I have a question for Europeans about your countries

My wife and I are new doctors in America, we were born here and for a variety of reasons we have decided we have had enough of this country. We would like to move to a new country that has its head on straight. We both speak Japanese and that country is an option too, but we were thinking about countries that have a heavy use of English, with our current pick being Ireland. We are looking into several countries as possibilities, and I was wondering if you could tell me some ups and especially some downs, about living in your country, specifically Ireland, although any European country will be entertained, as well as Japan. I would appreciate anything you can offer as we will be narrowing down and visiting our "final 3" soon.

I'm surprised theres been no response, we could use some help with this.

ya... i was entertaining this same idea a while back....just seemed financially unfeasible at the time. Most European countries right now are supposedly suffering from housing issues, according to the website i researched (to which i will provide a link at the end of this post). From what i also read they are very strict on immigration policies; i dont think you can be there for more than 90 days without obtaining a proper visa and you have to obtain a seperate "extended stay" visa to work in that country. I dont know about all european countries but I know a few are very nationalistic about their hiring principles in that they're more likely to hire a natural citizen over an immigrant unless you offer a highly valuable asset (such as being bilingual).

Now, as far as cost of living goes i believe people in france make a nice average incomee, i've heard germany has some of the best entry level wages in the world at 30,000-60,000 euros a year. I believe that in some countries they also get paid for fourteen months in a year. However, countries like Italy and Spain i've heard have been having housing problems, I read that in italy its not uncommon for someone to live with their parents until the age of thirty while saving for a house.

But, with you and your wife both being doctors it would probably be wise to reccomend staying away from working in socialized nations as you obviously wont be as lucrative as in a nation where healthcare is still privatized.


But i think thats all i got for right now....good luck to you living in europe...oh and heres the link to the website if you think of anything i havent mentioned yet

escapeartist.com...

Thanks for the reply. I still can't believe with all the Europeans on the board no one will help out with this.

Konichiwa.....(spelling?)

How about France?

With one of the best healthcare systems in the world, you could be secure in employment. You would also be on the good side of a very bureaucratic infrastructure which is traditionally strong to the core.

There's also the fresh air, countryside, social scene and most importantly

FREEDOM

Good luck wherever you go.

reply to post by Ruggeder


Hi, you have invited me to this thread.

I think a lot of Info about Switzerland can be found here.

Should you have further questions, I'll answer as best as I can.

you'll also find that if you use google theres alot of sites full of important information such as the economy, infrastructure, job market, hell even listings for moving companies especially designed for people considering "expatriating" ( I really hate that term...seems kinda harsh to use that word to describe someone who wants to live in another country)

so, like i said before, good luck to you on living abroad. Like i said I would still be considering this option myself if it werent so expensive and if I wren't going to school for my political sciences degree ( kinda makes that whole point moot if I up and leave the country lol)

oh and heres another really great site

www.alloexpat.com...

I have to admit Switzerland looked good until i found out that in some regions women aren't allowed to vote, can't hold "male" jobs and can be treated like meat and this is acceptable to them. Along with there ridiculous policy for people who wish to own a home, this has all but eliminated Switzerland, although i will still visit. Can you tell me if this info from the swiss site is true, although the source seems incredibly credible.

[edit on 6-25-2008 by Ruggeder]

personally, I wouldn't reccomend switzerland for you primarily on the basis that they are a socialized nation (I think). Living in a socialized nation has its perks for the average joe, however, if your on the other side of the picture (providing the services that socialized nations take advantage of) it means working under base state pay. Now, state pay isn't too bad however if you were to be working in a more capitalistic nation where pay is more competitive you would be alot more lucrative in your job situation. Again, try to pick a nation where the language is not too difficult to learn because your whole job outlook in any european country is pretty bleak if you cant speak the language...personally I would reccomend France, Spain, Italy, UK, (all romance languages), or Germany

There not a "socialist" nation in the commy sense, but I like free health care, equality, pensions, etc. so i prefer those kinds of countries. We are now looking at Austria, Germany, Italy, and Ireland as front runners.

Thats what i meant by socialist...the reason they have free health care etc.
is because they pay higher taxes which are in turn used to pay the doctors, psychiatrists etc., so therefore being a doctor or such wouldnt be as profitable because the competition for pay that stimulates better work and research just isnt there because everyone is getting paid for the same amount of work no matter how much better their work might be than someone elses. Also, like i said before, i believe Italy is going through a housing deficit right now so housing there might be hard to come by and very expensive.


Myself, personally I would go live in amsterdam and frequent one of those nifty "coffee shops"

[edit on 26-6-2008 by Secret Shadow]