Emigration rarely begins with a plane ticket. More often, it begins with a question: what if I lived somewhere else? The thought may arise after another rent increase, after years of frustration at work, during a holiday, or simply from wondering whether the place where you were born automatically has to be the place where you spend your entire life. Wanting to leave Germany is not merely a social-media phenomenon. Official statistics have recorded a negative migration balance for German citizens in relation to other countries every year since 2005. In 2025, the deficit was around 97,000 people, up from roughly 81,000 in 2024. Switzerland, Austria and Spain were the most frequent destinations for German citizens leaving the country in 2025. Yet the decisive question is not: which is the best country to emigrate to? It is: which country actually fits the life I intend to live?
Why do people want to leave Germany?
The reasons vary considerably.
For some, the priority is career and income. Others are looking for a warmer climate, lower living costs or a daily routine they find less stressful.
Others want to live closer to family or a partner, start a business abroad, or can now do their job entirely online.
The same issues come up repeatedly: housing costs, taxes and contributions, bureaucracy, career prospects, climate, safety, political and social developments, family planning, retirement and personal quality of life.
But none of these factors can be considered in isolation. A country with low living costs may also have low salaries. A country with attractive taxes may have very expensive housing. Sunny weather is of little help if residence rights, health insurance or income have not been secured.
That is precisely why the search for the “best country to emigrate to” often starts with the wrong question.
Where are Germans actually moving to?
Among German citizens who left the country in 2025, three destinations led the ranking: Switzerland with around 23,000 departures, Austria with roughly 14,000 and Spain with about 10,000.
A similar picture emerges among Germans living permanently elsewhere in Europe. At the beginning of 2025, around 329,900 German citizens lived in Switzerland, about 239,500 in Austria and roughly 131,800 in Spain.
These figures do not, however, tell us why any individual chooses a particular country. Destatis explicitly notes that the data do not reveal personal reasons for emigration.
Even so, the numbers show something interesting: many people do not move as far away as possible. They often seem to be looking for a combination of change and familiarity.
Switzerland: high salaries, but not a low-cost fresh start
Switzerland has ranked among the leading destinations for German emigrants for years, and the appeal is easy to understand.
It is geographically close, German is an everyday language in large parts of the country, and earnings can be attractive in certain skilled professions.
But Switzerland is not the obvious choice for someone whose main goal is to live more cheaply. Rent, services, health insurance and routine expenses can all be substantial.
A high Swiss salary therefore cannot sensibly be compared with a German salary without also taking Switzerland’s cost structure into account.
So the right question is not, “How much will I earn there?” but, “How much will I actually have left after paying for my real life in Switzerland?”
Austria: moving abroad without a major cultural break
Austria is one of the most straightforward destinations for Germans considering a move abroad.
A shared language, geographic proximity and many cultural similarities remove some of the barriers that arise when moving to a completely different country.
The trend over recent years is notable: at the beginning of 2025, just over 239,500 Germans were living in Austria. Over ten years, that number rose by around 69,000, or 40.5 percent.
Even so, Austria should not be treated as “Germany with mountains”. The labour market, public administration, taxes, social insurance and everyday culture differ in meaningful ways.
Anyone planning to live there permanently needs to understand those differences as well.
Spain: sunshine is not enough
For many people, Spain represents the life they imagine after leaving Germany: sunshine, the sea, late dinners and more time outdoors.
Spain is also genuinely becoming more important again for Germans. Around 131,800 German citizens lived there at the beginning of 2025. Their number has been rising again since 2022, with an increase of about three percent in 2025 compared with the previous year.
The statistics also reveal a marked age difference between destination countries. In Austria, 13.3 percent of the Germans living there were aged 65 or older, compared with 26.8 percent in Spain.
Spain is therefore particularly relevant for retirees as well. But living somewhere permanently is fundamentally different from spending a holiday there.
Administrative procedures, tax questions, healthcare, language skills and the state of the housing market are all part of everyday life too.
And what about Türkiye?
Türkiye also appears regularly on the wish lists of people considering emigration.
It can be especially interesting for people with family ties, language skills, location-independent income or direct personal experience of day-to-day life in the country.
But with countries outside the EU, one point is crucial: European rules should not be assumed to apply.
Residence rights, health insurance, banking, taxation, property matters and work permits may all operate under different frameworks.
Exchange-rate movements can also change substantially, over time, a lifestyle that seems inexpensive today.
Anyone planning to move to Türkiye or another non-EU country should therefore clarify the legal and financial framework first, and only then start thinking about furniture, apartments or flights.
Which countries are inexpensive to move to?
It is one of the most obvious questions — and also one of the most misleading.
“Affordable” is not a fixed characteristic of a country. It depends on exactly where and how you live, where your income comes from, the currency in which you are paid, whether you have children, what health insurance you need, how often you travel back to Germany, whether you need a car and which tax obligations apply.
Someone earning a German salary remotely may live a completely different life in the same country from someone employed there on a local contract.
