Welcome to YoNomad!
We're here because moving abroad shouldn't require a PhD in bureaucracy. Whether you're chasing better weather, lower costs, or just tired of the same old routine, we've got your back with guides that actually work - written by people who've been exactly where you are right now.
Why We Do This
Look, moving abroad shouldn't feel like solving a puzzle with half the pieces missing. Yet that's exactly what it felt like when I tried to relocate to Portugal back in 2015. Official websites were outdated, forum advice was conflicting, and YouTube videos were either too vague or sponsored by companies trying to sell me something.
So I decided to build the resource I wished had existed — guides that lead with the practical detail official sites bury and forum threads argue about. Here's what drives the work:
Sourced, Not Guessed
Every visa rule, fee, and cost figure traces back to an official government source or current reporting — and I say so when something is an estimate rather than a hard number.
Actual Solutions
We skip the fluff and get straight to what you need to know. How much does it really cost? Which documents do you actually need? What's the internet speed like when it's raining?
Keep It Current
Visa rules change. Costs go up. New coworking spaces open. We update our guides regularly because outdated information is worse than no information.
Respect Local Communities
We're guests in these countries, and we try to remember that. Our guides emphasize being respectful travelers and contributing positively to local communities.
How These Guides Are Made
I'd rather tell you exactly how this site is put together than make vague claims about expertise:
- Official sources first: Visa categories, eligibility rules, and fees come from government immigration portals and embassy pages, linked directly in each guide so you can check them yourself.
- Cost data from published indices: Cost-of-living figures are built from public datasets and current listings rather than invented averages, and they're presented as ranges because real costs vary by neighbourhood and lifestyle.
- Lived experience where I have it: I've moved abroad myself and write from that directly when it's relevant. Where I'm relaying other people's experience or published research instead, the guide says so rather than dressing it up as my own.
- Cultural context: Beyond the paperwork, the guides cover the day-to-day of settling in — the parts that are harder to look up than a visa fee.
- Digital nomad focus: Remote-work specifics — internet reliability, coworking, time zones — get their own treatment rather than a footnote.
Visa rules and prices go stale fast, so guides carry a last-updated date and get revised when requirements change. If you spot something out of date, tell me — corrections from readers on the ground are genuinely the fastest way this site stays accurate.
Who Writes This
Andrew Maslovskyi
Founder & Lead Writer
Hey there! I'm Andrew, and I started YoNomad after my own chaotic first expat experience back in 2015. Picture this: I'm standing in a Portuguese immigration office at 8 AM, clutching a folder of documents that I was *sure* were correct, only to be told I was missing three crucial papers that nobody had mentioned online. That frustrating morning sparked the idea for this site.
Since then, I've lived in Portugal, Indonesia, Thailand, and Georgia - each move teaching me something new about bureaucracy, culture shock, and the art of finding a decent coffee shop in a foreign city. I've fumbled through visa applications, celebrated small victories (like finally understanding how Portuguese tax forms work), and learned that "temporary" expat life has a funny way of becoming permanent.
My background is in international business, but honestly, most of what I know about expat life comes from making mistakes and figuring things out the hard way. Every guide on this site is written from real experience - the good, the bad, and the "why didn't anyone warn me about this?" moments that make expat life both challenging and incredibly rewarding.
Our Content Approach
Every YoNomad guide follows a comprehensive methodology to ensure you get the most valuable information:
- Start with the primary source: Visa categories, eligibility criteria, and fees come from the country's own immigration portal or embassy pages, which are linked inline so you can verify them rather than take my word for it.
- Fill in the practical gaps: Official pages rarely tell you what a flat actually rents for or whether the internet holds up in a storm. That detail comes from published cost data, current listings, and expat community reporting.
- Flag the uncertainty: Where a number is an estimate or a rule is ambiguous, the guide says so instead of projecting false precision.
- Date everything: Each guide carries a last-updated date, and time-sensitive sections get revised when requirements change.
- Correct fast: Reader corrections are the quickest way errors get caught — if something here is wrong or out of date, let me know.
None of this makes a guide a substitute for professional immigration or tax advice on your specific case — but it should mean you arrive at that conversation already knowing the right questions.
What You'll Find Here
Step-by-step Expat Guides
Comprehensive country guides with everything you need to know about moving abroad.
Travel Tips & Resources
Practical advice to make your international journey smoother and more enjoyable.
On-the-Ground Reporting
What expats actually report about settling in — the friction points official guides skip.
Visa & Legal Advice
Navigation through complex visa processes and legal requirements for expats.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope these guides save you from at least a few of the headaches I ran into. And if you have questions or want to share your own expat stories, drop us a line - I'm always up for a good travel tale over coffee (virtual or otherwise).