Moving Abroad with Disabilities: What Expats Should Know

Moving abroad with disabilities has its own set of challenges, all of which expats should know before preparing for the big move. Some of these crucial factors include finding countries that allow you to move in even with disabilities, using the country’s healthcare system, and visa acquisition. 

This Pacific Prime article will discuss moving abroad with disabilities, including the various factors expats should be mindful of. 

The Countries Expats with Disabilities Can Move To

If you’re an expat with disabilities wishing to move abroad, some common questions that are guaranteed to pop up in your head are “Which countries should I move to?” or “Which countries are disability-friendly?”.

Some of the most notable disability-friendly countries expats can move to include Canada, Japan, and more. These countries offer inclusivity and accessibility, which are two key things disabled expats look for in a new country, along with an enjoyable travel experience free of boundaries. 

Below are the key disability-friendly countries for expats. 

Japan

Despite being initially perceived as inaccessible for expats with disabilities years ago, the land of the rising sun known as Japan, where sights meet experiences, has since improved significantly in the years since.

For instance, Japan introduced a service allowing those with hearing impairments to make calls at any time through online assistants. This move, which aligns with recent legislation and includes emergency service access, involves real-time sign language or text interpretation and will require strong business awareness for effective communication. 

Another notable example of why Japan is accessible to expats with disabilities is the country’s measures for those with visual impairments. Similar to the UK, Japan uses tactile paving to guide blind people in train stations.

These are just some of the various examples of measures Japan takes to welcome disabled expats with open arms, ready to take equally good care of you as local Japanese citizens. 

Canada

In recent years, having passed various pieces of strong legislation, Canada has catered to disabled individuals even more. For instance, all public buildings must be wheelchair-accessible and have accessible restrooms.

The cities of Montreal (Quebec), Winnipeg (Manitoba), and Edmonton (Alberta) are often considered some of the most accessible cities in Canada for disabled expats. The latter two, in particular, even received an Accessible Cities Award from the Rick Hansen Foundation. 

Spain

Spain features an extensive network of trains and ferries for domestic travel, all of which are equally accessible for those with disabilities as others. 

The city of Barcelona, for example, is a favorite among expats thanks to its accessibility. While most cities will have fully accessible bus networks, most of Barcelona’s metro stations also include wide entrances, ramps, and elevators. 

Other disability-friendly cities in Spain include the capital of Madrid, Valencia on the eastern coast, and the Andalusian cities of Granada and Malaga. 

Brazil

The huge, sunny seaside city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil stands out as a disability-friendly destination for expats thanks to its public transportation system featuring both lifts and tactile flooring for the visually impaired.

There are also special taxi services known as Especial Coop available, capable of accommodating wheelchairs, which is good news for disabled expats who need to rely on wheelchairs. Additionally, these special taxi services can be booked up to an hour in advance. 

What Expats Should Be Mindful of When Moving Abroad with Disabilities

Now that you know some of the countries you could move to even with disabilities, let’s now discuss what expats should know when moving abroad with disabilities.

Some of these factors to consider include visa and residence permit procedures, as well as health insurance. Below are descriptions of each of the key factors expats should look out for when moving abroad with disabilities.

Health Insurance

Generally-speaking, you can secure health insurance abroad even with disabilities. However, specific qualifications and eligibility criteria will vary depending on the specific insurer and which country you wish to move to. 

Many countries also offer a form of universal healthcare program in which expats can participate in. Additionally, expats can also secure private health insurance on top of these universal healthcare plans for faster access to healthcare services or pre-existing condition coverage. 

Visa, Immigration, and Residence Permits

Another crucial factor to consider when deciding to move abroad as an expat with disabilities is your selected destination’s visa, immigration, and residence permits. Make sure to be informed about the procedures, restrictions, and criteria. 

Another reason why it’s especially important to be well-informed about visa, immigration, and residence permit procedures is that while countries highlight inclusivity and anti-discrimination efforts, people with disabilities may still face an administrative wall if their case is considered severe. 

For instance, in Canada, some immigrant applications can be rejected if the applicant’s disabilities are deemed to be potentially putting excessive pressure on public healthcare services. Thus, make sure you do your research on your selected country’s visa, immigration, and residence permit procedures to see if there are any restrictions on disability cases. 

Conclusion

Countries such as Japan, Canada, Brazil, Spain, and more are some of the best countries expats with disabilities can move to in hopes of getting a fresh start. However, in the process of preparing for the move, make sure you do your research well on the country’s various procedures.

These include visa, immigration, and residence permits, as certain countries may reject your application if your case of disabilities proves overwhelming for public healthcare services. Health insurance terms and conditions, criteria, and requirements will also vary depending on the country.

While there are factors to consider when moving abroad with disabilities, you can always craft a safety net for yourself and your family with a health insurance plan. Having the right health insurance plan can help alleviate financial stress from unexpected, possibly overwhelming medical bills.

With the right plan selection, you can also pick a health insurance plan that covers pre-existing conditions. While plan selections can be daunting considering the various offerings from different insurers at numerous price points, it doesn’t always have to be a headache, and we’re here to help. 

As an international health insurance broker with over two decades of experience, Pacific Prime has helped various expats and local citizens find a health insurance plan that suits both their budget range and unique healthcare needs.

Whether you’re an expat wishing to move overseas or a local citizen yourself, our team of specialists will be more than happy to help you with completely impartial advice at no additional cost. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us and get a free quote here for plan comparisons.

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Wish Sutthatothon

Content Writer at Pacific Prime

Wish Sutthatothon (Nickname: Guy) is currently a content writer at Pacific Prime Thailand, an insurance broker that connects individuals and businesses with insurance providers worldwide. He creates and edits blog articles, guides, reports, webpages, and other types of digital content.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts, Media & Communication major (concentration: Creative Content) from Mahidol University International College (MUIC). During the compulsory major elective period in the summer of 2021 and voluntarily during the summer of 2022, he also interned as a video and photo editor at Mbrella Films.

He has experience working as an English Content Writer at a real estate buying/renting/selling platform in Thonglor. There, he crafted company blog posts on a multitude of topics. Topics include market trends, legal issues and disputes in property businesses, financial guides, expat guides, home insurance, home decoration and maintenance, and weekly real estate news quick-recaps. Occasionally, as part of the blog-writing process, he would also translate existing Thai blogs to English.

In his free time, Guy enjoys doing scriptwriting and storytelling for comic strips, watching movies, and listening to music (particularly film scores).

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