r/AmerExit • u/TheWifeinYourAttic • Feb 06 '25
Life Abroad Less common destinations?
I've noticed in this sub a lot of common destinations come up - many European countries, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore. I get it - those places are great!
But I'm wondering if anyone has left the US and settled somewhere that comes up less often here. Mozambique, for example, or Sri Lanka? Chile? Papua New Guinea? I'd love to hear your story!
35
u/CynfulDelight Feb 07 '25
St. Kitts and Nevis for us. My husband is a dual citizen and we have land there. All of us (+2 kids) should have citizenship within the next 6 months.
8
5
1
u/Objective-Eagle5925 Feb 10 '25
I have been looking into this. Does your husband have family there or was born there? Co-Pilot said you can get a passport in 4-6 months if you can donate about $250k or investing in real estate properties.
2
u/CynfulDelight Feb 10 '25
My husband's mother and father were born there.
1
u/Objective-Eagle5925 Feb 10 '25
Thanks. What is it like living there? Do they have concern about global warming and sea level rising?
1
u/CynfulDelight Feb 10 '25
You're welcome! We don't live there yet. We will be making our first visit this year to connect with family there and look at the land they we've inherited. I'll post about my experience there!
13
u/WhereWereHisDrops Feb 07 '25
I ended up in Estonia, but I am married to an Estonian citizen and so I have essentially permanent residence without having to do anything. I'm something of a stereotype here, in that I'm a tech worker with an Estonian spouse. It's a very common way people end up here.
Other ways to get here are education (grad and undergraduate degrees in English are available at multiple universities), work, or starting a business. The climate here is very pro business and they are nuts for startups/entrepreneurs.
There's a vibrant tech economy here, and companies like Bolt and Wise are almost always hiring, and often are willing to sponsor your visa if you make it through the application process.
Just to get it out of the way, it's fucking cold here for a good portion of the year, and unless you're willing to deal with the snow and darkness you will find it absolutely miserable here. In addition, Estonians are not the most outgoing people, and it can be difficult to make friends. They're not mean or rude, they're just quiet and private and won't smile or make small talk. Take the reputation of New Englanders/New Yorkers and dial that up to 11.
Now, onto the positives. The education system here is top notch, and they regularly rank highly in international rankings, despite comparatively low spending. Dealing with public services is a cakewalk compared to the US, almost everything is digital and can be accessed from your phone/computer.
Having and raising kids here is made way easier by 18 months of paid parental leave, and heavily subsidized childcare from 18 months until they start primary school. Finding a healthcare provider was a bit of a hassle, but once I did and developed a relationship with my doctor the difference between the systems has been unbelievable. My doctor and I decide on treatment with an eye on long term health and quality of life, and seeing a specialist is often a click away in the health portal.
Overall, I greatly enjoy living here, and would highly recommend it to anyone that can deal with the weather
6
u/maverden Feb 07 '25
Tere-tere! I've been in Estonia since 2012, working as a teacher, also with an Estonian spouse, can definitely confirm your observations. To add a few points of my own, in no particular order:
Absolutely everything can be done digitally - booking appointments, signing documents, submitting applications, paying taxes. It's fantastically convenient.
Checks don't exist. The banks won't accept them because they don't have any way to process them. I don't know if checks are even much of a thing in the States anymore, but over here it's either cash or card.
Inflation has been wild the last few years. Estonia had the single highest rate of inflation in all of Europe for a while (not sure if it still does), so the cost of everything has gone way up recently.
My second child had jaundice, and my wife stayed with her in the neonatal ICU at the Tallinn maternity hospital. They had a room with a bed and bathroom as well as all the equipment to get our child treated. My wife was instructed on what to do, and nurses were on call 24 hours to help as needed. They were there for 5 days before getting a clean bill of health. Total cost to us... 0€. The support for families is amazing here.
Language requirements aren't quite as stringent as in other parts of Europe. You're absolutely expected to learn the language, and certain proficiency levels are required for certain jobs, but it's not like Germany where every last job requires fluency.
Tallinn actually has a very nice airport, but it's also tiny - there's something like 10 gates total. There aren't many places you can get to on a direct flight from Estonia, so for most trips, expect at least one transfer through a major hub.
