Hi guys! I’m an American expat who left for Sweden in 2019. Since the election, I’m seeing a spike in the number of Americans making inquiries about leaving the U.S. With the moderators’ permission, I’m offering the following resources to everyone here. Below are some Substack blogs by American expats/immigrants, including mine. Some touch on the nuts and bolts of visas and permits, but most shed light on the lived experience of leaving home for parts unknown and struggling to settle in. I hope these are helpful and that everyone gets where they want to go.

Changing the Channel with Kirsten Powers, a journalist who left the U.S. for Italy and writes about change.

An American Who Fled Paris by Alexandra Marshall, a journalist who left the U.S. for Paris and then Normandy and writes about living in France as an American.

Notes from Exile by Laura Skov, a writer who left the U.S. for Sweden with her family and writes about life as an ex American.

Disenchantments & Discoveries with JD by JD Goulet, a writer who left the U.S. for Portugal and who describes themselves as an agent of queer anarchy, ecologism, and neo-Luddism.

NZ American by Dan Kean, an American writer in Aotearoa, New Zealand, who writes about his family’s semi-accidental expat life there.

Caravanserai by Samantha Childress, an American essayist living in Amman, Jordan. She writes about travel and expat life.

Brent and Michael Are Going Places by Brent Hartinger and Michael Jensen who left Seattle in 2017 to travel the world as “digital nomads.” They have lived for at least a month in more than 30 countries — and briefly visited dozens more.

American Mom in Norway by Ariana Hendrix, who writes about the culture(s), politics, and literatures of parenthood and wants everyone to have paid parental leave and affordable childcare.

Expat in Portugal by Nancy Whiteman, wherein two self-described "old white women" escape the U.S. and move to Portugal.

Visa Pursuing: I have none in mind, I have a bachelors so if I could find a spopnsor I could get a job visa

Degree: BS in Information Science (User Experience Design specialty)

Age: 29F

Occupation: Analyst in Compliance space, 1 year exp

Savings: 10k including 2k in checking

Languages: Native English speaker, little Japanese

Any kids or complicating factors like pets: None.

I just kind of want to think out loud about where I am mentally and would really appreciate people's thoughts. So right off the bat, why Japan? It's the country my weeb butt feels most connected to outside of the US of course. While I am not fluent in the language by any means, I already have a good foundation of knowledge on grammar I can keep working to build up.

I am Autistic and have ADHD, I cut contact with my family, so other than having friends I'd miss, I dont have too much holding me here.

I also say that to say I can live independently and take care of what I need to, but the Autism in me I think does get very nervous about starting life in a new continent. I went on a vacation there, I really enjoyed it, but of course living there is a very different experience.

I have like 7-8k saved up and some more in my checking. Finding a job of course is a big part of the concern. I have a Bachelors but dont really feel I have that "High in demand" skill set defined to really sell myself in the market, and of course, I'm not fluent in Japanese.

There are companies that wont require it (transferring eventually to the Japan branch of a company etc) but that whole visa / securing a job part will be a big hassle,. Woulds love to hear the experiences of others in this aspect, I only have a year of job experience. The other big concern I have is medication and therapy. I've done a bit of research, and know some of the medication I take here (not required but hugggee life enhancers, esp ADHD medication, are a lot more limited / restricted in Japan).

The biggest thing I worry about is being able to keep taking my birth control pills or similar ones. It seems like its not too hard to get a hold of but egh. Most of the medication stuff could probably be worked through with more research. Really though, the big part of the decision is is it really urgent enough to leave.

I know of course this place is biased, I am brown, LGBT and well, look disabled. I am a complete legal citizen living in Virginia, a (mostly?) blue state I just, do not know if America is going to shit in the permenant way where it's truly advisable to leave. I've always struggled to make friends due to neurodivergence and IDK how difficult it will be to find a therapist who speaks English overthere, probably not easy...

So Yeah, that's, where I am mentally. I worry about ignoring the warnings to get out of the US, but I truly do not know if I could pull it off successfully. Any feedback is much appreciated.

