The increasing popularity of expatriation

Obviously, any expatriation means life changes and the opportunity to start a new existence, far removed from the usual routine. The reasons may vary but in all cases going to live abroad “unavoidably involves huge changes to everyday life”, especially as a result of cultural changes. Gone are the customs of the country of origin and here come adventures and new challenges!

Of course, when the whole family is going abroad, everyone is part of the adventure. This presents a great opportunity to your partner and children as they’ll be able to take advantage of this major change to adapt to a new environment and a new culture.

Today in France, more than one employee in three wants to experience life as an expatriate and perhaps even settle permanently outside their country of origin. Expatriation allows employees to discover other ways of working and to be able to capitalize on their experience abroad once they return home. Generally speaking, experience of working abroad is appreciated by recruiters who see it as demonstrating a certain open-mindedness.

Expatriation almost always means learning a new language and, with “total immersion”, learning is made much easier. Besides the language, it’s also an opportunity for you to get to know new people and expand your network of friends.

Some countries offer financial advantages to expatriates, as in the case of Portugal, with, on top of that, significant tax benefits for French seniors (exemption from pension tax if the pensioner spends at least 183 days a year in Portugal). So, some expatriates see expatriation as a way of reducing their tax bill and benefiting from tax advantages.