Why this site exists
A personal story of expatriation research that became one of the most comprehensive resources for 35 destinations.
How it started
I am Vincent Courtois. Like a growing number of people in France today, I started seriously thinking about expatriation. Not out of defeatism or escape, but out of curiosity: to see what life in another country looks like, to test a different setup, and — let's be honest — to explore what other countries can offer in terms of taxation, quality of life and opportunity.
Except that as soon as you start digging, you hit a wall. The information is everywhere, but it is fragmented. A Reddit reply, an incomplete blog post, an unreadable government website, a YouTube video from 2019. For each destination, you have to rebuild everything from scratch: visa, taxation, housing, healthcare, banking, schooling, culture, paperwork.
After a few weeks of compiling notes for about a dozen countries, I realized this work could be useful to others. That's how HowToExpatriate was born.
The mission
Bring together everything you need to know about expatriation, in one place, for any country. Whether you are thinking about Portugal, Dubai, Estonia, Georgia, Costa Rica or Vietnam, you should be able to find here a guide that covers what actually matters:
- Visas and entry conditions based on your profile
- Real taxation (not just the headline rate, the effective burden)
- Cost of living with concrete numbers
- Housing, recommended cities, pitfalls
- Healthcare and insurance options
- Entrepreneurship (setting up a company, freelance status)
- The downsides — because no destination is perfect
The site currently covers 35 countries with guides of 5,000+ words each, plus a blog that handles cross-cutting topics (taxation, treaties, legal status, returning home, etc.).
The rules of the game
The content on this site follows three principles that will not change:
1. Total independence
No sponsored content. No hidden partnerships. No undisclosed affiliate links. If a recommendation is made, it is because it is relevant, not because it pays.
2. Honesty about the downsides
Every country guide mentions what does not work. Georgia has a 1% flat tax, but also regional stability concerns. Dubai has 0% income tax, but also extreme heat and a rigid social framework. No disguised marketing.
3. Verified sources
Information is based on official sources (government sites, OECD, tax treaties) or verifiable data (Numbeo, OECD statistics). Numbers are dated and updated regularly.
Where I am
This site is written by someone who is not yet expatriated, but who is actively preparing the move. The plan: to expatriate within a year (~2027). As I move forward in my own process — visa, filings, relocation, settling in — I document the experience in real time.
This positioning is intentional. I am not a consultant selling 5,000 EUR coaching packages. I am not a guru repeating "leave your country" on YouTube. I am someone doing the homework seriously and sharing the results with people who want to save time.
If you spot an error, outdated info, or a missing topic, let me know. The content evolves and improves with feedback from the community.
Ready to explore?
Start with the destinations or let our quiz guide you.