On the expanding landscape of resources dedicated to expatriates, perhaps the most comprehensive is InterNations, which was founded in 2007 by two German entrepreneurs and now counts 3.7 million members in 168 countries. A founder, Malte Zeeck, 43, said Americans make up about 10 percent of the group’s total membership, the largest national contingency. The platform provides advice on locations and a portfolio of relocation tools, from visa assistance and housing searches to settling-in services including advice on local banking, insurance and tax registration.
“Our vision is really to be every expat’s best friend and accompany them on every step of the journey,” Mr. Zeeck said.
Each year, the company conducts an Expat Insider Survey, ranking the best and worst cities for emigrants based on categories like quality of life, settling in, health care and family life. The 2019 survey, with more than 20,000 respondents, found that Taiwan was the most popular location. Justin Shields, 39, an engineer for a semiconductor manufacturer from Northern Virginia, worked in the country on assignment twice before moving there full-time in 2018. He cited friendliness, the food, health care and recreation options as the reasons he enjoyed living in Taipei, the capital city. “Living here has definitely exceeded my expectations,” he said. “I would be completely happy to stay here forever.”
Love and Family
Mr. Zeeck said data from InterNations’s 2019 survey showed that love was the most common reason for people to move to another country. That was the case for Ebony Buehler, an American management consultant, and Marcel Buehler, a German visual artist. They met in Germany while Ms. Buehler was on a business fellowship, and ended up spending time in both New York and Germany before settling in Berlin.
Though it was his dream to live among artists in Manhattan, Mr. Buehler, 50, said, “I was starting to lose my contacts and was not building them at the same rate in New York.” After a year and a half there, Ms. Buehler, 38, was able to transfer back to Germany with her husband, and now works in an office for Ernst & Young.
The Buehlers now have a 2-year-old daughter, Luna, who was born in Germany, and are mindful of rearing a multilingual, multicultural child when choosing schools and activities. On the internet, there are groups that can help, like Families in Global Transition, a nonprofit that supports families through conferences and online resources.