Making friends and a smooth transition are key to foreign success

There are a great deal of things to sort out when making a permanent move abroad, whether it is for work or retirement. Other than the necessary details with finding a home, arranging expat health insurance and other financial aspects, making friends is also important.
In recent research, figures reveal that European countries are the hardest to make friends in, with all bottom five places taken up by States in the region. In last place was The Netherlands, where only thirty six percent of those surveyed saying they had made friends easily.
Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom were not much better, where only around forty percent said friends were easy to come by. However, both France and Spain were better, with the former just outside the top ten and the latter making up ninth place.
Though settling into the immediate community is important, other problems exist with integrating into a new culture. This is often something that many people do not realise until a week or two into their move.
Culture and language issues, alongside notable lifestyle differences make BRIC countries the most challenging to set up a new life in. In the Middle East and Gulf Arab states too, problems are likely to arise readily, though with an enhanced quality of life, most will pursue their decision and integrate over time.
At Expatriate Healthcare, we understand the challenges that those moving abroad face. Experts in arranging the right expatriate medical insurance, we help our customers get important protection in place before leaving for their new life abroad.