I’ve helped hundreds of Americans move abroad—this is the No. 1 overlooked country in Europe: 'It checks a lot of boxes'

Like galore Americans, I had ever dreamed up moving to Europe. And successful 2015, astatine 35, I decided to leave Texas for Spain.

Two years later, I founded She Hit Refresh, a assemblage that helps women implicit 30 instrumentality the leap abroad. Since then, I've helped hundreds of women physique caller lives successful countries similar Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands.

The astir fashionable destinations among the women I enactment with thin to person lukewarm upwind and flexible visa options. Spain and Portugal apical the database due to the fact that they're comparatively affordable for Western Europe, bask a relaxed gait of life, and person residency pathways that don't necessitate you to beryllium independently affluent oregon retired. 

One state that fewer Americans could astir apt find connected a map, fto unsocial see moving to, is Albania. But that's changing. 

In caller years, I kept proceeding astir Albania from members of my community. A fistful had moved determination and couldn't halt raving astir it. Intrigued, I spent a period successful Albania successful 2024, chiefly successful the capital, Tirana, and on the coast. I wanted to spot what the buzz was about, and what I recovered genuinely amazed me.

Albania whitethorn not beryllium for everyone — nary spot is — but for galore Americans dreaming of a brushed landing, it checks a batch of boxes. Here's wherefore I see it the No. 1 overlooked destination successful Europe for those hoping to relocate from the U.S.:

Albania is 1 of the fewer places successful Europe wherever you tin inactive rent a comfy flat for nether $500 a month, according to the women successful my network. This debased outgo of surviving is 1 of the biggest reasons Americans are flocking there.

Take Cheryl Orlov, who moved from Redondo Beach, California, to Tirana. "Even though the outgo of surviving is rising successful Tirana, it's inactive a fraction of what I paid successful California," she told me. Her rent for a two-bedroom flat successful Tirana, for example, is little than 1 sixth of what she'd been paying for a two-bedroom cottage successful Redondo Beach earlier she near California successful 2023.

Groceries, eating out, and healthcare are besides overmuch much affordable. For integer nomads and retirees alike, Albania offers a prime of beingness that's progressively out of scope successful galore U.S. cities.

One of Albania's biggest advantages is that Americans tin unrecorded determination visa-free for up to 12 months, a uncommon payment successful Europe.

You tin hop connected a level contiguous and commencement your caller beingness successful Albania tomorrow, nary paperwork required. This makes it perfect for those who privation to "test drive" beingness overseas without navigating analyzable visa systems.

While successful Tirana, I met with Denisa Kaca Bradley, laminitis of Expats successful Albania, to larn much astir migration options. She explained that portion staying beyond a twelvemonth does necessitate paperwork, it's imaginable and her enactment helps newcomers with the process. 

At her play meetups, I met dozens of Americans: solo women, couples, and families. Many usage Albania arsenic a stepping stone. They enactment for a twelvemonth oregon 2 earlier moving connected to different portion of Europe erstwhile they've figured retired the visa concern elsewhere. Others take to enactment long-term.

From the rugged Albanian Alps successful the northbound to the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea successful the westbound and the Ionian successful the south, the country's scenery is breathtaking.

During my trip, I drove down the Albanian Riviera and visited Saranda, a lively seaside municipality with a beauteous promenade. It was September and the upwind was inactive lukewarm capable to aquatics and sunbathe, but the beaches were practically bare — a uncommon dainty compared to places similar Spain oregon Italy. On a wide time you tin spot Greece successful the distance! The land of Corfu is conscionable a 30-minute ferry thrust away. 

I didn't marque it to the bluish mountains, but they're precocious connected my database for adjacent time. Remote villages, hiking trails, and gorgeous landscapes marque it a imagination for outdoor lovers.

Until the aboriginal 1990s, Albania was mostly closed disconnected to the world nether a communist regime. Tourism has lone truly picked up successful the past decennary oregon so. As a result, Albania inactive feels authentically Albanian.

At the aforesaid time, Albanians are notably welcoming of Americans, thing that amazed galore expats I spoke with. The pro-America sentiment and friendliness to expats makes it easier for newcomers to consciousness astatine location and link with the section community.

In cities similar Tirana and coastal towns similar Vlorë, there's besides a increasing fig of foreigners putting down roots. Like Monica Miranda, an American who moved from Jersey City, New Jersey to Vlorë astatine 43 with her dog. "I didn't cognize overmuch astir Albania," she told me. "But the infinitesimal I arrived, thing clicked. One period turned into two." Monica has present lived successful Albania for astir 2 years and precocious received her five-year residency card.

"I've built a supportive assemblage of expats from the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and Latin America," she said. "We drawback up a fewer times a week. It's been an incredibly grounding experience."

It whitethorn not beryllium the archetypal state that comes to mind, but for galore Americans I've met, Albania has go the close spot astatine the close time. 

Cepee Tabibian is the laminitis of She Hit Refresh, a assemblage and assets level that helps women aged 30+ determination abroad, and the writer of "I'm Outta Here! An American's Ultimate Visa Guide to Living successful Europe." As the girl of Colombian and Iranian immigrants, Cepee grew up successful Houston, Texas, earlier becoming an migrant herself successful Spain.

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