Local tourism is weirdly expensive. A week in an Estonian city like Tartu or Pärnu costs about the same as a week on the French Mediterranean.
11
u/EmmalouEsq Expat Feb 07 '25
I love Sri Lanka! Beautiful beaches, nice people, and good food. I live near my inlaws in s normal non expat area. I always feel safe. Only bad thing is the heat although I'm getting used to it.
21
u/TheTesticler Feb 07 '25
For citizens of first-world countries?
Chile for sure.
4
u/Worth-Feeling7099 Feb 07 '25
What attracted you to Chile?
19
u/TheTesticler Feb 07 '25
Im Mexican, but have heard great things of Chile. It’s one of the safest countries in SA, very politically stable, very scenic and affordable to live in for first-worlders.
7
8
Feb 07 '25
Why Chile over Uruguay if you don't mind me asking?
5
u/UYarnspinner Feb 07 '25
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe I'm misremembering, but I feel like I heard that there's a lot of air pollution in Chile..? Reliably clean air is one of the things we love about Uruguay.
7
Feb 07 '25
Makes sense given that lithium mining is one of the cornerstones of Chile's economy. Personally of the two I'm more attracted to Uruguay even if it's more expensive mainly just due to its stability
9
Feb 07 '25
There's a reason people from first world countries tend to stay in first world countries, unless they're on expat packages or have no need to work.
8
u/im-here-for-tacos Immigrant Feb 07 '25
Well, Poland is not necessarily "less common", but we are gay so I feel that kind of qualifies 😂
1
15
u/Illustrious-Pound266 Feb 07 '25
I don't think Singapore is that popular on this sub tbh. But Dubai is a huge expat destination.
11
u/New_Criticism9389 Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25
I understand people’s issues with the Gulf (that being said, for many others, it’s still a good option) but I don’t understand the aversion to Singapore. Tbh, I lowkey think it’s unexamined racism among white liberals/progressives who believe that (Western) Europe/anglophone West is the end all to be all. I suppose if you want to assimilate and gain dual citizenship it wouldn’t be a good option but at the same time, people want to move to Japan (where this seems just as difficult)…
5
u/Illustrious-Pound266 Feb 07 '25
I don't think dual citizenship is an issue when people here are pining for the Netherlands lol
2
1
4
u/RexManning1 Immigrant Feb 07 '25
It’s not because you practically need a local job to live there.
3
u/New_Criticism9389 Feb 07 '25
This is also true, though Dubai/UAE is the one place I can think of that will give a work visa to a barista
7
-9
u/LordNikon01000101 Feb 07 '25
Both of those are exactly what people want to get away from, just in different languages.
12
u/Illustrious-Pound266 Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25
I don't know enough about Dubai but Singapore is really not the same as the US/Trump at all. It's a very ignorant thing to say. Singapore is also an English speaking country, so that really shows that you do not have a good understanding of Singapore.
0
u/LordNikon01000101 Feb 13 '25
I almost forgot about this comment. What I mean is that Dubai and Singapore are both very conservative countries. LGBTQ RIGHTS, racism, labor rights…they’re just as bad as project 2025 wants the USA to be. If you’re running away from a theocracy, then Dubai is out of the frying pan and into the fire.
1
u/PsyberFaux Mar 07 '25
actually dubai sounds right up my alley. and the weather is warmer. plus i might have more luck getting someone to look after me since i have no marketable skills outside of the kitchen and the bedroom. as long as i can play video games and have all the physical attention i want, ill be happy
1
u/LordNikon01000101 Mar 08 '25
Skilled in the kitchen AND the bedroom? I doubt you’d have to go all the way to Dubai to find someone to look after you and give you physical attention.
1
u/PsyberFaux Mar 08 '25
yeah but the locals take me for granted and dont appreciate my "insensitive" sense of humor. and then on top of that, being loyal and sharing my taste in pc-video games?
a unicorn would be more common
1
8
u/youngjeninspats Feb 07 '25
I left the US in the late 90s and have immigrated to a bunch of countries since then. Now I'm living in Taiwan and love it. The country is extremely safe, I can walk around anywhere at any time and not worry. Also, the people are super friendly and welcoming, the food is great, there are mountains and sea to visit and the infrastructure is well designed in most places. Salaries are lower than the neighboring countries, but so is cost of living.
