Expats Beware: 10 Unfriendly European Countries

Are you planning to move to Europe? 🏡 Beware! 🚫 Discover the top 10 most challenging countries for expats, according to the InterNations survey, based on real-life experiences of immigrants. 📊
Join us on a journey through the ups and downs of expat life in these European destinations. 🌆 From language barriers to cultural differences, we explore the hurdles that newcomers face. 🗣️
Will your dream destination make the list? 🌟 Tune in to find out and arm yourself with valuable insights for your relocation adventure! 🌐 Whether you're a seasoned expat or considering the leap, this eye-opening exploration of 'Unfriendly Europe' will prepare you for the road ahead. 🌏
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[AJGeeTV]

As a British expat who moved to Germany 15 years ago, I can tell you something about Internations whose views this video is based on. I joined Internations and it was a fun was to get to know other expats... and that's all it was. English speaking only, and only involved with expats and not at all involved in integrating in any way into the country you were an expat in. After two years of this and visiting Irish pubs and English-speaking events I left Internations and got myself a personal German-language trainer and learned the lingo, then went off to find some typically German pubs. Nowadays, all my friends are German, my girlfriend for 10 years is German, and we have a bloody good fun time together. Funny thing was, a year after leaving Internations I went to the Irish pub where they all hung out and moaned about Germany, and told them what I'd been doing and invited some to come to a real German pub in the next street and meet some of my German friends... Nobody took up the offer! So, I basically disagree with everything said in this video as I have also visited all the countries mentioned and found the people great if you are willing to dive into 'Their' culture instead of the Internations 'Expat Bubble'.

[CyclecraftRu]

The rules are simple! Speak their language and don't be an asshole!

[pommes]

Did anyone realize, that the Countrys that are here in the top 5 are the Countrys with the most immigrants which means they just fed up from to many foreigners in their Country…

[Thomas-Chin]

I have been to all these 10 countries and only encountered unfriendliness couple times. I think there is a difference between reserved and unfriendliness. Certain cultures have more introverts than others while some other cultures love small talks with strangers. One can easily strike a conversation with strangers in the U.S., but making friends is entirely something else. No place is easy to make friends. Like Cicero once said, "True friendship is remarkable and remarkable things are rare."

[ilovesuisse]

This video is so generalised. There are friendly and unfriendly people in every country on the planet.

[guillandanthony]

I moved to Germany nearly 14 years ago, from Mauritius. Can you imagine? With my dark skin, I always thought they would hate me. I have only German friends and they love me, and I love them. Sometimes I need to decline invitations because otherwise I would be hanging out everyday. 😅
Take note: if you want to move to another country, you need to adapt and get used to the people and the culture, not vice-versa. Also learn about the dos and don’ts. A lot of expats tend to point the figures on the people because they find them rude, just because they don‘t speak the language and don‘t find interest in the other culture. That‘s not fair and very stupid. Germans are very open and nice if you speak their language and respect their culture. Sure, their are some exceptions, but most of them are very kind, friendly and welcoming!

[thelastbaronweeren]

Have you noticed that all the countries mentioned are in central or northern Europe? Generally, friendship in these countries isn't something willy-nilly and easily bestowed, but rather something you earn, much like respect. Once you do gain friendship in any one of these, it's for life. Generally, most Europeans in these countries have fewer close friends and more acquaintances or work colleagues. Note also linguistically all languages except English have formal and familiar forms, with permission to use the latter an achievement and honor, not something that happens automatically. We like it that way.

[Franzi_Ziska]

As a German, the lack of digitalisation and the german burocracy here is really a big problem. Not just for immigrants, but for Germans, too.
But Germany is a big Country, the people are very differ very much after location. For example here in the Ruhrgebiet, in western Germany or in Cities like Cologne or Aachen, the people are much more friendly than the people in our Capital Berlin.

In general we have big problems with immigrants, who didn't integrate themselves in the past here and parallelcultures. So many people are sceptical about foreigners, that are moving to Germany.

The term of making friends here is not just a Problem for expats. Many German people are suffering from lonelyness, because it's hard for them making new friends here.

