[Music] this is Americans Abroadcast a podcast on the lives of Americans living elsewhere with your host Matt Stevens and Ashley Arreola Welcome to season two of Americans Abroad It's great to be back and we've got so much to cover this season First I want to give a huge thank you to all our listeners Your support has made this journey incredible thus far We just want to take a moment to say we really appreciate you Thank you for listening and welcome back When we started this podcast our goal was simple To share the real stories of Americans living abroad without the politics without the noise just truth and firsthand experiences We know that moving abroad comes with challenges surprises and eye-opening moments And we're here to bring you honest conversations straight from the people living it Our mission remains the same to provide a platform for Americans across the globe to share their journeys insights and realities Whether you're thinking about making the move yourself already living overseas or just curious about life beyond US borders we invite you to join us for another season of truth community and real talk Let's get started Diving into today's topic Since the recent election we've received numerous questions from friends and family about living abroad Today we're breaking down the most common pathways for Americans to make the move Perfect timing especially with all the changes that we've seen in remote work opportunities So let's start with one of the hottest trends which is digital nomad visas Countries like Portugal Spain and Mexico are actively welcoming remote workers If you're working for a US company this could be your ticket to living abroad as they have attractive visa options that provide temporary residency for remote workers These visas typically require proof of income health insurance and a clean background check But if you qualify you could live in a beautiful new country while keeping your current job I've seen a few friends and online YouTubers moving to Portugal and I really love that country I visited with my wife back in 2017 We visited uh Port Porto Yeah I actually visited Portugal twice last year It's just a bit of a paradise living in Europe if you just want to go away and get in the sun and just absolutely gorgeous It reminded me also of Mexico a bit from the landscape I really enjoyed it there and I know that I have um American friends back in the states that are considering making that move actually Well I want to break down Portugal's visa options for you There's never been a better time to consider this beautiful country Portugal offers digital nomad opportunities but there have been some changes uh beginning this year So let's start with what you really need to know about qualifying for Portugal's digital nomad visa The key requirement is demonstrating a consistent income stream You'll need to show minimum monthly earning earnings of $3,438 That's about 41,000 a year You need to be able to show an income above this minimum and you'll need an accountant an accountant to keep you from falling a foul of Portuguese or American tax laws You'll also need health insurance from the US which will cover you while you're in Portugal But be sure to visit [Music] vistos.mnne.gov.pt for current information There are two additional types of visas for living in Portugal that might be available for our listeners The first one is a retiree visa and the second one is a golden visa Similar to the digital nomad visa a retiree needs to show their passive income is appropriate which might be as low as $910 a month The golden visa applicant will need to show an investment in Portugal of something around a half a million Again the specifics would need to be checked with the Portuguese website directly to get the most current information Just know these are options and you can inquire directly at their government website We won't be going into the tax regime for Portugal or any country but suffice it to say one should be aware that generally there are ways to avoid double taxation between the United States and the country you're trying to live in And you can get help with those taxes through myexpataxes.com We intend to cover this topic in more detail with these experts in a future episode Yes thanks to myxpats.com I've been able to file my taxes electronically for the past 5 years now which has really made that transition very simple So I'm very thankful for them and looking forward to them um coming on But let's move to another popular country for digital nomads and that is Spain What makes someone eligible to be a digital nomad in Spain matt in Spain similar to Portugal you'll need to prove that you make at least around $3,90 a month That income should be income earned outside of Spain So you can be a freelancer a remote employee for a company based outside of Spain or run your own business abroad But if your dream is to open a taco stand in Sevilla sorry this visa will not work for you In addition you need either a bachelor's degree or higher or at least 3 years of professional experience in some position Plus you'll need health insurance a clean criminal record for the past 5 years and of course a valid passport Matt how long can you stay with the digital nomad visa the initial visa is a one-year visa that's renewable for up to 5 years with residence permit extensions So 5 years in total of Spanish bliss So why choose Spain other than the obvious reasons for sun tapas in the vibrant culture well for one your family members could join you And when I say family I mean your spouse your children your dependent parents and even your siblings Plus you'll get access to European banking health care and if you stay long enough you could