Trending Countries for American Expatriates in Early 2024
You’re listening to the international moving podcast your guide to moving to another country brought to you by SDC international shipping LA’s finest an international move is exciting it’s a time to start over establish a new business maybe reestablish family ties or retire where your budget will do more
For you please enjoy today’s episode and if you have any questions about your International move give us a call at 888779935 62 that’s 888 779 3962 all right welcome back everyone this is Jim for SDC international shipping thank you for joining me for today’s podcast episode it’s good to
Have you here it’s good to be here with you today we’re going to look into some of the top countries Americans are moving and relocating to right now in 2024 we talked about this quite a bit in 2023 we looked at many different countries we talked about the cost of
Living we talked about the moving process and everything in between but right now here we are It’s a Brand New Year it’s an election year there’s a lot of things up in the air people have quite a few concerns but that doesn’t keep them from moving internationally the international relocation process of
Course sometimes it’s more it’s busier than others but the relocation process is alive and well and yes there are American am an leaving the us right now in favor of maybe some greener pastures at least in their particular situations and the countries they’re looking at some of the top ones as of this
Recording are Mexico Canada Portugal and the Netherlands and these countries are really popular right now in 2024 due to various factors such as job opportunities quality of life ease of relocation Mexico for example is a attractive for its climate and its proximity to the us as well as having
Affordable Health Care Canada is known for its uh safety health and overall quality of life Portugal offers a high quality of life economic growth political stability making it a desirable destination for an increasing number of American expats the Netherlands I know someone who not personally but I know of them who
Recently located there really enjoys it the Netherlands has a stable economy low unemployment rates and they offer a special program for us entrepreneurs and investors to obtain residency other popular countries for American expats of course we can name countries like Spain Greece Thailand and the reasons for relocation vary from things like work
Opportunities to Lifestyle style preferences such as climate or maybe even just cultural experiences those are the things that people are looking for now if you’re an American you’re moving to Portugal you have to secure a Portuguese residency permit if you plan to stay for 90 days 90 days is a great
Way to get started though 90 days gives you enough time to see what’s going on at maybe several different locations get a feel for what different are are like and see if it’s something that 90 days out if you find yourself thinking I wish I could have stayed another 90 days
Sometimes we look at a place but we look at it from a distance and it’s not until we spend some time there that we recognize whether or not it’s going to be a good long-term fit for us or not so you can look at a place like Portugal
And the temporary residency permit can be obtained through several ways such as find finding work uh in the country for a Portuguese employer or enrolling in a long-term course of studies or marrying a Portuguese citizen or investing in the Portugal’s economy so the temporary residence permit is valid for a year and
It can be renewed for up to 5 years then after five consecutive years of temporary residence it’s possible to apply for a permanent residence permit uh in Portugal now to apply for a residency permit let’s just talk about Portugal right now because there’s several countries I want to touch on
Mexico Canada Portugal and the Netherlands but let’s let’s keep focusing on Portugal as long as we’re here so if you want to apply for a residency permit you have to submit a visa application form to a Portuguese Embassy or a Portuguese consulate here in the United States and the following
Documents are required you need two passport photographs you need valid uh passport and copies of your previous visas you need a copy of your return ticket reservation depending on your nationality you need travel insurance with shenen area coverage um I don’t know if we’re have
Enough time to get into that in too much detail but you also need the flight dates and times your accommodation plans for the duration of your stay proof of sufficient funds for the duration of your stay you know they don’t want somebody who’s going to spend the last
Time getting there and then thinking they’re going to be uh supported by the uh by Portugal you know there’s people that come over here to the United States and they cross the border illegally it’s a big thing right now and they don’t have the sufficient funds to take care
Of themselves here they are literally in survival mode I know it’s a controversial topic but you’re really gambling with your life if you’re going to try and go to another country the us or anywhere else with the hopes that when you get there that you’re at the
Mercy of uh the charity of that country so that’s one of the reasons why when we’re talking about relocating to another country we’re talking about doing it legally and all the things which these countries require and you can understand why they require these things because your Society the
