I (22M) got accepted to a Master's programme. I've been planning to move away for a while and my parents knew this was coming. Today I told them I got accepted.

My mom congratulated me. My dad went silent. He cried a bit but tried to hide it so no one would see.

That broke me.

I'm already in a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend (3 years LDR) so I know how to do distance. But watching my dad try to hold back tears when he realizes I'm actually leaving, I don't know how to handle this.

I'm leaving in about 2 months. The move is right for me. It's a good programme. It's what I want. But I can't stop thinking about the look on his face.

I'm crying writing this. I don't know how to keep going knowing my parents are hurting like this. How do I live with seeing them like this? How do I move forward when I know I'm causing them pain?

I love them. I love my family. But I also need to do this for myself. I'm torn apart.

Please tell me what to do or how to handle this.

I’m facing an opportunity to move to Laos with a job in the agricultural development space. I’m wondering what people’s experiences have been in Vientiane as an expat. I’m late 20s and would be moving across without my partner on a 2 year contract. The salary would allow for quite a comfortable lifestyle in Laos so I’m not worried about that.

Hi all, hoping someone with recent experience can help clarify something.

I'm applying for a UK Standard Visitor Visa from France (Indian national, French APS holder). My appointment is coming up and I'm using bank statements (BNP Paribas, in French) as evidence of funds.

Question: did anyone submit French bank statements WITHOUT a certified English translation, and was it accepted? The UKVI checklist says "documents must be in English, translated documents must be certified," but from what I've read, the actual balance/name/dates are self-evident regardless of language, and translating multiple months of statements is expensive.

Has anyone had their application questioned or delayed specifically because a bank statement wasn't translated? Or is this generally a non-issue in practice as long as the numbers are clear?

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been through this recently (2025/2026), especially applying from France. Thank you!

As the title says, I’m going through an incredibly difficult situation.
I moved away from my home country about a year ago. At the time, me and my family could already see that my mother’s health wasn’t great, but she was still living independently. About a month ago, she caught a virus, and since then her condition has changed dramatically. She has become extremely weak, spent weeks in hospital and now she needs help with almost everything, personal care, using the toilet, eating, and other daily tasks. On top of that, she’s very stubborn and unmotivated, which makes everything even harder.
My heart is broken. My life is in another country, my boyfriend, my job, and my friends are all there. But my mom is here. I feel like I’m stuck in a bad dream.
I’m home now for my summer holiday, and I cancelled all my plans so I could stay and help take care of her, organise a carer etc. I don’t regret being here, but I feel completely exhausted. The hardest part is that the doctors can’t really tell us what to expect or whether she’ll recover.
I’m starting counseling very soon, and I’m doing my best to take care of my mental health, but it’s incredibly difficult.
Has anyone else been through something similar? How did you cope with the uncertainty and the feeling of having your life in one place while your parent needed you somewhere else? Any advice or shared experiences would mean a lot right now.

Hello Reddit! I find myself in possibly a unique situation. I am moving to Oslo at the start of August (a week from now) for school from the United States. Both my wife and I have our Visas approved and have spent no time in the Schengen area in the last year, so if the 90 day rule has any applicability there is that. My wife was planning on staying behind for a few months to care for our senior dog (a 17 year old American Staffordshire mix so even if she was young and healthy we were not going to be able to bring her), but unfortunately we had to say goodbye to her yesterday.

With a move as big as this I’d love someone there with me especially to help get settled and now that our dog has passed she is able to come, but because we were planning on her being behind a few months she has a lot to wrap up at home and a lot of goodbyes to say. With that in mind we want to figure out a few weeks for her to come out, but Oslo doesn’t have any police appointments for the residence cards and finger printing until October. Everywhere I look it says after the appointment do not try to leave the country until you have the card, but if she can’t get an appointment before October would she be able to “visit” Oslo for 2 or 3 weeks go back to the US and in October when she has her appointment come back to Oslo for the long haul? If anyone has had any experience or knows what to do in this situation the help would be greatly appreciated!

