So What Exactly is an Expat...?

So what exactly is an Expatriate.


An expatriate is someone who has chosen to live in a country other than the one in which he or she legally resides. Usually, an expatriate is different than an immigrant in that most expatriates do not plan on residing in their new country permanently, and if they do, they plan on retaining their native citizenship for practical purposes. Immigrants, by contrast, usually plan on residing permanently in a new country and acquiring permanent citizenship there. The word expatriate comes from the Latin ex meaning “out of”, and patria meaning “country”. Expatriates are often known simply as expats, and they often form their own communities in their new host countries. Almost all expats undertake this experience willingly and out of their own free will.


Expatriates are sometimes looked at negatively, both by citizens of their native country and by citizens of the country in which they have chosen to dwell.
Some people refer to expatriates who leave their native country as expatriots, indicating that they have a reduced sense of patriotism reflected in their desire to leave their homeland. Some groups in popular expatriate destinations consider the expatriate community to be a negative force in their country, as expatriates often do not pay into the tax base, are not a part of the armed forces, and may not fully integrate themselves into the local culture.

Virtually every country on earth has a decent-sized expatriate community, and people interested in moving to a new country permanently or semi-permanently may want to make contact with that community. Many expatriate communities have websites or local meeting places where they share tips and contacts with the curious, and one can usually find them through a quick web search or by browsing a good guidebook for the country in question.

Generally, there are normally three groups of Expats…

• Highly skilled, Highly Paid; these are people with sought after skills and normally command a premium for their services because of a general shortage of the skills they bring to market. Some skills and vocations such as Finance and or Medicine are more universal and generally professionals in these sectors are more prone to Expat assignments.

• Unskilled, Lowly Paid; This category are normally reserved for those jobs in the economy that the locals simply don’t want to do, such as construction labour and domestic servants. Though these are low paid jobs, expats who accept these kind of assignments are satisfied that their income from these jobs pays them better than what they would have earned back in their home country, or, worst still, at least this low paying job (often in harsh conditions) is better than no job back home.

• Seconded Expats. The third kind is a very specific breed, and they are commonly referred to as career diplomats. They are normally seconded by their respective governments to live and work in different countries, and normally get paid in their home countries, but all living expenses are generally covered when they are stationed abroad. They are different in that they generally enjoy immunity and at times act with impunity.

Generally, expats are very conscious that they live as guests in the host countries and in most cases; the expat community strives to be as law-abiding as any government could hope for. That is, except for the third category.

Besides the obvious financial benefits to being an Expat, there is generally a host of softer advantages to being an Expat. The Author is a South African national and for a long time South Africans were unable to travel freely as a result of sanctions imposed on the country due to its Apartheid policies. This travel restriction has caused many South Africans to develop a pent up desire to travel and when that restriction was lifted, many took the opportunity to live and work abroad. Living as an expat gives one the opportunity to travel to different countries, and experience first hand other cultures.

Many expats view their assignment overseas as a big adventure, and if truth be told, this is possibly the best way to experience life as an expat. This way, you will be prepared for the many challenges that will come your way. And their will be many challenges… from language barriers, to religious differences. From cultural to infrastructural. From what you’ve been promised compared to what you’ve received.

Many Expats go to extraordinary lengths to prepare themselves, obtaining the necessary documentation, getting the necessary medical requirements (injections, examinations and the like) and adhering to obscure bureaucratic processes, and still come unstuck in the initial set up phase. Others merely get onto a plane, and with no fuss at all, settle down in their new environment as it is part of the ordinary.

Like all things in life, there are also several disadvantages in being an Expat… For one, most Expats don’t appreciate initially the effect of the loss of one’s support infrastructure. All of a sudden, your mother in law does not live in the next street anymore. All of a sudden, the café you would pass on your way to your office and popped in periodically to get Niknaks (A peculiarly South African manufactured corn chips) is not there anymore. In fact, all of a sudden there is no more Niknaks available anymore…!!!

Another peculiar disadvantage that you might only notice later in your Expat career, is that your host country and your host employer is of the view that you have been brought on board as the expert, in whatever field, and this means that the organisation sees no need to further develop your capabilities. In fact, in most countries, no effort is made for career development amongst Expats. This means, training courses, or ordinary career development that you would have received whilst in your home country, might simply just not be available to you as an Expat.

Ironically, most expats can list a host of reasons as to how difficult and challenging life as an expat can be… but if you asked them whether they would have done it all over again given the opportunity, almost all of them would agree that it is a life experience well worth experiencing.