Infrastructure can only handle um so many people and as far as poverty goes every country has a level of poverty in it some more than others and so a portion of the resources of that country of course is going to be dedicated to helping their own okay let’s go on a
Little bit further so you need uh proof of civil status proof Pro of economic status and you may need to show Extra documentation for example students may need to show proof of enrollment in a Portuguese college or institution and there’s various Portugal Visa options available depending on your
Circumstances and whatever it is that you happen to be looking for so there’s a Portugal gold Visa there is a D7 Visa also known as a passive income Visa there’s also a d8 Visa also known as the Portugal digital Nomad visa and the the digital Nomad visas are very popular
Because there’s quite a few young people that are spending several months in one country several months in the next and while they’re working online they’re experiencing traveling throughout the world it’s a different type of lifestyle and uh it especially suits those who are younger but I’m I’m sure there’s people
Who are 50 plus maybe living this kind of Lifestyle also just looking to do the things they weren’t able to do maybe when they were a little bit younger but if you have money the golden visa and the D7 Visa are the most suitable uh visas especially if you’re considered
Fall into that c category of wealthy so the D7 visa for people with a stable uh passive income would be especially suitable if you’re American and you’re looking to retire in Portugal so again that’s the D7 visa and it requires proof of sufficient funds so for example if
You’re getting a social security check and maybe several other check monthly checks that you get you just have to show proof that those checks are going to be deposited in a bank in your name every single month so that’s looking at Portugal Portugal is a beautiful country
I have friends who are Portuguese I grew up with people from uh close around uh in my neighborhood who were from Portugal beautiful country and um Portugal like Spain has seen an incredible influx of uh expats not just from the United States but from all over the
World and so yeah there’s such a thing as the Portuguese and Spanish people not really and even the Mexican people for uh that matter a little bit concerned about the number of people who are moving into their country specifically because the more people that move there
Then the more uh burden it puts on the infrastructure of those countries and so that just goes with anywhere else we can be talking about when people move from a popular state to a less popular state because it has a lower cost of living and um cheaper overhead all of those
Things but if enough people move there then all of those things can disappear quickly now let’s talk about job opportunities for an American that may decide that they want to relocate to Canada so right now Canada has a shortage of workers across various Industries and professions some
Of the most in demand occupations in Canada include accountants teachers scientists doctors lawyers economists and Engineers now Additionally the healthcare sector in Canada is actively seeking professionals uh due to the Aging population such as we’re talking about roles such as um Cardiology technologists and technicians respiratory therapists audiologists
Those people that work with people who are hard of hearing uh medical laboratory technicians and other sectors with job opportunities for expats including Americans would include areas in technology business business analysis account accountants which I already mentioned Business Consultants and then in the manufacturing sector we have
Things like truck drivers welders so to secure employment in Canada if you’re from America you need to familiarize yourself with the Canadian job market you can do this online uh you can do this by talking to people of course Canada is just our neighbor right to the
North there’s plenty of Canadians in the United States through throughout the year some of them are visiting here on family they’re visiting on vacations some of them stay here several months out of the year um and uh I’ve met quite a few people from Canada of course I’m
Sure if you’re here in the US especially if you’re in a place like California or Florida uh New York you probably met quite a few Canadians already Northeast but um the the Canadian lifestyle is a little different I would say it’s more laidback a lot of the Canadians of
Course wherever you grow up you become used to that and especially younger people today even in my time they were always we were always looking for change wherever we grew up we wanted to get away from that place we wanted to see other places have different kinds of experiences and we’re seeing that
Happening on a global scale today where people want to leave countries and experience life in another country but uh Canada has been one of those places where Canadians for many years have come to the US and now I I see a reverse of the trend where Americans are looking to
Go there specifically for um career opportunities like the ones that I just mentioned so but you do need to fam familiarize yourself with the Canadian job market you need to understand the recruitment process and then identify any skill gaps that you may need to address it’s also important to note that
Aob job offer alone doesn’t Grant anyone the legitimate right to work in Canada because a work permit is required and gaining uh Canadian work experience can definitely help improve your resume and the potential for uh improved or permanent residency improved work conditions improved um job opportunities but there is a program
