The European countries where it’s easiest to settle as an expat

Thanks to the rise of remote working, moving abroad has become easier post-pandemic. Many European countries have introduced digital nomad visas to help expats with residency and tax requirements. However, moving to another country still comes with many challenges, and finding a location that suits your lifestyle and needs is one of the most important steps.

InterNations, a global community for people who live and work abroad, carries out expat surveys to help would-be expats understand what to expect from different countries.

Using data from their Expat Insider 2022 survey, InterNations has compiled a ranking of the best and worst destinations for getting started as an expat, analyzing 52 expat destinations around the world and ranking them according to the quality of life for expats.

Estonia is the best European country for expats to settle in, coming in fourth in the InterNations ranking. Expats find it easy to get started in the Eastern European nation thanks to easy administration and bureaucracy, with eight out of ten of those surveyed finding it easy to obtain their visa compared to a worldwide average of 56%. The country ranks top out of all 52 destinations for the availability of online government services. However, it falls in the rankings for language and housing, with 61% describing the language as hard to learn.

Malta is another European country that frustrates expats with poor digital infrastructure and administration. Expats in Malta struggle with bureaucracy, with the country coming in last worldwide for administration.

Almost three in five expats find it difficult to deal with Malta’s local authorities. France’s expats struggle with the language and administration, with administration being one of the biggest challenges. Italy ranks as one of the worst countries for getting started abroad, and Germany is the hardest place to get started as an expat, with expats facing many frustrating barriers in housing, digital life, and language.