If you’ve traveled, you’ve seen them. Creatures of the day and night; out in the morning just as they are in the afternoon and evening. You nod in their direction as you pass each other down the street. Shake hands with them when being introduced via the ever-growing web of “friends of friends.” Possibly even spend a few romantic days in paradise with them only to never be in touch again. Maybe you are even one of them.

If you’re wondering, we’re talking about expats. With the increased globalization of the world, they’re a breed growing larger by the second, and there are 12 types of expats out there. By the end of this, you’ll be better equipped to answer the question of “which one are you?” Let’s get started.

“The ideal place for me is the one in which it is most natural to live as a foreigner.” – Italo Calvino
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What’s an “Expat?”

Before jumping into the 12 types of expats out there, it’s important to understand exactly what an “expat” is. The word “expat” is an abbreviation of “expatriate,” which, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is “a person who lives outside their native country.” Other definitions, such as one from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, includes people who have renounced allegiance to their native countries. While these definitions may seem black and white, they’ve become a bit murkier over time.

One example is how the word “expat” differs from “immigrant,” which, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is “a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.” Anyone can see that the two definitions are almost identical, with one possible differentiator being length of time.

But there’s an ongoing debate if there exists any real differences between the two words, outside of perceived status. “Expatriate” is typically reserved for people from wealthy nations, regardless of if they’re relocating to work. On the other hand, “immigrant,” is more commonly used for people who hail from developing nations, or occupy jobs that are perceived to be lower in status. For the sake of inclusivity, this article considers expats and immigrants to be one in the same.

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Expat Insider

InterNations is a German-based organization that focuses on connecting, educating and making life overall easier for expats. They’re in 390 cities, have around 3,500 monthly meetups and also publish an annual expat survey, the Expat Insider.

The Expat Insider surveys over 12,500 people representing 166 nationalities and living in 188 countries or territories in order to glean insights into what it means to be an expat. From their annual survey, they’ve derived 10 types of expats, and have statistics to go with each of their types. We used their survey for the basis of our own types, while also adding a few of our own.
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The 12 Types of Expats

The Foreign Assignee

The foreign assignee is your run-of-the-mill Foreign Service Officer (FSO), diplomat, UN worker or anyone employed by a non-governmental organization (NGO) or nonprofit. They either love or hate the country they’re placed in. Some, buoyed by their sense of purpose, enjoy themselves regardless of where they are. They could be living on the outskirts of a dangerous slum or in a luxurious high-rise without noticing the difference.

Others, no matter how much they may love their job, don’t share the same indifferent love of the world. They’re more prone to being grumpy and adopting a “let me just get through this,” mentality before moving on to their next post. According to InterNations, the foreign assignee type is comprised of 61% males and 39% females. Their typical countries of residence are Myanmar, Kenya, Poland, Nigeria, Singapore and Poland. 81% knew no one in their destination beforehand, and 40% are mostly friends with other expats.
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The Foreign Recruit

Foreign recruits are people who were recruited by a local company to go and work there. Many people who opt to do this aren’t in the “expat life,” for the long haul. Like foreign assignees, they look to get in and get out, but possibly with more of a smile. This is because they made the decision to work abroad versus being told they had to.

It’s also because of the fact that foreign recruits know they won’t stay for long that 60% of them have little or no local language skills, and 40% of them say they’re very likely to return home. Just like foreign assignees, this type is of comprised of 61% males and 39% females, and you’re likely to find them in places like Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Qatar, UAE and Kazakhstan.

“The loneliness of the expatriate is of an odd and complicated kind, for it is inseparable from the feeling of being free, of having escaped.” — Adam Gopnik
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The Greener Pastures Expat

If you’re someone who is typically out and about when you travel, you’ve certainly met a few “greener pasture” expats. These are the folks who left their homelands for, well, greener pastures. They believe they can have a better quality of life in other countries, possibly due to stress, financial reasons or something else. InterNations says that males and females each share this type down the middle, and, for 36% of them, this is their first time abroad. 28% are retirees, 64% say they moved due to better cost of living, and 58% moved because they thought they’d be healthier. Greener pastures expats are always fun, and head to places like Costa Rica, Cyprus, Portugal, Ecuador and Malta.

The Student (or ex-student)

Ah, students. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Like any global infestation, they’re everywhere! You can find them in cafes, bars, museums, plazas, piazzas, under the rug, in the gutters and everywhere in between. The only place you’re likely to avoid a large amount of them is at a resort or swanky club where the entrance fee exceeds their monthly budget.

The thing about students is that seeing them truly infuses life into a city, and inspires you to put down your margarita and learn something about wherever you are. This is because they truly immerse themselves wherever they are. 37% of them are male and 64% are female, 43% of them are still enrolled in higher education, 33% gross household income is 12,000 USD, more than half of them have good or great local language skills and 37% plan to stay wherever they are for 1 - 5 years.

The life of the student, or ex-student, is wonderful provided that you’re not too attached to material possessions and are okay with making due with what you have. You’re likely to find them in Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary and Austria.

“I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again.” – Bill Bryson
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The Romantic

Sometimes people travel for love. And that’s there the romantic expat comes in. Maybe they met someone online or perhaps they fell in love at first sight. Regardless, they exist. When you see them feeding their lovers chocolate-dipped strawberries and wiping their faces with napkins, they make you believe in true love, too.

60% of romantic expats are women and 40% are men. 76% of them are in a relationship with a local, 48% are completely happy with their relationship, 25% have acquired actual citizenship and they typically head to places like Greece, the Philippines, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.