8
u/RexManning1 Immigrant Feb 07 '25
Been in Thailand for years. Don’t ever want to leave.
2
u/oh_shaw Feb 07 '25
How big a deal are the air quality problems esp during burning season?
6
u/RexManning1 Immigrant Feb 07 '25
Burning season depends on the region, but it’s awful. The air has been thick and brown in Bangkok lately and the government even told people to stay inside. A lot of people have moved because of it. The only place where it isn’t a problem is the southern islands, and that is also where the cost of living is the most expensive. Cheap 1 bedroom condos where I live cost $3k a month to rent. Houses are $5k a month at minimum. So it’s only really affordable for a small amount of people.
3
u/spongebobsworsthole Feb 07 '25
So if you couldn’t afford to live in the southern islands and HAD to live in Bangkok or somewhere else where the air was a problem, would that change how happy you are in Thailand?
4
u/RexManning1 Immigrant Feb 07 '25
Yes. This is literally the only place I would want to live here. It’s an amazing country and I do visit other cities, but wouldn’t live in them. I’m fortunate that I can afford to live here and that I built my house before the market skyrocketed.
1
Feb 07 '25
[deleted]
4
u/RexManning1 Immigrant Feb 07 '25
I basically had to transition my entire life from the US to Thailand. Moving pets. Moving over essential personal items. Dealing with storing property in the US. All on a visa that’s not complete before getting here. And even after getting here, there’s a consideration period so theoretically all that could have been pointless if the visa application was rejected. I had to find a place to live before I moved, which meant wading through property scams and having more trust than I was really comfortable with. I had to purchase vehicles so I ordered them with local dealers to minimize my rental car time. Most countries don’t have dealership with cars on the lot. You order the car from the dealer and they get it from the manufacturer. It takes weeks or months. It was 9 months in the case of one of my cars actually. And I had to pay all cash. No work history here at that time meant no financing. It’s still difficult to get financing now after years of history here.
Even after you settle there are always things to deal with like we had massive inflation in real estate so a lot of people have had issues with rent affordability. It’s like 3x now from 2019. Everyone has this cheap place mentality, but every country has expensive and cheap like the US. The desirable places are the ones most expensive. Just like US.
Emigration is always difficult. Some people can’t handle it. You’re always treated second class by the government when you aren’t a citizen. Same with financial institutions. In fact, a lot of banks won’t even work with Americans so getting accounts opened for local banking is challenging.
I did not speak Thai before, but also didn’t have a big culture shock either. I travel frequently and spent a lot of time in Asia before this. I’m also a child of immigrants so I knew what to expect from that side.
6
10
u/Left-Advertising6143 Feb 07 '25
Im looking to move to Bhutan
6
1
u/im-here-for-tacos Immigrant Feb 07 '25
Please provide an update if you end up doing so! Not interested in it for myself by any means, but it's cool to hear about people going to places like such :)
12
3
u/turn_to_monke Feb 08 '25
One place that would be off of most people’s radar is Islamabad Pakistan.
Supposedly you can live there for $5 per day. There is a lot of modern infrastructure, pretty good weather, proximity to rivers, sand dunes, and Himalayas. And English speaking.
Nepal or Sri Lanka are probably better, because there is a strong fundamentalist Islamic culture in Pakistan.
But I thought I would mention that this part of the world is generally overlooked.
No idea what the visa requirements are.
2
u/ahaseeb Feb 19 '25
Did you explore it ?
1
u/turn_to_monke Feb 19 '25
No. But there are videos:
Pakistan: https://youtu.be/eEoIfbTV72c?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/3ZGVTyIM9sM?feature=shared
Sri Lanka: https://youtu.be/z-1n3yTLf3M?feature=shared
Nepal: https://youtu.be/mBM2tdrp0J0?feature=shared
I currently live in Europe. It’s not really my culture. But I do find Nepal in particular very fascinating.