apply for permanent residency And similar to Portugal taxes in Spain should be handled by an accountant that's familiar with doing taxes in the US and in Spain Uh it is possible to avoid double taxation Uh but you want to make sure that you do it right Now the next country I'd like to talk about is Uruguay Now some of you may have seen uh the Anthony Bourne Anthony Bourdain episode where he goes to Uruguay to try their barbecue And I will admit it is one of the reasons that I want to visit that country uh the most Uruguay also offers a digital nomad visa with a straightforward path to residency You can stay for up to two years and then transition to permanent residency as a digital nomad Uruguay's digital nomad visa lets you live there for 6 months with an option to extend for another 6 months after which you can apply for permanent residency To apply you'll need a stable monthly income of at least $1,500 or $2,500 for couples You'll need to be able to show proof of income You'll need to be able to show as well a clean criminal record and you'll need to have a basic medical exam You'll also have to attend an in-person interview in Monte Vido the capital of Irvu After that you'll get a temporary residence permit valid for 24 months So you can stay legally while your application is being processed That usually takes between 4 and 10 months but during that time you'll be living and working in Uruguay And here are some key things to know Unlike some countries Uruguay doesn't require you to stay 183 days per year but you should be able to show that Uruguay is your main residence And if you follow this process you can smoothly transition from a digital nomad visa to permanent residency meaning you can stay in Uruguay for at least 2 years or even longer If you're thinking of moving to Uruguay please let us know in the comments And here's one last tip Start your application process early You'll need things like proof of income a clean criminal record and health insurance These documents will need to have an apostle from your state's Secretary of State's office before you go to Uruguay That's not possible to get these apostles applied by your country's embassy It'll save you a ton of headaches later Matt can you just explain what apostile an apostle is for our listeners it's similar to a notary or a notoriization An apostle is a type of certification that authenticates the origin of a public document such as birth certificate a marriage license or a court order for use in countries that are members of the HEG Apostle Convention That's most countries if not all countries The apostle itself is a certificate that confirms the signature or seal or stamp on the document confirming that it's genuine allowing the document to be recognized in foreign jurisdictions with no further legalization And this is important to get an apostle on your bank statements You typically need to obtain a bank statement and ensure that the bank statement is official with a signature or a stamp from the bank and that statement should be notorized This step verifies the authenticity of the signature on the document Then you can take that notorized document to get an apostle applied to it This step verifies the authenticity of the sign signature on the document With this notorized and apostal cert certified document it will be accepted in the immigration office that you present it to when you're moving abroad That just reminds me of the episode that we had with Aisha when we were talking about how moving abroad requires you to become a master of bureaucracy And this is really the first step And so once you're still in your home country in order to get you prepared and get all of your ducks in a row I would definitely recommend getting every document possible notorized because it's quick and easy to do In addition to that this apostle should also be on your birth certificate Have every document uh have an apostle applied to every document I would I mean notorized like I said it but Yep Yeah So I would definitely recommend to get every document notorized because that's easy and quick and cheap to do And if you also have the opportunity to get an apostle on it as well which will require you to make an appointment um to your state capital and do this in advance especially on your birth certificate and marriage certificate and if you can go ahead and get all the other documentation such as bank statements apostled as well I would recommend if that's possible but this will really save you a lot of headaches like Matt said I know that we both have had experiences with this and that would have been a good tip to have before I came here Now with the U birth certificate and and marriage certificate I think you just go straight to getting an apostle because it's already a public document from a public authority Whereas a a private document like a bank statement may need um the signature of the bank and then a notary to to um affirm that that is that that is who generated that that do that that non-public document So I think that's the deciding factor there Um some documents you can go straight to the secretary of state's office When you do that um it depends on the state that you're in but I believe if I recall correctly it was about $10 for each apostle which means birth certificate marriage certificate and bank statements would cost you about 30 bucks just as a ballpark figure for what you might expect to spend to get it done And you said you had your dad do it for one of your documents And that is also true It is possible to have someone else go and get an apostle for you and then you can have the document mailed to you but organizing that could be complicated So if you're still in the country