Expat Focus

Our listener Susan recently got in touch and asked if we could do an episode on deafness and hearing loss, and the challenges these conditions can present when you're abroad. So Liam O'Dell , deaf  freelance journalist and campaigner, is joining us today to speak about the subject and his own experiences. 

Tax expert Oliver Heslop from Global Expatriate Tax Services is back today, and he's going to give us an update on UK and EU pension rights after Brexit. It's very good news for the million plus Brits living in EU countries and the more than 3 million EU citizens who call the UK home. Oliver is also going to touch on what you should keep in mind this tax season if you have relocated, and the poten...

Today's guest is Rebecca Grappo, the founder of RNG International Educational Consultants . Rebecca has been working with expat families for decades, and I wanted to get her perspective on the Covid-19 pandemic, how it has affected international students – in particular, over the past 12 months – and what expat families can do to continue to help and support their children, as distance learning co...

Deciding to pack up your life abroad and head back to your home country can be difficult enough, but doing it during the Covid-19 pandemic brings all kinds of extra challenges. Australian journalist, Denee Savoia, recently returned home after four years living and working in Turkey. However, getting herself home certainly hasn't been straightforward. She was among the tens of thousands of Aussies...

Recent updates and changes to the United Arab Emirates' legal system are set to benefit the millions of expats that call the country home. Law reforms announced in November cover divorce, wills, and local rules around the consumption of alcohol and unmarried couples living together. Alexandra Tribe, lawyer and owner of Expatriate Law, joins me in this episode to talk through what the changes mean...

The end of 2020 marks the end of the Brexit transition period, and one of the big changes for UK nationals is how long they can spend at second homes in the EU. Up until now, British nationals have been able to spend up to six months a year at another property on mainland Europe without running into any issues around residency. But that all changes from 2021. My guest, Jason Porter – a director at...

The dreaded C-word has really dominated the year, but now we're reaching the end of 2020, and it's the B-word that a lot of British expats in particular are worried about, as they rush to secure a base in mainland Europe. Oliver Heslop from GETS – Global Expatriate Tax Services – is back on the show today to talk through where things stand when it comes to residency, benefits like healthcare, tax...

How much do you keep up with the news and issues back in your 'home' country? Where do you go for updates on subjects that affect you, like new law proposals and policy changes? American Citizens Abroad is an apolitical organisation, on a mission to educate and advocate for US citizens living and working overseas, from expat voting rights to citizenship issues, taxes and healthcare. ACA Executive...

Today we're exploring some of the need-to-knows if you're planning a move to Vietnam. My guest is Creighton Wong, an American who owns a digital marketing agency. In more normal times, he would be based not just in Vietnam but in other parts of the world too, as a digital nomad. Creighton's going to share his opinion and experiences with visas, Vietnam's healthcare system, working in the country a...

The current pandemic has left a lot of people around the world in limbo, and Christina Sinn is one of them. A German expat, Christina 'should' be in Australia right now, where she's been based for the past few years, after living in China and the UK. But she and her partner happened to be visiting Germany when COVID-19 hit its first peak and international borders closed, and now they're stuck ther...

Australia is known for its incredible natural beauty, great quality of life and multicultural society. If you're planning a move 'down under' (for sometime after the pandemic, when borders are open again), blogger and teacher Courtney Alkek has some excellent advice to share. She and her husband moved to Australia from the USA. They've had two kids in the country, lived in two different cities: Br...

There's been a bit of debate online about whether we'll see a baby boom from the coronavirus lockdown. Is all this forced time at home the perfect opportunity to get pregnant, or, is a pandemic pregnancy the last thing on your mind? If you are planning to start - or add to - your family, you might want to give some thought to teaching your child a second language. It's so much easier for them to p...

Poland has been rising up the rankings as one of the best countries for expats to live and work in, and we're going to chat to one such expat today. Blogger Anda Alexandra relocated from Romania to Poland , for work. And, almost a decade later she's still there, married with a child and she's going to talk through some moving essentials: from finding a place to live to opening a bank account, lear...

There's not a huge amount of moving about the world going on at the moment, but that doesn't mean you can't research and plan. And if you've got a move to Malaysia on your mind, we have the perfect guest to give you some insider knowledge. Writer Kirsten Raccuia and her husband Mark moved from the USA to Penang seven years ago. In this episode, she's going to talk through their experiences with vi...

When you're planning a move to a new country, there's a lot to get your head around, and understanding how things work locally is key to quickly landing on your feet. Today's guest is Emma Pearson, Editor of The Local France, a website covering French news, culture and practical tips on everyday life in the country. Emma's going to walk us through how to move to France. We cover everything from vi...

Just as the world was coming to grips with the seriousness of COVID-19 and countries were locking down, parts of China were getting over the worst of the pandemic and life was beginning to return to normal. This was the case when we recorded this interview with Mauricio 'Momo' Estrella, an Ecuadorian digital designer based in Shanghai with his wife and young son. In fact, Momo tells me that now, l...

Where are you spending your coronavirus lockdown? Are you in a densely populated city? A smaller town, where social distancing is made that bit easier? Are you spending this time away from where you'd normally call home? Maybe you're on your own property in the countryside, with not a soul in sight… Danish expat Christian Graugart and his young family are spending their isolation time at home in S...

The property market - like so many sectors right now - has slowed down as the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. Tenants, landlords and homeowners are all feeling the pressure. Governments are being looked to for bailout packages, while people in the process of buying or selling are now working to completely unknown timelines. We arranged this interview with today's guest - Ugo Arinzeh, fo...

Government-mandated isolation has become the new normal for so many of us, as the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm in lockdown here in France where only essential shops remain open, and we need to carry a permission form when we leave the house which can only be for specific reasons like, going to the supermarket, the pharmacy or doing some exercise close to home. In this episode I'm chatti...

You might be feeling a bit paralysed by the news at the moment as the Coronavirus pandemic worsens across the world, and governments update their guidance every day. But amid the chaos, are people trying to do some good. Volunteers in many countries are sewing masks for local hospital staff facing shortages. GoFundMe pages have been set up so we can buy coffees for people doing essential work. A n...

Today we're exploring the foreigner's experience of working in Asia, with a man who has written a book on the subject; Steve McGinnes. Originally from England, Steve has lived and worked across the Asian continent for fifteen years, and his book combines practical advice with first-hand stories and experiences of professionals, covering topics including power, relationships, family and corruption....

The Coronavirus pandemic is forcing cities across the world into lockdown, and in Italy , American business owners Linda and Steve have had to close their Rome hostel, The Beehive, for the first time in 21 years.  In this episode, the couple share what the past few weeks have been like as the impact of COVID-19 set in, what support Italy is providing to business owners like themselves, and how the...

Mario Cacciottolo's move from the UK to Malta was very much a homecoming. He spent the first 12 years of his life in the country, and its booming economy, 300 days of sunshine a year and a desire to close some local 'knowledge gaps' were big motivators for him to return. In this chat, he's going to shed some light on what it's like to live on this small island in the Mediterranean. You'll find out...

A fellow podcaster is our guest on this episode, to give you the lowdown on what it takes to set up and run your business from anywhere in the world. Sundae Bean is an American by birth and the host of the ' Expat Happy Hour' podcast. Sundae is an intercultural strategist who left her corporate job in Switzerland to set up her own coaching business, working from Burkina Faso in West Africa and lat...

Caitlin Taylor is a style coach, fashion blogger and podcaster who describes her expat life in New Zealand as "same-same but different." In this chat, you'll find out about the Kiwi fashion scene; how Caitlin's business has evolved over a decade; and how she found her business 'tribe' in her new home.