For anyone considering moving abroad, the options might seem limitless: are you looking to prioritise good weather? Job opportunities? Quality of life?
Now, the easiest city to relocate to in Europe has been revealed.
It comes as UK emigration numbers jumped more than six per cent in 2025 according to the Office for National Statistics, with more and more Brits seeking to leave the UK behind.
Last year 252,000 Brits left the UK, while only 143,000 returned – and of those who departed, 76 per cent were under the age of 35.
Amsterdam has been named the easiest city for Brits to relocate to in Europe, according to new research.
The city comes in first due to its fully digital visa process, strong job market, good English fluency, and large expat community with 34 per cent of Amsterdam’s population being foreign-born.
Narrowly behind Amsterdam, the second spot goes to Berlin.
It has a well-established expatriate presence, with 13.15 per cent of residents born outside the country, and a robust job market, with 33 open jobs per 1000 residents.
Berlin has one of the highest salaries among the cities studied in the research, while offering good affordability, with living costs 21.2 per cent lower than London.
Rounding out the top three cities, Frankfurt comes in third. It benefits from Germany’s high degree of English proficiency and a reliable visa pathway, particularly for employees.
Frankfurt has the second strongest job market with an average 39.5 open roles per 1,000 residents.
What separates Frankfurt and Berlin is the smaller expat community, with just 2.4 per cent of its residents born outside of Germany.
In fourth place is Munich, and Madrid comes in the fifth spot.
At the bottom of the list are both Rome and Milan. Despite being heralded as the land of the ‘dolce vita’, they rank as the most difficult move for Brits, with a low English proficiency score and a number of residency permits considerably below the EU average.
Spanish cities, too, which traditionally top the lists of favoured expat destinations, have failed to make the top spots for simplicity, with Madrid and Barcelona coming fifth and eighth respectively.
The research, from Feather Insurance, assessed openness to immigration, economic opportunity, ease of opening a business for freelancers and entrepreneurs and administrative complexity to compile the list.
Vincent Audoire, seasoned expat and co-founder at Feather Insurance, says: ‘More people are looking to leave the UK in search of warmer climates, a new lifestyle, or a lower cost of living.
‘But too often the challenges an expat faces and the processes involved when moving abroad are ignored and underestimated.
‘From finding a place to rent and sorting visas and insurance, to settling into a new environment, relocating can be complex.
‘That’s why we created the Relocation Index, to highlight the easiest places to move to and help people understand the benefits and challenges of each destination.’
Feather is an expert on expats and specialises in designing digital insurance plans for them across Europe.