head to your state capital with your documents in hand and get the apostle before you ever leave the country and it will save you some some headaches for sure Now uh the next type of visa that I'd like to talk about is uh our ancestry visas Um that's another popular route And one of the easiest ways to establish residency in another country is through ancestry And I know Americans living in Europe that both got European passports and live in the EU Now Ireland and Italy are among the easiest European countries for Americans to obtain citizenship by descent due to their wellestablished pathways for ancestral connections If you have parents grandparents or even greatgrandparents who are born in another country you might qualify for citizenship The process can take some time but it's worth looking into if you have roots abroad The easiest European passport for Americans by descent are from Ireland and Italy So for an Irish passport to be eligible you have to have a parent or a grandparent born in Ireland and you can apply for your Irish citizenship through the foreign birth register In some cases a great grandparent connection may also qualify So the obvious benefits would be the Irish citizenship which grants you access to live work and study not only in Ireland but any EU country And regarding the process the applications are submitted through the foreign birth register like I mentioned and process typically takes 9 months to two years So if you're not keen on learning a foreign language then Ireland might be a really good option for you None of the research that I came across required any language requirements for obtaining any of these visas but obviously I would recommend trying to learn the language of the country that you're going to I highly recommend uh Ireland as a moving abroad um location Not just because you can show up speaking their language but um I mean obviously everyone in Ireland learns a little learns Irish and in some regions they do generally speak Irish If you were to move abroad to Ireland with your kids your kids would in school have to learn Irish But other than that it is an extremely comfortable country with I would say the lowest level of culture shock of any country other than Canada So definitely a high recommend on my part And also regarding their English and most of Europe like in Austria where we live but also in France I know in most of the schools they teach British English but that's not the case in Ireland They teach American English and they have a very large influence from American media And I I could be wrong but I think it is one of the absolute cheapest flights abroad other than Canada The immigration and border control offices in Dublin are the only ones outside the US Yeah It's like being in on American soil Yeah So Ireland could be a good option for you And the other option we had is an Italian passport So to be eligible for the Italian citizenship by descent that's available for individuals with an unbroken Italian bloodline There's no generational limit as long as your ancestor did not naturalize in another country before their child's birth The benefits are Italian citizenship which provides you with EUI rights just like Ireland In this process the applicants must prove their lineage with documents such as birth marriage and naturalization records And the processing time ranges from 6 months to 2 years So you really have to look into your family's documents and um see if this unbroken Italian bloodline requirement is met I know Americans that have done this and it's not necessary especially with all the information that we can get online but if this is an option for you you might want to consider hiring a lawyer in the states to speed this process up The benefits of that is that you could have basically the guarantee beforehand from the lawyer that the process will go through and they can speed it up as well And if it's an option again not a requirement Both for the Irish and the Italian citizenship you could be eligible for them without knowing But if not there is one more other inclusive option that almost any American could do and that is teaching English abroad And it's also an incredible way to immerse yourself in a new culture Haven't you spent some time teaching abroad you want to share that experience with us and talk about some of the options so when I initially moved to Austria after I finished my bachelor's in both French and German I actually came here on a tourist visa So I was looking for a job and looking for an option During that time I decided to get certified to teach English as a foreign language online which was a fairly easy process And it was great because even though I had studied foreign languages I was not certified to teach my own language But as a native English speaker that is so valuable when you're abroad Very thankful to have that option I ended up working as an Opair that first year which is also another option which we're not going to go into on this episode It's more for younger workers that are thinking about just spending a year abroad It's also an option Most people that come abroad are an Opair for a year and then you can stay on a student visa after that which was kind of my pathway but I really want to concentrate on teaching English And so as I previously mentioned it's a great options for Americans uh teaching abroad and many countries are actively seeking native English speakers to teach and getting a TEFL certification It can really open up doors to work in places like South Korea Japan Thailand and even some European countries And some programs even offer benefits like housing assistance and competitive salaries making it an excellent way to move abroad with