I'm a really introvert person, but my experience is, if you are friendly and openminded, to other people at least here in the Ruhrgebiet, they are open and friendly, too. And it takes a lot of time, but at least here it's not that hard, making friends at least if you're good at speaking German. If you aren't able to speak german, I believe it might be much harder, making German friends.
Many people here are having a foreign background, so if you're moving here, you can't expect the bonus of being the exotic special, in social interactions, I think that could be a part of feeling the German people as unfriendly here. But the positive about that is, as long you're ready to integrate yourselves in Germany, we accept you as one of us Germans.

[tommysellering]

A mayor factor in Europe is that if you expect to “blend in” and make friends, the minimum requirement is to at least try to learn our language and customs. If you don’t speak a single word of our language after over 6 months, you WILL have a hard time to get friends. But if you go that extra mile you will see a lot of doors (and people) opening up to you.
The fact that almost all Europeans speak at least 2 and many times more languages should give you a hint.

[arnodobler]

Different cultures define friendships and kindness differently.🤷‍♂️

[hunchbackaudio]

Being Dutch, I've been to all of these countries and I feel right at home in all of them. So I guess it's a matter of perspective and expectations. Being friendly and being friends are not the same thing for us. Friendships are valued totally different. Not everyone is your friend, when you want to make real friends, you have to put in the time, the effort and learn the local language. It's possible but not easy being an expat, but if you succeed you'll probably gained friends for life.

[stefanschachler]

I have visited all of these countries and lived for a time as foreigner in Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. The easiest country to make friends was Sweden. But I am from Hamburg and people in Scandinavia are not that different from those of my hometown. The most difficult time I had in Brussels, but it was not unfriendliness that was the major problem, it was the clash of Valonian and Flamish culture that made adapting to the people there quite challenging. It is also really easy to get along well with the Scots. To the situation in Germany I can only add that many expats here in this country do not realize the fact, that Germans like to keep their work life and their private life separated. So it is unlikely to make friends at work. To meet Germans is their leisure time is the easiest thing in the world. Simply join a club of your interest and you meet a lot of locals who share the hobby. They don‘t care where You are from and after a short period of time it is easy to friends there. And in Germany there are clubs for just about everything 😉

[Martina-sohy]

I have lived in Norway for about 16 years and am very happy. 💕🇳🇴

[generallegenddt.allgemeine]

I'm a German living in Panama. Whenever I visit Germany I'm shocked about the incredible German unfriendliness. Every damn time again. 😂

[paulkeresztes]

I've been to the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece and Egypt. I think Ireland was the friendliest
.

[janalberts]

I missed the UK, if there is one country which doesn’t like foreigners it’s little Britain 😂

[mariapanagiotakokolaki]

I would like to also note that it's one thing to visit a country during a leisure trip and another to live there as expat.

[ojbwslp]

To be perfectly honest, it's time to forget that myth, that people in any country - including your own, - may be automatically friendly to you. Many people encounter unfriendliness even when moving to another city within own country. The only person, who should always be friendly to you, is YOU. As for the others, - don't expect anything from them. The most important is to love yourself and be your own best friend.

[michaelmedlinger]

It struck me that all of these countries are in North and Central Europe, a region where people tend to be far more reserved toward others. They also tend to have a culture of separating strictly work and private life. Whereas people in some countries (I‘m thinking USA here especially) will find their friends (or many of them) in the workplace, that can be very uncommon in the cultures of these countries. Finally, finding friends as an adult - i.e. non-student - is generally very difficult. Once people have reached a certain age, they usually have a well-established circle of friends and are not necessarily looking to expand it. You have to work a lot harder to meet people and become even good acquaintances.

[icaltrin]

I am Canadian and half-Estonian, and lived in Estonia for a year. I tried everything I could to make friends but it's impossible, even when you get someone's phone number they never contact you again and make excuses to never see you again - men and women. The only friends I made were non-Estonian. That's why I moved to Greece. Here people are the complete opposite, strangers say hi to you on the street. Never, never will I return to the cold North :)