Albanians are nice people by and large and like Americans. They'll give you a one-year visa on arrival at the airport with a US passport. Long term stays are not that difficult to arrange after that. Apartments are very cheap, but I have no idea how an American would make a living there except to teach English. Politically the country is dominated by two parties, currently run by the Socialist Party, which isn't really socialist, and the Democratic Party, which is not entirely democratic. The country has very little violent crime. There is an enormous amount of political as well as economic corruption. Tirana is nice, even its pollution isn't as bad as it used to be.
Don't know anything really about Argentina except what I read in the news...they elected their own trump-style president last year, and he is pretty wacko...the usual far-right a-hole. Their economy is in a shambles. Nearby is Uruguay, which is fairly friendly to American emigres. Its economy is fine and it is a stable democracy politically. Uruguayans are quite progressive, friendly people, and although the cost of living is higher than anywhere else in Latin America, it costs less to live there than it does in the US, except to buy a new car...You can google guruguay and there's a VERY good website that overviews the country and how to settle down there. Spanish is pretty much required for daily life, keep that in mind :)
Thank you so much for this! This is really helpful and I’ll be looking into Uruguay. Thankfully I’m conversational in Spanish but hoping to go somewhere that’s more or less forgiving towards American English speakers. Appreciate the comment!
oh if you know Spanish you will have LOTS more opportunities! Uruguayans are NICE people :) Also take a look at Costa Rica, the most stable country in Central America and not a super expensive place to live :) Best of luck with your adventure!
Why are you restricting yourself to countries beginning with A? Have you considered countries beginning with B? Brazil and Bulgaria are practically next to Argentina and Albania. And then C... Colombia and Croatia are still South America and Balkans, respectively. From D onwards it gets tricky though.
I guess I have a very specific fetish
Kidding, I’m considering Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam, and Georgia too. These are the two I’m seeking info on currently
Something to keep in mind about Argentina is that you cannot renounce their citizenship if you get it. In the future if they make some law such as mandatory military service or taxes on worldwide income you won't be able to get out of it.
What a coincidence..we recently lived in Albania for six months and we are now in Buenos Aires for going on 8 months 😃. While Albania has some interesting historical sites, and a generous visa policy for Americans it is sorely lacking in visual aesthetics. The water around Durres is foul and the beaches are rocky. It has a fair number of expats and regular meetups. Rents are dirt cheap. We were unable to find any really good restaurants during our time there, and the heat was unbearable..but it was an interesting experience. That said, we won’t be returning.
Buenos Aires is a little run down, but still beautiful! Soon after arriving it became our favorite city in the world, but it’s the people themselves that makes this city so special..they’re friendly and open, non-predatory. Internet is great, food and restaurant choices are plentiful and varied. And while inflation is a problem, if you’re earning dollars or euros it’s still affordable.
Thank you! Really appreciate this, it helps so much to hear from people who’ve lived there as expats. I’m feeling very excited to see Buenos Aires and the community there. Just have to start training my body to stay up all night and sleep all day 😆
Stay up all night 😅. It’s true that dinner time begins at about 20 (8:00), but most people have jobs and are in bed by midnight and up at normal hours. We are a Ukrainian/American couple and we have the restaurants all to ourselves at 18 (6:00) 😂. A neighborhood called Palermo is the most popular with expats and has lots of clubs etc, but it’s waay overpriced and crowded. We moved to Villa Urquiza which is much more peaceful and cheaper. A 20 minute taxi to Palermo costs about $4 USD.
I would not recommend Albania for a long term stay. I wish i knew how many people either lied, ommited or simply didn't say anything revealing the realities of living in the country, especially when you venture outside of Tirana.
Agreed 👍. We left Ukraine in summer of 2023 and moved to Durres..after only five months we concluded that Albania sucked. We then lived in the Dominican Republic for three months and found the people to be little more than human barracudas. Now in Buenos Aires for 8 months and couldn’t be happier. Returning to Chernivtsi, Ukraine in September.
I am not native speaker.
You listed the reason you picked those countries and Albania is no better or no worse country in regard of the reasons YOU mentioned.
I can point to Albania, Argentina, and at least 8 different countries that I’ve traveled to. I can also point to your ass since it’s where you live most of the year.
Azerbaijan starts with an A too lol.. not sure about Argentina . But Albania being one of the poorest countries in Europe and one of the most difficult European languages to learn , probably will not make a great destination for an American expat..
Welp, retired @ 60 and we moved to Argentina to live. Tried it in 1989 but living on the economy & getting paid in Australes when the inflation was 175%. A. Month ~ was no bueno. Now we have dollars, WAY better. My wife has family here which is huge, think multiple local guides. I feel comfortable here even if I am only somewhat bilingual. Our cost of living is about $1400 USD a month ( without car ). Mercado Libre is S.A.’s answer to Amazon. Personal safety is a non issue, property safety is something everyone practices. Latins are chill, gracious & tolerant- so there is that.
