Your top three emigration destinations

[railfan99]

We might all like to move to Necker Island permanently at no cost with no fees ongoing and everything provided: energy and food.

Realistically though, what are your top three nations/ principalities outside of the UK to which you would seriously consider emigrating, assuming you meet any preconditions?

The process might be lengthy with occasional roadblocks, but some find it a good solution provided one can retain links to family and friends (not always easy).

For the record, as an Australian, my top three would be:

1. Austria - costs far less than Switzerland; OBB great, as is scenery. Civilised society. So much to see and do in Europe.

2. Philippines - glorious white sand beaches away from crowded Manila. Best not to live in one of its bigger cities: too much traffic congestion and noisy.

3. England - love going there, but the inheritance tax and moodiness of many Brits can be negatives. Wonderful history. Areas like West Yorkshire are gems.

 

[Sun Chariot]

My wife and I would love to up sticks and move elsewhere.
We're sick of being taxed to the eyeballs, yet seeing "career benefits leeches" - seemingly the majority population in our area - contribute nothing financially and yet given funds for literally everything.
We're worried how UK's violence and crimes will affect our son who, due to significant learning difficulties, needs daily support and care.
We're bored of the abysmal weather every year.

My wife's uncle retired to New Jersey, he absolutely loves it. He has a 7-figure nest egg though.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Having lived in 3 countries i do find it difficult to adapt, there's lots of small things that work differently in other countries that you may not think about such as getting an electricity supplier, grocery shopping, workplace culture, bin collection, opening a bank account.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Australia
Germany
Ireland

 

[deltic]

Ireland
New Zealand
St Helena

 

[Falcon1200]

USA (certain areas only)
Canada
New Zealand

No language difficulties!

 

[1D54]

Another where there would be no language problems but i absolutely cannot stand hot weather so I'd struggle to to get the three required. East Coast USA or NZ then.

 

[SynthD]

French/Italian riviera/Alps but living opposite season, winter on the coast and summer in the cool mountains.

Netherlands if that pair of homes costs too much.

Ireland if the Dutch visa isn’t within reach.

 

[dangie]

England, Scotland, Wales.

I’d guess that if this same question was asked on forums in different parts of the world, most would choose to live somewhere else rather than where they do.

The grass is always greener on the other side is it not? Rarely it is.

 

[D6130]

Italy
Italy
Italy

....but - unfortunately - Brexit has put paid to that idea....so we just have to be content with 'three months on - three months off'.

 

[railfan99]

We're sick of being taxed to the eyeballs, yet seeing "career benefits leeches" - seemingly the majority population in our area - contribute nothing financially and yet given funds for literally everything.

Pardon my lack of knowledge but by that term do you mean someone who's existing on social security payments from the UK government?

 

[Sun Chariot]

Pardon my lack of knowledge but by that term do you mean someone who's existing on social security payments from the UK government?

Absolutely. Local examples -

A family received welfare payment for their gas & electricity; they promptly spent it on an overseas holiday - then bleated that they didn't have money for the rent / heating. So it was paid for them (e.g. a second time) by the welfare system.

The daughter of my wife's first husband, has 6 children by 5 different fathers. Her entire life has been funded by the state. Years ago, she worked just one week at a Primark store; then she announced that "working isn't for her" - and resumed her life on benefits. She pops a new baby at each point she'll be required to look for work.

 

[jfollows]

France
USA (Colorado or California)
Not sure, Italy, Greece, Germany, Spain all fine

I have lived in Colorado for 3+ years, North Carolina for 2+ years, New York & California both for several months.

 

[Acey]

Denmark
Italy
France

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I have family diaspora in Canada and Australia, both very liveable places although less like "home" as time goes by.
Both have huge variations across such big countries.
I enjoyed my time spent in New Zealand although it can also feel "remote".
The one part of the States I felt like living in was the "intermountain west" eg Utah, Idaho - but they all vote for Trump.
Denmark, Sweden and Netherlands would work in Europe I think, maybe Germany, Austria. Not the romance countries, thanks.

