Planning a Move in 2023? Here Are Europe's Best Countries for Expats to Live In (2023)

FAQs

Which European country is best for American expat? ›

If you can handle the cold, Germany and the Netherlands are two of the most popular countries for expats, both offering international communities and unique residency options. Switzerland: Although many European countries offer a better quality of life than the U.S., Switzerland takes the cake.

What is the easiest country in Europe for an American to move to? Each country has its own stipulations regarding visas and immigration. Portugal has a straightforward Golden Visa investment program, making it one of the most popular countries for citizens of America to move to.

Switzerland. Switzerland tops many lists of best countries to live in thanks to its excellent quality of life, picturesque countryside and excellent education and health care systems that apply to expats and locals alike.

So, where do American expats go? The majority of U.S. citizens living abroad can be found in our neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico. That being said, hundreds of thousands of Americans have successfully ventured to faraway countries such as the Phillipines, Italy, and South Korea.

Most European countries have difficult paths to residency but don't worry, there are still plenty of countries with long-term living options. There are 16 European countries that are easiest for U.S. citizens to move to, including popular destinations like Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany and Estonia.

The easiest country for obtaining a residence permit in Europe is Portugal. There are options like a D7 visa for financially independent persons, a StartUp visa, a visa for retired persons, and the Golden Visa for investors.

Sweden. Sweden is the top country in 2022 best quality of life rankings.

With a valid U.S. passport, you can stay up to 90 days for tourism or business during any 180-day period. Do not overstay! You must wait an additional 90 days before applying to re-enter the Schengen area. To stay longer than 90 days, you must have a visa.

Where can a US citizen not travel? ›

The only destination where it is forbidden for US citizens to travel to is North Korea, due to its closed border status for both US citizens and citizens of other countries.

However, international moving costs are more than a plane ticket; your expenses can include moving services, visa and immigration fees, temporary housing, expat health insurance, and potentially storage. The average cost of international moving is approximately $1000 to $10,000 USD.

European countries such as Portugal, Spain, Cyprus and Malta are considered some of the best places to retire abroad for their affordable and efficient healthcare systems. With their public and private healthcare, they provide plenty of successful options to stay healthy.

Germany is the No. 1 most common country of residence in the Expat Insider 2022 survey, with more than 900 expats responding. Germany ranks No. 15 for quality of life, in the top 10 for safety and in the top 20, health & well-being and environment/climate.

What is Europe's most friendly country? The results are in and, according to the 12,000 people who took the survey, Portugal ranks top of all European countries when it comes to friendliness. The Iberian Peninsula also ranked highly in the 'feeling at home' category, coming in second.

Costa Rica performs well in the Quality of Life Index (14th), coming in second place worldwide for personal happiness — just behind Mexico (1st). All things considered, 88% of expats in Costa Rica are happy with their life (vs.

Key Takeaways. Overall, Europe has a lower cost of living due to lower healthcare expenses, a weakening euro currency, and low inflation. Europeans, however, tend to pay more of their income to taxes, and average wages tend to be lower than in America.

International real estate businesses release data every day showing a growing interest from American buyers, particularly concerning Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain, among others, that offer special deals for golden visas, digital-nomad visas, green visas and lower-cost housing.

Why are so many Americans moving to Europe? ›

As Bloomberg frames it: “More Americans are relocating to Europe, driven across the Atlantic by the rising cost of living, inflated house prices, a surging dollar and political rancor at home.”

Key Takeaways

Bermuda, Monaco, the Bahamas, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are four countries that do not have personal income taxes. If you renounce your U.S. citizenship, you may end up paying a tax penalty called an expatriation tax.

Sweden. Sweden has some of the most permissive citizenship regulations in Europe, with no language requirements for new Swedes and only a five-year residency time required to become a Swedish citizen.

Costa Rica

And you don't need to go broke while living and working there, because Costa Rica is one of the cheapest countries to live in for Americans.

Many countries allow you to acquire permanent residency or citizenship. You can become a permanent resident via investments, marriage, naturalisation, etc. Some easiest countries to get citizenship to include Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, Thailand, Australia and Ireland.

Portugal is the easiest European country to buy property in. Those who wish to purchase property in Europe can purchase commercial property under Portugal's Golden Visa scheme.

1. Ireland. Countless global reports have continually dubbed the people of Ireland as some of the friendliest and most welcoming to visitors in the world, and our readers feel the same; voting it into the top spot for the friendliest countries in Europe.