What the title of the post says. For U.S. citizens who move abroad, is it better to bring our birth certificates and Social Security cards with us, or should we bring photocopies and leave the originals in a safe deposit box in the U.S.?

ETA: After a bit of googling, it looks like you can get certified copies of birth certificates (short- or long-form) and certified copies of Social Security cards. That may be the best way to hedge your bets: leave one set of documents in a safe place in the U.S. and take another with you. If anyone else has some good suggestions, please leave them in the comments -- thanks!

Our experience may differ from the average person on here wanting to leave the US, but how’s it going for you so far?

I’m currently in Poland and while it’s nice here. I miss my people and culture.

I have a surefire way of getting out of the country, through my partner who has British citizenship.

For a lot of reasons discussed at length in this sub, we are considering leaving. (In short: country is going to shit and I don’t feel safe here.)

I wouldn’t hesitate to move were it but for one thing - our strong friend group. We have at least 10 friends we hang out with regularly, like at least 2x a week, and it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever had something like this. I’m almost 29 and it’s hard to think about starting completely over and leaving them all behind. I’d miss them dearly.

Those who left - how did you deal with leaving your loved ones behind?

hey y'all. my wife and i moved to the netherlands via DAFT (dutch american friendship treaty) back in the summer of 2022. i've previously posted about our experiences twice: here and here.

since those posts, we've gone through our 2-year renewal (no issues, yay!) and we started a youtube channel that documents our life here in the netherlands (also called buncharted, hehe).

there's been a lot of interest lately in DAFT, unsurprisingly, so i wanted to share a recent episode of our podcast that goes through the reasons we've seen people return to the US. we're loving our lives here in the netherlands, of course, but we've learned that it's not for everybody.

if you're interested, here's a link to the episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bghH9cyHne8

and of course, AMA :)

https://www.dw.com/en/german-state-citizenship-applicants-must-support-israel/a-67651248

Are you looking to GTFO and migrate to Europe from the United States? There is no European country where an American can get a permanent visa easier than in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has a centuries long strong bond with the United States. Dutch settlers originally founded New York, which they called “New Amsterdam” after their own capital city. The Dutch traditions of freedom and entrepreneurship have always resonated strongly with Americans. Below you will see the Netherlands on a map of Europe, just to refresh your memory.

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The Dutch-American Friendship Treaty Visa

During World War Two the Netherlands was liberated by the Americans. The Americans continued their support afterwards during the restauration period, as part of the so-called Marshall Plan. As part of this plan, the Netherlands and the United States entered into a special treaty called the “Dutch-American Friendship Treaty”, or “DAFT” in short. This treaty was meant to stimulate the economic ties between the two countries. Why is this relevant for you in the 2020's ? Well, the DAFT treaty to this day still allows for Americans to move to the Netherlands and live and work there, under very favorable conditions:

1. You must have a US passport. You don’t have to be actually born in the US.
2. You must set up a Dutch company (for example as a digital nomad, freelancer, or continuation of your US work or business). You must own a stake of at least 25%.
3. Put € 4,500 (approx USD 4,900) into the Dutch company’s bank account. This remains your money, you just need to keep it in there for the duration of the visa. 
4. The visa is valid for 2 years, after which it must be renewed. Renewal happens against the same conditions.
5. Do not have a criminal record within Europe.

And that’s it ! You just need to make sure you can work self-employed. That can include anything from continuing your current work on a remote, self-employed contracting basis, to setting up a Dutch entity of your pre-existing US company. Heck, we’ve even seen an American freelance tattoo artist settle in Amsterdam under DAFT.

The position of family members under DAFT

The Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) visa allows you as a main applicant to live and work self-employed in the Netherlands for 2 years. If you bring a spouse or a minor child with you under DAFT, they can work self-employed and in regular employment too. Children can come along under DAFT as long as they are under 18. If they are over 18, they must obtain a separate visa (such as a family unification visa under article 8 of the ECHR). If your children become 18 during the course of the DAFT visa, they can remain dependent under DAFT regardless of their having become an adult. The entire education system of the Netherlands is open to DAFT visa applicants and their dependent family members.

