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So thought I could start one of these & I know there are a few of us here that do work overseas......
...in my working life I've never done more than 5 years working in the UK at a time. I've been fortunate(?) enough to live & work in a number of countries in that time including: Qatar, Oman, UAE, Saudi, Kuwait, India, Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan & the USofA
It's been varied & at times a lot of fun
So any questions ask away!.
...in my working life I've never done more than 5 years working in the UK at a time. I've been fortunate(?) enough to live & work in a number of countries in that time including: Qatar, Oman, UAE, Saudi, Kuwait, India, Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan & the USofA
It's been varied & at times a lot of fun
So any questions ask away!.
rriggs said:
Taking India as an example:
Is it hard to get a resident visa?
Can you live really well for not much money?
Are there restrictions on immigrants buying property?
In general, have you had any/many “oh crap, what have I done moments” on arriving to live in a country?
The company I've worked for has always secured necessary visas/residents licenses/etc so rarely an issue. In India once people realise you are not tourists the rates for things tended to drop! Other places after a while you find the "local" prices & how/where to get them.Is it hard to get a resident visa?
Can you live really well for not much money?
Are there restrictions on immigrants buying property?
In general, have you had any/many “oh crap, what have I done moments” on arriving to live in a country?
The main "oh crap" moment was as a callow youth arriving in Qatar & a week or 2 later the Iraqi army taking over Kuwait, with nothing to stop them heading south down the coast. I was thinking it was not the idea to be in the middle of a war!
Jambo85 said:
Fortunate to live in Equatorial Guinea!? I assume you mean Malabo, I spent a few days there once and could not wait to get “home” to Ghana, what a hell hole it is!
Yep near Malabo. I was living at the Marathon facility near the airport for a couple of years.The place was a hoot, probably the best location I've ever been. Malabo you could have some great nights out.
The country was just bonkers, but you were totally safe.
GT03ROB said:
The company I've worked for has always secured necessary visas/residents licenses/etc so rarely an issue. In India once people realise you are not tourists the rates for things tended to drop! Other places after a while you find the "local" prices & how/where to get them.
The main "oh crap" moment was as a callow youth arriving in Qatar & a week or 2 later the Iraqi army taking over Kuwait, with nothing to stop them heading south down the coast. I was thinking it was not the idea to be in the middle of a war!
I had a similar feeling in iraq as isis rolled over Mosul and headed south rapidly - was thinking this is maybe not the best place to be right now The main "oh crap" moment was as a callow youth arriving in Qatar & a week or 2 later the Iraqi army taking over Kuwait, with nothing to stop them heading south down the coast. I was thinking it was not the idea to be in the middle of a war!
mikewilliams79 said:
What is the most dangerous/scary situation you have found yourself in?
I was being driven back from Chandigarh to Delhi, I don't know if the driver lost concentration/fell asleep or what, but he drove straight through a police roadblock, barriers & all before stopping. This was the cue for armed police to charge the car waving their guns. I thought this is trouble. As soon as they saw a european in the car they fortunately calmed down a bit, after dragging the driver off for a b
king & booting, they threw him back in the car. They turned to me & said make sure he knows he's lucky, you've saved him.I was also in India during the Kargil War, there was a brief period where we had real concerns the Indians & Pakistanis were going to start throwing nuclear weapons at each other.
Jambo85 said:
Fortunate to live in Equatorial Guinea!? I assume you mean Malabo
Having never heard of Malabo I thought a quick visit via google maps would be interesting. First click...https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@3.7528217,8.78007,3...
LOL
GT03ROB said:
Yep near Malabo. I was living at the Marathon facility near the airport for a couple of years.
The place was a hoot, probably the best location I've ever been. Malabo you could have some great nights out.
The country was just bonkers, but you were totally safe.
Yeah fair enough, like anywhere else on the planet if you’ve got cash in your pocket and cold beer isn’t illegal and there other people doing the same thing you can have a great time!The place was a hoot, probably the best location I've ever been. Malabo you could have some great nights out.
The country was just bonkers, but you were totally safe.
It’s pretty desperate for the locals though even by African standards. If I remember correctly it has one of the highest GDP/capita in the world while simultaneously one of the lowest spend per capita on health and education.
A bit of a chore to get a visa as a Brit too thanks to Thatcher’s lad.
Moominho said:
Do you find err ladies of ill repute pretty much located in every expat community? Everywhere I worked in outside of Western Europe and North America seemed to be full of them. The only exception I think was India.
