Watching your favorite shows from home when living abroad can be a real pleasure. But an expat’s desire for “Coronation Street” (ITV), “Game of Thrones” (HBO) or “Plus Belle La Vie” (France 3) can be complicated or even not quite entirely legal. The situation isn’t going to get any better for fans of “Auntie”, because, as subscribers were told earlier this week, BBC Global iPlayer shuts down on June 26. Read More »

Expat business travelers take note: While you may be accruing a bounty of valuable frequent flyer miles with your overseas travel, the time you spend in the skies may actually negate your eligibility for the deductions, exclusions and credits that U.S. expats use to offset their U.S. tax liability. Read More »

Sometimes cultural stereotypes – Americans are positive, Africans are warm, and Indians hate aggressive behavior – can actually be useful in helping expats navigate a new world. In his new book about cross-cultural communications, business psychologist Gurnek Bains says that it’s a good idea to “cherchez la difference,” so to speak. Read More »

Sometimes it’s easier to maintain humor about things that happen in foreign countries, where you can write off frustrations as madcap cross-cultural strife. Similar incidents in your home country can leave you simply shaking your head in disgust or seething with anger. Read More »

Europeans may strive to find habits in common with their neighbors, but more often they tend to notice national peculiarities and differences. The French are known for fashion flair, Italians for gestures, and Scandinavians for family-friendly politics. Germans, on the other hand, are known for precision and efficiency. But they, too, can have colorful quirks, and they’re useful to know about as an expat. Read More »

Home is where the heart is. That old adage resonates deeply for expats who rotate through foreign postings around the world. The bonds between parents and children intensify as families settle down in unfamiliar and sometimes unfriendly surroundings. But what happens when your heart graduates from high school and moves “home” for university, leaving globetrotting parents behind? Read More »

As an expat, you are mostly on your own in dealing with crises. You may not have the safety net of friends and family to support you, connect you to resources and provide help during a crisis.  Moving involves changing countries and accompanying complications such as visas, work papers, lack of openings in international schools, limited choices.

Here are a few things to do when you don’t know what to do in the event of an expat crisis. Read More »

International investor Jim Rogers moved his family to Singapore in 2007 so his daughters could learn Chinese and get to know Asia. In an interview, Mr. Rogers discussed why he loves his life in Singapore and doesn’t miss anything about the U.S. Read More »

Expat and writer Sarah Sloat has lived in Germany for many years and managed to adjust to everything, including the country’s restrictive shopping hours, the need to meticulously sort recyclables, and an imperative to drive at maniacal speeds on the highway. But one thing she hasn’t gotten used to is the weekend ritual of coffee and cake, or Kaffee und Kuchen. Read More »

Gracia Angulo moved from Honduras to Jamaica when she was 8, the U.S. when she was 17, France at age 24, and Mexico at 26. The different ages and life stages made for very different expat experiences. Here’s her story and some tips for global nomads like her. Read More »