Best Work-Life Balance Countries with RBI or CBI Programs That You Can Easily Move to

Best Work-Life Balance Countries That You Can Actually Easily Move to

When you search online for lists of countries with best work-life balance you will notice that it is usual to see places like Australia, New Zealand and Finland. Those lists take into account factors such as statutory annual leave, minimum statutory sick pay percentage, and paid parental leave. Many times, they also take into account the average hours worked per week, how is the healthcare system in the country and how the nation performs in other indexes such as the happiness index, which makes sense.

Nevertheless, the results often end up excluding the actual viability of anyone who is not a national of those countries to be actually able to enjoy what they have to offer. For that reason, we have gathered a more realistic selection of destinations that will offer a better work-life balance than you might have right now, while also offering good Residency or Citizenship by investment programs, turning them into some of the easiest countries to move to. All it takes is a smart investment in the country that you want to call home.

Bear in mind that this is not a ranking, as we find that for each person, some indicators might be more important than others depending on their specific needs and desires. Some people will prefer to have more paid holidays, while others will find it more beneficial to work fewer weekly hours. There are still those who might find that being close to nature will outweigh all factors. That is why this list has solutions for all.

6 Best Work-Life Balance Countries with RBI or CBI Programs

Hungary

Although Hungary has an average work week of 40 hours, which is the European average, the parental leave can get to 12 months including maternity, paternity and joint rights. This is a great balance for parents, who will have more time to spend with their children.

Another interesting fact is that, as you get older, your paid holidays maximum time increases. Up until you are 25 years old, you get 20 working days of paid time off. After that, you get 1 extra day per year and 2 more days when you turn 28, and so on until a maximum of 30 working days.

Moving to Hungary though a residency by investment program can be very straightforward, though the purchase of a residential property in the minimum amount of €500,000 or by investing €250,000 in Real Estate Investment Funds.

Portugal

Did you know that Portugal is also the only one of the top 10 safest countries in the world that has a straightforward RBI program? The weekly average working hours in the country follow the standard European mark of 40 hours and employees have the right to 22 working days of paid vacation.  

That said, what really falls out of the average of the continent is the laidback and outdoorsy lifestyle Portugal offers, inviting its residents to a much more balanced routine. Also, there is a big hub of startups in cities like Lisbon and Porto, which very often offer benefits like remote work and unlimited vacation days to their teams. 

The Portugal Golden Visa is one of the most famous Residency by Investment programs in the globe, and it currently allows non-EU nationals to live, work and study in the country by investing €500,000 in eligible funds in the sports and hospitality industries and other targeted sectors. The country also has a business-driven visa, the D2, based on the opening or branching out of a business in Portugal in exchange for residency. This can unite the country’s quality of life with the change to design your own work-life ratio.

Read more:
Retiring in Portugal: A Step-by-Step Guide

Greece

Have you ever dreamed of retiring in Greece? If you have, we do not blame you as this is, after all, one of the best places in the world to retire. However, if you still have some working years ahead of you, you can still consider Greece in other to improve your present and future days, since this is one of the countries with the best quality of life and also a great place for expats.

The country’s law states that employees have the right to 20-26 working days of paid vacations, depending on how long you have been employed, and roughly 4 months of maternity leave, with the possibility of that period being extended depending on the situation, with the plus of Greece being one of the countries in Europe that has a universal healthcare system.

However, the main driver for a good work-life balance is probably the Mediterranean lifestyle, that invites you to live a healthy life, from the locally produced food to the great outdoor living. All that naturally makes you more conscious of how you are leading your days. In fact, according to Yahoo, 96% of employees maintain a balanced work-life schedule in Greece.

To experience that for yourself, you can live in Greece through the country’s Golden Visa Program that has a minimum investment option of €250,000 in Real Estate properties in need of renovation.

Cyprus

As we have commented on before, a good work-life balance may not just be about the number of hours you spend on each activity, but how you spend it as well. Living in a place like Cyprus, for example, will give you the chance to probably work the average 40 hours a week, with the advantage of expanding the amount of time you will be able to be around nature once you get to enjoy your free time. This is one of the reasons why this is one of the best countries to live in.

Besides that, living on an island often means being close to everything, spending less time on the commute, and more hours to be with friends and family. The best part is that you can obtain residency in Cyprus by purchasing an eligible real estate property of at least €300,000, which can be a great move since this is one of the best places to invest in real estate in 2024.

Spain

Spain is another one of best work-life balance countries in Europe. Yet again, this is a country that follows the 40 weekly work hours, with an added twist: it is not uncommon for lunch break to be longer, thus accommodating the famous siesta, a quick and very beneficial nap between morning and afternoon.

Spanish culture, as a whole, is more balanced when it comes to the amount of time spent in making a living and in enjoying it. Indeed, according to BBC, only 2.5% of employees work very long hours in the country. Also, you can get 30 calendar days of paid leave each year.

Purchasing a property evaluated at €500,000 is one of the best routes to apply for a Spain Golden Visa, and to start improving your quality of life. However, this is an option that will be available only until January 2025. Therefore, if you have your heart set on this opportunity, the time to start your application process is now.

Vanuatu

All the work-life balance country rankings will have New Zealand at one of the top positions. The two main drivers for that are the 4 weeks of statutory paid holidays – which sums to 32 days – and the 26 weeks of parental leave the primary carer can take after having a child. However, the lack of RBI or CBI programs in New Zealand poses difficulties for those interested in moving there. And thus enters Vanuatu.

This paradisical archipelago is also located in the South Pacific, has amazing nature, an outdoorsy and sports-oriented lifestyle and an average of only 24.7 work hours per week, one of the lowest averages world-wide. Another great benefit is that, in Vanuatu, those work hours will come in full to your pocket, as this is one of the countries with no income tax. 

All that would already secure Vanuatu’s place in this list, but there is one major asset that really seals the deal: this paradise has a Citizenship by Investment program that are among the fasted and more cost effective in the globe. By investing $200,000 in an real estate property you can become a Citizen of Vanuatu after only 2-3 short months.

Is Relocation the Solution to a Better Work-life Balance?

Every case is different and of course there is always a small possibility that you will find a once in a lifetime opportunity that will allow you to, somehow, reach a better work-life balance even when living in a place with a culture that does not foment that.

Yet, relocating to a country that has a more symmetrical way of living as part of the culture is definitely the best way to secure your goal of leading a less stressful and more fulfilling life.

Although there are many ways of moving from your home country to a new one, our years of experience with Residency and Citizenship by Investment programs have shown us that this is one of the best options for investors, as they open up the possibility of joining great investment opportunities to an enhanced quality of life.