Sunday, August 30, 2026 Living abroad, handled. Get the free brief →
Seasoned Expat
Living abroad, handled.
Cruise LifeVirgin Voyages Points Bookings: What the Fine Print Actually CoststodayResidency & CitizenshipAmericans abroad renouncing citizenship2 days agoMoney & TaxesMyanmar Junta Orders 25% Remittance Tax on Overseas WorkerstodayMoney & TaxesITR filing 2026: Foreign income disclosure2 days agoMoney & TaxesThailand's 2025 Tax Rules: What Foreign Workers Must ReporttodayMoney & TaxesMaldives Taxes Foreign Booking PlatformsyesterdayImmigration & VisasThailand Launches New Visa to Attract Business ExpatstodayImmigration & VisasUAE Visa Switch: Change Jobs Without LeavingyesterdayImmigration & VisasHow Overstaying Greece Can Get You Banned From EuropetodayResidency & CitizenshipGeorgia Tightens Residence Permit RulesyesterdayMoney & TaxesThailand Expat Pension Tax: What You OweyesterdayImmigration & VisasVietnam Work Permit: Visa, Tax, Insuranceyesterday
Free Tool

Cruise & Travel Toolkit

Visa requirements, tipping customs and currency for 199 countries, plus how your card's points actually transfer to airlines and hotels — one page, no digging.

Visa, tipping & currency by country

US-passport visa requirement, local tipping custom, and currency — for any of 199 countries. Start typing.

CountryVisa (US passport)TippingCurrency

Points & miles transfer partners

Where your bank's transferable points actually go — a starting map, not a recommendation to transfer speculatively. Move points only against an award you've already found.

Amex Membership Rewards

17 airline + 3 hotel partners. Sweet spots: ANA, Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Virgin, LifeMiles. Transfer only against a specific award you've found.

AirlinesDelta SkyMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Avios, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Emirates Skywards, Cathay Pacific +4 more
HotelsHilton Honors (1:2), Marriott Bonvoy, Choice Privileges

Chase Ultimate Rewards

1:1. World of Hyatt is the standout - luxury hotels for relatively few points.

AirlinesUnited MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, Flying Blue, Emirates Skywards, JetBlue TrueBlue, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Singapore KrisFlyer +3 more
HotelsWorld of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards

Citi ThankYou

1:1. Turkish Miles&Smiles reaches cheap Star Alliance awards; Choice covers all-inclusives.

AirlinesAir Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Avios, Flying Blue, Emirates, Etihad, JetBlue, Singapore KrisFlyer +4 more
HotelsChoice Privileges, Wyndham Rewards, Accor (2:1)

Capital One Miles

Mostly 1:1, broad partner list - a flexible default transferable currency.

AirlinesAir Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Avios, Flying Blue, Emirates, Etihad, Turkish, Singapore +5 more
HotelsWyndham, Choice, Accor

Directional reference, not a substitute for the official source. Visa rules, transfer ratios and tipping norms change — always confirm with the destination country's consulate or embassy, and your card program's current terms, before you book or travel. Visa data from the passport-index-dataset project (MIT license); country and currency data from REST Countries (ODbL); tipping and points-transfer notes are curated by Seasoned Expat.

Seasoned Expat Pro

By the time it's news, it's too late.

Seasoned Expat sits where the personal meets the procedural. Warm, been-there guidance on moving, settling, money, and finding your people abroad — right next to matter-of-fact, verified coverage of the visa rules, residency requirements, and regulatory changes that decide whether your plans actually work. Two voices, one job: help you live abroad without nasty surprises.

Get the free brief Cancel anytime.
The twice-a-week brief Get the free brief