Each year more and more British people are moving abroad. Currently there are approximately 5.5 million people living abroad according to a 2006 survey. Besides this there are many many more Brits planning to make the move for good. The most common destinations being: Spain, Australia, Canada, USA, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, France, Cyprus and Germany.

Of course everyone has their own reasons for  moving abroad  amongst the most common are:

Rising costs – With London now being the second most expensive city in the world to live in, not too far behind Tokyo, many people yearn to see their money provide them with a better standard of living elsewhere. Out of this group are of course retirees who wish to make their pension stretch that bit further. However one further growing group of people are in the 18-25 year old age group. This group has been forced to suffer silently with little help from the government whom seem satisfied to see them struggle in their own country. Student loans, no grants, high house prices, high tax levels all contribute to pushing them away. This combined with the fact that the new generation are much better traveled and understand the potential for living abroad better than previous generations mean the group is likely to continue to grow.

Increasing crime rate – This is probably the most worrying of factors. People are becoming afraid of living in their own country. Walking around alone at night with groups of drunken youths about is no the most enjoyable experience (27% of British youths are regularly drunk), unrelenting drug issues and binge drinking all impact on how much people are enjoying their lives.

Further common reasons are: better weather, excitement, adventure, disapproval of government policies (taxation, Immigration etcetera…).

So with people looking to move abroad one of the most important things to think about is how to manage your finances or even transfer money overseas. Here are a few guidelines to consider regarding this situation:

There are three main options to consider:

1) Keep your UK bank account. If you choose to keep your account look for a bank that does not charge commission on ATM transactions overseas also make sure they are quite clear as regards to what commission they are taking from you and most importantly make sure you are getting a fair exchange rate! Check it against the daily papers.

2) Switch your bank account to one that is specifically geared towards ex-pats. These type of bank accounts are offered by the major high street banks and are often based in locations such as Jersey that benefit from different taxation laws. They usually provide multiple currency services whereby they can provide both euros and sterling for you to use. This would easily allow you to live in Europe and have a euro checkbook and cash but still pay bills at home in sterling. As ever though there are certain terms and conditions for benefiting from one of these types of accounts such as minimum balances and annual fees.

3) Try working through the host countries administrative process and open an account with them. This may or may not be possible depending on their requirements of your new country. Some countries require work permits and so on and the process can be made doubly difficult if you’re having difficulty with the local language. Of course if you plan on working abroad then the chances are your employer will be able to have one opened for you to allow payments. If you do gain a local bank account you are then faced with having to transfer money from the UK to this bank account. Depending on what bank it is you may be able to arrange a wire transfer from your UK account. Another simple way would be to use an online transfer service. These money transfer companies can transfer money directly from your UK account to you wherever you are in the world. They are very fast and efficient but again different companies require different fees.

The best advice would be to take a step back and look at your overall situation. Consider what is going to be the cheapest and most sustainable way for you to manage your finances abroad. Remember a 1% saving on several thousand pounds saves you a considerable amount of money. With the above tips in mind take your time, shop around and you will soon be able to start living in your new country worry free.

by http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Ryan

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The Life Of An Expat Is Not Always Sweetness And Light

Sitting sun lounge and looking out on your windswept and rain soaked garden it is all too easy to imagine yourself enjoying a new life in a new country, but how does the picture in your mind’s eye compare to the reality after you have made the move? Well, this is not perhaps as easy a question to answer as you might think.

Perhaps the greatest problem is that there are such a large number of variables to take into account and so many factors which are simply unknown at the outset. It is very easy, for example, to believe that the fact that you do not speak the language is not important as, in the short term at least, you may well be able to get by in your mother tongue and can always pick up the language in the longer term. Just how easy is it however to learn a language and how simple easy is it to pick up the particular language of your chosen country?

You might also be excited about the prospect of all that exotic food, but how is a possibly substantial change in your diet going to affect your health? You might very well have eaten some wonderful restaurant food on holiday trips but is this really the sort of food you will be eating on a daily basis when you are cooking for yourself?

The problems are of course minor when you compare them to adjusting mentally to living in what is not only a different country, but possibly a very different culture. The things which you have thought of as both curious and fascinating during holiday trips could well present considerable difficulty when they become a part of your daily life.

Most countries with a sizeable expatriate community develop a large support network, which usually includes an expat club which holds regular meetings, organizes events and outings, distributes its own newspaper and a great deal more. At first sight this might seem to be extremely comforting but it is worth thinking about why the expats in the region feel that it is necessary to create such an extensive support network. Indeed, when you look at the extent to which the lives of many expats revolve around the expat community you could well find yourself asking why they live abroad at all.

In fact a fair number of expats find that, once the novelty wears off, they regret their decision to move overseas but have frequently burnt their bridges and now find that they have choice except to stay where they are and to make the most of their situation.

