Expat Focus: For anyone moving or living abroad

By Expat FocusSociety & Culture Places & Travel

Expat Focus: For anyone moving or living abroad episodes

June 03, 2019 What Non-Europeans Should Know About Moving To Spain
Cat Gaa was pretty good at Spanish when she was at school in the USA. She first went to Spain on a study abroad program, and soon found her way back there, this time teaching English. Cat worked out how to stay on in Spain, she started a blog at Sunshine and Siestas, and that blog turned into a side hustle with a fellow expat. Their business, Como Consulting Spain, helps fellow non-Europeans navigate the red tape around moving to the country and staying there long term. So how can you move to Spain and become a long-term resident as a non-European? And what else is important to know about life and culture in the different regions of Spain? Listen to find out.
24 min
May 20, 2019 The Cost Of Living In Thailand
Our guest today is based in Thailand - a country that is well known for attracting expats wanting good living on the cheap, but just how good, and just how cheap?

Brett Debritz is an Australian freelance journalist, currently on a 'trial retirement' in Thailand, and blogging at Expattaya.

If a move to the country is on your bucket list, you might want to take some notes during this chat, because Brett's going to talk us through what you get for your money: from housing, to bills, groceries, and other expenses that some expats moving to Thailand may not necessarily anticipate.
33 min
April 22, 2019 How To Integrate Into Life In Switzerland
Welcome to another episode of the Expat Focus Podcast! What challenges have you faced in trying to settle into your new home abroad? Did you find the integration process easy, or, was it quite difficult? How do you go about "fitting in" as an expat in a country like Switzerland - with four official languages, a bunch of unwritten social rules, and locals who have a reputation for being a little bit reserved? British expat Catherine Nelson-Pollard lives in the Swiss town of Nyon where she runs the website Living In Nyon. She's got some great tips to share that will help make your new Swiss life just a little bit easier. And most of them apply to life in other countries as well.
30 min
April 16, 2019 US Expat Investor? Here's What You Should Know About New PRIIPS Regulations
Welcome to another episode of the Expat Focus Podcast. Today's topic concerns US expat investors who are living in Europe, and new regulations known as 'PRIIPS'.

Our guest is Tom Zachystal from Individual Asset Management. He's here to explain what the new regulation means, and highlight some other investment issues that Americans living abroad should be aware of.
27 min
March 19, 2019 What You Need To Know About Expat Life In Costa Rica
Costa Rica is well-known as a haven for expat retirees, but what's it like to move to this tropical paradise in Central America if you're at not at that stage of life yet?

American Samantha moved to Costa Rica more than six years ago, for love. And she's come a long way since first arriving with little knowledge of the country - needing to learn Spanish, find a job, make friends, understand how the local community - and systems - tick.

She's come so far in fact, that she and her husband Yeison were even named Tourism Ambassadors for their work on their very successful Costa Rica travel blog, mytanfeet.com. Samantha's going to share her story of settling into life in Costa Rica, and how she navigated the integration bumps along the way.
27 min
March 13, 2019 Elena Remigi - In Limbo Brexit
In the latest episode of the Expat Focus podcast we're talking about the way Brexit has altered the lives of EU citizens - including Brits - who have chosen to live in other member states. Elena Remigi is one of them. As an Italian living in the UK, the years since the 2016 Brexit vote have been filled with uncertainty over whether she'll be able to stay - or is even still welcome - in the country she calls home. Elena founded a project called 'In Limbo'. It started with a Facebook Group that she created for people to share their Brexit experiences. And these personal accounts from EU citizens in the UK were compiled for a book. That book - called 'In Limbo' was quickly followed by a second, entitled 'In Limbo Too' – which shares the stories of UK citizens living elsewhere in Europe. As the political stoush over a Brexit agreement continues, and the 29th of March comes ever closer, In Limbo is a reminder for all of us, of just how deeply this issue is affecting people's lives.
20 min
February 22, 2019 Getting A Job, Finding A Place To Live, And Learning The Language In Estonia
Welcome to another episode of the Expat Focus podcast. Today on the show we're talking about a country where the expat population is slowly but steadily on the rise: Estonia.

My guest is Alina Akk from expatinestonia.com. She's Romanian, and this is her third year living and working in Estonia. Alina's going to give us the lowdown on three essentials: finding somewhere to live, learning Estonian, and finding a job in the country.
29 min
January 21, 2019 What Expat Families Should Know About The UK School System
Welcome to another episode of the Expat Focus podcast. Our guest this week is Steve Spriggs - the Head of Education at William Clarence Education. They advise and consult with families from around the world on British schools and universities. So which schools are right for your children, factoring in not just their interests and your needs as a family... but also where you all might be in five years' time? Listen on to find out, and if you have any questions for Steve, you can post them in the Expat Focus UK Forum or Facebook Group.
26 min
January 18, 2019 How An Amsterdam Workshop Is Providing An Entry Point For Expats
Moving abroad often means losing that 'insider' status that you held in your home country. The advantage of just 'knowing' how a system or local industry works, where to find the tools or resources you need to get something done. Remco recognised this, and that his public workshop in Amsterdam could act as an entrance, not just for locals needing somewhere to knock up a coffee table or use specific machinery… but also for expat carpenters, designers, artists and D-I-Y enthusiasts. The Openbare Werkplaats is providing foreigners in Amsterdam with an entry point - and community - that they may not otherwise find.
16 min
January 09, 2019 Renovating And Running A Guest House In France
Welcome to another episode of the Expat Focus Podcast, I'm your host Carlie, and my guest today is a UK expat, based in beautiful South West France, where he runs a guest house along with his partner. Their home is called Maison Mûrier, and on their website, Phill and Kev call it their 'little bit of heaven' in the French countryside. Looking at the stunning photos, their acre-and-a-half property has a pool, incredible views over sunflower fields, their house has seven bedrooms and there are a number of barns on the land as well. So how did they choose their dream French property? How was the renovation process and, what sort of qualities do you need to run a guest house in France? I spoke to Phill about his experiences, in November of 2018, at the end of his very first year as a host.
25 min