Which Countries Will Pay You to Move There?

Many countries across to world are struggling with population decline. This can have a detrimental effect on the economy and the culture of a location, so many places are looking at what they can do to encourage new residents.

This has resulted in towns and cities across the globe offering payment to newcomers who are willing to relocate to their area to live and work. These are just some of the countries that will pay you to move there.

There are many reasons why a country might pay someone to move there. Generally, the town or country will want to encourage new people to move there to boost the economy. Some places might want specific workers while others might encourage digital nomads to move there. Even if an individual isn’t earning a wage from the country, they’ll be contributing to the economy through buying food, travelling across the country, renting accommodation, and every other day-to-day activity.

Some countries or towns might have a shortage of skilled workers. In these places, people who can fill the skills gap could find they can get paid to move abroad. Different countries could have gaps in all sorts of industries, from construction to healthcare, education to engineering.

Other places might be struggling with a generally low population – this is especially true in some more rural areas. Here, young people and families could find they can get paid to move to a quiet town to help keep it going, which can be perfect if you’re looking for a quieter way of life overseas.

Often in these smaller rural towns, the housing can become neglected. Giving people a cash injection to move and refurbish homes can bring new life to a community and stop it from becoming abandoned altogether.

Many small towns in Spain have seen a declining population, with young residents choosing to move to larger cities. This has encouraged a few small towns in Spain to offer incentives to foreigners, encouraging them to live and work there.

One such place is Ponga, a small village with around 500 residents in the mountain region of northern Spain. Ponga is offering young couples €3,000 to move there for five years. If you move with children or have children whilst you are living in Ponga, you’ll receive an additional €3,000 per child.

A Xesta is a small village with less than 100 residents in northwest Spain. It has around 125 vacant properties that it’s looking to fill, so is offering newcomers the opportunity to pay only €100 in rent.

Griegos, in eastern Spain, has 130 residents. This village is offering jobs and three months’ free rent to newcomers. After that, rent will only be €225 per month and residents will receive an extra €50 for every child aged between 4 and 18.

Greece is a country that has seen a national decline in population over recent years, with a steady decrease since 2010 that’s forecast to continue to 2050. To combat this decline, one island in Greece is offering an incentive to encourage newcomers.

Antikythera is an island south of mainland Greece and northwest of Crete. The Greek Orthodox Church on the island has introduced a plan to pay families to move there. New residents will receive a home and a piece of land and will be paid €500 every month for the first three years they live there. The island promises a peaceful, rural life, with gorgeous beaches and that wonderful Greek climate.

Italy is seeing the same population decline as Greece and Spain, and so various areas are offering their own incentives to encourage new residents and boost the population and the local economy.

Candela is a small town in south-eastern Italy with around 2,700 people. It’s one of the safest towns in Italy and has gorgeous classic Italian architecture. Candela is offering single people €800, couples €1,300, and families €2,000 to move to the village. To be eligible, newcomers will have to rent a property in Candela where they intend to live full time, and also secure a job that earns at least €7,500 per year.

A couple of towns in Sicily offer newcomers the opportunity to purchase a property for €1. In return, the new resident will have to renovate the property and pay a security deposit of around €5,000, which will be paid back after the renovations are complete.

If you’re moving to Italy, check out this comprehensive guide on driving in Italy for all the valuable information you need. Whether it’s road conditions, traffic rules, or practical tips, this guide has got you covered.

Chile has been encouraging new businesses to set up in the South American country since 2016. Through Startup Chile, foreign businesses can apply to one of their three programmes – Build, Ignite, and Growth. Each programme is slightly different and aimed at different levels of business.

Build is for new startups and is a four-month programme helping to launch a new business. Through the programme, new startups will receive $14,000 funding and a one-year residence visa. Ignite offers businesses $30,000 and Growth is aimed at more mature businesses, offering $80,000 funding. All programmes provide access to coworking space, mentoring and investors.

Various places across the USA are offering funding to remote workers who want to move there.

For example, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is offering remote workers a grant of up to $10,000 to live and work in the city. Through Tulsa Remote, new residents can access working space and access to networking events. They can choose to receive a lump sum, perhaps to go towards housing, or over the course of a few months, to support them while they set up their new home and working system.

Topeka, the capital city of Kansas, in the Midwest, has its Choose Topeka scheme to encourage new residents and young professionals. Newcomers who will be employed by a Topeka business could receive a grant of $15,000, or remote workers could receive $5,000. To be eligible, applicants must prove they have leased or purchased a property in Topeka and that it will be their main residence.

If you’re interested in getting paid to move abroad, the first step is to think about the kind of place you might want to move to and what you think you could contribute. For example, if you work in a specific field, you might want to look for countries that have a skill shortage in that area.

Alternatively, you can consider the way of life you’re looking for. If you’re craving a quieter, more peaceful life, you could benefit from moving to one of the rural areas that’s looking to bring new life to a neglected town. You should bear in mind that it may involve you learning a new language, to be able to integrate happily with the local people.

If you’re able to work remotely, you could find you have the most options. Many places are encouraging digital nomads to live and work from their location, including in the USA and Europe.

Once you’ve chosen some options for where you want to move to, you can check the government website for that country to see what the latest incentives are for paying people to move there. From here, you’ll usually be able to start the process to apply for the scheme and get your residents visa and payout.

Some countries will require you to have healthcare coverage in order to qualify for the scheme and visa. You should look for the right working abroad travel insurance or international health insurance to suit your needs and keep you covered you while you’re abroad.