This is not of course true of all expats and, as an expatriate myself, I can tell you that there are many of us who are very happy with our decision to live abroad and would not wish to turn the clock back. For many hundreds of people each year the decision to live overseas turns out to be the best decision they have ever made and one which they certainly do not regret. By how can you tell which group you are likely to fall into before you make your decision?

Unfortunately, you can never of course be sure, although there are several things that you can do to increase your chances of your decision being one that you will be glad you made.

One of the most important things that you can do is to try the water so to speak and that means living in your country of choice for a fair length of time before you cut your ties with home. But the crucial word here is ‘living’.

It is no use just visiting your chosen country a couple of times each year on holiday, staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. Ideally you need to spend a minimum of a year in the country and to cast off any idea of being on holiday. You have to make a determined effort to live as you would want to live in the longer term, steering clear of tourist areas and activities and becoming part of the local community. Live like a local, doing your own cooking and making the time to learn something of the local history, culture and lifestyle, while at the same time starting to learn the language.

By staying away from the expat community and integrating yourself into the local community from the very beginning you will soon find out whether or not you would be making a wise decision to move abroad permanently.

By: Donald Saunders

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

If you are thinking of traveling abroad either for a short holiday or an extended stay, then do not leave home without arranging the appropriate international travel health insurance plan. Visit MedicalHealthInsuranceToday.com for more information on this and other aspects of medical health insurance

5 Discount Travel Secrets Orbitz, Travelocity, And Expedia Don’t Want You To Know

Don’t make any travel plans until you read this!

Especially when we’re experiencing one of the worst global recessions that we’ve seen in decades, every dollar counts. And because travel is so expensive, many of us turn to well-known discount travel Web sites like Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia.

When you book on these sites you think you’re getting the  lowest prices available , right?

Wrong!

Why You Might Not Get the Best Deal When Booking Your Trip with Most Discount Travel Websites

In reality, you may actually be getting higher priced offers from airlines and hotels that are affiliated with the discount travel website you use to book your trip. Additionally, you’re doing all the work to research flights and hotels, yet the travel sites are still earning their full agency commissions.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Here Are 5 Travel Secrets Orbitz, Travelocity & Expedia Don’t Want You to Know

1. They charge service fees on every booking. Sometimes that fee is disclosed in the "final price" listed online. Sometimes it’s buried in the Terms & Conditions. Need to change your plans? Be prepared to pay service fees of up to $30 on every phone call for a change or re-issue. This does NOT count the $75 – $150 airline penalty. These travel websites actually hope for bad weather, because bad weather means altered plans, which means extra revenue for them.

2. The rate you see may not be the lowest rate available. That’s because large travel websites deal in bulk volume. As a result they concentrate on "national" and "public" rates. They don’t publish "private" fares, consolidator fares, or below-market fares because it’s not in their interest to do so. You can only get those fares from an experienced travel professional, who knows the system and where to find them.

3. Their definition of lowest price may not match yours. Have you ever entered the exact same search on 3 different travel websites and gotten wide-ranging results? That’s because travel websites have special arrangements with certain "partners" and may give these partners preferential treatment or placement bias. That’s how they make money. Consumers, however, are catching on. According to Travel Weekly, bookings on the "Big 3" have fallen over 10% this year. People are turning to airline and hotel websites directly because that’s where they’re finding the lowest fares.

4. A confused customer is their best customer. In the last 12 months we’ve seen a spate of new surcharges assessed by airlines to offset rising costsfrom $5 for some aisle seats to $15 for the first piece of checked luggage. Unfortunately, these costs are not reflected in the search results of most airfare comparison sites. Consumers are left to do the research and the math on their own. As a result, they’re confused. What looks to be the lowest price may not actually be the lowest "total" price when all applicable fees are factored in.

5. Once you hit that SEND button, you’re on your own. What happens when you book online and your flight is delayed or cancelled, or if you miss a connection? Ever tried to get a human being on the phone? You may be on hold for a long, long time. Or when you do finally get someone on the line, you find out he’s in Bangalore (and English isn’t his first language). Meanwhile, the last seat on the last flight out has just taken off. Travel has become more unpredictable than ever. Sadly, it’s not a question of if something will go wrong, but when. And when it does, do you want your fate to rest in the hands of the guy whose job it is to get you off the phone as fast as possible?

This article may seem harsh. But Travelocity, Orbitz and Expedia are keeping these secrets from you. And, you have to know these dirty little travel secrets if you want to  hold onto more of your cash .

