Frequently asked questions about expat.com

The expat.com website is made by expatriates, for expatriates. We are doing our best to help people who would like to live abroad.

The most effective way to get a visa is to visit the closest embassy/consulate of the country you are planning a trip to.

You can ask your question on the expatriate forum. Note that you will have to register first. Choose your destination and participate in the already existing thread or create a new one.

Of course you can! Everyone can participate.

You will have to log in or register first, then to fill out this form.

Simple and easy! Choose the logo you want and add the appropriate embedded code:

<a href="//www.expat.com" title="Expat"><img src="//www.expat.com/logo/logoExpat.png" border="0" alt="Expat" /></a>

for this logo:

More colours?

You will find the code for all these logos here

or this code:

<a href="//www.expat.com" title="Expat"><img src="//www.expat.com/logo/expatSmall.gif" width="80" height="15" border="0" alt="Expat" /></a>

for this one:

Thanks for promoting our website!

Click on the "My Path" tab on your profile page and fill out the fields to indicate the countries you have lived in. Your signature will be generated automatically with the corresponding flags.

Once identified, click on the drop-down menu close to your username at the right top of the page. Then, click on "Edit details" ( View). Make the necessary changes and click on "Submit".
If you want to modify your username or delete your account, please contact us.

You can modify your blog data from your profile page. In your timeline, click on the “Blog” tab: you should see a “Modify” button.

You can change your password from your profile photo thumbnail (at the top right corner of your screen), by selecting your "Account settings" section and clicking on "Change password". Click on "Validate" to make your new password effective.

When you sign in ( View), click on "Forgotten your password?" ( View). Type your e-mail address. A link to change your password will be sent in your mailbox. Then, click on the link enclosed in the mail to create your new password.

If you want to delete your account, please contact us. Do not forget to indicate your username and your e-mail address in your message.

If you have sent the same message to several users, your private mailbox will automatically be blocked in order to prevent spamming. If you want to know how to unblock your private mailbox, check our anti spam system and rules.

If you are bothered by this kind of message, please inform us by clicking on the "Report" button.

We are improving the website regularly, and we are also working on new features, in order to better help expatriates.

Gmail

If an email was incorrectly marked as Spam, follow the steps below to remove it from Spam.

1. Open Gmail.
2. On the left, click Spam. If you don't see Spam, click More.
3. Open the email.
4. At the top of the page, click Not spam.

To stop a message from being sent to Spam in the future, you can:

1. Add the sender to your contacts
2. Filter these messages

Apple mail

To indicate that an email message should not be considered as junk:

1. Click the Junk folder in the sidebar.
2. Select a message, then click the Not Junk button in the top right of the message window.

The message is moved to your Inbox. Subsequent email messages from the same sender are no longer automatically marked as junk.

Yahoo mail

1. Click on the Spam folder.
2. Select the email.
3. Click Not Spam at the top of the page. - The email will go back to your Inbox.

Outlook

If you find a trusted e-mail in the junk mailbox, right-click on the message and select the "Mark as not junk" option.

You can participate in the already existing threads or create a new one. First of all, choose a destination on our expat forum ( View).
To join a discussion, click on "Post reply" ( View).
If you want to create a new one, click on "Post a new topic" ( View).

In order to enable you to easily access to the information on living abroad, we offer you a classification of the discussions by category ( View). When you create a new topic, please select the appropriate category.

If you want to be notified by mail of new posts in a discussion or a forum, click on "Subscribe" ( View).
You can manage your subscriptions from your profile. In the section "My subscriptions" ( View), you will find a list of all the forums and topics you have subscribed to. You can also subscribe to new forums or unsubscribe from topics or forums.

You can have a look at the whole discussions about the destination of your choice. If you are interested in a specific topic (e.g.: work, health, etc.), you can click on the topic category of your choice to have access directly to all the threads dealing with that subject, for the destination you have chosen.

You can also use the custom search engine, at the right top of your screen. Type the keyword(s) of your choice as well as the destination. A list of results will be displayed. Click on one of these results to go the corresponding page.

We offer you to get in touch with expatriates all over the world. In our "Network" section, choose a destination. You can also browse the expatriates by nationality. To get in touch with one of them, you can add the member of your choice in your contact list or send him a private message.

You can post free ads on our website. Go on the "Classifieds" section, click on "Post a free ad" and fill the form.
We invite you to post your job ads in the Jobs section.
If you are offering or looking for an accommodation, please post in the Housing section.

If you want to modify or delete one of your ads, go on your profile page. Select the relevant tab on your timeline: "Classifieds", "Housing" or "Jobs" to see the list of your ads. Click on "Modify" or "Delete". Once updated, your ad will be validated before released online.

To write an article in our living abroad participative guide, click on Write an article and complete the form. The articles must focus on living abroad and expatriation.

To add a picture to our album, your first have to go to our Pictures section. Click on Add a picture and follow the instructions. The pictures must be less than 5Mb. We only accept .jpg, .png and .gif extension files. You must be the author of the pictures: we don't accept photos taken from other websites or by professionals.

Before being posted online, our team validates your classifieds, blogs, photos and articles for the guide. This can take up to 48h.

In your mailbox, click on "New message" ( View). Type the name of the member or members you want to send the mail to, separated with comas. If the member is already in your contact list, select his name in the drop-down menu ( View). Then, type your message and click on "Send".

To communicate more quickly via private messages with other members, you can add them to your contact list. You just have to click on the "Add to contacts" ( View) link on the profile page of the member. The member will have to confirm your request before you can see him in your contact list.

You can use our contact form

Yes. We have several local / global solutions for you. Please have a look at our Advertising section and contact us to find out more.

You are a professional and you want to promote your products and services among our expatriates community. You need to go on the "Business Directory" page and click on Register my business. Fill in the information about yourself and choose between a "Premium" account to benefit from all our features or a basic free account.

You can register a business which provides services or products you particularly enjoy. You just have to go on the "Business Directory" page and click on Recommend a business. You must indicate the exact name of the business, its postal address as well as a phone number.

By opting for a "Premium" account, you benefit from all the features offered by the "Business Directory". You can present your products and services on a dedicated page, with your logo, photos, website and much more.

If you appreciate a business and you would like to tell the other members of Expat.com about it, you can recommend it. It enables you to help promoting this business and share your favourite address with us.

We progressively add categories and professions to the "Business Directory". In the meantime, you can add your activity in the registration form.

If you want to modify or add information about your business, please contact us.

Your business can be rejected for several reasons. Here are some of the most frequent ones:

- Your physical address is not valid (be careful not to put your e-mail or website address instead)

- Your e-mail address has not been validated: the registration is not automatic once the form completed. You should imperatively validate your mail address via the e-mail we sent you to complete your registration.

- Your business does not fit with our criteria: if your activity might not interest our expatriate community, we would not be able to add it up to the directory. We thank you for your kind understanding.