Expats anxious about settling in

 

Settling into a new community overseas is the largest cause of concern for recent expats, according to new research.

The report by HSBC International shows that "emotive" concerns such as making new friends far outweigh anxiety about more practical issues such as finding the right property.

According to the study, 41 per cent of expats cited re-establishing a strong social life as their biggest concern when moving overseas, while 34 per cent were anxious about feeling lonely.

Evelyn Simpson, an expat coach who advises people on how to make a successful move abroad, told the Telegraph that women in particular may have strong emotional concerns about relocating, as the research indicated.

"Women's friendships have a big impact on their health and wellbeing, and expat women have the challenge of starting from scratch in making those friendships,"

But while changes in familial and social relationships may the biggest cause of anxiety, the Telegraph has also recently warned Britons that arranging expat health insurance cover should be a top priority when relocating.

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