Starting a new life in a new country can be both exciting and downright terrifying. You’re new to everything, you don’t know anyone, and you might not even know the language. Not to mention all the legal paperwork you have to worry about!
Good thing you have the Internet to rely on. Nowadays, it’s easy to find tons of useful online resources for expats – platforms and guides that help you settle in quicker.
Even so, how do you know which online resources to use? To save you time and effort, we put together a list of the five most useful sites for expats in 2021:
1. Expat Network
Expat Network has tons of information about working or retiring abroad. The site has job boards, articles about retirement, and guides that discuss legal topics (like foreign divorces, child custody, and employment rights).
That’s not all! Expat Network also has many destination guides – in-depth articles that cover everything there is to know about moving to a country (the most popular regions, buying property, planning your retirement, money-saving tips, renting property, and more). The destination guides cover about nine locations so far:
- The US
- Australia
- Canada
- France
- Cyprus
- Malta
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- Spain
You can also download moving abroad and financial action checklists. You need to register an account to get them, but they’re well worth it! They’re full of great information that answers all your questions.
Finally, you can also check the latest expat-related news and read about taxes, mortgages, insurance, and foreign exchange.
2. ExpatTech
ExpatTech is a mini-blog from ProPrivacy that covers cybersecurity, VPNs, and streaming tips for expats. The writer is an expat himself who moved from the US to Budapest in Hungary. This is a great resource if you want to learn how to keep your data safe and unblock restricted content.
For example, ExpatTech has articles detailing how a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can help expats access streaming sites from back home (like Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and more).
There’s also an article that showcases the most secure VPNs on the market. It even includes affiliate links that give you access to cool discounts. If you’re on a really tight budget, there’s even a guide to the cheapest expat VPNs in 2021.
Oh, and if you ever wanted to learn how to securely do your US taxes, ExpatTech has got a guide for that!
Another thing we like is that you can learn about important tech products you should use as an expat. Sure VPNs are one of them, but you’ll also learn about translation apps, good portable laptops, and reliable secure cloud storage solutions.
3. InterNations
InterNations is a network that lets you connect with expats from over 420 cities around the globe. This site has a global community spread around tons of countries in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, and Asia and Oceania.
Also, when you check the list of cities, you can hover over them to get quick stats – how many members there are, how many countries people are from, and how many forum posts there are.
On InterNations, you can read about the experiences of other expats who are living in the city you want to move to. That’s really cool because you get essential insight that shows you exactly what you can expect after moving.
You also get access to 200+ location guides that help you research different countries and cities very in-depth. There are also multiple guides that offer actionable information and tips about culture shock, expat finance, and multicultural communication.
Best of all – if you’re looking to socialize, you can meet other expats in the city you moved to. InterNations organizes events where you can meet people face-to-face. At the moment, this site boasts that it organizes over 6,000 events per month!
InterNations has both a free and a paid subscription.
4. Expatica
Expatica offers very helpful guides about places to move to. There are articles detailing:
- The most LGBT-friendly countries for expats.
- The easiest countries to immigrate to.
- And the cheapest places to move to as an expat.
Expatica has a global site, but it also has 13 other versions, each one tailored for one specific country. While the number is rather small, the information that’s available is simply amazing. You get guides that explain how a country’s healthcare system works, what you need to know about visas and immigration, how the labor law works, and articles that discuss national holidays and celebrations.
Other than that, you get the standard info: how to get a job, money-saving tips, pointers for buying, selling, and renting property, public transport details, and information about marriage and divorce. And yes, all of that is 100% country-specific!
One thing that makes Expatica pretty unique is that it also has guides about repatriation. So you can find useful information if you’re looking to head back home too!
We also like that the site has a dedicated section for education – everything from children’s education to language learning and higher education.
5. Reddit
Reddit is an online community that’s used by millions of people worldwide. The site is segmented into sub-sections called “subreddits.” A subreddits can be dedicated to anything – video games, memes, a specific app, traveling, and – obviously – expat life.
People who use Reddit (called Redditors) are often very helpful, and it’s not uncommon to get dozens of responses to a simple question. All in all, Reddit is a great way to learn more about the country or city you want to move to.
These are the subreddits we recommend checking out:
- r/expats
- r/IWantOut
- r/AskReddit (not expat-specific, but you can ask expat-related questions and get tons of answers)
What Expat Online Resources Do You Like to Use?
Feel free to mention and link other resources that help expats live an easier life. Don’t forget to tell us what the main perks are and how these resources helped you!
