The 12 most common expat problems

The 12 most common expat problems

We list the 12 most common expat problems. The problems fall into three main areas: relationships, money and culture shock

Over the past year we have used our Expat Survey to collect advice for expats and their loved ones, most popularly 8 Tips You Should Know Before You Go and 6 Things Not to Say to an Expat.

Here we list the 12 most common expat problems InterNations'widerExpat Insider Survey.

The respondents –14,000 of 1.9 million InterNations members worldwide – identified problems that broadly fall into three main problem areas: relationships, money and culture shock. We discuss these topics below before looking at the 12 problems themselves.

The 12 most common expat problems

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relationships

The biggest problem expats face is the loss of their personal support networks. Over half of respondents (52%) said this was the biggest problem they had encountered, citing making new friends in a new country as one of the biggest challenges. Romantic relationships also suffer, with 38% of single respondents saying that expat life makes a romantic relationship more difficult.

InterNations, mentioned above and free to join, has a global membership and hosts over 4,000 events throughout the year. It's a great place to make new friends or meet people in a similar situation.

Anyone who moves with a spouse faces their own problems. Some worry that their partner or family doesn't seem happy with the decision. A traveling spouse may well have given up a career and suffered a loss of income, which can affect relationship dynamics.

A large proportion of traveling spouses (65%) are dissatisfied with financial dependence on their partner and 45% are concerned about loss of financial independence.

Other factors can also have a negative impact: 52% of traveling spouses say their partner always works long hours, 51% feel expected to organize all practical aspects of their life abroad, and 27% feel discriminated against because of their gender. a problem that is far more common in women.

Money

40 percent of all respondents are worried about their future finances. Not surprisingly, this number increases when their new country is struggling with economic problems (in Greece this number rises to 71%).

Access to pension and other investment programs can be interrupted or impaired when working abroad and is a common financial problem among expats. Respondents are also concerned about spending: 30% of expats surveyed report losing money when they move and work abroad.

Other financial problems include difficulty adapting to a new work environment and the lack of a professional network. This problem is particularly prevalent in Japan, where almost half of all respondents (48%) say they struggle with the local business environment.

Culture shock

Although less prominent than the areas mentioned above, a quarter of all expats expressed concerns about adapting to their new country's culture. Difficulties in learning the new language were perceived as a burden, a problem raised by 26% of all respondents.

Meanwhile, 22% said the culture change was a bigger shock than they expected, 21% said they were fed up with expat life, while a smaller but still significant 10% said moving abroad had been bad for their mental health.

Download the full 2015 Expat Insider Report.

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