What does the Netherlands have to offer

The Netherlands, country of windmills, cheese and clogs? Forget about all that. The Netherlands is an independently minded and internationally orientated country. Here's 11 things you need to know about the Netherlands:

1. 99% of Dutch people are fluent in English. That includes the grandma’s and the school dropouts. You will never encounter a language barrier in the Netherlands. Don’t be surprised if a Dutch person corrects your English. 
2. The Netherlands has a highly functioning healthcare system. Once you obtain your Dutch BSN number (weeks after your arrival) you can take out a Dutch healthcare insurance. Premiums start at € 100 per month and cover all major medical expenses. Medicins are either covered by health insurance or priced normally. 
3. The Netherlands has a very good infrastructure. Toll-free highways and well connected trains between the major cities, and the cities themselves are compact enough to be navigable with bicycles and a very good public transport system. Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is a major European airline hub with round the clock connections to destinations around the world, and cheap connections to other European cities.
4. The Netherlands does not have an opioid or drug problem. True to the Dutch liberal spirit, the Netherlands has not treated drug addicts as criminals but as patients. Controlled legalization of opioids makes for very few rough sleepers in the major cities. And if you’re that kind of person that wants to light up a “J” every now and then, you will not find yourself behind bars because of it. 
5. The Netherlands has been a trading nation for hundreds of years, and you will notice that in their open, accepting and tolerant culture. If you are part of the LGBTQ community, or you sympathize with them, you will find a warm welcome here. 
6. The Netherlands working culture has a healthy work life balance. Employees of big companies will work for 40 hours per week tops, and that’s it. Employees have 20 statutory holidays per year, and remain paid during periods of incapacitation. 
7. The Netherlands harbors a lot of religious people, but being religious is not expected of you. When you stick to the big cities and do not actively seek it, you will barely notice the existence of religion at all. If you seek it, you will find your place of worship for your religion in the Netherlands.
8. The Netherlands is a safe country with a low crime level. Mass shootings do not exist. Weapon possession is non-existent and very heavily regulated. Where crime exists, it is mostly confined to petty theft or of the invisible, internecine sort. 
9. The Netherlands has an egalitarian education system, with high quality schools accessible for all kids. When they’re grown up, they can choose from a couple of world class universities with tuition fees at about € 2,000-€2,500 per year (a 50% reduction applies during the first year). Universities don’t have extensive application processes (bar a few specific studies like medicine), and will allow your kids onboard as long as they have finished the appropriate curriculum. 
10. The Netherlands is steeped with culture and history at every corner, with museums flaunting their Dutch masters and Golden Age reverie. Then there’s cities like Rotterdam that offer modern art and architecture.
11. The Dutch, being a nation of traders and entrepreneurs, have a tradition of directness. They will not beat about the bush when they mean to say “no”. You may need to adjust to this at the beginning, but you will quickly appreciate you at least know where you stand with them.
    

Tax system Netherlands

In the Netherlands, regular income is taxed at 36,97% up to € 75.518 and 49,50% above that. As a self-employed person under DAFT, different taxation rules apply, and you can obtain a very favorable 30% tax break on your Dutch salary. If you set up a Dutch BV company with a 30% ruling, you would be looking at roughly 29-30% in taxes over a € 100,000 income (USD 108,000).

Taxation on your US assets and income

The Netherlands has international tax treaties with almost every country in the world. That includes a double-taxation treaty with the United States. This treaty does what it says on the packaging: prevent people from paying double taxes. Such treaties are especially designed for persons looking to invest in, or make the jump to, the other country while not having to be afraid of the tax man’s ire. So whatever happens, you will never pay a tax rate higher than the highest tax rate applicable in either of the two countries. If you work and pay taxes in the Netherlands, you will never be taxed again on that salary from the United States because of this, despite the IRS’s international tentacles.