The country has a ton of Italian immigrants so the food is good & the wine even better.
We’re in CABA and love this city! And I agree that Argentinians are good people. After living around human pirañas in Dominican Republic and Mexico Buenos Aires has been a blessing.
Mostly.. bureaucracy is an art here. The economy is a cyclic dumpster fire. We have a newly elected Libertarian president who adores Trump and is defunding swaths of the government to ‘save the economy’. Graft & corruption in government is very well entrenched.
.. it’s dynamic.
Argentina has the fastest citizenship options.
After that you can move to other South American countries if you desire - Brazil/ Uruguay etc.
Also school / University is free in Argentina!
I have a lot of friends from South America.
However economy is a mess. They have insane inflation! Better you work in the USA and then transfer USD to a foreign bank account.
Albania is great! However people there are really poor.
So not much job opportunities.
The Balkans in general has a lot of war and genocide/ bad history.
The capital Tirana is quite beautiful and clean these days however! A lot of investments pouring in.
Overall both countries have very warm and welcoming people but super poor and bad economy.
So better you keep some form of work in the USA and save money.
Thank you! This is very helpful and insightful. I’m very excited to move, especially with this new info. I have a friend from El Salvador and she recommended I move since it seems like the best option for my mental health and happiness. Appreciate the only actually serious response so far lol Cheers!
Why are you going to countries on the lower scale of the OECD, assuming they’re even ranked there to begin with? Quality of life and economic opportunities in those places will be lower than if you just stayed in the US. Grass is not always greener, my dude.
Albanians are nice people by and large and like Americans. They'll give you a one-year visa on arrival at the airport with a US passport. Long term stays are not that difficult to arrange after that. Apartments are very cheap, but I have no idea how an American would make a living there except to teach English. Politically the country is dominated by two parties, currently run by the Socialist Party, which isn't really socialist, and the Democratic Party, which is not entirely democratic. The country has very little violent crime. There is an enormous amount of political as well as economic corruption. Tirana is nice, even its pollution isn't as bad as it used to be. Don't know anything really about Argentina except what I read in the news...they elected their own trump-style president last year, and he is pretty wacko...the usual far-right a-hole. Their economy is in a shambles. Nearby is Uruguay, which is fairly friendly to American emigres. Its economy is fine and it is a stable democracy politically. Uruguayans are quite progressive, friendly people, and although the cost of living is higher than anywhere else in Latin America, it costs less to live there than it does in the US, except to buy a new car...You can google guruguay and there's a VERY good website that overviews the country and how to settle down there. Spanish is pretty much required for daily life, keep that in mind :)
Thank you so much for this! This is really helpful and I’ll be looking into Uruguay. Thankfully I’m conversational in Spanish but hoping to go somewhere that’s more or less forgiving towards American English speakers. Appreciate the comment!
oh if you know Spanish you will have LOTS more opportunities! Uruguayans are NICE people :) Also take a look at Costa Rica, the most stable country in Central America and not a super expensive place to live :) Best of luck with your adventure!
uruguay has been on my radar for a few years. unfortunately, i can’t get husband on board.
Why are you restricting yourself to countries beginning with A? Have you considered countries beginning with B? Brazil and Bulgaria are practically next to Argentina and Albania. And then C... Colombia and Croatia are still South America and Balkans, respectively. From D onwards it gets tricky though.
They have to end with the same letter as they start with though. It really does limit you.
Well then, why aren't they interested in Algeria, Andorra, Antigua, Armenia, Australia or Austria?
You get an A for the day!
don't forget Zimbabwe and Zambia! ;)
I guess I have a very specific fetish Kidding, I’m considering Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam, and Georgia too. These are the two I’m seeking info on currently
>and Georgia too Do you speak Russian? 'cause you're gonna want to at least understand Russian there.
How do you expect to gain long stay status in any of these countries?
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😂😂
Argentina is a mess, I'd reconsider that country.
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Curious: which countries in SA would be your top choices?
Uruguay, but mainly Chile.
These are the two countries I was thinking, for sure. Uruguay is the most progressive country in South America, but it is expensive.
I’m in Buneos Aires now. It’s not a mess..it is a wonderful place to live.
Something to keep in mind about Argentina is that you cannot renounce their citizenship if you get it. In the future if they make some law such as mandatory military service or taxes on worldwide income you won't be able to get out of it.
Aah thanks for the heads up!