Called the Canadian EXP experience class or the CC and that’s a program to help people qualify for permanent residency so okay let’s keep going now if we want to look at let’s talk about the Netherlands the Netherlands in particular I want to focus to begin with the average cost of living the average
Cost of living for the Netherlands right now in February of 2024 is $1,835 per month for a single person which is about 25% less expensive than it is the United States now if you’re living in a place like in California or in New York of course that 1,800 is not
An accurate figure we’re talking about the average cost of living in the Netherlands and the United States actually I should have said the average cost of living here in the United States for a single person is $2,434 right now as of this recording it’s $1 1835 in in the Netherlands but
$2,400 a month would make it almost impossible to survive as a single person in a New York City in a Los Angeles California so again we’re talking averages here so a single person that’s that does seem now I live in Florida but I think it depends on what
Your situation is some of you have vehicles that are already paid for so you don’t have a monthly expense with that um some of you have higher health insurance than others so that 2400 would dis it’s not realistic in your situation in other words at the average cost but
The average cost of living in a specific City like am Amsterdam is roughly 2300 and change per month for a single person and that does make it one of the more expensive cities to live in right now the cost of living in the Netherlands is more expensive
Than um 82% of the countries in the world right now and so if we look at the average cost of rent a one-bedroom apartment in Amsterdam would be about $1,521 according to the latest data which is less expensive than the average monthly rent for a one bedro room
Apartment in the United States and again we’re talking about averages which is 1626 now $1,626 won’t even buy a closet probably in a New York City or a Los Angeles so again keep in mind we’re talking about averages now food basic lunchtime menus in the business district cost around €16
In the Netherlands while it’s about $18 in the United States lunchtime menu in a business district of course a little more expensive there than it would be in a more rural area uh utilities the average monthly cost for utilities like gas and electricity is about 20 26% less
Expensive this says right now in the Netherlands than it is in the United States so these figures of course they’re going to vary based on the city based on your personal lifestyle but they provide a general overview of the cost of living in the Netherlands compared with the United States and
Americans are relocating to the Netherlands of course for various reasons one of the top ones happens to be employment opportunities followed by high quality of life and the country’s International atmosphere the most popular destination for Americans in the Netherlands is Amsterdam it’s known for its Cosmopolitan atmosphere Spirit it
Has a rich cultural life there and a very large International Community the city’s um has a convenient location it’s really the heart of Europe Amsterdam is really considered to be kind of located in the heart of Europe and it has a strong job market particularly in the
Sectors such as healthc care it and technology so it’s an attractive destination for a lot of people Additionally the Netherlands is known for a high standard of living and a very good work life balance which is something that’s appealing to an increasing number of people uh not to mention expats now the relocation
Process to the Netherlands involves obtaining of course the necessary visas and residence permits finding housing registering with local authorities potentially learning Dutch maybe a little bit about the Dutch culture and so the people that I know that are located there now say that and they’re not located in Amsterdam they’re located
In more of a rural area so they find it very inexpensive they find that most people understand English so there’s not a problem with that they have they’re there for I believe um 12 to 24 months and they’re coming back to the US and they’re looking at it as kind of the digital
Nomad approach but with the intent on spending a little bit of a longer time there but the reloc ation process again is like it is with any other country but if you’re looking at an Amsterdam you have to realize that if you’re going after that higher quality of life and
The better work life balance which a lot of people believe is missing here in the United States especially a lot of Europeans say that who come here from there to here is that the pace of life is much faster here more focus is on the person’s identity based on what they do
What they produce what type of work they’re involved with whereas that’s less so or less important or there’s less of a focus on that in many of these countries including the Netherlands but if you’re moving to the Netherlands typically you’re going to obtain a residency permit uh which is often going to be
Linked to some kind of employment there US citizens do not need a Dutch uh longstay Visa also known as the mvv to enter the Netherlands so they can submit their residency permit application directly to Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Services also known as the IND so the process involves finding
A job in the Netherlands obtaining a work permit and then collecting the necessary documents for residents permit application that includes things like a valid US Passport having a clean criminal record and proof that you have uh sufficient means of sustenance that you can afford to be there and The
