Getting rid of the hassle of moving abroad as an expat is a process that involves six steps – destination selection, selecting the visa class, planning finances for up to 12 to 24 months in advance, securing health insurance, getting school arrangements, and addressing tax and social-security issues before the move– in 2026. Greece's Golden Visa is still by far the most budget-friendly option for entering the EU at EUR 250 000, withassis.Greece's Golden Visa is by far the most budget-friendly pathway into the EU at EUR 250 000, with assist. The UAE Golden Visa ranks among the fastest tax-free relocation process, taking between 2 to 4 weeks to process at AED 2 million.
How to become an expat: the six-step framework
Migrating to become an expat is done in a sequence, not a parallel flow. Every time, you would start with a destination, then a visa class in relation to your finances, lifestyle, stress-test the requirement of financials, health, schooling and tax before filing for a visa. The number one culprit for expat moves going wrong in the first 18 months of moving abroad is the time they skip the financial stress test.The biggest reason an expat move does not run smoothly in the first 18 months is because the person forgets to take the financial stress test.
The vast majority of expat / global relocating placements for 2026 fit one of four categories. Access to the Schengen area after completion of a long-term residency program in Europe and the granting of a passport feature a runway. No income taxes in the UAE and personal income tax start from 0% only. Caribbean Citizenship by Investment (2nd Citizenship) and no relocation. Digital nomad visas to test the waters for a minimum of 2 years and then move on.
Every trail requires its own type of preparation. Bank statements, source of funds documentation and biometric appointments are necessary for residency with the EU. To receive a UAE Golden Visa, a set of proof of purchase or investment in real estate is required. To be compliant, Caribbean CBI must see a clean file of due diligence and the non-refundable contribution of the government. The proof of monthly income for digital nomad visas is usually EUR 2,500 to EUR 5,000.
Step 1: choose your destination by tax and lifestyle, not climate
In Step 1, decide where you want to move based on lifestyle and tax, not climate. Lifestyle, residency security, tax outcome – these are the three filters that should be considered when choosing a country to move to. Climate and food are second as they are the easiest to corroborate by a visit. Tax and immigration blunders have a high cost and can be devastating to reverse. The most significant foreseeable destinations in 2026 will be EU residency, UAE tax-free, Caribbean CBI, and US EB-5.
| Destination type | Best for | Capital requirement | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece (EU residency) | Cheapest EU entry, retirees, family relocators | EUR 250,000 - 800,000 | ~3 months |
| Portugal (EU residency) | 5-year citizenship path | EUR 500,000 funds | 12-18 months |
| Cyprus (EU residency) | Low-tax EU base, fast-track option | EUR 300,000 | ~6 months (2-3 fast-track) |
| Italy (EU residency) | HNW non-doms, cultural lifestyle | EUR 250,000 - 2M | 3-4 months |
| UAE (Golden Visa) | 0% personal income tax, business hub | AED 2M (~USD 545K) | 2-4 weeks |
| Caribbean CBI | Second passport, no relocation needed | USD 200K - 250K | 3-9 months |
| USA EB-5 | Direct US green card | USD 800K (TEA) - 1.05M | 5-18 months (rural priority) |
There are three closed doors to citizenship that worth considering: the Golden Visa Spain, the MEIN citizenship programme Malta and the Tier 1 Investor Visa in the UK, which was closed in April 2025, April 2025 and February 2022 respectively, without a scheduled for replacement. While there are many websites suggesting that Barbados offers a citizenship by investment programme, this is not true.
Step 2: choose your visa class
For the year 2026, the 4 types of visas that can be easily gained to become an expat are: work visa, investor visa, digital nomad visa, and retirement visa. Work Permits require an employer sponsor. The capital requirements to obtain residency with an investor visa are between EUR 200,000 and EUR 800,000 and between USD 200,000 and USD 250,000 for direct Caribbean citizenship. During the application process, proof of income in the form of remote work is requested for Digital Nomad Visas. In order to obtain a retirement visa, pension or proof of passive income is demanded.
| Visa class | Typical requirement | Best example |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit | Employer sponsorship, qualifying role | Germany, Netherlands, Ireland |
| Golden Visa (investor) | EUR 250K - 800K capital | Greece, Portugal, Cyprus |
| Digital nomad visa | EUR 2,500 - 5,000/mo remote income | Greece (EUR 3,500/mo) |
| Retirement / passive income | Pension or passive income proof | Portugal D7, Greece FIP (EUR 2,000/mo) |
| Citizenship by investment | USD 200K - 250K donation or RE | Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts |
The digital nomad visa (DIV) in Greece has a minimum requirement of EUR 3,500 for each month of locally-generated remote working income, and provides initial visas for one year that convert to a two-year validity period. After a period of seven years, employment income generated in Greece will qualify for a 50% tax deduction for the income of the worker. Financial Independent Persons (FIP) Visa Greece is valid for two years and costs EUR 2,000 per month, plus dependent (20%).
