Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Get paid to live abroad
Vicky Parry
8th Nov 2023
Population decline is a huge problem in various places around the world. When the citizenship of a country or region sharply falls, it can have a negative effect on both economy and culture of a location.
This has led to many towns and cities across the world offering funding schemes to newcomers who are willing to relocate to their area to live and work. Intriguing to know, particularly if you’re looking to move to:
USA
Various places in the US are offering payment to remote workers who would consider relocating.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, is offering remote workers a grant of up to $10,000 to move to and work in the city. You can find out more at Tulsa Remote, where new residents can find out about working spaces and access to networking events. You will be able to choose to receive your money in one lump sum or over the course of a few months, to support you during your setup.
Topeka, Kansas, has a Choose Topeka scheme to recruit new residents and young professionals who, if employed by a Topeka business, could receive a grant of $15,000. Furthermore, remote workers can receive $5,000. Applicants must be able to prove they have rented or bought a property in Topeka that will serve as their main residence.
Spain
Some small Spanish towns have suffered a population decline as young residents have increasingly chosen to move to larger cities. This has led Spain to offer incentives to new foreign citizens, encouraging them to live and work in there.
Ponga is a small village with only about 500 residents in a mountain region of northern Spain. Ponga is offering young couples €3,000 to move there for five years, with an additional €3,000 per child you bring or have while there.
A Xesta is an even smaller population: only 100 residents, and also in northwest Spain. There are about 125 vacant properties for rent, and it’s a low rent too: you’d pay only €100!
Further east, with 130 residents, is Griegos, which is offering work and three months of free rent to newcomers, then rent of €225 per month and an extra €50 for each child aged between 4 – 18.
Greece
Greece has suffered a steady decrease since 2010 with no signs of slowing. To combat this decline, the island of Antikythera, northwest of Crete, has introduced a plan to pay families to relocate there. The scheme was organised by the Greek Orthodox Church on the island.
New residents will receive a home, some land, and be paid €500 every month for the first three years they live there, to encourage long-term plans of their new residents. The island is quiet and rural, with the added benefits of the amazing Greek weather and sandy beaches, which could be just what you’re looking for!
Italy
Italy is suffering the same rate of population decline as Greece. It, too, is exploring ways to breathe new life into shrinking towns and villages.
Candela is a small town in south-eastern Italy with around 2,700 people. It’s renowned for being safe, clean and boasts some truly remarkable classic Italian architecture.
Candela is offering single people €800, couples €1,300, and families €2,000 to move there. To be eligible, newcomers would need to rent a property in Candela with the plan to live full time, and also to secure a job that earns at least €7,500 per year.
Elsewhere, some towns in Sicily want to offer newcomers the opportunity to purchase a property for €1, in return for which, the resident will have to renovate the property and pay a security deposit of around €5,000, which will be paid back after you’ve completed renovations.
Chile
Through Startup Chile, foreign businesses are encouraged to apply to one of three programmes – Build, Ignite, and Growth; all aimed at different levels of business.
Build is for new startups and is a four-month programme helping to launch a new business with $14,000 funding and a one-year residence visa.
Ignite offers $30,000 and Growth is aimed at more mature businesses, offering $80,000 funding. All programmes provide access to coworking space, mentoring and investors.
So if you want to be paid to live abroad and if any of the above tempts you in, click those links and read on. One or more of them could offer you the life-changing opportunity you’ve been craving.
Also, if you are retired and reading this – how about you read our guide to making money in your retirement here.
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