The process of moving abroad looks different for everyone. If you’re young, maybe it’s a working holiday in Australia or New Zealand. If you reaching retirement age, maybe you’re looking into countries with great health care and a low cost of living. And if you have a partner, kids, or pets, you might be working with a relocation expert or immigration agent to help you jump through the hoops involved with moving your whole family overseas. No matter your reason for moving abroad, there are people out there who can help you make it happen. Here are seven relocation resources to help you move abroad — four that specifically cater to LGBTQ+ people, and three that are intended for a general audience, but offer a helpful set of tools and resources: ### Rainbow Relocation Rainbow Relocation bills itself as the “world’s first & only global relocation company that puts LGBTQ+ expats and their families front and center.” Founded by Jess Drucker, the author of _How To Move Abroad And Why It’s the Best Thing You’ll Do_, Rainbow Relocation offers one-on-one consultations, a four-week custom relocation strategy, and more. Jess is originally from the U.S., but has years of first-hand experience living and working abroad, and loves working with people who are ready to take action and build a new life overseas. Rainbow Relocation also offers “corporate client workshops to help relocation professionals create welcoming LGBTQ+ expat assignment experiences.” ### Expatsi Expatsi is best known for two things: the Expatsi Test, and their overseas scouting trips to help people test the waters in their dream destination abroad. For example, if you’re considering a move to Mexico, you can go on a scouting trip to Mexico to see what it’s really like and whether or not it’s a place you could call home long-term. The Expatsi Test helps you narrow down your options with a 20-question quiz on what’s most important to you in a new location. Whether you’re looking into citizenship by descent or the best countries for a quick exit, Expatsi either has the answers or knows someone who does. Unlike Rainbow Relo, Expatsi isn’t specifically for queer people, but offers resources for a range of demographic groups, including LGBTQ+ people and Black Americans. Some of the team will be appearing in person at Move Abroad Con on May 23-25, 2025 in San Antonio, TX. You can also find them on Bluesky. ### Join Me Abroad Join Me Abroad is a relocation resource run by Grace Leota, who moved to China in 2008 and experienced culture shock upon returning to the U.S. and seeing its broken health care system up close. Grace is particularly passionate about helping people understand the nuances of expat and digital nomad health insurance. When I first visited the site, I was impressed by this comprehensive list of 67+ digital nomad visas, which is a great starting point for planning your journey abroad. Grace also offers one-on-one consultations and a DIY Relocation Digital Workbook for $9.99. JMA isn’t a queer resource, but Grace takes a no-nonsense approach to relocation planning, and can help you narrow down your list to LGBTQ-friendly destinations. Follow Join Me Abroad on Bluesky. ### Expatria Expatria is an online dashboard focused on helping people find the best place to retire abroad. The map-based tool is a really useful resource for exploring the cost of living and tax implications of your move abroad. For example, you can find out if your destination country has a double taxation agreement with your home country. Expatria’s free tier includes an initial questionnaire and limited cost of living research, while the $10/month plan unlocks additional resources and includes a 1-hour consultation with the Expatria team. Expatria looks like it was built for a general audience, not LGBTQ+ expats, but I’ve reached out to the team to ask if they have any LGBTQ-specific tools such as a filter for countries with gender recognition or marriage equality. In the meantime, you can follow Expatria on Bluesky or check out the site for yourself. ### Queer Adventurers Queer Adventurers is a long-running LGBTQ+ travel blog run by Lindsey Danis, with a focus on outdoor travel. It includes “guides to destinations around the world, packed with recommendations, itineraries, packing lists, and everything you need to know to plan your trip.” I recently had a chat with Lindsey about her upcoming book on queer travel, so I know she’s the real deal. I’m especially impressed by her recent series of blog posts covering the changing circumstances around LGBTQ+ travel in the U.S. From reducing your digital footprint while traveling to navigating bathroom bills, Lindsey balances a love of travel with practical safety tips. Queer Adventurers is especially useful if you’re planning to relocate within the U.S.: check out this comprehensive guide to the safest states in the U.S. for LGBTQ+ people. You can also follow Lindsey on Bluesky here. ### TransWorldExpress TransWorldExpress differs from the other sites on our list in that it’s built by trans people for trans people. Think of it as a user-contributed Wiki covering all of the pathways that trans people have to leave the U.S. It’s based on the assumption that “you don't need to be extra rich/able-bodied/etc to flee the US,” and contains a list of countries with ancestry visas, digital nomad visas, freelancer visas, and more. It also shows which countries have medical inadmissibility requirements for temporary or permanent residency. TWE also provides resources on emergency preparedness, gathering your documents, and other practical steps you’ll need to take to plan your move abroad. If you’ve already moved to one of the countries on their list, you can add your own resources to the database. Follow TransWorldExpress on Bluesky here. ## Becoming a Good Migrant Becoming a Good Migrant: Decolonize Your Exit Strategy, is a workshop led by Ixchel Lunar, a former Mestize Vice Mayor of Petaluma, California who now lives in Mexico. Ixchel will help you plan your departure from the U.S. with a focus on passport privilege, political awareness, and emotional resilience. For $47, you’ll get access to a 4-hour pre-recorded workshop aimed at “BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Women, Mixed Couples, and Allies.” You’ll also be invited to join a private Signal chat for ongoing Q&A sessions and community support. According to Ixchel, “Crossing borders and seeking refuge carries responsibility too. We must seek to do less harm while we seek sanctuary from harm.” I really appreciate Ixchel’s holistic approach to moving abroad ethically. You can follow them on Bluesky here. * * * Know of any other resources that we haven’t included here? Just send us an email and let us know!