Political stability - Country rankings

The average for 2021 based on 45 countries was 0.55 points. The highest value was in Liechtenstein: 1.64 points and the lowest value was in Turkey: -1.1 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2021.

Where Americans are moving. In 2022, hundreds of thousands of people moved to Florida, Texas, North Carolina and other Southern and Western states. But some states, including California and New York, lost residents. Net migration by population change.

No Longer Can One Lose U.S. Citizenship By Living in Another Country. At this time, no penalties exist if a naturalized U.S. citizen simply goes to live in another country. This is a distinct benefit of U.S. citizenship, since green card holders can have their status taken away for "abandoning" their U.S. residence.

Can I move to Europe without a job? ›

Yes, it is possible to move to Europe without a job! The process won't be the easiest one, but if you really want to move to Europe, then that should motivate you to get through the harder parts without giving up.

7 on the list, last year's Global Citizen Solutions Global Passport Index named the U.S. passport the world's most powerful based on its ranking of investment, quality of life and enhanced mobility indices in 2022.

This year sees Japan crowned number one for the fifth consecutive year, with Japanese citizens now able to visit 193 destinations out of 227 countries visa-free. South Korean and Singaporean passports are tied for second place with a visa-free score of 192.

The United States passport currently ranks 7th in terms of travel freedom (tied with the passports of Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the Czech Republic) according to the Henley Passport Index. It is also ranked 3rd by the Global Passport Power Rank.

If you want to move to Europe, you'll need a visa. Visas are country-specific, so checking which one is required for your destination is essential. You'll also want to get familiar with the non-permanent travel guidelines for the country you're settling in.

Overview of American migratory demography (2005-2019)

American emigration to Europe totalled 3,6 million people in 2005, and 5 million in 2019, whereas Americans emigrating to other countries counted 29,3 million people in 2005 and 40 million people in 2019.

Can I Collect Social Security if I Live Outside the U.S.? If you are a U.S. citizen and qualify for Social Security retirement, family, survivor or disability benefits, you can receive your payments while living in most other countries.

What is the cheapest and safest country to retire? Portugal is one of the cheapest and safest countries to retire.

If you can handle the cold, Germany and the Netherlands are two of the most popular countries for expats, both offering international communities and unique residency options. Switzerland: Although many European countries offer a better quality of life than the U.S., Switzerland takes the cake.

Where does the US rank in best countries to live? ›

Mexico is the easiest nation to adapt to as an expat, boasting a vibrant social scene and friendly local residents. Australia ranks second globally in the Work Abroad Index, which measures expats' overall career satisfaction. Vietnam takes first place as a destination where your finances are likely to go a long way.

Admiring the view in Azenhas do Mar, Portugal—one of the countries making it easy for Americans to ... [+] Portugal consistently tops lists of the best places for expats to live, and in fact, the number of Americans living in Portugal rose 45% in 2021, according to government data.

The happiest countries in the world tend to be Nordic, with Finland ranking the happiest country for the fifth year in a row. Denmark and Sweden took second and third place.

Tavira, Portugal

Unspoiled, golden-sand beaches that stretch for miles are a short boat ride away from Tavira's center. Portugal is one of the easiest countries in Europe to retire because of the low financial threshold of about 1,200 euros per month required to qualify for residency.

1. Ireland. Countless global reports have continually dubbed the people of Ireland as some of the friendliest and most welcoming to visitors in the world, and our readers feel the same; voting it into the top spot for the friendliest countries in Europe.

Key Takeaways. Overall, Europe has a lower cost of living due to lower healthcare expenses, a weakening euro currency, and low inflation. Europeans, however, tend to pay more of their income to taxes, and average wages tend to be lower than in America.

Sweden. Sweden has some of the most permissive citizenship regulations in Europe, with no language requirements for new Swedes and only a five-year residency time required to become a Swedish citizen.

1. Savannah, Georgia. Earning the top spot among the friendliest cities in the U.S., Savannah made quite an impression on travelers this past year. It's hard to say what exactly makes the locals here so happy.

What European countries can Americans move to? ›

Spain and Portugal are expat favorites and offer easy paths to residency. The Netherlands and Germany are relatively good options for freelancers and those who are self-employed. Tips For More Difficult Countries: Some of the most difficult countries to move to are Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland.

As Bloomberg frames it: “More Americans are relocating to Europe, driven across the Atlantic by the rising cost of living, inflated house prices, a surging dollar and political rancor at home.”