By: Don Buynack

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

Discount Travel Expert Don Buynack has seen the industry evolve toward tricking travelers into thinking that they’re saving money instead of actually giving them the best travel deals.That’s why he started his new online travel agency, which guarantees you the lowest online fares PLUS gives you $200, $300, $500 or more in spending money. To learn how, get his free newsletter Best Travel Bargains at: www.freespendingmoney.com

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The health care service in Spain is excellent for both Spanish nationals and ex-pats alike. Find out how you can be sure you can receive treatment if necessary whilst visiting Spain.

Health care in Spain is of a very high standard with good local health centres or Centros de Salud and here on the Costa del Sol we have an excellent central hospital, the "Costa del Sol", at Marbella. In addition to which there are of course many other hospitals both private and public but most ex-pats tend to gravitate towards the "Costa del Sol" and you hear very good reports of the treatment people have received there.

Certainly my own experiences through attending the A & E, or "Urgencias" when the children were little were very positive. On one occasion my son broke his foot and we were in and out within and hour having had the offending foot, x-rayed and plastered.

The staff there are kind and caring and there are translators on hand if your Spanish is limited. They have a very positive attitude to relatives and in fact are quite happy for one to be present at the hospital 24 hours a day.

When my other son of 15 was in with a broken leg he shared a room with a younger boy and they pushed the beds together so that the boys father could sleep there. A bit unorthodox by some standards perhaps but the Spanish are extremely family oriented and they made every effort to include my son in their visits.

Your E111, or European Health Card as it is now called, will suffice for many of your needs in relation to your health care in Spain and in fact both the incidents sited above were taken care of by my E111 even though the latter involved quite a complex operation with my son’s leg being pinned. Follow up treatment needs to be paid for however so private health insurance is advisable if you are living in Spain or travel insurance if you are just visiting. You can apply for this new card online here.

If you are living and working in Spain and therefore paying social security then you will be entitled to the same health care in Spain as Spanish nationals. If you are in receipt of a U.K. pension and intend to live in Spain then you need to get a form E121 and this should be taken to your nearest Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social (INSS) office for registration. You will then be issued with a medical card which you must produce if you require treatment anywhere and you will then receive this free of charge.

Spanish chemists, or Farmacias, are a great part of health care in Spain and are a good port of call if your symptoms are not serious enough to worry your doctor or take you to the A&E department of the hospital. You will always receive good advice there and probably be recommended something for whatever ails you. If you are receiving prescription drugs at home then bring the packet with you and you will probably find that you will be able to buy your medicines over the counter without the need of a further prescription. I must say however that I think their rather free practice of dishing out antibiotics to anyone who asks is not really to be condoned.

In conclusion the level of health care in Spain for both residents and non-residents is of the highest standard and waiting lists are probably shorter than in the U.K. Accident and emergency treatment is provided free for anyone with a European Health card and the full medical services are available for pensioners who have registered with the appropriate authority and for anyone paying into the social security system.

Article submitted by Ruth Polak the owner of www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com A web site specializing in holiday villas and apartments on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. You will also find lots of information about Spain and Andalucia, in particular.

By Ruth Polak Published: 11/29/2006   Classics of British Comedy In our country Spain, we always emphasize on having a good diet and better health care system is also good. I would lik… – Spain guy on Healthcare battle: Canada vs USA. Read more… 4th Annual Healthcare Expansion Congress Middle East As announced in early 2009, expatriates new to the country must provide evidence of a health insurance registration before applying for a work or visit visa. Read more…

 Mail this post]]> http://expatinfos.com/health-care-for-the-spanish-expats-community/feed 0 http://expatinfos.com/its-not-just-you-but-your-partner-too http://expatinfos.com/its-not-just-you-but-your-partner-too#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:55:00 +0000 whatever http://expatinfos.com/?p=12 Expat Spouses – Overcoming The Challenges That Face Them

When a spouse is assigned an overseas assignment, the partner is faced with many obstacles that are often ignored. Unfortunately at this time not too many companies offer their support to the spouse.

According to research done by Val Boyko into ‘global solutions for international assignments’ at the Families in Global Transition conference in 2004, she found that the partner’s biggest challenges are that they feel:

* Unrecognized.
* Unsupported.
* Let down because of inaccurate or irrelevant information.
* Isolated.

Maybe you or a friend is experiencing life as an expat partner where you thought you would be able to work, but have found out that it was is a near impossibility; or that you have assumed that internet access would be easily available to maintain contact with friends and family only to discover that it takes months to get connected; or you are a newcomer without an expat community around you AND you can’t speak the language.

This happens all the time to expat spouses.

So what is the solution?
Tips for the expat spouse

1. Team Work:

Try and get everyone to work together to understand and accept your needs as a spouse. Speak to whoever is in charge of the expat assignment, build up a relationship with him or her before you move and become as informed as you can. Encourage them to give you honest and accurate expectations so that you can make the best choices for yourself and for your family.

