Community Blogs

Tokyo, Japan

• Feb 24

Your first week in Japan will be a whirlwind of getting started with renting or buying a home, opening a bank account, and setting up utilities. In addition ...

tokyolife

Lisbon, Portugal

• Feb 24

As you plan your big move to Portugal, you might be considering bringing your family along. In many cases, a family member is allowed to join you if you’re stud...

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

• Feb 24

No car needed in PDC: Walking (5th Ave), bicycles (flat terrain), colectivos (45 pesos Cancun/Tulum every 10-15min), taxis (40-100 pesos). Car ownership = parking hassles, traffic, costs.

carlosmendoza

Warsaw, Poland

• Feb 24

Pan Tadeusz is Poland's national epic - a 10,000-line poem every Pole memorizes. Written in 1834 exile, it defines Polish identity. Essential cultural knowledge for expats.

jamesmitchell

Global, Global

• Feb 23

When physically moving your belongings abroad, there are three options available: leave with nothing, leave with something, or relocate all of your furniture an...

The Expat Collective

Pretoria, South Africa

• Feb 23

South Africa has a sizable expat population, many of whom have settled in the country with no plans to return to their home country or move elsewhere. Long-term...

Warsaw, Poland

• Feb 23

Polish beer culture spans from Żywiec Jasne Pełne lager (brewed with pure spring water) to legendary Żywiec Porter and a thriving craft scene reviving historical styles like Grodziskie smoked wheat beer - part of 1,000+ years of brewing tradition.

jamesmitchell

Paris, France

• Feb 23

Opening a bank account in France will make local payments easier if you are living and working in France. For some transactions, such as renting or buying Frenc...

olivia

Global, GLOBAL

• Feb 23

Investing Money Abroad WiselyFinancial experts confirm that expats can build successful long-term capital growth portfolios combining capital-protected plans an...

The Expat Collective

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

• Feb 23

Best: ADO bus ($13-16, 1 hr) for budget, private shuttle ($50-80, 45 min) for groups. Taxi is $60-90. Cancun to PDC is 68 km.

carlosmendoza

Warsaw, Poland

• Feb 23

In 1802, 5,280 Polish soldiers were sent to suppress Haiti's revolution but many defected after witnessing slavery, fighting alongside revolutionaries instead. Dessalines declared Polish allies would be Black citizens with full rights-an extraordinary 1804 act of racial solidarity. Learn about their descendants in Cazale today.

jamesmitchell

Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Feb 22

Healthcare in the Netherlands: What Actually WorksHonestly, when I arrived in the Netherlands, I was nervous about healthcare. Healthcare systems in different c...

Warsaw, Poland

• Feb 22

Polish White Eagle: crowned white eagle on red, dating to Lech's legend (~960 AD). Communists removed crown 1944-1990. Restored immediately after communism fell as sovereignty symbol.

jamesmitchell

Warsaw, Poland

• Feb 22

The Catholic Church survived communism in Poland because 95% of Poles stayed Catholic. Pope John Paul II's 1979 visit sparked Solidarity and ended communist rule by 1989.

jamesmitchell

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

• Feb 22

When moving to Luxembourg, you might consider buying somewhere to live. However, properties in Luxembourg can be very expensive, so it’s important to think care...

Thomas W