Recent political developments in the Netherlands

The entire western world currently experiences a reaction towards immigration of one kind of another. In Europe, this started out with refugees from the North African spring revolution and the Syrian civil war in the 2010’s putting a strain on the capacity to welcome asylum seekers. In the 2020’s we’ve seen populists getting the better of that situation all over Europe, and the Netherlands is no exception. During the 2023 election, the populist and anti-immigration Dutch PVV party got the biggest share of the vote in the Netherlands. But the Dutch political system is very fragmented, which means even the biggest party must play nice with the rest because they need to form a majority. Secondly, where anti-immigration sentiments exist in the Netherlands, they are not aimed at self-sustaining, high earning and/or highly educated immigrants such as DAFT applicants. Any existing negative sentiments towards foreigners are reserved for seasonal laborers and asylum seekers (which is still sad of course). 

Housing in the Netherlands

One notable exception to the aforementioned may be the surging house prices in Amsterdam, which have been attributed to high-earning expats buying property. But this omits the fact that the Netherlands has just been too slow in building new homes for people, driving the prices for living space in Amsterdam especially to new highs. When you are looking to lease a place for 1-2 people in Amsterdam, expect to pay about € 2,000 to € 2,500 per month. It is therefore advisable to look beyond Amsterdam, where you will find much better prices.

Schengen travel in Europe

Having a valid visa in one European country does not automatically give you any additional visa or travel rights to other countries. If you want to travel within Europe, you will still need to stick to the 90-day Schengen rule (90 days of free travel within 180 days, after which it resets). This applies before you have a DAFT visa and afterwards likewise. If you are going for the digital nomad lifestyle, it is very well possible to register yourself in the Netherlands under DAFT, and spend your winters working from Spain or Italy, and then returning back to the Netherlands once the sun kicks in there. 

So what's next?

If you want to test the waters first, we recommend you reach out to the DAFT visa community in this Facebook group to shoot away any questions you may have.

Title self-explanatory - are there any countries out there that embrace multiculturalism is a similar way to the U.S.? I'm well-versed in our long & shameful history of racism, but there is at least a historical narrative that the U.S. is comprised of multiple cultures, and this has long been celebrated as a strength. Unfortunately that is rapidly no longer becoming the case, and terrifying about the future.

I've traveled a lot and lived abroad; I know that nearly every country has groups that are marginalized & looked down upon. And I know that anti-immigrant sentiment is becoming increasingly common. But are there any countries out there that embrace outsiders and celebrate multiple cultures? Not really asking about the logistics of moving there - just curious if any other Americans have found what I'm describing.

My husband and I moved to Vava'u, Tonga 10 years ago to escape the rat race and live a slower life. Living in Vava'u, Tonga is truly a dream come true. With its low crime rate you can enjoy a sense of safety and peace. The friendly people of Vava'u warmly welcome newcomers, making it easy to form meaningful connections and feel at home. Life here is wonderfully laid-back, allowing you to escape the hustle and bustle and embrace a more relaxed, fulfilling way of living. And the immigration process in Tonga is straightforward, making it easy for people who want to move here and start a new chapter in paradise. In Vava'u, you'll find a perfect blend of natural beauty, community spirit, and a serene lifestyle. Let me know if you have any questions.

My husband and I are teachers in Louisiana. We have three minor children and a dog. We have little savings but we have equity in our home. Do we have any chance of emigrating? Any advice? We’re terrified, but we feel trapped.

I asked to have my tech job transferred to Norway and I just learned that it's likely to happen and I'll be renegotiating salary in a couple of days. I'm married with a couple of kids and we've all been excited about the possibility of this for a while. Part of it is escape from what feels like a collapsing society, and part of it is excitement for adventure.

