Finding Love Abroad
If you’ve been in the dating game for a while and you feel like you have gone through all the apps and been set up by every well-meaning friend and coworker you have, you might want to change your dating strategy. Would you ever consider expanding your search to find love abroad?
Finding love abroad isn’t for everyone, but it can be a great way to open up your options and increase your chances of meeting the right person. Depending on your preference and your lifestyle, you could look into meeting someone on an international dating site, you could move abroad temporarily and try out the dating seen abroad (there are many digital nomad visas that can help you with a quick move) or maybe you’re already living abroad and open to finding love in your new country.
If the idea of finding love in a foreign country sounds intriguing and romantic to you, keep reading. We will share our best tips to help you write your own international love story.
How can I find love abroad
Finding love abroad doesn’t have to be complicated. It can actually be a great way to meet someone you wouldn’t meet in your normal everyday circles. Dating abroad can be a really fun way to explore different interests, expand your horizons, and increase your chances of meeting “the one.” Of course we don’t believe that there is just one person out there for us, there are multiple people that might be a good match, it’s a matter of coming across one of them!
Depending on whether you already live abroad, want to live abroad—for a gap year or more permanently— or if you’re just interested in international online dating, there is an option for everyone’s comfort level.
How can I meet someone online from a different country?
Online dating is a great way to meet people, and there are ways to do it internationally as well. There are a few different ways to do this depending on where you currently live and what you are looking for, so it’s important to look at all your options and do your research.
If you are living in your home country but are open to meeting someone from another country, there are specific websites and apps that can connect you with people overseas. If you know that you’d like to meet someone from a specific country, find websites that are designed for finding love abroad in that country or set the filter on your dating app to that country (you may have to pay for the premium subscription to be able to swipe in another country).
One of our favorite success stories is from Maria who shared her international love story on our podcast. She f0und her future husband in Spain on an online platform while she was living in Texas.
If you’re already abroad, maybe you’ve been spending your time building your world on your own and now that you’re more settled you are open to finding a partner in your new country. In this case, you can still utilize websites and apps to meet someone. Just make sure that you adjust the location and profile information on your dating apps and look into popular dating apps in the country you are living in to start making connections. And there are endless ways of meeting someone ITW (in the wild aka in the real world), we’ve got tons of tips below!
15 Tips for finding love abroad
When looking for love abroad, putting in a little work might help your chances of meeting someone. But it’s important to remember that your search shouldn’t become too overwhelming. Dating gets a bad wrap but it can actually be fun! To make this process more enjoyable, we’ve compiled a list of our 15 best tips to help you with your search to find love abroad.
And of course, not everyone is looking for love and that is more than ok. Dating is only worth it if you want to meet someone, and meet someone who is going to enhance your already marvelous life. Remember you are fabulous and don’t need anyone but a life shared can be so sweet, so if you’re ready to find love abroad, let’s get started!
1. Use dating apps
Work and school seem to be popular places to meet someone, but if you’re not working in an office and your student years are behind you then modern technology is going to be your best friend when it comes to finding love abroad.
There is no shortage of websites and apps that are designed to match people, whether you’re living overseas already or swiping from your home country. Try out a few different ones to find the ones that work best for your interests and lifestyle.
2. Move abroad
If you’ve been weighing the pros and cons of moving abroad one pro might be access to a whole new dating scene. Dating abroad will be different, you’ll be dealing with a different culture, possibly a different language, and different demographics.
In the US there still seems to be societal pressure for women to get married and have kids in order to be fulfilled in life. You’ll find that in many countries around the world, especially in Europe, people get married much later in life (or skip marriage all together and just cohabitate) and also have kids much later in life (or not at all). This can be comforting news if you’re over 30 because you’re actually the norm. A move abroad might mean that you’ll no longer be the odd (wo)man out if you’re single and child-free. You could find yourself in a city that has an abundance of single men and women in their 30s, 40s and beyond just like you!
If you’re looking to move to Europe check out our visa guide that covers the 18 easiest countries to move to in Europe based on viable visa option! There’s over 50 visa options; something for everyone! You’ll learn that you don’t have to be rich, marry a European or get transferred with a job to live in Europe.
If you happen to meet someone online on one of the many international dating apps or platforms and it’s gotten serious be sure to ask yourself these questions before you move abroad for love.
Last, if you’re already abroad, you can look for love beyond the dating apps. There is really no substitute for diving into the dating world in a foreign country with both feet. Keep your eyes open. Your special someone might be the person in line at the coffee shop or across a dark bar, you just never know where your foreign love connection could be.
