Expats claim living abroad is one of the best decisions they've ever made, but a third went home almost straight away

EXPATS claim living abroad is one of the best decisions they've ever made, but a third went home almost straight away.

A survey of 600 adults who have lived outside Britain shows that 68 percent are happy they made the leap, but 29 percent found it difficult to settle down initial.

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And one in ten admitted it took a year to overcome their homesickness.

Innately knowing how things work, missing loved ones and being able to understand the native language were some of the things they missed the most.

While others struggled with loneliness, getting used to the local dialect, dealing with their finance and accountsand setting up new bank accounts.

Finding a job, making friends and in general not knowing what the life hacks of the new country are has also contributed to the concerns.

Despite this, 59 percent felt prepared for the big move, with half researching the local culture beforehand, along with the weather, cost of living and native language.

More than four in ten of them (42 percent) also made themselves aware of exchange rates and 35 percent researched the local currency before moving.

The research was commissioned by iFAST Global Bank, which provides consumers around the world with access to banking services in Britain.

Simon Lee, general manager of digital personal banking on the platform, said: “Moving to a new country can be daunting as things are very different from what you are used to at home.

“It's not just a new language that people have to deal with, there are also new processes, for example setting up bank accounts and sorting the accounts.

“This can be a complete minefield at home, let alone in a completely new culture.”

The survey also found that 27 percent of respondents moved because they wanted to experience a new culture, and the same percentage wanted to try something new.

Other reasons for moving to a new country included following a dream, gaining independence and wanting to leave their comfort zone.

And the best things about the move included meeting new people, experiencing more opportunities and learning about a new culture.

Despite initial concerns about location, 64 percent would recommend others do the same after having a positive experience themselves.

According to the survey, conducted via OnePoll, as many as 34 percent are considering trying out a new country to live in in the future.

Simon Lee added: “It's great to see how many people enjoyed moving to a new country and the fact that they did so to achieve their dreams is even better.

“You can learn so much and meet so many interesting people by immersing yourself in a new culture. It's no surprise that many people recommend it to others.

“But it's important to do the simple things well. And it's a priority to take care of our money as we move around the world.

“This, in our opinion, is one of the most important aspects of making a move abroad a success – because so much depends on easy access to our money.”