Visas & Residency
Income rules, stay lengths and renewals for 30 countries, plus the guides that explain which passport gets what.
Learn / Topics
Browse by topic
Eight subjects cover almost everything people ask before moving abroad. Pick one to see its guides, comparisons and the tool that goes with it.
The 8 topics
Each hub below is a starting point. The pills underneath are the pages people open most.
Cost of Living & Budgeting
Rent and everyday costs for 53 cities, with sources and dates on every page, and a calculator that uses the same numbers.
Tax & Legal
Tax residency, the 183-day rule, the US foreign earned income exclusion and what changes by passport.
Insurance & Healthcare
Which travel and expat health plans satisfy a visa, what they exclude and how claims work.
Money, Banking & Connectivity
Accounts that keep fees low, eSIMs that work on arrival and the security basics for working from anywhere.
Work & Income Abroad
Finding a job, going freelance or building an online business, and which visas fit each.
Retirement & Family Moves
Pension and passive-income visas, spouse and child routes, schools and healthcare for a longer stay.
Moving & Settling In
Planning the move, finding housing, shipping and the first 30 days, including the mistakes to skip.
From reading to deciding in four steps
Reading is the first half. These four tools share your answers, so you only type your passport and income once.
- 1 Assess
Check where you stand
A seven-question readiness quiz and a visa-stage check. They flag the gaps worth fixing first.
- 2 Visa
Find the visas you fit
Your passport and income checked against the income rule in every country guide.
- 3 Costs
Test a real city
Pick one of 53 cities and see your monthly surplus or gap, plus whether you meet the visa rule.
- 4 Plan
Build your plan
Runway, visa path and a short checklist, pulled from everything you entered.
Quick answers
Where should I start if I have not picked a country?
Take the readiness quiz, then run the Visa Finder with your passport and income. It lists the countries whose income rule you meet and shows a typical monthly budget for each.
Is the cost data current?
Every city page shows its sources and the date they were checked. Figures come from crowdsourced price databases, so treat them as a guide and swap in your own quotes before you commit.
Do the tools save my answers?
Only in your own browser, so the next tool can pre-fill. Nothing is sent to us. You can clear it from My Plan.
Does ExpatFYI give legal or tax advice?
No. We summarise official rules and link to them. Confirm details with the consulate or a qualified adviser before you apply or file.
This is informational, not advice. Visa, tax, and immigration rules change, and a general guide can't account for your specific situation. Before you act on anything here, confirm current details with the relevant embassy, consulate, or a licensed immigration or tax professional. See our editorial policy for how we verify what we publish.