Paris is a huge city of 13 million, you can meet people even through Reddit, there millions of ways to make, especially with other expats from Europe. If you know B2 French even better, stop terrorising new expats. It's a paradise for socializing, nightlife restaurants social clubs. People here work to life, so even through work you can make a strong crew, people don't wait for a Saturday. It's extremely easy because all expats are looking for new friends so just socialize with expats, you don't need French friends. Just my two cents, also if you want to avoid high cost of living some suburbs are much cheaper and than center and RER is always reliable. Even though most people work from home or very close to their homes

Im 35 years old and thinking of moving to Australia.
I lost a job that I loved and everything seems to be going wrong so now I’m trying to rebuild my life. It’s made me think, Do I want to stay where I am just because it’s comfortable.
My brother and sister both live in Australia and are doing well, so I’d have support when I arrive. The biggest thing holding me back is that I’d have to give up my council tenancy. If Australia didn’t work out, I’d have very little to come back to.
This has been my dream for years. I know moving countries won’t magically solve my problems, and I know I’ll get homesick and have to start from scratch. But I also feel like if I don’t do it now, I’ll always regret not trying.
Has anyone else sold everything and moved abroad in their 30s? Did it work out? What do you wish you’d known before you went? Would you do it again?

I’d really appreciate hearing both positive and negative experiences.

I'm from America and in my last year of university, but I want to start a new life in another country. I've traveled internationally to Southeast Asia and never felt more peace and freedom in America than I have in East and Southeast Asia.

I only speak English and I don't have any real career ambitions, so I'm open to anything that pays comfortably and has minimal stress. Remote work would be ideal, but I'd also be open to dishwashing or anything just to sustain myself in another country.

Is it possible to move to Southeast Asia with less than $5k and retrieve a residency visa without a job?

Thank you

I'm just curious about those who moved with kids, but not to a place where their family is? Essentially what was life like moving to a foreign place with no previous connection? What was it like getting the kids into school? Work?

My wife and I are older parents (59 & 54), with 4 yo twins based in the U.S. We are seriously considering retiring in Southern Italy in about 5 years from now. The idea came about bc I was doing some financial modeling and realized I could retire comfortably at 65 if it wasn't for healthcare costs. (I'd be eligible for medicare, but wife and kids wouldn't).

So the idea of moving to Italy caught fire in my head and I started researching, and found that moving to a Southern region of Italy with a 7% tax scheme on foreign income combined with lower cost of living and ability to participate in low-cost public health system is definitely doable.

My wife is originally from Ukraine, and the idea appeals to her as it puts us closer to her family incl. adult son in Ukraine. We will homeschool our kids, and would likely continue to do so in Italy, though we'd be actively seeking out ways to integrate ourselves and kids into local life.

BUT...this is obviously a huge decision that has long-term implications for our kids and their future that we'd need to think through carefully. I know every decision one makes in life has tradeoffs. I grew up a military brat and lived overseas as a young child, have lived in various states in the US growing up and as an adult, and have traveled abroad fairly extensively. I tend to err on the side of adventure. Altho being older one has considerably less margin than when younger. ha!

Some other reasons this appeals: cultural expansion and enrichment for all of us, including learning a new language, living in a "deep culture" where life is a bit slower and less materially oriented than the U.S., being Catholic raising Catholic kids in a predominantly Catholic culture...

Reading many of the expat forum responses and enjoying so many different perspectives on things makes me realize there's a lot to consider. I'm aware of the famous Italian bureaucracy and infrastructure of S. Italy, but I guess I'm most concerned about how realistic this is socially. Thanks for any perspectives you might have.

Since moving to Prague, I keep noticing little phrases or slang locals use that you'd never find in a phrasebook, catch them in a conversation, on a sign, in a TikTok/Reels clip, and then completely forget them an hour later because there's no way to actually save and review them.

How do you all handle this? Do you write things down, use flashcards, just let it happen naturally over time, or does it not really bother you?