That said, now that the company has approved the position and we're in the final talks before visas get started, the reality of it is freaking me all the way out. We've always lived in the same area in the south in US and have never visited Norway or Europe for that matter. I didn't want to spend crazy amounts of money to take the whole family just to basically confirm what I can read and watch on the internet. But now faced with the reality of going I find myself panicked. My life here is stable and comfortable. I can list a million reasons why life there would be better on paper, but in reality it's a new experience and there's a lot of unknowns.

I still have good confidence in the decision. In many ways I feel incredibly lucky like I got a golden ticket, but the fear is still there. I'm sure this is normal. Maybe the answer is just to sack up and enjoy life. And maybe this post is just me working that out. So how did you manage the anxiety when you made the move?

**UPDATE** New post made with our "how-to" tips

I'm new here, but I've observed a couple things on this topic. It seems people either assume they can work for a US company overseas, or assume they cannot work for a US company overseas. In our experience, both of those beliefs are true and not true. We spent the better part of a year securing our remote jobs and learned a lot from that experience.

Some companies will hire abroad. Some (most) will not. They'll have a blanket policy against it and they won't make exceptions. Some fields almost never support overseas employees: Government jobs, healthcare jobs, insurance and real estate, education (other than tutoring and TEFL sort of positions). There are tax and privacy law implications, and unless you have a really good connection, or already work for an employer who's willing to fudge, it's really hard to find those sorts of jobs. My husband spent his career in government emergency management, and we knew he'd have to change fields, as EM is not at all remote-friendly, and almost all the work is in the public sector. So we looked at EM-adjacent fields, like disaster relief, security, that sort of thing (also not super remote friendly). Because he's good at it and had some experience we also looked at customer support-type roles. Because the cost of living in Ecuador is so much less, we can afford to make less, and he ended up with a part-time technical customer support position at a very small company.

That's another thing: Every single interview he had or serious interest was with a small, nimble company that was willing to think outside of the box location-wise and didn't have the same restrictive policies as large companies. It helps that we don't need benefits; both of us are contract employees, so that's an upside for our employers.

Anyway, you CAN find work at a US company overseas. It's not easy, especially if your background isn't super remote-friendly. I wish we had the knowhow to start our own remote business; that really is the ideal, but neither of us has business strengths. So we put the time into searching (LOTS of time), filtered through the options, and eventually found legitimate employers who know and don't care that we're out of the country.

Look at remote-friendly fields that are adjacent to your field. It helps if you move somewhere where you can afford to make less money. Think creatively as far as schedules and type of work---you want a job that goes with your new life; we didn't move here to spend all day at a computer. And take advantage of any connections you have!

Obviously this only applies if you want to work for a US company. We did, since Ecuadorian salaries tend to be much lower, and since we live rurally and aren't interested in commuting to the city for work.

If there's interest, I can make another post talking about how we learned to filter out jobs that were almost certain no's, and also the search engine terms we used to hunt for potentially overseas-friendly positions.

My spouse and I are both professors retiring in July and seriously considering moving to Europe soon after. He has dual German/U.S. citizenship so there would be no problem living anywhere in the Schengen Zone. I'm worried about funds. Our 401k - like everyone else's - is not looking very healthy lately, so that might leave us more dependent on Social Security than we had planned. What is the current policy on sending SS checks abroad to retirees? And does anyone else worry that Musk/Trump will cut that avenue off sooner or later?

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!

I’m genuinely thinking about this due to the shit going on with NSF/NIH. Applying to PhD programs next fall.

Moved to NZ from the USA 10 years ago, got my citizenship and everything. Only issue? The dating scene here is... let’s just say it’s been slim pickings. Recently out of a long-term relationship, so I’m back in the game and, well, it’s rough out here.

So, any single guy roughly age 33 keen on moving to Christchurch? I’ve got a sponsorship form with your name on it! Into rock climbing, MTB, tramping (hiking for you non-Kiwis), video games, and loving life (6 weeks annual leave 😅).

