Visas & Advice Detail
Emigrating to Europe
Europe is abundant with living and working opportunities and is attracting Brits in their droves, who are looking for a fresh start and new way of life.
Check our locations guide before you make your choice.
France
Population: 60,656,178
Capital: Paris
Life Expectancy: 79.6 years
Government: Republic
GDP per capita: $29,900
Unemployment: 10%
Currency: euro
Climate: Generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers in the Mediterranean.
Expats: 100,000 to 150,000 Brits
Jobs and Economy: The government is focusing on the problems of the high cost of labour and labour market inflexibility. Important industries include machinery, automobiles and tourism.
Education: The options for your child are to attend a local state school, a private school or one of the many bilingual schools.
Healthcare: Health care in France is provided by a range of public and private sector institutions. With patient expenses either paid directly or refunded by a Social Security insurance system. Renting: This varies enormously between busy cities and rural areas. Normally a commitment of nine months is required.
Buying: Mortgages are dealt with by the local 'Notaire' or by esatate agents.
Tax: France does not have a PAYE system. Amounts automatically deducted from your gross salary are social contributions.
Spain
Population: 40,341,462
Capital: Madrid
Life Expectancy: 79.52 years
Government: Parliamentary monarchy
GDP per capita: $25,100
Unemployment: 10.1%
Currency: euro
Languages: Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque.
Climate: temperate; clear, hot summers, more moderate and cloudy along coast. Cloudy winters.
Expats: 900,000 Brits
Jobs and Economy: The president has initiated economic and social reforms. The main industries range from textiles and apparel, to metal manufacturing and shipbuilding, with tourism remaining a booming industry.
Education: The new compulsory curriculum includes Language and Literature, Maths, Environmental Science, Art, Physical Education and Religion. Study of a foreign language is compulsory from the age of eight.
Healthcare: Health care in Spain is good but it is recommended that you get top- up health insurance because not all treatments are covered.
Renting: Rented accommodation in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona can be expensive. Many apartments which are part of a block, work on the 'comunidad' principle where they share communal facilities such as swimming pools. Tenants will have to pay a monthly fee towards the upkeep of these services.
Buying: Many UK estate agents now deal with the purchase of Spanish property. If in Spain, local agencies abound.
Tax: There are two local taxes: town/country rates and local authority rates for services.
Germany
Population: 82,431,390
Capital: Berlin
Life Expectancy: 78.65 years
Government: Federal Republic
GDP per capita: $29,700
Unemployment: 11.6%
Currency: euro
Climate: Cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain wind
Expats: N/A
Jobs and Economy: Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy has become one of the slowest growing economies in Europe. Strict regulations on laying off workers and the setting of wages – have made unemployment a chronic problem. Major industries include machinery and IT.
Education: Education in Germany is compulsory for children from six to 16. From the ages of six to ten children attend a 'Grundschule' where they are divided into three streams on the basis of their ability.
Healthcare: Healthcare in Germany is organised through insurance companies or the 'Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse' (AOK) and the 'Ersatzkasse' (substitute health insurance fund).
Renting: Rented accommodation can be hard to find and very expensive, particularly in the southern part of Germany. Buying: Mortgages are offered by 'Banken', 'Sparkassen' and now also by insurance companies 'Versicherungen'. Interest rates in Germany are generally lower than in the UK.
Tax: German taxes are among the world's highest and include layers of regional and local taxes.
Italy
Population: 58,103,033
Capital: Rome
Life Expectancy: 79.68 years
Government: Republic
GDP per capita: $28,300
Unemployment: 7.9%
Currency: euro
Climate: Predominantly
Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south.
Expats: Over 20,000
Jobs and Economy: The economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south. Booming industries are tourism, machinery and footwear.
Education: It is possible to study in English at private International Schools. A small number of schools follow a British curriculum. Others may teach in English and follow an international curriculum.