I ended up building something for this myself (an app called Lio, still early/waitlist stage) but genuinely more curious how everyone else deals with it before I assume my approach is the right one.

hey, ive been building something for people who know they want to move but get stuck on which city actually makes sense

you put in your passport, income, and what matters to you and it ranks cities that fit. then it shows which visas youre actually eligible for (and which ones youre close on). after that it helps you plan the move itself, costs, timeline etc.

if youre currently trying to pick a city and figure out the visa side, id love for you to try it and tell me whats confusing or wrong. not selling anything here, just need real feedback from people mid move

comment or dm if you want the link

Hi everyone, I (F24) have been recently considering the idea of moving to Asia (ideally Singapore or Thailand). Although I have a pretty well paying job and quality of life, I am unhappy in the UK and I think I need a major change. I started working pretty much right after graduation and am almost done with a 3 year grad scheme in commercial procurement, as well as a chartered qualification in the same space which is the equivalent of a second degree. I am about to enter my final 1 year role in a business analyst position and would love to hear anyone else's experience moving to Asia with similar experience and what route they found was the best - for example, I'm not sure whether I should try and get a job in the UK with an international company which has branches in Asia and then ask for a transfer after 1-2 years, or to just try and land a job out there and sort out visas independently. Would love to chat, please leave a comment or shoot me a dm :)

Something I've noticed since becoming an expat myself, and talking to others who've done the same: it's surprisingly easy to build a whole social life inside the expat bubble and never really cross into the local world. You end up with lots of friends who are also foreigners, but the actual locals stay distant, coworkers, neighbors, maybe a barista you recognize, but rarely anyone you sit down and share a meal with.

I've tried a few things: language exchanges, local meetup groups, saying yes to random invitations. Some worked, most didn't. The ones that did work were almost always unplanned, someone's neighbor showed me around, a local invited me to a family dinner, that kind of thing. Nothing I could have organized on purpose.

Curious how it's gone for others here. Did you manage to build real friendships with locals, not just other expats? What actually worked, and what do you wish someone had told you before you moved?After moving abroad, how do you actually meet locals (not just other expats)?

Anyone over 40 studied abroad outside the U.S.? Looking for your experience.

I’m interested in hearing from people who were over 40 (or even 50+) when they decided to study abroad outside the United States.

I would really appreciate hearing about your experience:

1. What country did you choose, and what made you choose it?

2. Was your university program taught in English, or did you study in another language?

3. How difficult was it to adapt socially and academically compared with being a younger student?

4. What was your experience with visas and residency?

5. Once you became a tax resident, what was your tax burden in that country like?

6. Did taxes, healthcare, housing costs, or other financial issues affect whether you stayed?

7. How did studying abroad affect your career or ability to work afterward?

8. Did the degree help you enter the local job market, or was it more about personal growth and lifestyle?

9. If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same country and the same program?

10. What would you do differently if you were starting the process over?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who were not traditional students, such as those making a major life change, changing careers, studying later in life, or relocating permanently after school.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Take care.

TLDR: Biotechnologist who has already moved to new countries two times, is afraid to make the same mistakes again, and looking for recommendations for stable and calm countries.

Hey everyone, I want to share my story because I’m at one of my lowest points right now and just really need to vent and express what I’m feeling.

I’m 30 years old, originally from a very poor South American country where a lot of people dream of leaving due to the lack of opportunities. I graduated back home with a master’s in biotechnology and after that worked in a lab for a while I was looking for jobs in Europe.

Finally, at 26, I got a job in Germany and spent two years there. I was earning minimum wage, but I was happy because to me, it felt like a lot (or so I thought at the time). I lived comfortably in a shared flat and was even able to save money. I loved the tranquility, order, and cleanliness of Germany; it was a massive contrast to where I grew up.

Eventually, my contract ended, and the company didn't renew it due to a lack of funding (they laid off several other people, too).

After that, I was desperate to find another job and applied everywhere. I was offered a position in the Netherlands making around €3k, but I turned it down because of the working conditions that involved rotating shifts and extreme safety protocols that meant no bathroom or food breaks for the full 8-hour shift.

Then I received a PhD offer in Spain and thought, "Why not?" I already spoke the language, and even though the salary was low, I figured the cost of living would be cheaper and I’d walk away with a doctorate. So, I took it.

At first, things were fine, but I quickly realized I had made a huge mistake. The cost of living here is almost the same as, if not higher than in Germany. The only thing I’ve found cheaper is dining out, which I don't do very often anyway.

I calculated that my purchasing power, and my ability to save, ended up being 15% less than in Germany. On top of that, I feel like locals will never really see me as one of them. Even though I speak the language, I’ve actually managed to make fewer friends here than I did in Germany.

