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Best Countries for Expats (2026)

Every country in our catalog ranked for expat life in 2026: community, English use, and personal freedom combined. Full global catalog included.

Last updated

A country can look perfect on a map and still feel lonely on month three. This ranking blends expat community, English in daily life, and personal freedom so you see where international movers tend to settle more easily worldwide.

Pair with Compare when you are down to two finalists, and read residence pathways before you assume a remote-work visa covers your passport.

Expat fit Score on the map

Higher score = stronger expat fit

Tap a country to see its score.

Expat fit Score world map
8.5+
7.0–8.4
5.5–6.9
Below 5.5
RankCountryExpat fit Score
#1Canada9.3
#2Australia9.3
#3New Zealand9.3
#4Ireland9.3
#5United Kingdom9.2
#6Netherlands9.1
#7United States9.1
#8Sweden9.0
#9Norway9.0
#10Denmark9.0
#11Singapore8.9
#12Iceland8.9
#13Finland8.7
#14Malta8.5
#15Bahamas8.4
#16Barbados8.4
#17Monaco8.4
#18Belgium8.2
#19Luxembourg8.2
#20Estonia8.2
#21Germany8.1
#22Portugal8.1
#23South Africa8.1
#24Curaçao8.1
#25Switzerland8.0
#26Ghana7.9
#27Liechtenstein7.9
#28Spain7.8
#29Mauritius7.8
#30Austria7.7
#31Philippines7.7
#32Lithuania7.7
#33Latvia7.7
#34United Arab Emirates (Dubai)7.7
#35Czech Republic7.6
#36Vanuatu7.6
#37Nigeria7.6
#38Cyprus7.6
#39Croatia7.5
#40Qatar7.5
#41France7.4
#42Hong Kong7.4
#43Costa Rica7.4
#44Malaysia7.4
#45Liberia7.4
#46Poland7.3
#47Greece7.3
#48Seychelles7.3
#49Panama7.2
#50Kenya7.2
#51Andorra7.2
#52Serbia7.2
#53Hungary7.1
#54San Marino7.1
#55Italy7.0
#56South Korea7.0
#57Chile7.0
#58Taiwan7.0
#59Mexico6.9
#60Uruguay6.9
#61Romania6.8
#62Cape Verde6.8
#63Argentina6.6
#64Thailand6.6
#65Sierra Leone6.6
#66Bulgaria6.6
#67India6.5
#68Japan6.3
#69Brazil6.3
#70Georgia6.3
#71Bosnia and Herzegovina6.3
#72Colombia6.2
#73Ecuador6.2
#74Sri Lanka6.2
#75Azerbaijan6.2
#76Turkiye6.1
#77Vietnam6.0
#78Moldova6.0
#79Saudi Arabia6.0
#80Peru5.8
#81Indonesia5.8
#82Ukraine5.8
#83Morocco5.7
#84Bangladesh5.5
#85Russia5.4
#86Bolivia5.4
#87Nepal5.4
#88Senegal5.4
#89Paraguay5.3
#90Kazakhstan5.3
#91Ethiopia5.3
#92Egypt5.2
#93Cambodia5.2
#94Tunisia5.2
#95Ivory Coast5.2
#96Pakistan5.1
#97China5.0
#98Mongolia5.0
#99Uzbekistan4.9
#100Kyrgyzstan4.9
#101Algeria4.9
#102Benin4.9
#103Laos4.8
#104Togo4.8
#105Myanmar4.6
#106Guinea4.6
#107Iran4.4
#108Venezuela4.4
#109Tajikistan4.4
#110Burkina Faso4.3
#111Sudan4.2
#112Mali4.0
#113Libya3.9
#114Chad3.8
#115Turkmenistan3.7
#116Niger3.7

Why the leaders rank here for expat fit

English-friendly countries with visible foreign resident networks and open civic life dominate this global list.

  1. #1
    Canada9.3

    Large immigrant cities, strong public services, and English-first admin in most provinces help newcomers build a routine fast.

  2. #2
    Australia9.3

    Sydney and Melbourne host deep international workforces, English daily life, and familiar business norms for many movers.

  3. #3
    New Zealand9.3

    Smaller population but high trust, outdoor lifestyle, and established expat circles in Auckland and Wellington.

  4. #4
    Ireland9.3

    English-first bureaucracy and a large foreign-born share in Dublin and Cork reduce language friction early on.

  5. #5
    United Kingdom9.2

    London and regional hubs pair long-standing expat infrastructure with English legal and workplace norms.

Rankings are based on our scoring model. Always verify visa and cost information with official sources before making relocation decisions.

How we calculate these rankings

We rank every country in our catalog by the equal-weight average of expat community strength, English friendliness, and freedom scores. Higher combined scores rank higher.

What this does not measure: Job offers, healthcare quality, climate, or visa eligibility for your passport. A strong expat score does not mean admin will be painless.

Updates: Rankings refresh when we redeploy after underlying country data changes.

Explore these countries

Open any country profile for full expat fit context, visas, and scores. Use compare when you are weighing a shortlist.

Showing top 8 of 116 ranked countries. Scroll the table above for the full list.

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