Residency permit is usually issued for work for studies or for family reunification purposes it’s valid for a maximum of five years with the possibility of renewal and after obtaining the permit the individuals must register at the Dutch municipality in order to obtain a citizen service number also known as the BS
And that number is necessary for working and opening a bank account in the Netherlands I guess it’s kind of like the social security number that we have here in the United States so we looked at a few different countries today we looked at Mexico our neighbor to the
South we looked at Canada our neighbor to the north we looked at the Netherlands these countries are very popular right now for international relocations from people leaving the United States I’m sure that will remain for at least several more months maybe throughout the new year there’s a lot of
Popular destinations today I have to say not just for people moving from the US but from people moving worldwide so when you’re ready to take the next step just realize that we’re here at SDC international shipping to help you do exactly that you can visit our website at SDC International shipping.com you
Can call our toll-free number if you want we have a free form so that you can receive a free quote online just put in where you’re moving from where you’re moving to we have the form on every single page hit the next button fill out the information and at the end you’ll be
Able to receive a free quote and just know that you are working with and will be working with a very experienced company that’s made up of Seasons seasoned logistic professionals experienced Packers and movers and administrative Specialists all of these individuals work together because we strive to provide the kind of moving
Experience for each and every person that is as seamless and as hassle-free as possible we understand the specifics of each country and have a specialist for that country that understands customs and procedures inside out they know what type of paperwork is needed what they focus on what they don’t focus
On what they allow and what they don’t allow so you’re not just moving with working with a moving company you’re working with a partner who can help you with a a lot of things involved in the entire moving process so you’ll receive an accurate estimate let me just mention
Here that SDC understands that every move every individual’s needs are different and so an estimate will be built around your needs you won’t have to buy or pay for more than you actually need your shipments are tracked you don’t have to worry about that storage is available on both sides of the move
If you need to store some things here temporarily or some things at your destination temporarily because maybe that residence is not available yet and you’re going to be kind of in an in between state for some time just know that all of those things are available if you have any questions about
International moving regulations we can help you with that if you have nice furniture you want to take with you all your furniture will be prepared beforehand properly wrapped all fragile items are taken care of we don’t have to worry about any of that SDC has moved very uh expensive art pieces Gallery Museum
Pieces um high-end posan which is a service in and of itself you’ll be uh you’ll have professional Packers in other words taking care of that for you so you don’t have to worry about it of course insurance is available maybe some of your items are going by sea some are
Coming by air maybe some will even be going cross Land by truck but there are insurances available for whatever you need and uh just know that SDC international shipping will be there for you each step of the way and then at the end of course people will follow up to
Make sure that everything went smoothly that there weren’t any problems and if there is anything that needs to be resolved you won’t be just left hanging SDC international shipping is there for you from the beginning all through the middle of the process and and right through the very end so I think that’ll
Do it for today’s episode as always thank you for listening if you know anyone who you think would enjoy this podcast about International moving looking at different countries what makes them unique the process and so forth please share the link of this podcast or to this podcast with them we
Really appreciate it there’s so much noise out there today we really do appreciate when you share this podcast with others or even the links to our website because it makes it possible for us to reach people who would otherwise be very difficult to reach so thanks
Again for listening I hope you enjoy the episode and I will see you next week in next week’s episode we hope you enjoyed today’s episode thanks for listening whether you’re relocating within the country or moving to the other side of the world we’re here to help from start to finish
Connect with us today at 888 77939 62 that’s 888 779 3962
In today’s episode, we’ll look at the top countries Americans are relocating to in early 2024. We’ll take an in-depth look at popular destinations such as Mexico, Canada, Portugal, and the Netherlands, discussing the factors driving this trend, including job opportunities, quality of life, and ease of relocation. We’ll also talk about the specific requirements for moving to these countries, including visa applications, residency permits, and the cost of living.
And finally, we’ll talk about the services and support offered by SDC International Shipping for anyone considering an international move.
For more information, please visit – https://www.sdcinternationalshipping.com