Introducing Expat Daily News - South America

Ladies and Gentlemen, expat friends from all around the World…I am so proud to introduce the latest expansion of Expat Daily News. We really are beginning to take over the world!

As you can probably guess, expat life in Colombia is different than expat life in Scandanavia or in the United Arab Emirates. In the works, to serve your specific expat needs and questions better, is a project to branch out and have separate Expat Daily News sites covering different regions of the world. This will be in addition to the original EDN site, not in replacement of…so breathe easy, all you loyal EDN followers.

The first of these sites is now up and running. It is Expat Daily News South America  and the fabulous editor is none other than yours truly. I am Cathy Brown, and I moved to Argentina from the US with my three kids a little over a year ago. My only regret? Not having come here sooner! I honestly think at times that I am much more naturally Latina than I am North American, and have fallen head over heels in love with this continent. I am excited to be covering all parts of South America for you, and would love your input and ideas for stories. You can also follow on twitter, the twitter name is SouthAmerExpats.

So help get the word out to any of your contacts living, or wanting to live, in South America that there is now a site out there written specifically to meet their needs. One more time for you in case you forgot… www.expatdailynewssouthamerica.com. Please let me know what you think of the new site, and send any comments, questions, or story ideas to cathy@expatdailynews.com. Gracias!

Editors Needed for our other Regional Blogs

I do not want expats who are not living in South America to feel left out.  In the works are specific sites for 

those of you living overseas in Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Caribbean, Central America and the Middle East.

Currently, Expat Daily News is searching for editors around the world who may want to head up one of these regional sites.  Experience required would be that the editor is a hard worker, self-motivated, has some internet savvy, has great English language skills, and has a passion for the expat life.  Benefits include flexible work hours, a supportive Expat Daily News team to help get you on your feet, and the opportunity to connect with other interesting expats in all parts of the world (and for your job!  I usually try to do that just for fun!). 

As the editor of the new South American site, I can tell you from personal experience how wonderful it is to be part of the Expat Daily News family.  I have been given the freedom and encouragement to mold my site to my interests and my personality, but also receive the endless support and wisdom from the veterans to make sure that it is successful.  If you have any interest whatsoever in editing a new site for Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Caribbean, Central America or the Middle East, do not hesitate to click here and contact Susan via our online application form. 

This is so exciting!  We really are, and will continue to be, one of the top resources in the world for expat related news and information.  Come be a part of it!

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Getting a second passport

Getting a second passport can make travelling easier, it can also enable you to do interesting, asset protection things, like open bank accounts without your government finding out about it.

So how can you get a second passport?


Simple, you can buy one! Now we’re not talking about something you’ve bought at the local pub that means you have to spend the next ten years travelling with a fake beard, red hair and answer to the name of Antonov. There are government programs in various countries where you can literally buy yourself dual citizenship and receive a second passport without, in some instances, even having to reside in the country.


Dominica, known as the “nature island of the Caribbean” is one such country offering an easy way of acquiring a second passport. Ok, it’s going to cost you a bit more than one down the pub, but at least you can ditch the beard. They’ll also throw in a free meeting with the Prime Minister…well…it’s not quite free!


For a family donation of US$100,000.00 (about £70,000) into the Dominican economy in the way of a donation to the government, you can receive full citizenship of Dominica and second passports for yourself your spouse and 2 dependant children. The donation for a single person is US$75,000.00 (about £52,000). There are a few other requirements to be carried out as well, such as letters of application, copies of passports, birth and marriage certificates, police checks, income tax returns and a recommendation from your banker, but lets face it, if you’re going to donate US$100,000 to the Dominica Government you’re probably on pretty friendly terms with your bank manager. Once all of the paperwork’s been carried out (costing between US$15,000 – US$25,000) and due diligence checks completed (costing between US$ 3000-US$10,000) it’s time to meet the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica or with the Special Commission appointed by the Prime Minister for a personal interview.


It should then just be a 30 day wait to receive dual citizenship, your second passport and the advantages that’s going to bring. The Government of Dominica recognize dual citizenship, you’re not required to reside in Dominica and what’s more they won’t tell the country of your current citizenship or residency anything about it. A second passport from Dominica also allows visa free travel to over 100 countries. Dominica, by chance, also happens to have no inheritance, capital gains, gift or wealth taxes.

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Summer Tours Jobs in Europe

Finding a job in Europe for the summer can be difficult, especially if your only language is English. As the laws in Europe change to accommodate EU citizens, it becomes increasingly difficult for employers to justify hiring Americans.

There is, however, still one corner of the European job market in which Americans flourish: tourism. English-language tour companies, abundant throughout Europe, have good reason to fill their summer vacancies with young Americans, because the majority of their clientele is American.

For short-term summer work, English language tour companies and youth hostels are the best place to begin your search. Hostelworld.com is a good resource. The website provides online booking services, so it is useful for finding the names of prospective employers. If you have your sights set on a certain city or country, the search engine can be especially useful for gathering names to Google and contact information for specific companies. Competition for a position as a tour guide can be fierce, and the chances of securing a job without a face-to-face interview aren’t very high, but it is not impossible. For tour guides, personality, not necessarily a prior experience, is most important. Many companies provide their own training and/or even a scripted tour.

Tour guides spend day after day with large groups of strangers, and it is their duty to ensure everyone has a great time. The position requires wit, humor, an easygoing spirit, and patience. It is up to the tour guide to ensure that everyone in the group is entertained, informed, and has a memorable experience. If one is shy or has trouble speaking in front of a crowd, guiding tours can be nerve-wracking work.
Word of mouth is incredibly important for the reputation of tour companies. And it is the tour guides themselves who shape the experience of the tour.

Unfortunately for applicants, the traits prospective employers seek are usually difficult to glean from an e-mail or a letter. So when you apply from abroad, do not send a formal cover letter. Rather, write an entertaining letter about yourself, try to inspire a few laughs, don’t take yourself too seriously, and try to express your personality. This is one case in which you don’t want to make your letter short and sweet. Prospective employers are looking for the people who stand out, because applications often come in overwhelming numbers. Last year, the company for which I work, Rad City Tours, hired only one tour guide before we ever actually laid eyes on her, and we did it for the reasons listed above. Her e-mail made an impression on us, and it was a decision we did not regret.

The best way to find summer work in the tourism industry is to arrive in Europe in late winter or early spring and apply in person. Many companies start their tours as early as March. This is also the time when hostels start their hiring process for the busy summer season—especially since many of their winter employees themselves go back to jobs with tour companies in the summer months.

If the type of job is less important to you than actually finding a job, positions in sales are much easier to come by and can be found throughout the season. Sales employees are the unsung heroes of the tour business. They are the customers’ first point of contact and must make a good impression. The job itself entails chatting up tourists, distributing brochures, and, of course, selling the tours.

The experience itself is well worth the difficulties in finding a job. You have the chance to make lasting friendships, meet people from many different backgrounds and nationalities, and get to know the area you are living in more intimately than many of the locals themselves. Every day brings something new. And, of course, the money isn’t bad either.

About the author
Heather Wynn, a freelance writer and translator, has been living in Munich for four years, where she is part owner of Rad City Tours