SloJan

Hi LG,
I am another expat trailing spouse who has been living in Europe for the past 7 1/2 years. My DH is also with a big 4 acctg. firm though on the consulting side of it. We have lived in Budapest, Hungary, Luzern, Switzerland and now, Ljubljana, Slovenia. I learned German while in Luzern, but haven't made a huge effort to tackle Slovene or Hungarian. Don't be afraid of going somewhere you don't know the language. You will be surprised at how many people speak English and how well you can communicate with a very basic level of their language. I agree with BTilke that I wouldn't consider the UK. The prices are outrageous and just b/c they speak English doesn't mean life will be easier for you there. Every country will have something to offer and there isn't any 'best' place for an expat. We liked Budapest for the cheap cost of living and their love of children. We liked Switzerland for the natural beauty and we like Slovenia b/c it has the best of both worlds -natural beauty, safe environment and less expensive cost of living.

If I were in your shoes and could actually choose a place, I would choose the location with the best opportunities and job for my husband. You will need to network as effectively as your husband. WE have found that the social aspect has fallen to me in our travels.

The others have answered the Visa question so I won't go into it.

When we came over, we brought our dog and have had absolutely no problems with him. Bring everything that is important to you and you will be happier.

Finally, do you have children? That has an impact on where you might want to live. Some expat websites are www.expatexchange.com and www.expatfocus.com. Check them out. There is a ton of info on how to get mentally prepared for this step. If you want to 'talk' more you can email me at slojan2000atyahoo.com.

Cheers and best of luck!
Jan

BTilke

SloJan, you make me sorry that we neglected to visit Slovenia when we spent our summer vacations in Styria. We almost went a couple of times, but skipped it. I've since seen some holiday shows on the place and it looks gorgeous. One show put it in the top 10 of places to relocate (for Brits who want to move to continental Europe).

mousireid

Military familes adjust very well, and I feel you will have a wondewrful experience and opportunity. The culture shock will be there as will the shell shock and after a certain period of grumbles and comparisons (when you are in dire 'need' LOL of that certain items or food that makes you homesick) the country will become an amazing learning experience as well as the sadness of ever having to leave! I wish you much love, luck and happiness in your travels, Europe's travelling from any destination makes it easy and cheap by air/train or boat so you can go anywhere!
Enjoy!

SloJan

BTilke,
With Easyjet flying into Ljbuljana now, it is still possible! It is beautiful and a great destination in the summer, when so many other places in Europe are overwhelmed with tourists.

BTW, was the show "Tope 20 Places in the Sun"? Slovenia came in at #4. I was pretty surprised.

Cheers,
Jan

Tulips

BTilke, I used to work in relocation in London, and the cost of housing was a shock to almost everyone! They couldn't believe that the places I was showing them really cost that much. After people got settled, most of the spouses found it hard to find English friends. A German client asked me if she was doing something wrong, since nobody seemd to like her; she tried to invite other mothers that she met in the playground, but was always met with polite refusal. Expats often move in expat circles.

BTilke

SloJan, yes, that was the one. Slovenia was a surpise to me. I don't know what I was expecting, but it looked very appealing! Isn't it funny, how many Brits would like to leave the UK and live elsewhere in Europe? It seems to be a one-way street. I know plenty of other Europeans who have moved to the UK purely for work reasons, but can't think of any Europeans (from other EU countries, anyway) who want to move to the UK to enjoy the British "lifestyle." ;-)

Tulips, we had no problems meeting and socializing with other Belgians or Germans. Is a puzzlement, as they said in The King and I. When I was back in Brussels last week-end, I took a look at some of the beautiful new apartment buildings in Woluwe St. Pierre and compared their prices to the prices for housing here. Sigh.

BTilke

LGBooker, if your husband opts for Brussels, KPMG is in a good location (nice new building) not far from Woluwe St. Pierre, one of the most agreeable neighborhoods in Brussels. Go to www.robfinefood.be (site available in English) to see what the local supermarket is like. Also go to www.homeinbrussels.be (could be .com) to get an idea of what temporary (a month or two) furnished housing options are like and their rates. You could stay longer in the temporary accommodations, but I think in the end, you'll prefer to be in a place with your own stuff. Most leases on Brussels apartments are for 3 years, but as the city is so accustomed to expats coming and going, there are special clauses for international tenants to leave earlier and not face big penalties. Another bonus is that after you set up your Belgian bank account (ING, which is actually Dutch, I think, or Fortis, another Dutch bank, are two of the most popular local banking choices), they will provide a rental deposit service. It's a little complicated, but basically, you don't have to front the 3-months deposit in cash--the bank handles it and charges you a small annual fee. Most landlords in Belgium are used to practice--avoid like the plague a landlord who insists on 3 months' cash up front--guarantee you'll NEVER get it back.
P.S. You'll have no problems bringing your dog to Belgium with you. Make sure you get the necessary vaccinations, microchip, etc., ahead of time. But when you get to Brussels, have your dog re-vaccinated against parvo locally. Not required but advised.

Andrea_expat

There is a lot of good advice here. I think Peter had a very good list, so I'll shamelessly modify it:

central position (for travelling) - since you mentioned this is one of your goals, it's something well worth keeping at the top of your list.

possible expat tax advantages - it depends on the company's tax policy for expats (some do tax equalization for all expats, which would make it moot), but this could be a very lucrative/costly factor

I also agree that the location of the office within the country is critical, too. France vs. Italy is very different from Paris vs. Naples.