I'm long retired so you have to have the resources to live without any help from the state - and possibly no index-linking of your UK pension.
Most countries want young, fit, skilled folk who will work and pay taxes, and not those who are likely to be a draw on public finances.
All my relatives who emigrated are now local citizens - that's very different from the status of "landed immigrant" they started with.
Their children do have dual citizenship of course which is a real advantage these days.

 

[Loppylugs]

I just love Scandinavia - any time of year.

1: Norway
2: Sweden
3: Finland

 

[dorsetdesiro]

Most of the Western world feels unequal, between the elites and have-nots - if you don't have the privilege or connections then forget it.

It can be difficult to read the news without being gaslit when all I want is to check the basic reports of the day, I mean who is Taylor Swift, who I've never heard of but many media outlets headline this person above bigger issues. If I didn't read the news then I wouldn't know of what's happening but I could get caught up in something just because I didn't read the news.

I would be tempted to relocate somewhere less instagrammable & quieter such as the ex-Yugoslav countries & the Visegrad countries as the illegal immigrants passed through them, preferring the more attractive countries up north.

Scandinavia would be very nice as there is a part of Denmark is a real favourite of mine but it would be very expensive to survive there.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

New Zealand
Australia
Malta

All are at last partially Anglophone countries that drive on the left, but with much nicer weather than the UK. Malta loses a few points by not having any railways though!

 

[Farigiraf]

In the event of evacuation due to nuclear war, then my 3 would be
Rockall
Mauritius
Pitcairns

 

[TheSmiths82]

Thanks to Brexit, Ireland is probably the only place I can live. I know things are not all rosy in Ireland, but if Farage ever gets his keys to Number 10 then I would probably move to Ireland if they don't tighten up the rules before then. Scotland is another option, although I think that will remain in the UK for a very long time.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Is New Zealand that great ? (not that I have ever been anywhere near it) - various articles of /on about migrations away from there due to cost and poorer salary options for those who work , as well as the perceived isolation or long way from anywhere , bar Australia of course.

I would certainly consider Vermont or similar, and potentially Spain in selective areas. The latter being good value for money with good health care options both "NHS" and private.

 

[Thirteen]

Australia
Parts of the United States like New York, Chicago or Philly
Canada

I have family in Australia and it's a lovely place to visit but I'm not sure I'd cope in their summer.

 

[75A]

On my retirement we moved from Leicestershire to Ireland, that'll be the last move for us.

 

[3141]

In reality, nowhere, because I'm 84, I have advanced prostate cancer which needs expensive medication to keep it under control, and I want to continue to see my daughter and grandchildren.

But if I were 20 or more years younger, candidate destinations would be Malta, Norway, and Canada. Which part of Canada? Probably Vancouver, but therein lies the issue that I haven't much clue really about where I'd want to go, and making a move abroad, if you're going to be happy there, needs to be carefully investigated to establish whether it's something you really want to do, and not just a romantic dream, like moving to the seaside.

 

[mikeg]

1. Ireland - if simply because of the various agreements in place which makes it easy and the fact it's still in the EU - have seriously considered this one were it not for the cost of housing on the rental market I may well have already lept.
2. Netherlands is the country I would most love to live in, but immigration from outside the EU appears tricky.
3. Germany is pretty cool and I've always liked it too.

I wouldn't really want to live in a country where I couldn't at least speak some of the language, but pick up bits of languages quickly. I speak a bit of Dutch and a little more German to the extent I'd probably cope 'everyday' though holding down a job might be trickier.

Really don't see the attraction of Aus/NZ/Canada in general, they're a bit far away, too culturally similar and too insular at the same time for my liking.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jun 2024 ==

My wife and I would love to up sticks and move elsewhere.
We're sick of being taxed to the eyeballs, yet seeing "career benefits leeches" - seemingly the majority population in our area - contribute nothing financially and yet given funds for literally everything.
We're worried how UK's violence and crimes will affect our son who, due to significant learning difficulties, needs daily support and care.
We're bored of the abysmal weather every year.

My wife's uncle retired to New Jersey, he absolutely loves it. He has a 7-figure nest egg though.

