At the end of 2020, the shutters came down on full freedom of movement within the EU for British passport holders, a self-imposed change that few young Londoners wanted.
For anyone visiting Europe regularly or planning an extended stay, working around the complications of the 90 days permitted in every 180 day rolling period became a tedious but necessary task.
So how refreshing to know that some countries not only want us — and other nationalities — but are actively encouraging us to move with handsome incentives.
From the USA wilds of Alaska to the hills of New Zealand, could you be tempted to make a move?
Albinen, Switzerland
Scenic Switzerland is famed for its superb quality of life and personal and economic safety but if you thought it was just multi-millionaires and tax exiles welcomed there, then think again.
Albinen, a mountain village in the Rhone Valley in the southwest of the country, two-hours from Geneva airport, is trying to redress its falling population and will give adults up to CHF 20,000 (£18,180) to move there, plus CHF 10,000 (£9,090) for each accompanying child.
The flower-filled village is in the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park, surrounded by vineyards and one of the Alps’ largest continuous pine forests.
Nearby attractions include the excellent thermal baths at Leukerbad — 15 minutes away by car or for intrepid travellers, accessible by an ancient via ferrata (climbing route), ascending 100 metres over a series of ladders.
Within one hour there’s skiing in highly acclaimed resorts, including Crans Montana and Nendaz, the latter linked with Verbier.
Too good to be true? Applicants must be under 45, pay a minimum of CHF 200,000 (£181,770) for a property, agree to stay for at least 10 years and become a Swiss citizen. A working knowledge of German will probably be useful and a head for heights: Albinen is on a fairly steep slope.
Further information: https://albinen.ch
New Zealand
It’s a mighty long way away, 11,600 miles and a near 24-hour flight, but the benefits of living in New Zealand include outstanding scenic beauty, a friendly welcome and a robust outdoor lifestyle. For qualified teachers, New Zealand offers even more in the form of a grant covering relocation costs of up to NZD $10,000 (£4,430).
Newly relocated teachers working in a state school or licensed early learning centre can claim within the first six months of their arrival. They must have a full-time employment agreement, a New Zealand work or residency visa and be registered with the relevant teaching authorities.
Further details: https://workforce.education.govt.nz
Italy
What’s not to love about the dolce vita, Italy’s “sweet life” where family, friends, lengthy lunches and swoon-worthy food are all part of the appeal.
It might be hard to imagine if you’ve recently braved the packed streets of Florence or Rome or faced the Venice tourism tax, but depopulation is a real problem in parts of the country, which is why local authorities are splashing the cash to encourage new arrivals.
Options include moving to one of nine villages in Calabria, the ‘toe’ of the Italian boot, where those under 40 who start a business can receive €28,000 (£23,900), or buy a property to renovate in Sardinian villages with a population under 3,000 and become a full-time citizen in return for €30,000 (£25,600).
Trentino in northern Italy will pay up to €100,000 (£85,330) to those committing to a long-term residency and even small mountain villages in Tuscany were offering grants last year of up to €30,000 to those buying a home and relocating.
These are on top of the €1 Sicily house sales, helpfully publicised by Amanda Holden and Alan Carr when they renovated one in the TV series Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job. As with all these grants, strict criteria apply.
Alaska, USA
Do you warm to the chill of winter? Then Alaska might be the one for you.
Live there for a year and you can share in the state’s Permanent Fund Dividend, a split of the annual oil revenue. Last year’s payout came to US$1,702 (£1,250) per adult.
Japan
Japan’s alarmingly plummeting birth rate has led to their Regional Revitalisation Programme, with a potential bonus of Y4,800,000 (£75,065) for successful applicants.
Don’t start dreaming of life in Tokyo though: to qualify you’ll have to look at specific rural locations.
Ireland
Stay close to home with Ireland’s Our Living Islands’ Programme, aimed at sustaining the communities on 30 offshore islands.
Buy an island property and you could stand to get €84,000 (£71,680) towards refurbishment costs.
As with many of the schemes above, non-EU passport holders will also need to sort out residency.
