mollymalone

We are considering a move to the Caribbean from London. We have a 2 yr old daughter and another baby on the way in a month's time.

I've done a search in most of the chatboards' threads, but couldn't find a lot of information on the islands we were thinking of.

My husband is a Senior Quantity Surveyor and there seems to be a few jobs offering OK tax-free salary + expat packages in:

St Lucia
Tortola (British Virgin Islands)
Jamaica
Cayman Islands

I am doing a lot of research on the net trying to find out more about living there as an expat, with the usual questions of housing, cost of living, schools and what there is to do.... ("yaaaawn ...." to some people, I know, sorry, but I just HAD to ask!!)

So I would really love to get some first-hand advice and info from anyone who lives there, or has lived there, or if anyone has any good weblinks!

Thanks!

JAJ

Don't assume that British citizens get any special benefits in British Overseas Territories (two of the above).

Of course you may not be a British citizen anyway



Jeremy

Mary

Hi
I love on Tortola.
I can give you some more detailed information if you have any more questions, but as a starter:
I found my job through www.jobinthesun.com incidentally I think I saw surveyors's jobs recently advertised in the paper. You need a work permit (takes approx 3 months), regardless of your nationality (unless you are a belonger of the BVI)
Schools - All expats go to private schools with UK teachers, expect o pay $10k (about 6,000 per child), although this is not really applicable yet for you! (PS Good Luck with the new one)
Tax- We pay 8% tax on earnings over $8,000, not that much really.
To do - Most people do outdoor things, sailing, diving, socialising in pubs etc etc.
Tortola is beautiful, but it is definitely not for everyone.

Mary

As an additional point, Cayman Islands are very similar to the BVI, but "bigger" and with slightly more things to do, we are about 20 years behind on Cayman.
Personally, there is no way I would live in Jamaica, I value my life!

eurotramp

Hi..

are you not feel very isolated, living on an island?? People telling me that that they get sometimes sick and tiered living on a island.

You wrote that there are brit. schools..are there any Universities as well??

Mary

Hello
I have only been here 8 months, and so far I don't feel isolated at all. I get to travel quite a bit though, I do think it is important to get off island.
With regards to Uni, we have the Lavity Stoutt College which does degrees (kind of!), most locals here that don't go there either do long distance or go to the States or UK

dfjordan

You haven´t said why you are thinking about the Caribbean nor whether you are thinking long or short term?

Burlo

This is an intersting link to the Republic of Dominica in the Caribean:

http://www.popreport.com/

...where the cost of living is inexpensive and the malls of Miami are a short $100 flight away.

dfjordan

Maybe I´ve been around too long, but I really am amazed at how Brits looking to live abroad could consider even for a fleeting moment, the idea of living in such places as Jamaica, Dominica etc!! You just need to spend a weekend in any of these places to realise just how bad life is there. The fact you may be an expat makes no difference. Back in the 1970´s a Brit could basically choose to live anywhere in the world and enjoy it. The world has changed a lot since then, and even the so called " expat packages" don´t offer a decent standard of living. Leave these islands to the vacationers. If you want to live somewhere warm you have to think about places like Costa Rica, Chile,or for that matter what´s so bad about Spain? Forget the usual Marbella Costa del Sol places, they are awful. Spain is a big country, can have a lovely climate; you collect your British pension there and the medical services are excellent. Living in a good climate comes at a cost. There is a lot to be grateful for in England but the people living there seem to enjoy running the place down. You have to be realistic and leave your dream world of sun, sea and living like a king because you happen to a white Brit. It just doesn´t exist anymore.

JAJ

Dominica is a Commonwealth nation (although it is a republic).

Do you mean the Dominican Republic? (an entirely different country).



Jeremy

CaliforniaBride

Looks pretty bad here:

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_cap

But when you take into account overall crime statistics it's a different picture:

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_tot_cri_cap#

Mary

I wouldn't live in Jamaica or DR, however I live in the Caribbean and my standard of living is fantastic compared to what it was back in the UK. I earn the same salary, I have a 3 bedroom house (a one bed flat in UK), I have a maid, I am actually saving and crime here is virtually zero. I wouldn't swop here with any other country (and I have lived on the continent)

swoopy91

Hi, myself and my partner have been offered jobs on Grand Cayman on a 2 - 7 year contract. The pay and conditions seem ok (taking into account the tax status and high cost of living). Does anyone out there have any advice/tips on life there? We have a baby daughter so i would particularly like to hear about child care etc.

Numpty

Well said. I have lived in many parts of the world, but the UK takes a lot of beating. We hear endless whines about the weather, but here in the S.East of the country, it is great.

The government? Certainly no worse than many, and a lot better than most.

I am with you 100% about living in the likes of Jamaica\Dominican Republic\Haiti etc. Am I a racist?? Well, if valuing my life makes me a racist, then yes, I am.

If people want to slag-off the UK, fine. Let them go. I love it here.

eurotramp

I agree...more UK for us and all the whingers are gone. I cant wait to come back to the UK.