Healthcare: Private medical insurance is recommended as Italy's national health service is under funded, and standards vary between hospitals.
Renting: Rental contracts vary but are usually for four years. If you have acquired resident status in Italy, you are protected from eviction by law.
Buying: There are UK estate agents who deal with buying property in Italy. These agents will usually work in conjunction with a local Italian agent.
Tax: The local tax in Italy is calculated on the value of your property.
Portugal
Population: 10,566,212
Capital: Lisbon
Life Expectancy: 77.53 years
Government: Parliamentary democracy
GDP per capita: $18,400
Unemployment: 7.3%
Currency: euro
Climate: Cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Expats: Over 100,000
Jobs and Economy: Portugal has become an increasingly service-based economy. Major industries include textiles and tourism.
Education: Basic education is compulsory, free of charge, and covers children between the ages of six and 15 years.
Healthcare: The health system is run by by local health centres. Private healthcare is recommended.
Renting: Rented accommodation in the cities and large towns is expensive because of the shortage of accommodation in Lisbon, Oporto and the Algarve.
Buying: There are estate agents both in the UK and Portugal advertising properties. If you use a Portuguese agent then make sure that they are licensed by the 'Mediador Autorizado'.
Taxes: Income tax is self-assessed annually.
Cyprus
Population: 780,133
Capital: Nicosia
Life Expectancy: 77.65 years
Government: Republic
GDP per capita: Republic of Cyprus: $21,600, north Cyprus: $7,135
Unemployment: Republic of Cyprus: 3.5%, north Cyprus: 5.6%
Languages: Greek, Turkish, English
Currency: Greek Cypriot area: Cypriot pound; Turkish Cypriot area: Turkish New lira
Climate: Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Expats: Over 10,000
Jobs and Economy: The Republic of Cyprus has a capitalist economy dominated by the service sector. Tourism and financial services are the most important industries.
Education: Compulsory education is divided into two phases, Dimotiko Scholeio for children aged five years to 11 years, and Gymnasio for children aged 11 to 15 years.
Healthcare: Health services in Cyprus are provided through three systems; the public health sector, the private health sector, and a number of schemes covering specific sections of the population.
Renting: The availability of accommodation is good and includes apartments, houses and villas.
Buying: Property is usually brought through an agent or developer, or a partnership of both.
Tax: Personal income tax is levied at different rates from zero to 30 per cent.
Switzerland
Population: 7,489,370
Capital: Bern
Life Expectancy: 80.39 years
Government: similar in structure to a federal republic
GDP per capita: $35,000
Unemployment: 3.8%
Languages: Mainly German, French and Italian
Currency: Swiss franc
Climate: cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with showers.
Expats: 24,400
Jobs and Economy: Switzerland has a prosperous and stable economy with low unemployment and a highly skilled labour force. Major industries include watches and precision instruments.
Education: There are many private international schools, but there are also classes for children who don't speak the language in state schools.
Healthcare: You must take out private health insurance. There is no public health service.
Renting: Two-thirds of Swiss people rent their homes. It can be difficult to find affordable accomodation.
Buying: There are no longer any restrictions on foreigners who live and work in Switzerland buying property for residence. However, house prices are very high due to high land prices.
Tax: There is no central tax system, taxes are levied by local authorities.
Emerging Europe
Those of you who want to bag a bargain would be wise to check out emerging markets in Europe. You'll find rustic landscapes and a cheap cost of living.
Turkey has huge investment potential, property prices start from £20,000. The historic country has more than 620 miles of Mediterranean coastline. Over the past decade, it has undertaken many economic reforms, enabling it to apply for EU membership. Bulgaria has seen improved economic conditions, and political stability in recent years, which has led to rising property prices. Look out for property in Sofia, on the Black Sea beach resorts and in the ski resorts (Borovets, Bansko). Hungary, the country's real estate market, and Budapest in particular, currently offers significant capital appreciation, and looks set to do so for the foreseeable future.
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