2. Your role:

Find out about the issues that generally face expat spouses. Make yourself aware of the challenges you will meet. Take up the responsibility and to make it your business to know. Do not rely on others to provide you give you what you may need.

3. Support:

Make contact with existing expats in the country you are about to move to through groups, message boards, and online forums. Set up a relationship and support system for yourself even before you land at the airport. Begin to explore possibilities before you head out on your new adventure.

4. Education:

Educate yourself – there really is so much information on the web. Don’t assume that the experience will be similar to your impressions. It often is not! So be curious and pro-active. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Let others know what you need. People want to help and it could be your very lifesaver in a time of need.

And finally…you may want consider hiring your own coach to give a speedy start to your overseas success!

Quote of the week

"Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more successful." Mark Victor Hansen.
Powerful question of the week

"What would you like to happen now, this week, next year.?"

Write it down, be specific and make an action plan to make it happen.

Expat lifecoach
As an Expat Life Coach, my purpose is to support expatriate assignees, their spouses and families in developing tools that will help make the expat experience work for them. If you are skeptical or curious about how the coaching process works, feel free to take up my offer of a COMPLIMENTARY coaching session. After the session, you can take whatever tools you developed to support yourself along your expat journey. Please email me to set up your FREE session.

By: Kimbles

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

Kimbles is the resident writer at Xpatpals.com. An expatriate advice resource for expats living all over the world.

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The biggest secret I have found to moving is to stay calm, my stomach always used to churn every time we would say: ‘Let’s look at moving to London, Perth, Colorado….’ I would have this rush in the pit of my stomach and wonder how we were going to cope with the challenge.

Now, I take it one step at a time. What do we do first, what do we need to know before we make the decision, how does the family feel about a new culture, different schools, a new home and most importantly new friends.

So, where do we start? Usually with the most important questions, why are we moving and do we really want to change from our comfort zone, once you have been able to answer these questions and you have more positives about leaving than staying (and the answer to this could be as simple as being offered a job in a new country), then you need to start researching the place you are moving to.

Questions start surfacing such as will we fit in and be happy in a new country, what is the education like, medical facilities, culture, politics, housing, work conditions, transport and entertainment? How many expats like ourselves will be living there, will our life be normal or will we have to adjust too extremely, and are we happy to do this?

This is where I start searching the internet. Wikipedia is a great site to get an overall overview on any country in the world and it will cover all the basic factual information for you, including geographical location, population, historical background, religion, culture, education, economic situation and political info.

On getting a basic understanding of a country, I would then start looking at government sites and gathering information about the ease of moving to this country. What is required from a governmental legal perspective, including visa’s, whether a spouse can work on entry, how long a spouse needs to wait before starting to work, what legal rights do you have in the country, can you take your pets with and how does this work, what furniture can you take with (some countries do not allow wooden furniture into a country if it has not been treated) these government sites will cover any and all questions of this nature for you.

Finally and probably more importantly are the forums and blogs you can find, where expats can inform you of what to expect and you can ask any question and expect an honest answer. These sites can come across with mixed emotions from people who are enjoying the move and loving the country to those who hate every minute of their stay. The relevant question to ask here is why….why are they enjoying or hating it and then make your own decision?

The above would be the questions that the spouse that stays at home and cares for the children, however the bread winner wants a different question answered. They want to know what they should be earning in the new country and this is where an international cost of living salary calculator like xpatulator can be relevant to you.
Xpatulator gives you the answers you are looking for dependant on the questions you answer in the Cost of Living Calculator. It will determine what your salary in the new country should be to maintain your standard of living.

Why, you may ask? Because $100 000 may sound like a fabulous salary, however if your cost of living in the country you are moving to is extremely high, it may not cover your costs on a monthly basis. With the calculator, you can determine whether or not you will be able to afford to live in the new country. The calculator will work out the salary you should be earning if you have to cover all costs, or if your company will cover some of those costs for you. They also cover the Negative Cost of Living and Negative Hardship. What are these you ask with horror? Negative Cost of Living refers to a location that has a lower cost of living than the country you are living in and selecting to use this will result in a proportional decrease in the salary required e.g. if you had to move from London to Zimbabwe you will find the cost of living will be lower (negative difference). Negative Hardship refers to less hardship in the new location e.g. if you had to move from Zimbabwe to London you will find that your quality of living will be easier (negative difference).

So before you disregard the importance of what you need to earn when moving to a new country, take all aspects into account. At the end of the day what you will earn, will determine the school, home, medical facilities and entertainment you will be able to afford. So the secret to moving from one country to another, may be your emotional stability and happiness in the new location, however this is often determined by how much money is sitting in your bank account.

By: Steven Coleman

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

Steven Coleman runs the most comprehensive international relocation calculator available, an internet service that is used primarily to calculate expatriate salary levels for international assignments, which can be found at www.xpatulator.com

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