Finding your perfect match: A strategic approach to relocation

The trend of searching for one's ideal place on the planet is gaining momentum. Let's take a look at whether it's possible to apply strategic analysis tools, similar to those used by company shareholders and investors, when choosing a country for relocation.

Why are relocation decisions more often spontaneous than deliberate?

First, it's an unfamiliar perspective to most people. Even those who do make some kind of choice typically just follow their career opportunities, relationships or simply chance. People usually limit themselves to places they've visited before, locations where friends or acquaintances have moved to, or countries where their family has roots.

Second, it's complex. You need to process massive amounts of information. Throughout my practice, I've met only a handful of people who approached this task seriously: defining priorities, gathering data, building Excel models and trying to make a rational choice. In reality, this is a labour-intensive dilemma requiring not only data skills and knowledge of sources, but also substantial time.

Third, people postpone the decision because it's uncomfortable and mentally draining. However, when an opportunity arises - a job offer, an office transfer, university acceptance, or simply hearing about a "unique and affordable residence permit opportunity" - many jump at it. The brain gladly simplifies the complex question of "Go where? How?" to the simpler "Do we take this offer or not?"

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What common mistakes do people make?

There are two extremes. The first is making spontaneous decisions without any analysis. A vivid example is the rush to Portugal in the 2020s because residence permits are "easy" to obtain and the prices are "low". Only after arriving do people realise that building a career or business there is difficult: the market is small, locals are not very rich, and the bureaucracy is complicated and slow.

The second extreme is getting buried in detailed analysis, down to counting sunshine hours per month and calculating future net income after taxes to the cent. Many in this group never actually relocate but continue researching countries, finding flaws, and eventually becoming disillusioned in every single one of them.

Another common scenario is the desire to come up with over-complicated schemes, trying to get more while spending less and changing nothing in their lives. People end up with complex plans along the lines of "Obtaining a passport in country A gets us an easier residence permit in country B, so we can actually live in country C while running a business in country D, and hopefully we can avoid taxes altogether". In the end, it is only the tax authorities and lawyers from all of these countries that profit.

How do you balance rational choice based on "hard data" with subjective preferences?

You need a combination of mind and heart for this one. It's important to have an honest conversation with yourself and your partner if relocating together, and distinguish between the critical, important and non-essential aspects of your choice. Studying the data may help avoid many unwelcome surprises, such as climate, crime rates, economy, education levels, political structure or discrimination.

Then, compile a shortlist of countries that appeal to you and look more closely. Ideally, visit your chosen city to feel the "chemistry". There are also several sociological models that can be used to assess one's national culture profile: this helps you match with countries that are not only aligned with your wishes but also with your basic values.