A New Life Abroad Guide

There are those of us who move abroad to find better paying employment opportunities, who realise that as an expatriate we become less restricted by the fetters put upon us in our own home nation where everything seems to be regulated, even the amount we can perhaps earn…

However, building up a successful career can take time – what’s more, some of us are moving abroad simply to find a better work-life balance, or even to retire.  So in other words, we are all likely to be in very different financial positions when we relocate.  This fact alone has to be taken into consideration when penning an article such as this, because I’m about to talk about the expatriate insurances you shouldn’t leave home without.

However, I am also aware that not everyone can afford health insurance, life insurance and travel insurance…so I am going to look at what you really need as a bottom line, how you can cut your costs, and answer the question posed by this article, namely ‘can you afford to go abroad uninsured?’

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On Monday we told you about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s survey that determined that up to 42% of over 55s in the UK are actively contemplating a move abroad.  That same survey also revealed that many who plan to move in retirement simply plump for a country where they have had a good holiday, and decide that that is enough ‘evidence’ to base their decision on.

However, as we have witnessed time and again in life, people who holiday somewhere, fall in love with the place and then return to live there, go through a period of a very rude awakening.  Nowhere is like a holiday paradise all the time – what’s more, you cannot sustain the holiday lifestyle 24/7, 365 days of the year.  Try it and you’ll get bored before you burn out!

So, in this report we’re going to break down how you can decide where you want to live abroad – we will detail all of the decisions you need to bear in mind, the facts you need to research, the criteria that can make or break a decision, and a checklist you can follow to help you decide where you would like to live abroad for life…

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According to the conservative party, there are up to 2.5 million Britons abroad who are eligible to vote in the forthcoming general election in Britain.  Yes, it’s that time again when the British media is poised on the cusp of ridiculous reporting about all things back biting and bitchy between political parties, as we head towards the election.

The election can be called at any time between now and June this year – with most putting a punt on for May the 6th – which means you have a limited window of opportunity to register to vote if you want to.  The trouble is, few expatriate Britons can be bothered because they feel that political changes in Britain have nothing to do with them now that they’re living abroad, or that it’s too much hassle to register to vote, that the British political and economic landscape is no longer anything to do with them, or because they are just not interested in the UK now that they have successfully made their move overseas…

So, we at Shelter Offshore, whilst happy to get the message out there that Brits abroad can vote if they want to, really don’t think it’ll do much good.  Furthermore, we’d like to quietly point out to the likes of the conservatives that chasing after expat votes is just a bit desperate really.  Surely what would be more important at this time would be getting your political house in order and presenting an organised front – addressing issues such as the fact there are no jobs or opportunities in the UK, that the economy is in dire straits, that banks are treating their customers shoddily even though they’ve been bailed out and told to behave, and that Britain is a country where hope and positivity are ebbing slowly away…

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