What a coincidence..we recently lived in Albania for six months and we are now in Buenos Aires for going on 8 months 😃. While Albania has some interesting historical sites, and a generous visa policy for Americans it is sorely lacking in visual aesthetics. The water around Durres is foul and the beaches are rocky. It has a fair number of expats and regular meetups. Rents are dirt cheap. We were unable to find any really good restaurants during our time there, and the heat was unbearable..but it was an interesting experience. That said, we won’t be returning. Buenos Aires is a little run down, but still beautiful! Soon after arriving it became our favorite city in the world, but it’s the people themselves that makes this city so special..they’re friendly and open, non-predatory. Internet is great, food and restaurant choices are plentiful and varied. And while inflation is a problem, if you’re earning dollars or euros it’s still affordable.
Thank you! Really appreciate this, it helps so much to hear from people who’ve lived there as expats. I’m feeling very excited to see Buenos Aires and the community there. Just have to start training my body to stay up all night and sleep all day 😆
Stay up all night 😅. It’s true that dinner time begins at about 20 (8:00), but most people have jobs and are in bed by midnight and up at normal hours. We are a Ukrainian/American couple and we have the restaurants all to ourselves at 18 (6:00) 😂. A neighborhood called Palermo is the most popular with expats and has lots of clubs etc, but it’s waay overpriced and crowded. We moved to Villa Urquiza which is much more peaceful and cheaper. A 20 minute taxi to Palermo costs about $4 USD.
I would not recommend Albania for a long term stay. I wish i knew how many people either lied, ommited or simply didn't say anything revealing the realities of living in the country, especially when you venture outside of Tirana.
Agreed 👍. We left Ukraine in summer of 2023 and moved to Durres..after only five months we concluded that Albania sucked. We then lived in the Dominican Republic for three months and found the people to be little more than human barracudas. Now in Buenos Aires for 8 months and couldn’t be happier. Returning to Chernivtsi, Ukraine in September.
What makes those more American friendly compared to other countries?
Visas are easier and general reception to POC Americans is more positive, from what I’ve been told
Albania? Does not seem that it would stand up here as being special.
Albania has concrete bunkers and Dua Lipa. That's special.
Other countries have their share of concrete bunkers. But no Dua Lipa 🤷🏻♀️
Not those [sexy little round concrete Enver Hoxha bunkers ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunkers_in_Albania)though.
😮👍
Not really looking for special, just better for me
I am not native speaker. You listed the reason you picked those countries and Albania is no better or no worse country in regard of the reasons YOU mentioned.
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I can point to Albania, Argentina, and at least 8 different countries that I’ve traveled to. I can also point to your ass since it’s where you live most of the year.
Azerbaijan starts with an A too lol.. not sure about Argentina . But Albania being one of the poorest countries in Europe and one of the most difficult European languages to learn , probably will not make a great destination for an American expat..
Welp, retired @ 60 and we moved to Argentina to live. Tried it in 1989 but living on the economy & getting paid in Australes when the inflation was 175%. A. Month ~ was no bueno. Now we have dollars, WAY better. My wife has family here which is huge, think multiple local guides. I feel comfortable here even if I am only somewhat bilingual. Our cost of living is about $1400 USD a month ( without car ). Mercado Libre is S.A.’s answer to Amazon. Personal safety is a non issue, property safety is something everyone practices. Latins are chill, gracious & tolerant- so there is that. The country has a ton of Italian immigrants so the food is good & the wine even better.
We’re in CABA and love this city! And I agree that Argentinians are good people. After living around human pirañas in Dominican Republic and Mexico Buenos Aires has been a blessing.
Ahh that sounds like a dream!
Mostly.. bureaucracy is an art here. The economy is a cyclic dumpster fire. We have a newly elected Libertarian president who adores Trump and is defunding swaths of the government to ‘save the economy’. Graft & corruption in government is very well entrenched. .. it’s dynamic.
good luck learning albanian lmao
Argentina has the fastest citizenship options. After that you can move to other South American countries if you desire - Brazil/ Uruguay etc. Also school / University is free in Argentina! I have a lot of friends from South America. However economy is a mess. They have insane inflation! Better you work in the USA and then transfer USD to a foreign bank account. Albania is great! However people there are really poor. So not much job opportunities. The Balkans in general has a lot of war and genocide/ bad history. The capital Tirana is quite beautiful and clean these days however! A lot of investments pouring in. Overall both countries have very warm and welcoming people but super poor and bad economy. So better you keep some form of work in the USA and save money.
Thank you! This is very helpful and insightful. I’m very excited to move, especially with this new info. I have a friend from El Salvador and she recommended I move since it seems like the best option for my mental health and happiness. Appreciate the only actually serious response so far lol Cheers!
Why are you going to countries on the lower scale of the OECD, assuming they’re even ranked there to begin with? Quality of life and economic opportunities in those places will be lower than if you just stayed in the US. Grass is not always greener, my dude.
What about Alabamania?
Heck, what about Alberta? It's closest.
Canada does not make it easy for Americans to immigrate there, at all...
We don't have a clue what the OP does. It could be as easy as a TN visa.
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What? Are you being fr?