Step 3: prepare 12 to 24 months of finances
Have 12-24 months of living expenses available in liquid form prior to moving, along with program fees, legal fees and program principal. The one most oft forgotten aspect is under estimating the relocation cost. Typical real-world budgetary overspending 30-60% over initial estimates in the first year of planting for set-up deposits, school fees, double-housing periods and currency timing effects.
Having an EU Golden Visa needs about EUR 400,000 for the real estate plus about EUR 10%/12% transfer taxes, legal fees, agency fees, translations, EUR 30,000 to EUR 60,000 in setup costs for the first year (school deposit, car, insurance, residency fees). The tax rate for the transfer tax in Greece is approximately 3.09%, which is below that of Portugal and Cyprus.
The Golden Visa investment in the UAE of AED 2 million can be an investment in a property. Include approximately 4% Dubai Land Department fees, plus approximately 2% in agent fees, along with the initial year's cost of living, which varies from AED 250,000 to AED 500,000 for lifestyle and schooling.
Step 4: line up healthcare and international insurance
Going abroad will generally require a health insurance policy that covers the country where you're living and before permanent residency is issued, you're almost always required to prove that you have one. Booked solid private cover in Greece, Portugal, Cyprus or Italy is EUR 80 to EUR 250 per adult per month. Both interregional and emergency repatriation international policies cost USD 3,000 – USD 8,000 per adult per year.
Public health care in most countries where people can reside in the EU is available for people with legal residency status, although it is not always high quality and offers access to care in different languages and wait times. Most high-net-worth and middle-class expats are dual registrants — on the public system because of the cover, on the private coverage because of quick access, language, elective care. The UAE healthcare system has a comprehensive private system where employers' healthcare plans or self-employed private cover is the norm.
The two things that surprise expats when it comes to pre-existing condition coverage and pregnancy waiting periods. Have policies outlined prior to moving. Carriers treat preexisting conditions individually, and may exclude them at the policy level.
Step 5: schooling, banking, and the practical setup
The need to relocate is typically determined by the time that kids must enroll in school. There are international school waitlists for Lisbon, Athens, Dubai, Limassol and Milan that can be up to 12 months long. Apply early, secure a deposit slot, then time the visa application to align with school start dates. The majority of international schools have the IB or American calendar, which means they start in August/Sepember.
Usually, a residency permit, address, tax number, and source of funds documentation are needed for local bank account opening. Until then, one can only use foreign accounts and be charged with foreign transaction fees and FX spread. Multi-currency accounts (Wise, Revolut, etc.) close the gap, but aren't generally used for local landlord and utility fees.
Step 6: resolve tax residency and social security before you leave
One key pre-departure decision is determining whether you are going to be a tax resident of the country that you are moving to. Most countries tax the income of residents on worldwide income and territorial income of non-residents. The exception is the U.S. where U.S. citizens are taxed on their worldwide income, but foreign earned income exclusion and tax credit relief are provided. Double-taxation accords are available but need to be claimable.
Greece has either a 15-year flat tax for foreign retirement income of 7% or a flat tax for high-net-worth non-doms of EUR 100,000 per annum. If you're a non-dom in Italy you can pay a flat-rate topical tax of EUR 100,000. Cyprus provides 17 years of non-dom tax rates along with a 12.5% corporate tax rate. There are no personal income taxes in the UAE and corporate taxes over UAE 375,000 are 9%. These regimes are strong enough but only if properly planned for entry in the year of deployment.
| Jurisdiction | Personal tax headline | Non-dom regime |
|---|---|---|
| Greece | Progressive to 44% | EUR 100K flat (HNW); 7% on foreign retirement, 15 years |
| Portugal | Progressive to 48% | NHR ended; IFICI for researchers/innovators only |
| Cyprus | Progressive to 35% | 17-year non-dom (no tax on foreign dividends/interest) |
| Italy | Progressive to 43% | EUR 100K flat tax (non-dom) |
| UAE | 0% personal income tax | N/A - already 0% |
There is variation in social security treatment. The contribution transfers are possible in EU/EEA countries following coordination rules. A UAE has bilateral agreements with many European countries. The US-UAE relationship does not have a totalization agreement, so American citizens living abroad will be forced to pay income tax to both totalizations if set up in a wrong structure.