Pretty much agree. Nothing in India. Even east coast Saudi hop across the causeway to Bahrain. Thursday & Friday night the Saudis come out to party! when I worked in Jubail would fly the GF out to Bahrain, was 2 hrs door to door. Many expats live in Bahrain & commute to Saudi daily.
Jambo85 said:
Yeah fair enough, like anywhere else on the planet if you’ve got cash in your pocket and cold beer isn’t illegal and there other people doing the same thing you can have a great time!
It’s pretty desperate for the locals though even by African standards. If I remember correctly it has one of the highest GDP/capita in the world while simultaneously one of the lowest spend per capita on health and education.
A bit of a chore to get a visa as a Brit too thanks to Thatcher’s lad.
Obiang is a nasty piece of work. His son is a petrolhead. It’s pretty desperate for the locals though even by African standards. If I remember correctly it has one of the highest GDP/capita in the world while simultaneously one of the lowest spend per capita on health and education.
A bit of a chore to get a visa as a Brit too thanks to Thatcher’s lad.
The best time was actually being comfortable & free to be ale to wander the capital in the early hours safely then go to a bar/club full of locals & have a laugh, Every year in Jan/Feb there would be problems with cholera outbreaks.. We would tanker fresh safe water into Malabo as we had the largest water treatment facility on Bioko, that was only designed to support the 5000 workforce.
No problems with visas for Brits, & I was there at the time of Mr Mann’s stupid coup attempt, The problem was for Saffers.
Stereolab said:
Nice thread idea.
Do you keep a car in the U.K. for when you are back?
If so, who do you insure it with?
How do you see the chances of Qatar getting off the red list before July?
One piece of financial advice you would pass on?
Shukran
Yes I keep 4 currently, but other than the 1st time I went I have always had at least one. Insurance........ depends what you say as with many things. There are many borderline things financially, generally if you are flicking back & forth between residency & not for tax you seem to be ok. I’ve always been clear with banks & insurers not been a problem. Do you keep a car in the U.K. for when you are back?
If so, who do you insure it with?
How do you see the chances of Qatar getting off the red list before July?
One piece of financial advice you would pass on?
Shukran
Qatar & red list no idea
The key piece of financial advice, set your affairs based on what you can earn in the UK. Many get used to better money & overseas work become essential. The other piece of advice....... don’t let the pursuit of better money cost you a relationship. Too many are working overseas to pay for a divorce or 5.
Been a working expat for the past 14 years or so, Latin America mostly, now in UAE.
My one bit of advice - keep a house in the UK if at all possible. Lots of expats find the cost of UK housing has increased faster than they expected and they are priced out. I am very glad we kept a UK house.
My one bit of advice - keep a house in the UK if at all possible. Lots of expats find the cost of UK housing has increased faster than they expected and they are priced out. I am very glad we kept a UK house.
GT03ROB said:
The key piece of financial advice, set your affairs based on what you can earn in the UK. Many get used to better money & overseas work become essential.
Definitely makes sense. My uncle spent a long time in Nairobi, and was lucky enough to be able to retire there, I think they'd struggle to leave the ex-pat lifestyle behind as I don't think they'd be able to afford the staff, stables, etc back in the uk. Ayahuasca said:
My one bit of advice - keep a house in the UK if at all possible. Lots of expats find the cost of UK housing has increased faster than they expected and they are priced out. I am very glad we kept a UK house.
Ayahuasca said:
Been a working expat for the past 14 years or so, Latin America mostly, now in UAE.
My one bit of advice - keep a house in the UK if at all possible. Lots of expats find the cost of UK housing has increased faster than they expected and they are priced out. I am very glad we kept a UK house.
Absolutely agree. And to add think very carefully before you rent out your UK home...... My one bit of advice - keep a house in the UK if at all possible. Lots of expats find the cost of UK housing has increased faster than they expected and they are priced out. I am very glad we kept a UK house.
As you will note I’v been through a number of events outside my control which could have meant I returned to the Uk at short notice be that wars, civil wars, pandemics. I ‘ve been happily working overseas, expecting the next 3-4 years as fixed & been home within 5 days. The gains of renting out would have been wiped out overnight. What I have done is rented out the house at what is below market rental effectively on a housekeeper basis. So a house I could rent for 2k I’d let a single person have for 500 on basis they look after it while I’m away & I can use while I’m back.
Edited by GT03ROB on Friday 2nd April 19:53
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