Cocktail, art & forum events in Antibes & Monaco

As it stands, its been nearly a year that expat retirement transfers of pensions have incurred a charge when moving to or between Qualifying Recognised Offshore Pension Schemes (QROPS), with only expats living within the European Union or a select group of 13 other countries immune to this charge.

However, British expats across the world have recently joined forces to question the fairness of the charge and to lobby parliament for its removal.

It’s easy to see why they have taken this course of action – the charge for overseas expat retirement transfers comes in at 25% of the value of the pension fund; plainly a crippling and punitive amount for people who have already worked hard and paid their taxes in order to prudently fund their retirement.

Nordic countries have a very good reputation with international students, and Sweden is no exception. But where in the country offers the best environment for study?

The Swedish National Union of Students (SFS) has recently announced the winner of its 2017/2018 Student City of the Year award. The award goes to the city that actively works to improve the welfare of students, and this year it went to the city of Gävle.

Gävle is the capital of the Gävleborg County, located at the very lower end of Norrland. It’s the country’s 13th most populated city and is perhaps best known to the public for its unique Christmas tradition. Every year, a large straw goat, known as the Gävleblocken (or “the Gävle Goat”), is erected in the centre of the city and then, in a more unofficial tradition, tends to get destroyed by the locals.