Expat life: Dubai vs Europe at a glance
Dubai offers visa without tax obligations, swift Golden Visa along with 2 to 4 weeks processing, cutting-edge infrastructure and society driven by expats. Take a trip to European cities such as Athens, Lisbon, Milan and Limassol and experience Schengen mobility, which means citizenship as a runway and lower living cost levels (apart from the prime zones). It will rely on your needs of tax-efficiency or integration in the long run.
| Factor | Dubai (UAE) | Europe (EU residency) |
|---|---|---|
| Personal income tax | 0% | Country-dependent (special regimes available) |
| Visa processing | 2-4 weeks (Golden Visa) | 2-18 months by program |
| Schengen access | Visa-free for many nationalities, not residency | Full Schengen residency |
| Citizenship pathway | Effectively closed | 5-10 years depending on country |
| Cost of living | Higher than most EU outside prime zones | Lower outside Lisbon/Athens center |
| Climate | Hot desert, indoor lifestyle 4-5 months | Mediterranean or Atlantic temperate |
Many of those with high earning potential who are living abroad have chosen to have a combined UAE tax status when using their income and EU Golden Visa for safe movement, while for some myopians, they have quite a future passport as well. Although operationally possible, this may need care in terms of physical-presence days in each jurisdiction.
How hard is it to become an expat in 2026?
In 2026, it's harder than it was 5 years ago to become an expat (administration). In April 2025 the Golden Visa for Spain was concluded. Malta has also recently suspended its Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI) in April 2025. In February 2022 this replaced Tier 1 and in April 2025 the retention of non-dom status ended in the UK. Golden Visa real estate was abolished in Portugal in October 2023, and NHR was abolished in 2024. The other quality routes are smaller, sharper and make quick decisions.
In practice, movements usually take from 6 to 18 months to complete from the time the movement is decided to after it is landed. The due diligence and program selection takes about 3 months, capital deployment about 1 to 4 months, visa processing anywhere between 1 to 18 months, depending on the country and double-housing and setting up once on the ground takes 3 to 6 months.
The most important is the quality of preparation. Processing time or risk of application comes down to by having source-of-funds documentation, clean tax history, professional translations and having a feasible residency-and-tax strategy. It is now common that people use a regulated immigration advisor in the country where they want to move, and not just relying on ordinary “consults”.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to become an expat in 2026?
It is moderately hard and noticeably harder than five years ago. Spain, Malta, and the UK closed major investor routes between 2022 and 2025. Portugal removed Golden Visa real estate in October 2023. The remaining quality programs (Greece, Cyprus, Italy, UAE, Caribbean CBI) are operational but require sharper preparation, source-of-funds documentation, and timeline discipline.
How to become an expat in Europe at the lowest cost?
Greece's Golden Visa is the cheapest EU residency-by-investment route at EUR 250,000 through commercial-to-residential conversion or heritage restoration. Most other Greek regions require EUR 400,000 in real estate. Cyprus PR starts at EUR 300,000. For non-investment routes, digital nomad and retirement visas (Greece, Portugal, Italy) typically require monthly income proof of EUR 2,000 to EUR 3,500.
What is expat life like in Dubai compared to Europe?
Dubai offers 0% personal income tax, fast Golden Visa processing (2 to 4 weeks), a heavily expat-driven social scene, and modern infrastructure. Europe offers Schengen mobility, a long-term citizenship pathway, lower cost of living outside prime zones, and Mediterranean or Atlantic climate. Dubai favors income years and business hub access. Europe favors family integration and a passport runway.
Do I have to pay US taxes if I become an expat?
Yes if you remain a US citizen or green card holder. The US taxes worldwide income regardless of residency, with relief mechanisms including the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and foreign tax credits. To eliminate US tax exposure, US citizens must formally renounce citizenship, which carries an exit tax for high-net-worth individuals.
How long does it take to actually move and settle as an expat?
Plan 6 to 18 months from decision to fully settled. Roughly 3 months for due diligence and program selection, 1 to 4 months for application preparation and capital deployment, 3 to 18 months for visa processing depending on country, and 3 to 6 months of double-housing and setup once on the ground.
Can I keep my home country citizenship when becoming an expat?
Almost always yes for residency programs (Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Italy, UAE) because these grant residency, not citizenship. For citizenship-by-investment programs (Caribbean CBI, future EU citizenship through naturalization), it depends on whether your home country allows dual citizenship. Greece and Portugal permit dual citizenship; the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and most of the EU also allow it.