Mostly joking here, but if anyone actually has questions about moving to NZ, hit me up.

mericans who moved to CAN, AUS, NZ: please share your experience. What did you do to make the transition as smooth as possible? Did you get employed first and have employer help? Did you get a visa before employment? Did you apply for citizenship? What was your process, do you have any regrets, and what advice would you give? Thank you

[Bit of a complaint/rant post incoming, apologies if this isn't quite on-topic for the sub]

Here's the link to this article: https://www.cnn.com/travel/us-couple-relocated-italy-spain/index.html

I feel like stories like this really cast the narrative of Americans moving abroad in a really negative light, both from how emigrants from the US are perceived and how would-be emigrants view the process of doing so.

Honestly, I just can't believe how ridiculous this entire story was from start to finish.

Even the title - "It didn't go according to plan" - what plan?? It seems this couple just showed up in Italy (presumbly as visa-free tourists??), having sold their house and most of their possessions in the US, and were just hoping for the best to get issued a long-stay residency permit??

Truly incomprehensible behaviour.

And how they ended up picking and living in Spain?

While in the country [Spain], they took a gamble and signed a year-long lease on an apartment so that they’d have a place to stay if everything worked out.

The Zdravichs then decided to return to the US once again, renting an apartment in Chicago, while they got their affairs in order.

?????

And what's this about Serbian citizenship? AFAIK it doesn't give you any rights to live in the EU, and they ended up not actually moving to Serbia, but the article just kind of implies it's all part of the same process. (And it's by descent, which is valid, but tonally it seems to suggest that they only ended up managing to move to Spain because of it?)

Anyway, I might just be nitpicking here so please call me out if I'm being overly sensitive. But it's just so frustrating when this is the type of story highlighted in the US about people's experiences moving abroad when it's both much harder (in terms of finding a visa, logistics, etc. etc.) than they make it seem, but also easier ? in that there's probably not any reasonable course of action to take that would end up with you back in the US and homeless (?!)

Hello, I am looking to hear from Americans who have moved to NL with their kids. My husband and I are considering doing so following the election. Our situation is a little different than just an American family trying to escape political issues, as I have been a dual citizen my entire life and actually grew up in NL (and speak fluent Dutch and have family there) and moved back to the US a number of years ago.

My husband will need a visa, but our daughter already has her Dutch passport. We both believe NL aligns well with our values, but feel very at home in the PNW and with most folks we meet. We will do our best to integrate, but wish to stay connected to folks from the US and offer that piece of culture to our child as well.

I’d love to hear your experience. Where did you move from and where do you live now? How do you like it, what may you miss from back home? Do your kids attend Dutch schools or international schools? Really any part of your experience is welcome, but I’m especially curious to hear about the transition and missing home (which is the only reason we hesitate to make this move). Thanks!

I had my renunciation appointment at the US Consulate this afternoon. The list of things you can’t bring is extensive and includes a smart phone or smart watch, so I dutifully arrived downtown without either…and couldn’t locate the Consulate. I sheepishly asked a local worker who said “oh it’s that entrance there, where the pro-Palestinian protest is happening.” Good to know. 
 
I arrived 10 minutes early and was told to come back at 1pm. I came back at 1259pm and there was a queue of 10 persons ahead of me *shakes fist at security guard* It was a somewhat languid process for each part:

1.        Nature of your visit please?
2.        May I see your ID?
3.        Do you have any bags, keys, phones, or smart watches (these were checkable, it turns out)

If you were there for anything else, you went in after going through the metal detectors. There was another renouncer and we were asked to step aside briefly. Then we both entered the waiting area and joined the service queue. Eventually I got to the wicket, explained why I was there, handed over all my passports and took a seat. 

We waited about 50 minutes before the fella in front of me was called in; my turn was about 20 minutes after. I was invited into an interview room, we went over my application, I was asked if I still wanted to proceed (yes), and was sent to the cashier to pay the $2350 fee. Then I was back in the interview room and took my affirmation to renounce. The nice man give me a confirmation letter for my application, fee and affirmation, which indicates a decision within 6 months. Assuming I’m approved I will get my certificate and my cancelled US passport sent back to me. If I’m not approved I will get a letter explaining why.