Thinking about upping sticks and moving to pastures new and foreign? Well, you are not alone as 5.5 million Brits currently live abroad. If you like the idea of living abroad then your financial situation, your career and your interests will all play an important role in where you choose to go. You will need to find somewhere to live and possibly work, and having access to things you enjoy doing and seeing is also important but with the entire world at your fingertips – just how do you know where to go?
The world is your oyster as the old saying goes and with everywhere from Spain to the Caribbean to choose from; let’s take a look at some of the best foreign countries you can live in as a UK citizen:
5. Oregon, USA
Many Brits wanting to explore somewhere new will head to the United States and a great thing about living in America is that you don’t have to worry about any language barriers. You can enjoy the hot summers and cold winters, as opposed to the UK’s mild summers and cool winters, and as with much of America – you get a lot more bang for your buck on the property market.
4. Canada
Brits seem to love living in Canada and much like many of the other places found on this list, it is a westernised part of the world where many people will speak English so there is no restrictions when it comes to the language. However, in some parts of Canada French is widely spoken so you will need to look into this before you decide where to live. You don’t have to choose between living in the sun or the snow as Canada offers it all and you will need to prove that you will be valuable to their economy if you want to get a visa to stay long term.
3. Las Vegas, USA
Ah Sin City – the entertainment capital of the world. It’s easy to see why this would appeal to so many Brits looking for somewhere new and exciting to live and there are lots of great job opportunities for anyone looking to work in the gambling industry. From croupiers, for which you can try your hand at by taking the croupier challenge, to waitresses, bar managers to night club owners, you can do a wide range of jobs in Las Vegas and is perfect for anyone young looking for a new adventure.
2. Spain
Spain has long been a popular place for tired Brits looking for warmer climes to head to and it seems as though all of the country is appealing, as we have settled down in everywhere from cities like Barcelona to islands including Tenerife. Andalucía is a great place to rent property as there is a lot of competition so the prices are fairly low, while Catalonia is the place to head to if you want to invest into a dream home worth millions of pounds. There are lots of places to eat and drink with other British expats and you will always be just a short distance from the UK, which is ideal if you want to travel to and from your original homeland and your new one.
1. Australia
By far the most popular place for Brits to live outside of the UK is Australia and currently there are 1,300,000 resident Britons living in this interesting country. However, it can be hard to stay for long periods of time, as their immigration works on a points system meaning you can only live there as a non-native Aussie if you have a skilled trade and meet their rather strict policies. There is no language barrier and the country is so large that there are endless new places to explore and exciting new adventures to be enjoyed from surfing and diving, to exploring the outback. Property is similarly priced to the US and as a modern and naturally beautiful country; it’s easy to see why so many Brits want to call Down Under home.
Learning to deal with local currencies is always part of the challenge of living abroad, as is getting used to new cultures and ways of life. But with the world so interconnected via air travel nowadays, you really can go to live anywhere you want and still keep a strong connection to your roots back in the UK.