When you get to the stage of choosing from among a few "finalist" countries, I'd also consider cost of living. A COLA will not cover everything.

Housing may be another important factor that will vary a lot by city, even though the budgets will be adjusted. For example, a decent expat package in Hong Kong often gets you a tiny one bedroom, whereas the equivalent package in Shanghai can get you a large garden villa.

Since one of your main interests is travel, I would read up on some countries that have a draw for you and also consider how easy it is to travel within that country and to other countries from there.

Congrats to you! We were just discussing with some friends the other night that we think that being an expat is the world's greatest secret - it's a wonderful opportunity, and you are in a GREAT position being able to choose your location!

hanl

Just an aside to BTilke - you make some valid points, but they do seem rather centred on the south-east of England. That's not all there is to the UK or the "British lifestyle"!

For example, I know a number of foreign nationals (French, Spanish, Australian...) who went to Edinburgh to study or visit for a few weeks and never left! And I have a good few French friends who studied or worked in Scotland for a spell and would love to return there to live.

On the other hand, I have just relocated to Brussels from France and I must agree that it's a great place to live - Our experiences here have been almost all positive so far.

mvor

LGBooker,

Here is the site where you can learn about Britain's pet passport scheme:

www.defra.gov.uk/animals/quarantine/index.htm

We'll find out next week if we're relocating to London so I have been busy researching many of the same issues as you.

I found the book "Living and Working in London" to be very helpful. It's published by Survival Books and they have guides for most other Western European countries.

www.survivalbooks.net

Good luck w/your search and potential move.

P.S. Bring your doggie--I'm sure he'll help you make friends no matter which country you choose.

TexasAggie

What a small world, I just left KPMG a couple of weeks ago!! I spent 2.5 years there (joined the firm right out of grad school).
There was a manager in my office who spent 2 years in the Caymans with the firm. He loved the experience, but he is doing terribly at the firm now that he is back. He is years behind on the US tax experience he should have for his "manager" level since his promotion was based solely upon time spent at the firm.
Anyway, this is not to say it's a bad idea. Just tell your husband to keep up on his US accounting while he is away The firm will most likely provide him with a subscription to CCH updates if he requests.

Good Luck to you both in your move

Oh, have you thought of Germany. Most Germans speak English so the language barrier is not bad at all.

LGBooker

Wow! Thannks for all the info! This board is already proving to be a great resource.

I actually have an Accounting degree but work in Financial Planning for a large retailer. We'll probably see about KPMG hiring me as well...can't hurt to look into it.

We have no kids, so we don't have to consider schools, etc.

Thanks again for all of your advice...I'll keep you posted!

SloJan

You know...it's amazing how many women have babies when they are the 'trailing spouse'...heh, heh, heh.
Cheers,
Jan

highledge

the subject was touched upon, but I'd have your husband try to figure out which are the better offices to work in. Better or more interesting clients, etc. Would he need to travel more from one office vs another?
Is food an issue for you? We considered a move to Germany but I hadn't loved the food there on my past three visits.

Sit down with a map and pin point the different offices (they must be listed on the web site).
Visa issues vary country to country- I have a big "dependent spouse" stamp in my passport. Hell, as a full time mom I've known it for a while, but did they have to put it in writing??

Ann41

Just to reiterate what others have said: your best chance of working is with KPMG. Otherwise, it's very unlikely you'll be able to get a visa.

I would say the UK or Ireland would be best for you since you don't have another language.

If you're somewhere like London or Dublin there will be a lot of other trailing spouses in your same situation, which always makes the adjustment easier.

If your husband is an auditor, he'll probably be further ahead, not behind like others have said, in his career when he returns to the US. European companies are scrambling for US GAAP experts with Sarbanes-Oxley hanging over their heads.

janeygirl

Re: taking your dog to England -

It's possible for American dogs to enter England now but it's a long, expensive, complicated process. We went through the process a couple of years ago when England first started accepting American dogs. As I recall, it took us about nine months total from start to finish.

I would definitely want to take my dog with me, if I had the opportunity to move overseas but I would avoid the transfer to England, if at all possible, and would choose another country with less stringent regulations.

SloJan

"I would say the UK or Ireland would be best for you since you don't have another language."

I wanted to stress that the lack of a second language is not that big of a deal. In fact, it is a great opportunity to pick up another skill. So many people speak English and the expat community is so wide spread that you won't have a huge problem.

And Highledge, you are too funny!

Cheers,
Jan

mvor

janeygirl, thankfully you can now bring your pet dog, cat or ferret into (or back into) the UK through the Pet Travel Scheme without putting it into quarantine.

The link describing this scheme that I provided earlier is incorrect; here is the correct one:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm

Ann41

The language thing can be a huge issue for her husband. My husband is a CPA working in the UK, and he has done a lot of work elsewhere in Europe. He doesn't have another language, so they've always had to use interpreters, and it's very rare to find an interpreter who is familiar with business, particularly accounting, language. The only country where he didn't need one outside of the UK and Ireland was in Holland.

SloJan

No, it completely depends on where he is. My husband is with the same firm and he has worked all over Central and Eastern Europe. It is all in English. If anything, the DH has it easier than she does. If she is only interested in Western Europe, it may be a problem but not elsewhere.
Cheers,
Jan