Even a supposedly inexpensive country can become costly if you live only in tourist areas or try to recreate your German standard of living without adjustment.
How much money do you need to move abroad?
There is no single amount that applies to everyone.
Someone moving within the EU with a signed employment contract is in a very different position from someone moving to another continent without secure income.
Before the move, one question should at least be answered: how long can I support myself without earning anything?
Costs to consider include a rental deposit, the first month’s rent, transport or moving expenses, travel, insurance, official documents, residence permits, possible translations and certifications, basic furnishings, an emergency reserve and the option of returning home.
A financial buffer is not a minor detail. It can determine whether a difficult first month is merely stressful or becomes an existential problem.
Can you emigrate without much money?
It is possible to move abroad with limited capital. Moving without a plan and without a financial reserve is a different matter.
Risk increases sharply when several uncertainties coincide: no job, no accommodation, an unresolved residence status and very little savings.
At that point, a medical problem, a failed housing search or a delayed work permit may be enough to destabilise the entire plan.
The less start-up capital you have, the more preparation you generally need.
Working abroad: income matters more than the weather
Many emigration plans begin by focusing on the country. In practice, the income question is often more important.
There is a major difference between working for an employer in the destination country, being self-employed, continuing to run a German business, working remotely, living from assets or receiving a pension.
Those models can also have very different tax consequences.
Anyone living abroad permanently should therefore not assume that deregistering an address in Germany automatically resolves every tax issue.
In complex cases, individual tax advice is sensible.
Health insurance: one of the most commonly underestimated issues
When you are healthy, health insurance can quickly feel like a formality. When moving abroad, however, it can become one of the most important parts of the plan.
The cover available or required depends, among other things, on the destination country, residence status, employment situation and the insurance systems that apply there.
People with chronic conditions, families and older emigrants in particular should not leave this question until after the move.
An inexpensive apartment soon matters far less if necessary medical care is not adequately covered.
Moving abroad with children
For families, the decision changes fundamentally.
The calculation is no longer only about living costs and weather. Schools, the language of instruction, school travel, childcare, healthcare, residence rights, social integration and proximity to family and friends also become central.
Children often pick up a new language quickly. That does not mean every change of school will be effortless.
A country should therefore be chosen not only according to where the parents would like to live, but also according to whether everyday life can realistically work there for the entire family.
Moving abroad in retirement
Retirees may need to weigh different factors from people in employment.
Climate and living costs matter, but so do medical infrastructure, access to Germany, taxation of pension income, long-term care, language skills, the social environment and long-term residence rights.
Spain, in particular, has a comparatively high share of older Germans.
But the same principle applies here: a place you enjoy for three weeks on holiday is not automatically the right place to spend the next twenty years.
EU or non-EU?
For German citizens, it makes a substantial difference whether the destination is inside or outside the European Union.
Within the EU, extensive rights to free movement apply. Outside the EU, visas, residence permits or work permits may be required.
That does not mean a non-EU country is the worse choice. It simply means the planning may be more complex.
Someone moving from Spain, Austria or Portugal to Türkiye, Thailand or the United Arab Emirates, for example, is entering a different legal framework.
Those differences belong in the decision-making process before you become emotionally committed to a particular country.
Why moving abroad sometimes fails
Many failed emigration plans do not begin with a bad country. They begin with unrealistic expectations.
Confusing a holiday with everyday life: two weeks by the sea reveal little about what bureaucracy, work and obligations feel like.
Too little financial reserve: unexpected costs arise almost every time.
Underestimating language: English may take you a long way in some places. Permanent life can still become difficult when public authorities, doctors or landlords use another language.
Checking taxes and residence rules only later: these questions belong at the beginning.
Assuming life will simply be cheaper: prices can rise, exchange rates can move and income can disappear.
Idealising Germany as soon as difficulties arise: after a few months, people often remember the advantages of their former life more strongly and the reasons they left less clearly.
Before leaving Germany: questions you should be able to answer
Before an idea becomes a move, several answers should already be clear.
What will I live on? Am I allowed to live and work there permanently? How will I be insured for healthcare? What will my tax situation look like? What are my realistic monthly costs? What happens if my income disappears? Do I speak the language well enough for everyday life? What is my Plan B? Could I still imagine living there in three years — not only during the summer?
Anyone who can answer those questions honestly is already better prepared than someone looking only for the prettiest or cheapest country.
There is no single best country to emigrate to
Switzerland may be an excellent fit for a highly qualified professional and completely unsuitable for someone on a limited income.
Spain may be ideal for a retiree while offering few prospects for a particular profession.
Türkiye may be a logical centre of life for someone with family, language skills and secure income, yet unnecessarily complicated for someone else.
Austria may offer exactly the right balance between change and familiarity — or too little of the fresh start someone is actually seeking.
Emigrating therefore does not mean choosing whichever country ranks highest on a list.
It means finding a place where income, residence rights, costs, health, family and your personal idea of a good life can all work at the same time.
And perhaps that is the most important point: another country can make a different life possible. It cannot guarantee a better one.