Best English Speaking Countries to Live in

Best English-Speaking European Countries

Investment Visa used the English Proficiency Index created by Education First’s (EF) 2023 together with our team’s expertise on the countries with the best investment immigration programs & the countries with the most powerful passports to create the definitive list for expats seeking the best countries to live in that speak English. While Portugal appears at the top of our list due to its Residency by Investment Programs combined with the incredible welcoming atmosphere towards expats, Greece also emerges as one of the best countries for English-speaking expats.

Despite its widespread use throughout the world, English is fundamentally a European language, having both Germanic origins and Latin influences. Thus, it would make sense that English is spoken rather fluently across the European continent. Obvious choices aside, which have English as their official or native language, including the United Kingdom and Ireland, EF’s English Proficiency Index puts 8 European countries in the Top 10, revealing Europe’s tremendous fluency when it comes to English. Not to mention, Europe is the safest region in the world, featuring 7 countries in the Top 10, many of which overlap with the best English-Speaking European countries.

Check the top 10 ranking of the countries and regions by English skills:

01 - The Netherlands
02 - Singapore
03 - Austria
04 - Denmark
05 - Norway
06 - Sweden
07 - Belgium 
08 - Portugal 
09 - South Africa
10 - Germany 
[...]
14 - Greece
17 - Hungary

Considering this information, Investment Visa has matched the most English Fluent countries and the best Residency by Investment programs to curate the following list:

Portugal

Having ranked 8th in EF’s 2023 English Proficiency Index, Portugal is at the top of Investment Visa’s list of European countries for the best English-Speaking countries to live in. Portugal’s high levels of English fluency can be attributed to several factors, including a deep focus on early childhood education, and widespread American-based media consumption.  

English classes begin as an elective as soon as the third or the fourth grade before becoming mandatory in the 5th grade, when children are around the age of 10. Subtitles are the predominant form of media viewing, with dubbing often being relegated exclusively to children-oriented movies. 

Portugal also has one of Europe’s best Residency by Investment programs, with the D2 Visa, which is currently the fastest platform to obtain Portuguese citizenship, and the EU Passport, in only 5 years. Investment Visa has exclusive D2 Visa investment opportunities centered around Mátria Co-Working, a development project located in the Lisbon city center. With options beginning at €280,000, Mátria is the perfect platform for expats seeking Residency in Portugal, where they will have no issues with communication. 

Greece

Greece comes in second on Investment Visa’s top list, having scored 598 points in the 2023 English Proficiency Index. In this ranking, Greece is 2 points shy from breaking into the “Very High Proficiency” tier, which has Poland last in the rank with 600 points.  

At the 14th position, Greece leads the “High Proficiency” tier, which makes perfect sense, considering the country’s natural friendliness and warmth toward expats. Athens is also one of the world’s most visited capitals, with millions of tourists visiting it every year to explore the city’s ancient history, which further contributes to the Greeks’ English-Speaking capabilities.  

The Greece Golden Visa, the country’s prime Residency by Investment program, is also Europe’s Leading Golden Visa program, having found tremendous success in 2023 with over 7000 applications despite price increases during the year. It currently has one of Europe’s most affordable entry points into ensuring Residency, with its minimum investment amount starting at €250,000 in most areas of the country. However, Greece is raising the minimum amount in 2024. 

Hungary

Hungary might be the surprise in this list, but the country does not track that far behind Greece. At the 18th position, with 590 points by the EF English Proficiency Index, just 8 points away from Greece, Hungary enters the same tier of “high proficiency” in English.  

The language is the second most spoken language in the country, followed by German, and other minority languages. With English being taught early in schools, most Hungarians have an intermediate understanding and command of English. 

Hungary recently revamped its immigration law, and in the process, relaunched its Golden Visa, Europe’s newest Residency by Investment program. Exclusively dedicated to Real Estate, an emerging industry in the country, the new Hungary Golden Visa sets the path to EU Residency with a minimum investment amount of €500,000 through the purchase of private residential property. 

Malta

As a country that officially recognizes English as a national language, Malta does not feature in the 2023 EF English Proficiency Index, since it focuses on countries where English is not natively spoken. It nonetheless deserves a spot in Investment Visa’s list of best English-Speaking countries to live due to its population's natural warmth and friendliness and native level of English fluency.  

Malta’s extremely diverse background makes it one of the European Union’s most multilingual countries, with its population having command over English, Italian, and French. 

Malta also has the particularity of having two investment immigration programs. One of them is aimed at granting Residency to expats & investors through real estate investments, of which the amount depends based on the location. The other programme is dedicated to Citizenship, though it requires a much larger time commitment, and has much stricter criteria. 

Cyprus

Even though Cyprus does not feature in the list of the 2023 English Proficiency Index, and does not recognize English as an official language, the country has a long history of being under British rule for over 80 years.  