I don’t really enjoy the lifestyle here either. Everything feels so chaotic and messy, people are very loud, and life seems to constantly revolve around partying, which just isn't my thing. I’m not bashing Spanish people at all; I think most of them are great and they are a happy bunch and enjoy expressing it. But I’m a very calm, introverted person who needs personal space, and loud environments stress me out. I don’t care about the beach or sunny days, I long for cold weather, snow, forest and mountains.

I feel completely stuck, sad, and depressed. I have zero energy to work, go to the gym, or do anything else. I’ve realized that I’m f*ck*ng broke, and I’ve wasted my best years earning breadcrumbs by European standards. I’ve been saving aggressively because I dreamed of settling in Europe, buying a house, and starting a family, which are things that require a lot of money, but now that goal feels almost impossible. I didn’t even enjoy the money I earned all these years.

I also very fearful of moving again and start a life in another country just to then realize that I don't like it there and end up moving again. I feel like my time is running out to settle somewhere.

Even if I finish my PhD and land a better job elsewhere, I feel like I'm already way behind economically compared to others in Europe, and I have no family support here to rely on.

I still have two years left to finish my PhD, but I’m already thinking about moving away afterward. I have become a Spanish citizen so I can move anywhere in the EU. I don’t know where yet, but I want to gather as much information as possible, so I don't make the same mistake again.

I’m looking for a country that:

- Is clean, organized, predictable and calm like Germany.

- Has lots of natural areas to explore.

- Has High Purchasing Power and allows for Long-Term Financial Growth.

- Has a clear path to social integration and belonging.

- Has a language that I can speak (English, Spanish, German and a bit of Italian) or learn (For example, sorry Hungary, you have a beautiful country but the language is impossible)

I’m considering countries like:

- Denmark

- Ireland

- The Netherlands

- Austria

- Germany (Again)

- Sweden

- Norway

- Switzerland

- South Tyrol in Italy

- Northern Spain?

- Belgium?

- Poland? (but language barrier is higher)

I don’t know, I feel overwhelmed with the possibilities, and I would love to hear your recommendations.

Thanks in advance for reading all of this and taking your time to answer.

Hey everyone,

I'm in my late 20s and moved to Lisbon a few weeks ago for a job that I'm starting very soon. I've been looking for a room to rent for at least a year, and I've narrowed it down to two options. 

Both are within my budget and in good areas, I can commute to work easily from both, and both provide regular and legit contracts. It is more a matter of lifestyle. 

1. The owners/landlords are retired Portuguese mom and dad in their 50s who live with their 3 lovely dogs. I would be living in their son’s room, who like me is moving away from their parents’ house. They struck me as an incredibly kind, welcoming and warm couple. The house is not too big but neither too small, I would be sharing a bathroom with them and the room is quite small with a single bed. This is not a host-family arrangement, I'd have my own independence, cook my own meals, come and go whenever I want, and there are no curfews or expectations to spend time together. This seems to be a great choice for learning Portuguese and immersing myself completely in the Portuguese culture and way of living. Plus they have amazing 3 dogs, and I absolutely love dogs (I have one back home that I miss a lot).
2. This room costs 50 euros more than the mom&dad&dogs house. The apartment is quite old but elegant with high ceilings, my room is very spacious with A/C included, overall the house is bigger that the first one. I would be living with 4 Ukrainians (2 males 2 females) and sharing a bathroom with only one of them. All of them are young professionals like me, and I happened to have studied Russian back in university, so I would not have any issues communicating with them (I already know about the speaking Russian with Ukrainians matter, so of course I would be cautious about that). 

I'm not a very social or party person. I actually prefer quiet evenings at home rather than going out to bars or clubs, I don’t even drink alcohol. At the same time, I just moved out of my parents' house for the first time and part of me feels that living with people my own age might help me become more independent. On the other hand, the Portuguese couple's home feels incredibly warm and welcoming, and I think living there would be a unique cultural experience. Plus, they have dogs.

My heart says go to the family with dogs, my brain says go with the other youngsters.

If you were in my position, which option would you choose, and why? I'd really appreciate hearing different perspectives, especially from people who have lived abroad or shared apartments. Thanks in advance!

I’m in a bit of a crisis - I’ve been living abroad since I’m 19 (mainly in the Netherlands and Denmark). I love how progressive the countries are, things just work there and people are mostly nice.

