Help, research, and guidance for your retirement abroad
Our network of seasoned expat pros share their expertise and experience to help us produce our guides, information, and research for your overseas move.
The knowledge needed to relocate to a new country successfully is often challenging to obtain and tends to be unreliable or unclear.
The facts and information you need to make your overseas move successful are not just spread across multiple information sources but are often scattered and hard to piece together. Crucial snippets of information that make moving easier are often locked away in people's heads.
Expatra gathers vital information and provides a single resource for anyone planning to start a new life in a different country.
Contact Us
If you’ve got any questions about Expatra or the services we offer in the first instance, please get in touch with us via our contact page or our email address services@expatra.com
Expatra: Our Founders
Andy Williamson
With more than two decades of international experience across multiple continents, Andy founded Expatra after identifying a critical gap in expatriate retirement planning. His move to Cyprus, a journey that mirrored the experiences of many retirees, proved particularly illuminating. He observed first-hand how retirees were encountering the same challenges he had navigated in his twenties—but with far more significant financial implications.
Drawing on his extensive global expertise, Andy established Expatra as the authoritative resource for retirement migration. The platform explicitly addresses the complex financial and practical considerations that can significantly impact retirement success abroad. His widely read newsletter, a treasure trove of practical insights and strategic planning guidance, has become essential reading for prospective expatriate retirees.
Andy's core philosophy—that meticulous planning creates unprecedented opportunities for international retirement—is not just a theory. It's a principle consistently validated by Expatra's growing community of successful expatriate retirees, instilling confidence in the effectiveness of his approach.
You can reach out to Andy via LinkedIn.
Ola Degteva
Ola, with her distinctive expertise in international retirement, brings a unique perspective to her role as Communications Officer at Expatra. Having personally completed three international moves, she deeply understands the challenges and complexities of establishing a new life abroad. From cultural differences to finding suitable housing and mastering local healthcare systems, Ola has experienced it all.
As Expatra's Communications Officer, Ola ensures our community is well-supported on their retirement abroad journey. She leverages a vital network of country-specific experts, including local real estate agents, lawyers, relocation advisors, financial advisors, and healthcare professionals, to provide valuable insights and guidance, fostering a sense of connection and support among our audience.
Her rigorous approach to research and verification has proved instrumental in developing comprehensive relocation frameworks that address the practical, financial and administrative aspects of retirement abroad.
For personalized guidance on international retirement planning, connect with Ola via LinkedIn. By doing so, you'll gain access to her valuable insights and updates, and you'll be part of a growing community of individuals planning their retirement abroad.
Overseas living experts and advisors
We receive information and research from hundreds of expats and professionals worldwide. Their contribution is invaluable, enabling us to collate guides and information that can make moving abroad easier.
Top contributors:
Joana Torres Fernandes – Portugal
Joana is an immigration lawyer based in Lisbon, Portugal. She is a Partner at L.V.P. Advogados, where, together with her team, she helps expats make their move to Portugal as smooth as possible.
Maria Luisa de Castro – Spain
Maria Luisa is a lawyer and founder of Costaluz Lawyers, based in the Costa de la Luz in southern Spain. She set up her practice in 2006 to help expats buy real estate and sort out immigration and taxation matters.
Rod Larrivee – Panama
Rod is an expat from Vancouver, Canada, who has been living in Panama since 2011, and is co-owner of Retire in Panama Tours. The company offers services to assist anyone looking to relocate to Panama.
Kate Ozikis (Kate Smith) – North Cyprus
Kate is a British expat living in North Cyprus and running a successful property company Ian Smith Estate Agency, that her family founded in 1985.
Paolo Rigo – Italy
Paolo Rigo is an international tax and business advisor in Verona, Italy. His Tax and Accounting Firm, Studio Rigo, has over 15 years of expertise helping expats with Italian taxes and tax planning.
Matteo Spadafora and Heather Lincoln – Italy
Matteo is a licensed real estate agent and mortgage broker based in Milan. Matteo and his team at Invest In Italy assist foreign nationals and investors with buying real estate in Italy.
Stefano Gonella – Thailand
Stefano is an Italian expat in Krabi, Thailand. Stefano has been running his business Krabi Contractor since 2011, helping international investors buy real estate in Krabi. He is also a consultant with Hexedes, a global relocation company assisting expats with relocation to Thailand.
Kostas Sakellariadis and Dimitris Varvatakos – Greece
Kostas and Dimitris are our Greece experts. They represent Eloan, a company that helps expats with residency, property and setting up a business in Greece.
Paola Ricci – Costa Rica
Paola is an Italian expat who moved to Uvita, Costa Rica, in 2018 and runs an Arts Center in Uvita, which has become a community hub for expats and locals alike. Paola is a relocation advisor with Hexedes, a global relocation company assisting expats with relocation to Costa Rica.
Tom Julian – The Balkans and Southern Europe
Tom Julian is an American expat who has lived in many European countries, including the Balkans and Spain, and is settling in Italy now. Through his Global Talon website, he has helped dozens of expats relocate to the Balkans, Spain, and Italy.
Lenka Babarikova – Chile
Lenka is an expat from Slovakia, living in beautiful Chile with her family. She runs a family business Aguapiedras Spa, and in her free time, she promotes Chile as a great expat destination.
Mimma Zizzo – Dubai
Mimma is our Dubai expert with extensive experience of living in Kuwait and Dubai. Mimma runs Amiche di Fuso, a magazine about expat women’s experiences living in different locations worldwide. As an advisor with Hexedes, a global relocation company, Mimma helps expats plan their move to Dubai.
Expert knowledge and experience from overseas living professionals
We gather our data and research from experts worldwide. People who’ve already moved to a new country and are now fully established expats. Professionals specializing in finance, visas, international removals, healthcare, and education abroad.
Expatra is renowned as one of the best expatriate resources on the internet, continually updated with valuable facts, links and data about living in Spain, living in France and other popular destinations, and featuring in-depth country reports on visas, housing, healthcare, and top locations.
One of Expatra’s most popular features is our annual report, Which Covers the, The Best Places to Retire Abroad including healthcare, tax efficiency, cost of living, and property prices.
Expatra, originally called Shelter Offshore, has grown from a small site to one that helps thousands of people to plan their new lives abroad. It has been referenced by some of the world’s most prominent publications, including The New York Times, The Telegraph, MSN.com, and The Guardian.
Expatra is the place to visit for essential insights about planning a new life abroad.
Can’t find the precise information you seek? Contact us with your question about moving abroad, and we will do our best to help.
Email: services@expatra.com
Expatra Ltd.
Landmark House, 1 Riseholme Road, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, LN1 3SN
Expatra Ltd. is registered in England and Wales. Company Number 09686420.
ICO Registration: ZB582527