This legacy has left an undeniable influence on the island, its people, and their culture, and hence Cyprus scoring a place in Investment Visa’s list of the best countries to live in that speak English. Proficiency in English in Cyprus is tangibly higher than in several European countries, and it can be commonly found in road signs and public signs. With foreign language classes compulsory since 2008, which includes English, it is roughly estimated around 80% of Cypriots have command over the English language. 

The Cyprus Golden Visa program is among Europe’s most interesting Residency by Investment programs, with its multifaceted approach to investment immigration. With Real Estate investments as an eligible option for the Cyprus Golden Visa starting at €300,000, it has one of the most affordable initiatives in Europe. However, Cyprus is not yet in the Schengen Zone, the European borderless common travel area, though its price will undoubtedly rise when it inevitably ends up joining. 

Most English Fluent Asian Countries

As the largest continent in the world, Asia has so many distinct regions and subregions that it almost feels unfair to group all of them together. Southeast Asia continues to lead the region, with Singapore conquering the 2nd in the 2023 EF English Proficiency Index. However, English is an officially recognized language in Singapore. The Philippines also proves the region’s track-record, as the second-best Southeast Asian ranked in the country at the 20th position, followed by Malaysia at 26th.  

However, this list considers not only countries where expats do not worry about communication, but also where there is an avenue to obtain Residency seamlessly and effortlessly. This turns the spotlight elsewhere; to the Middle East, a region not often associated with Asia, but effectively is part of the continent.

The United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) admittedly ranks significantly lower than European countries. Ranking 71 in EF’s English Proficiency Index, the UAE is solidly in the “Low Proficiency” tier. However, there are external factors which are worth considering and play a key role. 

Almost 90% of the country’s population are workforce immigrants, which contributes massively to the low ranking. The native Emirati population and the large expat communities that have taken up Residency in the UAE, on the other hand, tend to be extremely fluent in English and use it on a daily basis for communication. Information on the country’s Residency programs and Visas is also readily available in English. 

Though the United Arab Emirates demands the vast majority of people to hold a job in order to move to the country, which is obtained via a visa sponsored by an Emirati company, the country has a self-sponsored UAE Golden Visa option. This program in particular enables real estate investors to acquire property in the UAE and enjoy Residency status in the country for 10 years. 

Qatar

Qatar, in the same vein as the UAE, also ranks in the “Low Proficiency” tier, ranking just 2 places behind, in the 73rd position. However, this is not to be taken literally, as the same that occurs in the UAE basically applies to Qatar as well, as the country’s population’s vast majority is mostly composed of an immigrant workforce, which is typically not that fluent in English.  

Native Qatari and expat communities, on the other hand, tend to resort to English alone for communication. Despite Arabic being the country’s only officially recognized language, English is virtually the country’s lingua franca, as business and tourism is typically conducted in the language. 

Qatar has a program akin to a self-sponsored Golden Visa, composed of two Real Estate options, one which leads to Temporary Residency and the other to Permanent Residency at USD $200,000 and $1 million, respectively. While the temporary residency lasts only for 1 year, the permanent residency option must only be renewed every 5 years. 

Eastern Caribbean Countries: Sharing English as a Common Language

Even though the Eastern Caribbean countries are not ranked in the 2023 EF’s English Proficiency Index, they are among the best countries to live in that speak English. The reason they are not featured is quite simple. As former British colonies, English is the official and the de facto language of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia. In these countries, all the street signage is in English, and so is every published law. Every local speaks English natively and fluently, and expats will find no issues when communicating with them. 

Besides sharing English as a common language, the Eastern Caribbean countries have much more in common, and the prime example is Citizenship by Investment initiatives. These programs offer direct, straightforward paths for expats & investors to obtain Citizenship and a Caribbean passport, which unlock a series of benefits, including family reunification and visa-free travel to several countries worldwide. 

How To Move Abroad as an English-Speaking Expat 

The best way to move abroad to secure Residency at first and set oneself up on the path to obtaining a second passport & citizenship is through investment immigration programs, and these can have multiple names. In Europe and the Middle East, they are commonly referred to as Golden Visas, but not always, which typically are programs that grant Residency status, while in the Caribbean and the South Pacific, they tend to be Citizenship programs, which grant an investor a passport at the end of the process. 

Led by a team of industry veterans, Investment Visa knows all there is to know about these programs: how they work, how to qualify, how to choose the best option, and how to 100% guarantee either residency or citizenship at the end of the process. If you are seeking a second option abroad, and you want to find the best place for you and live comfortably and know you will find no issues with language and communication, then Investment Visa is the trusted partner to go forward with. 

Investment Visa boasts qualifiable options to obtain lawful status in all the mentioned countries in the list and with a track record of thousands of happy investors and expats, we can help you reach your second residency. Contact us today and find out more about our amazing opportunities and unlock your brighter future.