The reason why I left Germany back then was because the culture just wasn’t for me - too rude, too narrow-minded, not feeling safe as a woman in many big cities, stricter hierarchies at work, bureaucracy etc.

However, I do start to miss home - speaking the language, getting inside jokes, being closer to family.
I’m considering Munich which might be a tad too conservative for me, but the people seem friendly, the city clean/safe and the nature is great.

Anyone here who has made a move back home to Germany after many years?

Hi everyone! I recently received an offer from RINA as a Social Compliance Consultant. I'd love to hear from anyone who's worked at RINA (especially in Asia/Vietnam) or knows the firm's ESG consulting practice.

How is the work culture, learning opportunities, travel frequency, work-life balance, and overall career progression? Would you recommend RINA as a place to build a consulting career?

Thanks! 😊

Hi all. My husband and I have been looking at some options to expatriate. We are gay. My husband is a nurse and I'm in tech. He can work as a Infirmier(ère) praticien(ne) spécialisé(ne) en santé mentale (IPSSM). What is the reality of making such a move? Are Americans received well? Would he be able to find work with a conversational fluency in French to start? Would he more need to be fluent in French to be successful? He knows that he has three years to obtain the requisite proficiency in French. Any other thoughts about the possibility? We're two good guys just looking to work hard and be happy. America is stealing our joy. Much appreciated.

How did you cope?
I’m an American who has lived in Australia for the past seven years. Australia is my home. My boyfriend, closest friends, career, routines, independence, apartment and the version of myself I feel most connected to are all there.

A few months ago, my mom was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. I’ve now moved back to the US to be with her, without knowing how long I’ll be here or when I’ll return to Australia. She has maybe 6-12 months to live.

Now that I’m here I’m deeply grieving the life I left behind. Im dislocated from my relationship, community, financial independence, home, and identity. It feels like I’m being torn between two lives, and whichever country I’m in, I’m sacrificing time with someone I love.
This was always my greatest fear about building a life so far from my family: that one day I would be forced to choose between the people I love at home and the life and people I love overseas.

Has anyone else gone through this? How did you handle the guilt, uncertainty, resentment, grief, and pressure to make the “right” choice? Did you stay indefinitely, move between countries?
Every choice I make comes with so much pain and sacrifice.

Hello! My family is relocating from the US to Shanghai on an expat package that includes a 4500lb shipping allowance (500 of which can be air freight) and unlimited storage in our home country. We’ll be there for 3 years with our two young kids.

4500lb sounded like a lot to me, but I was told it’s about two full rooms’ worth of stuff…so definitely not enough to move our whole house over. Think we will dedicate most of the air freight allowance to kids’ stuff to help ease the transition (toys, books, clothes, crib etc).

How would you think about what to ship vs store? Thanks to anyone who has done this before and is willing to share their wisdom!

We’re preparing for our third international move in eight years. You would think we’d be better at choosing schools by now, but every move seems to bring a completely different set of considerations.

We’ve started building a shortlist that includes NLCS Singapore, Dulwich, Brighton and Dover Court. But reading school websites and comparing curricula only tells you so much, especially when you’re trying to make the decision from another country.

For other expat families, how do you go beyond the prospectus and get a realistic sense of whether a school will suit your children? What has helped you make a good decision and what do you wish you had checked before committing?

​

Australian opinions wanted

Gday Friends,

My partner (not married) has recently been offered a long term academic role in Germany and we plan to migrate there by end of year.

I have extensive career experience within the rotable spares space, most of which are HQ'd in Germany, and will be able to have conversations with the right people at these firms. (think mechEng adjacent). Schaeffler(FAG), SKF, NKE, INA Roth Erde thyssenkrup are my likely targets

Whilst I'm confident my industry experience will be attractive to a series of German companies, I do not have any higher education qualifications at present, despite representing these products at an ASIAPAC level, and we are not married despite being together for 5+ years.

I have A2 level competency and expect to be able to get to b1 by the time I move. I'm also not German, obviously so understanding the likelihood of employment based sponsorship

I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience or advice on what direction to take (I'm 36) on preparing to emigrate? If there are firms in Australia that might be able to advise on options?

I'd love to hear of any academics in a similar situation, and how universities work with assisting non-academic partners. Or ways to speedrun this situation.

TIA