September 16, 2025, 4:07 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Those who emigrate for work, love, or the desire for a new life often encounter difficulties at their new location. This is shown by the new “Expat Insider,” which evaluates the statements of more than 10,000 expatriates from numerous countries. Among many other factors, they were also asked about the friendliness of the locals. TRAVELBOOK presents the friendliest and unfriendliest countries in the world for expats.
Living and working abroad–for many, it’s a dream that is increasingly achievable thanks to globalization and the internationalization of the job market. But what does it really feel like to live in another country? Which countries are better suited, and which are not? This is answered annually by the expat community Internations, which surveys thousands of expatriates from almost all over the world about their lives abroad for its report “Expat Insider.” A question that particularly determines happiness at the new location is: How friendly are the locals toward expats? TRAVELBOOK presents the friendliest countries for expatriates and shows where the locals are not so friendly.
Also interesting: The Best Countries in the World to Emigrate to Right Now
Overview
Thousands of Expats Surveyed
Internations surveyed 10,085 expatriates from 172 countries for this year’s edition of the “Expat Insider” report. Since only countries from which at least 50 expats participated in the survey are included in the ranking, this number is narrowed down to a total of 46 countries in this year’s ranking.
These 46 countries were evaluated in the Expat Insider based on 53 factors in six main categories. One of these factors in the Ease of Settling In Index is the friendliness of the locals, both generally and toward immigrants. And this seems to vary greatly depending on the country.
These Are the Friendliest Countries in the World
Last year already in second place in the category of friendliest countries, Indonesia tops the list this year. The country, whose popular vacation destination Bali attracts hordes of tourists every year, also shines in the overall Ease of Settling In Index, ranking fourth out of 46. The same goes for Indonesia’s welcoming culture and the openness of Indonesians, who reportedly quickly become friends with expatriates.
The second friendliest country in the world is also the second best for expatriates: Colombia. The South American country makes it easy for its new residents to settle in–and according to the surveyed expats, its inhabitants are thoroughly friendly. At least mostly, as Colombia is also one of the countries where expats feel least safe due to cartels and violence. At the same time, Colombia is also the country where many expatriates are doing very well financially. It ranks third in the Ease of Settling In Index, as well as in the categories of welcoming culture and making friends.
Mexico, known for its extremely open and friendly culture, ranks third. It is first in the Ease of Settling In Index and its subcategory of welcoming culture. The popular vacation destination, where immigrants find it particularly easy to make new friendships, also rounds out the top three best countries for expatriates overall this year.
The Supposedly Unfriendliest Countries
The supposedly unfriendliest country in the world according to the Internations ranking is Kuwait. This is not surprising, as the small country in the Middle East receives poor marks in almost every analyzed category and has regularly appeared at the bottom of the friendliness rankings since the first report in 2014.
The residents of the Czech Republic are perceived as almost as unfriendly as those in Kuwait. This year, it pushed Austria from the second-to-last place, which now occupies the third-to-last rank. Both countries struggle significantly in this regard, while it doesn’t seem all that difficult for immigrants in the Czech Republic to make friends (rank 25). At the same time, the welcoming culture in both countries is not as bad as one might expect based on the unfriendliness, with ranks of 35 and 36, respectively.
In general, many European countries are found at the lower end of the rankings. Norway, for example, follows in fourth-to-last place. Overall, Europe is represented with eight countries in the last ten places. In the top ten, however, there are none. Here, Asia and South America dominate. At least one European country makes it to tenth place in the Ease of Settling In Index: Cyprus. Spain and Cyprus are also in the top 10 for welcoming culture.
The World’s Friendliest (and Unfriendliest) Countries According to Expats
This Is the Best Country in the World for Expats
How Friendly Is Germany?
According to Internations, the stereotype of the unfriendly German still persists in society. And the ranking of the friendliest countries provides its own evidence: Germany ranks fifth-to-last, or 42nd out of 46. Not even two out of five respondents perceive Germans as friendly toward foreigners.
Germany performs even worse in the Ease of Settling In Index and the subcategory of welcoming culture, ranking 43rd. Additionally, more than three out of five respondents said they find it difficult to make friendships with locals here. Just over a third (36 percent) are satisfied with their social life in Germany. Very few feel at home here, placing Germany only 44th in this regard.
The Ranking of the (Un)friendliest Countries According to Expats
Source: Internations
- Indonesia
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Philippines
- Brazil
- Panama
- Oman
- Thailand
- Kenya
- Vietnam
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Greece
- China
- Ireland
- Portugal
- Cyprus
- Spain
- Malaysia
- Saudi Arabia
- Malta
- Qatar
- Australia
- Canada
- USA
- Italy
- South Africa
- Belgium
- Netherlands
- Luxembourg
- Japan
- France
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- Singapore
- Denmark
- Switzerland
- Poland
- Hungary
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Finland
- Germany
- Norway
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Kuwait