a structured plan Let's first cover how to get certified and then we'll let you know which countries we would recommend due to the ease of obtaining a working visa to teach English as a foreign language legally So if you're seriously considering teaching English abroad getting TEFL teaching English as a foreign language certified is the first step but you don't have to break the bank to do it Here's a quick breakdown of some of the most budget friendly TEFL programs out there and you just need to choose the best one for your budget So the best program for discounts and job support is called My TEFL It originally $349 but with the promo code goats50 go a t-s50 the cost drops to just $17450 My TEFL offers 120 hour course tutor support and job placement assistance but it lacks hand-on teaching practice The best program for video learning with no final exam is from the UNI Prep Institute This typically costs under $200 It's self-paced accredited course includes video lessons and job search support and you can finish the program in as little as 2 to four weeks So the best program for budget friendly basics is eye to eyeel I tuffle offers frequent discounts an introductory level course tutor support and free TEFL ebooks But Eye to Eye Tuffle focuses more on theory than hands-on training The absolute cheapest is Study Tuffle at just $34 for 120 hour certification It's the most affordable option However additional resources are minimal compared to pricier programs And like I mentioned when I did my online certification I really appreciated having those learning materials because it then gave me the materials that I then used in the classroom when I was teaching and I wouldn't have had that I would have had to search for that on my own So I definitely would value having those additional resources Uh moving on the best program for quality and student support is Premier TEFL They have well-reviewed courses under $300 strong tutor support and high ratings from past students And a completely free but limited program is called Tuffle Hero Their 40hour certification is entirely free and accredited but may not meet all employer requirements So here's what you want to look for in a TEFL course There's three things One ensure it's accredited in at least 100 to 120 hours which is the standard for most employers Two look for a job placement assistance if you're new to teaching And three choose a program that matches your budget learning style and career goals We'll include links to these resources in our blog so that you can explore further But Matt what would you say are the easiest countries to immigrate to for teaching English if you're a certified English teacher some countries make the visa process a breeze and they even offer job placement assistance Here are some of the easiest places to get started The first one is Thailand Thailand has a straightforward visa process It's a great option It costs about $80 but it requires that you have a bachelor's degree a TEFL certificate a background check and a job offer The next one is Costa Rica Costa Rica is a laid-back paradise that offers a simple work or student visa process with fees starting at $50 You'll need a passport of course a background check and a birth certificate But once approved you're ready to start teaching Next we have Spain And while work permits can be tricky for non-EU citizens Spain has a program designed for Americans It's called NALCAP the North American Language and Culture Assistance Program Then we have the Czech Republic also now known as Czecha one of the easiest European countries for Americans to teach in Their work visa the Zenostinsky list costs about $218 and requires a TEFL certificate a bachelor's degree health insurance and a background check South Korea while not always the fastest visa process has the Epic and Talk programs where you can get job placement and visa assistance uh for teachers making it one of the most structured and well-paying options in Asia These countries not only offer easier visa processes but also provide a range of benefits such as competitive salaries low cost of living and lots of cultural experiences When choosing a destination consider factors like job availability living conditions and personal preferences in addition to visa ease And while these are just a few of the pathways to living abroad it's important to do your homework before making the move Every country has different visa requirements cost of living considerations and cultural norms that could impact your experience One of the best ways to prepare is by connecting with people who've already made the move So ways to research before moving is to join expat Facebook groups watch YouTube videos like Matt mentioned earlier or listen to expat podcasts like you're doing now We would also recommend to visit the country before committing to a long-term move if possible And lastly look into residency and visa requirements well in advance Moving abroad is a big decision but it's more possible than ever before Whether you have ancestral ties can work remotely or want to teach English there are multiple ways to make this dream a reality We really hope this episode gave you some valuable insights and hope as there are many opportunities out there and if you have more questions reach out to us or join the conversation in expat communities online Be sure to sign up for our newsletter at blog.americansofabofrocast.com in order to receive our digital nomad starter guide And we promise to be back soon with another exciting episode That's all for today's episode Join us for more interviews stories and unfiltered conversations Until then I'm Ashley And I'm Matthew And this has been Americans a broadcast [Music]