South Africa tops stressful destinations table

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by Gill Montia

In the past year, property website RightmoveOverseas.co.uk has recorded a 25% increase in the number of Britons looking for property overseas.

However, some destinations can be more stressful than others and HiFX, the currency specialist, has created a league table of the most stressful countries for UK emigrants.

The findings are based on an analysis of a number of factors including civil stability, quality of life, social services provision, the visa application process and distance from the UK.

Mark Bodega, director at HiFX , says: “Moving abroad is not just about moving your belongings and pursuing a new lifestyle. Decamping to a whole new country means getting to grips with a whole new way of living – from the language you will be speaking, to the money you will be spending.”

South Africa, with its high unemployment and crime levels and complex property law, takes the lead as most stressful destination, followed by Australia and the US.

The least stressful destination is Germany, which in addition to being within easy travelling distance of the UK, has a stable currency and good social services.

According to Dr David Lewis, a psychologist with Mind Lab, “Stress levels are based on the degree of control people are likely to be able to exert over a situation – the less control, the higher the potential for stress. Moving to a country with several issues beyond a person’s influence naturally increases the potential for stress.”