Expats in France and Spain receive the most house guests

British expats living in far-flung destinations are the safest placed when faced with an invasion from family and friends, research from Alliance & Leicester International (ALIL), the offshore savings bank with a strong focus on expatriate customers around the globe, has revealed.

One in four (25%) expats say they have immediate family and friends who visit regularly, and on average, expats living in countries nearest to the UK tend to receive the most visitors. France tops the poll, with an average of nearly ten friends or family visiting expats there annually. Spain and the Netherlands come in joint second with eight. In comparison, expats in South Africa, New Zealand and Singapore only have between two and three visitors per year.

This is also echoed by half (50%) of expats in Spain and France who are visited regularly by their immediate family. On the other hand, a quarter (25%) of expats in New Zealand don't see their immediate or extended family at all, while 1 in 20 (5%) of expats Down Under admit to never seeing their extended family.

Expats who have retired, been seconded to work and moved abroad to run a business are those who receive the most visitors from home, with an average of just over six each per year.

Intruding houseguests

While over half (54%) of expats are pleased at having guests from the UK stay with them, it's not always the case that they are welcomed with open arms, with just over 7% admitting to arguing with their partner as a result of having friends and family to stay, and 6% wishing they had made their guests stay in a hotel.

Expats with the most considerate friends and family are those who have moved abroad to run a business. Nearly one in seven 14% of their relatives always ask if they can visit - potentially as a result of the hectic lifestyle that the expat now has.

Simon Ripton, Joint Managing Director of Alliance & Leicester International comments: "The research shows that British friends and family appear to favour shorter travelling times when visiting expat relatives, as opposed to experiencing more far-flung destinations. A quick trip to France is a more affordable option than jetting across the world to Australia, and this is displayed in the survey findings. For those considering emigrating abroad, it appears that if you're hoping to escape the in-laws, the answer is to move as far away as possible!

"Expats, especially those living halfway across the world, may miss aspects of Britain, and using a bank like ALIL is an ideal way to maintain a link with their native country. Not only can expats protect their savings from local currency fluctuations, but they can also be safe in the knowledge that they can access their savings using internet banking 24 hours a day."