International removal specialists have drawn up a list of favourite destinations for British expats – and the list does not hold too many surprises.
The list of Commonwealth friends and European neighbours is interspersed with a couple of surprise locations.
So here is the Movehub list of countries expats choose for their new homes:
America
The USA is a surprise as the number one destination. The cities of San Diego, Phoenix and Miami are popular for sunshine, while many British expats cluster around the north east of the country near New York and Boston
Australia
Sydney and Melbourne are the top places for expats, but Perth in the west is also up and coming.
House prices and the cost of living are similar to the UK.
United Arab Emirates
Sunny, wealthy, no taxes and seemingly politically stable despite the troubles of the Middle East, the UAE is probably the most westernised of the Arab nations. Dubai is fast developing as a shopping and sports capital, while the airport is an international hub
Canada
Another Commonwealth favourite attracting 20,000 Brits a year to Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto
Spain
Spain has pockets of Brits dotted around the coast and one of the highest populations of retired expats. The attractions are sunshine and a low cost of living.
New Zealand
Bigger mountains but a similar climate and culture to the UK makes New Zealand a home from home for thousands of expats
Germany
Not somewhere you would expect to see a lot of British expats, but an up and coming destination for a lot of younger workers
Ireland
Another home from home. Separated from London by a short flight and the west coast by a 90 minute or so ferry trip, Ireland is more like an extension of the UK than a foreign country
France
France once topped the wish list as a retirement destination for expats, but despite a short hop across the Channel, is falling out of favour
Singapore
Clean, modern and a booming economy are all attractions for expats. The wages are high, but so are house prices and the cost of living.
Expat web site Internations also produces a list of favourite destinations -but the places are from a wider spread of nationalities and offer a vastly different top 10.