Ironic given that the UK has a significantly less generous welfare state than most European countries, when we were in the EU for example I read that only Estonia provides a lower level of jobseekers allowance. Perhaps you should focus your ire more on the amount lost to tax evasion, which is far greater. And don't go the USA if you're worried about crime, much less anywhere in Africa or Asia barring perhaps Singapore. And of course your son needs care, maybe you should think about how he will cope as an adult - in particular as an adult when you're not there - before you bash the welfare state. Or is it the case that only poor people in his situation are leeches?
I'd personally emigrate to get away from people like you. As an autistic adult with mental health difficulties, I struggled severely to persuade anyone to employ me for the first couple of years after graduation. Even then after doing odd jobs for years only then did I land a stable job. But no, I matter less and should be condemned to poverty. And you know one of the things that hindered me getting a job? Scepticism towards those who don't have a job already was one of them. Maybe you should put down the Daily Mail (owned by rootless cosmopolitan elites) and talk to people in these situations, try to understand their hardships. There are those who game the system. But those who game other systems cost us more.

 

[Sorcerer]

I'm unlikely to migrate anywhere in the foreseeable future, and I am quite happy living in the UK, but I wouldn't rule it out as a long term goal should things take a big enough turn for me. Personally my top three choices would be:

1. Switzerland - Beautiful landscape, high quality of life, incredible railway network, and I quite like a more introverted culture. I can definitely get on board with grumbling about neighbours making noise past 10pm.
2. Norway - Similarly beautiful landscape and high quality of life, but also with the Scandinavian support network along with easier access to the northern lights.
3. New Zealand - Again, beautiful landscape, and also without a language barrier and culturally similar to the UK in some ways. The isolation could be a deal breaker for me here though.

Honourable mention to Monaco because, while I feel like it's more realistic than Necker Island, I will probably have to do exceptionally well for myself to consider living here, and my choices are already expensive enough as it is. I would not say no to Qatar or the UAE either, but I'd still pick the UK over them based on civil liberties afforded to me here, plus the sand and the heat. Definitely wouldn't be easy getting used to the sand and the heat.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Perhaps you should focus your ire more on the amount lost to tax evasion, which is far greater.

My post #12 gives two real examples.

My wife unearthed worrying stats that, in our borough, more people live on benefits than work. More people take money out of the system, than contribute into it.
These same people wear their "career benefits" lifestyle as a badge of honour; openly mocking those of us who work and own a home.
My wife and I cannot accept a UK model where we are paying half our work income, to fund a majority which does not and has no intention of contributing to it.

 

[mikeg]

Do you have access to this data?
I'd like to see it. Also just what area do you live in? Also anecdotes != Data. I wasn't disputing that there are a few who game the system.

What borough is it? Some areas from the UK still suffer structural unemployment. If the work isn't widely available for all manners of people in sufficient quantities...

Also the level of things such as disability varies greatly in the UK, usually higher in less affluent areas simply because those in that position can seldom afford elsewhere. This can then feed on itself, it's basic economics

Also you haven't addressed most of my points .

 

[DerekC]

I'm too old - but Vancouver, British Columbia wins hands down. Copenhagen, Denmark second. Haven't got a third!

 

[Sun Chariot]

And of course your son needs care, maybe you should think about how he will cope as an adult - in particular as an adult when you're not there - before you bash the welfare state.

Indeed. Our son is 22 and his cognitive development will (as medically assessed) never exceed 5-6 years old; and he has dyspraxia and low functioning autism. He is a lovely lad, but dealt a cruel blow at birth.
It took us several months to secure Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for him.

Yes, he will need to go into full time care - but the waiting list where we live, is 5 years; and - because we work and own our home, rather than live on benefits in rented accommodation - we will need to find £2k per week. If we were on benefits, it'll all be paid for us

But I digress from the OP's topic

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Jun 2024 ==

Do you have access to this data?
I'd like to see it. Also just what area do you live in? Also anecdotes != Data. I wasn't disputing that there are a few who game the system.

My wife sought a Freedom Of Information request on Hampshire Council