3. Be open-minded
One of the biggest things to remember about trying to find love abroad is to be open-minded. When you meet someone who has been raised in or at least lived in a foreign country for any length of time, you are going to encounter cultural differences. Differences in culture can lead to a whole different dating experience. The social mores in every country are different, so the “ground rules” you’re used to from dating at home might not fit in when you’re trying to date abroad.
4. Patience is key
Don’t give up if you don’t meet someone in the first few weeks or months of your search for love abroad. It can take time to find a good match, you may have to “kiss a few frogs” before you meet your prince or princess, so try to be patient.
When you are less attached to the outcome, you will feel less frustration about the process and you will usually have better overall results. While you’re out there trying, you will learn so much about yourself and what you’re looking for in someone, so it’s invaluable time.
5. Listen to your gut, trust your instincts
Women’s intuition is a powerful tool. If something feels off with someone you meet when dating abroad, listen to your gut. You have that feeling for a reason whether it’s a serious warning or just a subtle nudge to not waste your time. If you get a vibe that the person you are dating is not being genuine, is unsafe or threatening in any way, shut off communication immediately. You don’t owe anyone anything.
6. Learn the local language
One of the best ways to connect with someone from another country is by being able to communicate with them in their native language, especially if you’re living in their country. It not only makes it easier to understand each other, but it also shows your interest in their language and culture. Plus dating a is a great way to brush up on your language skills!
7. Take up a hobby
To increase the dating pool even further when looking for love in a foreign country, consider starting a new hobby or picking up a hobby you used to love. It makes it easy to connect with people in general over a shared interest and may also help you meet someone you might not ordinarily have encountered. It also takes the pressure off dating when your main purpose is to just have fun with your hobby and meeting someone is just an added bonus.
8. Find a community
Often love connections are fostered through your network of acquaintances, friends, and community. If you’re living abroad, community is one of the best ways to make friends and meet your people. Focus on finding a community of people who you enjoy spending time with and you might find that you connect with one of the people in that community or you may be introduced to someone special through that community.
9. Say yes
You already know that it doesn’t hurt to be be open-minded when looking for love abroad, it’s also important to take things a step further and make “yes” your default answer. You can’t meet someone if you don’t put yourself out there, so consider your season of trying to find love abroad as your “season of yes.” Even if you are asked on a date by someone you might not normally consider, say yes anyway. Try everything on, see what happens, and see what you learn. Of course there are always exceptions, just say NO to red flags!
10. Get active
Being active is great for your physical and mental health, but it is also a great dating strategy too. You can meet people at local gyms, juice bars, or local fitness groups and events while living abroad. This is a great way to meet someone with a common interest in being healthy and staying in shape.
11. Volunteer
Another unique way to open up the dating pool abroad is to start volunteering. Find local community clean-up events or volunteer for causes that are meaningful to you. Chances are you’ll meet a lot of locals which will help you foster a sense of community abroad. And you never know you might meet someone who catches you eye who is passionate about a similar cause.
12. Meet in person
Whenever possible, try to meet the person you want to date in person. Texting, phone calls, and even video calls leave room for a lot of interpretation and confusion. Sometimes we create a whole fantasy of who someone is in our head before we actually know who they are which can lead to a lot of disappointment when they don’t measure up.
If you live in the same city, we suggest meeting up sooner than later if there is mutual interest. This way you will get a more accurate and realistic view of who the other person is. Of course in-person dates can be tough if you live in two different countries, but in these cases prioritize a trip to meet if you have established a strong foundation and feel like this person is worth a trip. Remember listen to your gut!
13. Go on dates that don’t involve alcohol
Alcohol can certainly make dates fun and “seem” less awkward, but it can give you a false sense of confidence and can skew your true perspective. Whenever possible, try to schedule day-dates for coffee shops, lunches, or even go on a walk. These are great opportunities to get to know each other better without the influence of alcohol.
14. Tell your friends
There’s nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about when it comes to looking for love abroad. Your friends want to support you in any worthwhile endeavor and that includes trying to make a love connection. Tell your friends what’s going on so you have someone to talk to about the process, but also your friend group could open up the possibility to meet even more people through their connections as well.
15. Have fun
Always remember that above all, dating doesn’t have to be a drag. Finding love abroad should be an experience of a lifetime, so take the time to enjoy yourself and enjoy the process. Take the pressure off yourself and your dates by keeping things light and fun and just let life flow naturally because you never know where things may end up.
Find love abroad
Finding love abroad can be fun, exciting, scary, and even intimidating. If you’re still in your home country, looking overseas is a great way to open up your dating pool. And if you’re already living abroad, dating in your new country can be an exciting adventure! In either case you’ll experience things you may never have experienced before.
Whether you are looking for “the one” or someone to date casually and see where things go, you are bound to make memories you will remember for the rest of your life. Be open to new opportunities and just try to enjoy the process because it will be a wild ride!
