Community Blogs

Pretoria, South Africa

• Jan 25

If you are moving to South Africa, housing is going to be top of your list of things to do. The variety of housing in South Africa reflects the country’s wid...

Rachel Ndlovu

47

Ottawa, Canada

• Jan 25

Tax can be a complicated topic, but it’s important to understand – especially if you’re moving to a new country. You’ll need to learn about your tax responsi...

Nathan Hargrove

42

Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Jan 25

Foreigners can open Dutch business accounts with KVK registration. Compare ING (€9.90/mo), ABN AMRO (€11.50/mo), Finom (free plan), and Revolut Business (free plan). Fintech providers open accounts in hours; traditional banks take 1-3 weeks.

James Van Der Berg

77

Tokyo, Japan

• Jan 25

If you’re living and working in Japan, you’ll likely need to pay income tax. Calculating your tax (税金) burden can be complicated, especially since the Japane...

Sarah Tanaka

47

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

• Jan 25

Non-residents can get an RFC tax ID for Playa del Carmen rentals without Mexican residency. Register as "Non-Resident With Income in Mexico" through local accountants (3,000-8,000 pesos/month).

Rachel Chen

69

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

• Jan 25

Ship to UAE via sea freight (US$2-4/kg, 5-10 weeks) or air freight (US$4-8/kg, 1-3 days). Sea freight is 12-16x cheaper, ideal for household goods and furniture.

Aisha Rahman

46

Lisbon, Portugal

• Jan 24

Portugal Golden Visa requires €500,000 fund investment or €250,000 heritage preservation, offering five-year renewable residence permits with citizenship pathways.

Maria Santos

35

Canberra, Australia

• Jan 24

Australian banks require ID, TIN, visa info, and local address for accounts taking 2-5 days to open, necessary for salary, bills, and building credit history.

James O'Connor

63

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

• Jan 24

Mexican license needed for gas scooter if permanent resident; temp residents use home license BUT insurance may deny claims. Electric scooters need NO license/plates (treated like bikes).

Rachel Chen

49

Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Jan 24

Opening a Dutch bank account requires BSN, identification, and proof of residence, taking 2-5 business days with traditional banks or hours with mobile banks.

James Van Der Berg

46

Global, Global

• Jan 23

Global mobility challenges include compliance (biggest risk), cost containment (70% reducing costs), and family adjustment, with only 61% preparing full cost estimates for assignments.

The Expat Collective

36

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

• Jan 23

Open Mexican bank accounts without local phone at HSBC, Kapital, or Banamex (with workarounds). However, Mexican number highly recommended for SMS security codes and fraud alerts. SIM costs 50-100 pesos.

Rachel Chen

39

Mexico City, Mexico

• Jan 23

Get Mexican health insurance through public IMSS (6,000-12,000 pesos/year) or private options (15,000-60,000 pesos/year). IMSS offers low-cost comprehensive coverage; private provides faster English-speaking care.

Miguel Hernandez

58

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

• Jan 23

Luxembourg requires compulsory third-party car insurance (€500/year) with comprehensive at €1,500, offering generous no-claims bonuses up to 55% over thirteen years.

Thomas Weber

46

Moscow, Russia

• Jan 22

Russian banking includes 350 supervised banks with cash transactions dropping to 31% as digital payments via Visa, Mastercard, and Mir networks expand.

Natasha Volkov

41