The Traveling Spouse

Like romantic expats, traveling spouses also travel for love, but likely more of love out of responsibility, like foreign assignees, versus any natural desire. 45% of them work part time, and 48% raise their own children. 87% of them are female, 13% are male and 42% of them made the move due to their partner’s foreign assignment. 72% of them send their children to private schools, likely to ensure they get a high-standard of education opposed to the local schools of wherever they find themselves. The hot spots for traveling spouses are Singapore, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, India and Uganda.

The Adventurer

Adventurers are similar to greener pastures expats. Since many of these labels don’t exclude someone from being in more than one, you could say that a foreign recruit is an adventurer, of sorts, just as a traveling spouse could be, or a student. It all depends on how you look at it. But, in our case, an adventurer is a thrill-seeker. he expat you see hopping off of a local bus, sweaty and covered in dirt from hiking their fifth volcano of the year. Or perhaps you noticed them at a bar going shot-for-shot with locals until one of them keels over and the rest pound the table in laughter.

The adventurers are attractive, knowledgeable and always down to explore something new and potentially dangerous. 60% of adventurers are female and 40% are male. 60% of them have lived in more than one country, 22% want to improve their language skills, 74% are satisfied with socializing and leisure, 17% of them are mostly friends with locals and you’re likely to find them in places like Vietnam, China, Turkey, Peru and Argentina.

“Splendid to arrive alone in a foreign country and feel the assault of difference. Here they are all along, busy with living; they don’t talk or look like me. The rhythm of their day is entirely different; I am foreign. ” — Frances Mayes
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The Career Expat

Laptops. Cellphones. Coffee. These are the staples of the career expat, who moved to a new country to find a job or start their own company. Unlike the foreign recruit, they weren’t invited to come to a country and work. Instead, they saw the opportunity to start a new life and packed up their bags to go do it.

Many career expats are “digital nomads;” people who earn a living through remote work. They could also be people who decide to spend a few years teaching in another country. 52% of career expats are male and 48% are female. 17% of them work in academics, 11% of them are entrepreneurs, 50% have lived in more than one country, 57% saw the local economy as a benefit and you can find them in places like Luxembourg, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar.

The Cultural Chameleon

According to Ryan Murdock, who also wrote his own list describing types of expats, the “cultural chameleon,” is also a type that frequent travelers are familiar with.

Murdock says: “The Cultural Chameleon tries to blend into her new country by going native—sometimes to a ridiculous extent. She knows the guidebook forward and back, and goes out every weekend to see some new tourist site. This type is a self-styled expert on the country they’re living in. And they usually write a blog to share with family and friends.

Cultural Chameleons are naively optimistic and eager about their host culture. There can be nothing bad about it, and they’ll get very angry if you criticize it or say anything remotely negative. The most annoying thing about the Cultural Chameleon? They mix phrases or words in the local language with English in a way that sounds cool to them but idiotic to everyone else. Someone needs to tell this type that no, foreigners do not look cool in a kimono, and they don’t look “spiritual” or “yogic” in Indian clothes.”

‍Murdock’s opinion of cultural chameleons is evident, but they can’t all be bad. The student, romantic or adventurer could easily be seen as cultural chameleons, and anyone who makes an effort to learn about other cultures, thus expanding their view of the world, is probably an alright person to be around.

“What makes expat life so addictive is that every boring or mundane activity you experience at home (like grocery shopping, commuting to work or picking up the dry cleaning) is, when you move to a foreign country, suddenly transformed into an exciting adventure.” – Reannon Muth
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The Refugee

Calling a refugee an expat is likely tricky territory, since they were forced to flee their homelands due to war, persecution or natural disaster. However, labeling them as expats can humanize them a bit more than all of the sometimes negative connotations associated with being a refugee. Refugees, due to the reasons they’re in a new country, can hide in plain sight.

They may be your day laborers, but they may also be the dapper man you see walking down the street in a new suit. Being a refugee doesn’t mean you live in a camp, deplorable conditions or are starving. For a little perspective, Freddie Mercury, Wyclef Jean, Gloria Estefan, Regina Spektor, Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein and many more are, and were, refugees.
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The Missionary

Missionaries come in all shapes, colors and sizes. The word “missionary,” comes from the word, “mission,” which originated around 1598 when Jesuits sent members abroad to teach other people about their religion. But the concept of sending people to different parts of the world to preach is as old as the bible. And while a missionary can be anyone who travels to teach others about their creed or ideology, it’s mostly used for Christian missions.

A description of missionaries, and their long history, could take up an endless amount of books, so the point here is that you may encounter folks living abroad who, out of nowhere, ask if “you’ve accepted christ as your lord and saviour?” They’re often friendly, generous and welcoming. Recent studies show that missionaries often make significant positive contributions to the places they visit, resulting in more literacy, economic development and lower levels of corruption.

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The “Back to My Roots" Expat

Some people end up being raised in a country that is different than that of their forefathers (or mothers). Perhaps a family left Nazi Germany and went to Argentina to escape persecution. Maybe your grandmother was a diplomat and moved from England to China. Or, it’s possible that your parents left their country for a place like Canada in hopes of a better life.

One result of this is that many people grow up feeling displaced and disconnected from the land of their lineage. When these people find the means, they head to the land of their ancestors and often embark on life-changing journeys. While they may not be a dime-a-dozen, meeting a “back to my roots” expat is a true gift, because their stories are often incredibly personal, intimate and inspiring.

Which type of expat are you?

Now that you’re armed with the 12 types of expats out there, it’s time to answer: “which one are you?” You might be half-adventurer half-romantic. Or maybe a quarter ex-student, quarter cultural chameleon and half greener pastures.

No matter how you slice the pie, the point is is that you’re traveling. You’re out there in the world learning more about yourself, others and undoubtedly making yourself a better person.

One type isn’t better than the other, so just be yourself and get out there. There’s a whole world waiting for you.