies are crossing the border, and opening their business in other countries. Several of insurance companies going global have given boost to the term International medical cover. This medical cover, in true way, appears to be a friend of your in need, when you are living outside your domestic location.

The official figures state that market for International medical insurance is growing all over the world at the rate of more than 10% annually. The need to be insured when living abroad has originated the dire need for several private insurance companies to come up with different plans.

Normally the insurance will cover the compensation sum varying between 50,000 to 5,000,000 depending upon the nature of accident you have met. Post 9/11, International medical cover insurance has become a necessity for expats living outside their country. In addition to world health insurance like income replacement insurance, travel insurance and kidnap insurance have become in favourite list of expats to be availed.

To avail an International medical cover insurance, it is important that you have understood the underwriting terms of plans. Having not an inappropriate underwriting can lead your insurance application to get rejected. Besides, if you are applying for this insurance for the first time, you need to be careful about choosing the right insurance. Premium cost comparison is the best way to decide about the suitable International medical insurance you need. Look for the specific benefits, and check also the range of compensation they are giving you. Taking care of such small issues might give you a good deal. Having a good insurance deal especially when you are living in foreign land is like having your best friend always close to your bosom.

By: Darlene Kaitlin

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The author is associated with UK’s leading healthcare and medical insurance broker, Essential Health Ltd, which provides medical benefits, to its clients in UK and around the world, for Cancer, Medical insurance, Accident insurance, Life, Travel insurance, International medical cover and even dental insurance. She writes on various topics and latest news related to medical, insurance and most importantly on Cancer.

Mexican Auto Insurance
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Posted under Health Issues