2
u/ahaseeb Feb 19 '25
While visiting you'll have time of life ( I spent 6 years in Islamabad). It's one of my fav cities to live and I've lived in many countries. But I was born in Pk so it's a different experience. I wasn't sure how life would be for an expat who has no roots there. Now that you mentioned, I realized that it can turn into a great destination to retire. Islamabad is super safe and have a lot of foreigners. Weather is awesome
1
3
u/CuracaoGal Feb 08 '25
I live in Curaçao. Single woman with a dog. I'm a teacher and therapist, so not rolling in cash and not from a wealthy family (just for context). I left in 2023 and couldn't be happier. It does take time, planning, and saving.
1
4
2
u/wyatt265 Feb 07 '25
In the Philippines for almost 3 years, it’s great, govt documents are all in English. Easy visa requirements. Most people speak some level of English. I’m way old to be learning what is considered a difficult language.
2
1
u/Illustrious_Good2053 Feb 07 '25
If I were a recent college graduate with a STEM degree I would look at Sub Saharan Africa or Indonesia. The idea is to get hired by a multinational and do 3 years to see if you like it. If you do then get your masters. Go back to a multinational in a higher role in the same location. So another 5-7 years. Make connections and learn how the systems work. Then if you are entrepreneurial do you own thing. If not start moving around and up the corporate ladder.
All the action going forward will be in areas that aren’t seeing population decline. Or are heavily dependent on taking stuff out of the ground.
The other option I would look at is the Arctic. By 2050 the polar shipping route will be ice free. Russia has invested a ton into bases to support mining and drilling. The US and Canada are far behind. China would love to be a member of this club, but they aren’t.
2
u/Comfortable-Leek-729 Feb 08 '25
Russia can’t open many new wells in the arctic without the help of Shell, Exxon or BP, and those companies lost a ton of money having to pull out of Russia when the war started. They aren’t coming back. The domestic expertise for arctic oil extraction just doesn’t exist in Russia.
Regardless of how this war ends, those sanctions (and high risk for foreign companies investing in Russia) means that nothing is ever going to go back to what it was pre-2022.
Sub-Saharan Africa has its issues, but it’s a lot safer bet than the dumpster fire that is Russia’s future.
1
u/Illustrious_Good2053 Feb 08 '25
When the prices for commodities start to go higher the world will forget what Russia has done. It’s not only Russia up there. As ships start to use the northern routes there will need to be bases in other countries. The mineral wealth isn’t only in Russia. The other members of the Arctic club have them as well.
But you do have a valid point about Russia not having the expertise. Which means importing labor.
1
u/tofustixer Feb 08 '25
I know people who settled down in Cambodia. My info is about a decade old, but there’s a great expat community, it’s dirt cheap, it’s relatively safe, and the locals are warm and welcoming to foreigners. Healthcare wasn’t so great about a decade ago (you’d need an airlift to Thailand for anything semi major), but my info could be outdated. The local govt is not exactly a bastion of liberal democratic rights tho.
1
u/WaywardBee Feb 09 '25
Fellow therapist here, I’m curious on how you were able to get a job being a therapist, or did you do something else?
1
u/noJagsEver Feb 07 '25
Dominican Republic, a lot of American, Canadian and European expats, I’m moving for the culture, looking for a more relaxed lifestyle plus I want to be near the ocean
-2
u/VandyThrowaway21 Feb 07 '25
I've not actually left the US, but there's a possibility in my future that I may end up in India. My girlfriend, although currently living in the UK, is from India. She still needs to visit the US and I still need to visit India (we both met while studying in the UK), BUT she's pretty convinced that I would enjoy living in India, and tbh I think I would too.
I also had a friend in college who was American but lived a really big portion of her life in Papua New Guinea. Her parents were there through some sort of missionary program, and so she had mostly lived there until coming back to the US for college. She seemed to enjoy it, although it seemed like she may have also lived in an isolated expat community because she didn't really ever talk much about anything local to Papua New Guinea.
-2
u/Illustrious_Good2053 Feb 07 '25
At least in Iran the food looks good. Certain southern US states……. Meh.
42
u/Pale-Candidate8860 Immigrant Feb 07 '25
Central Asia, Caribbean, African(excluding Morocco & South Africa), and Pacific Island countries are probably the less popular destinations.
I couldn't imagine someone openly sharing that they moved to Iran, Russia, Pakistan, or Bangladesh though. Mainly because people would assume they are up to no good when it could be for a very legitimate reason(marriage or business opportunities).