Visas and settlement
How easy it is to settle in, make friends, and stop feeling foreign.
InterNations Expat Insider, Ease of Settling In findings2026 edition
Notice that almost none of the countries topping the quality of life rankings appear here. Rich and comfortable is not the same as warm to strangers, and the first two years are where most moves fail.
1st for settling in
Expat Insider 2026 standing
Rated highest in the world for how easy it is to make local friends
2nd for settling in
Expat Insider 2026 standing
First overall in the 2026 survey
3rd for settling in
Expat Insider 2026 standing
| Rank | Country | Expat Insider 2026 standing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th place | Brazil | Top ten overall | |
| 5th place | MalaysiaEnglish widely used, and the closest of these to Sri Lanka | Top ten overall | English widely used, and the closest of these to Sri Lanka |
| 6th place | Top ten overall | ||
| 7th place | Top ten overall | ||
| 8th place | United Arab EmiratesThe largest Sri Lankan community of any country on this list | Top ten overall | The largest Sri Lankan community of any country on this list |
| 9th place | Top ten overall | ||
| 10th place | Top ten overall |
InterNations Expat Insider, Ease of Settling In findings
2026 edition
See the full published listThis is information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules and figures change without notice. Confirm anything you plan to act on with the official authority for that country, and check your own position with the eligibility checker.
Visa-free reach, with the Sri Lankan passport measured on the same scale.
How many years of legal residence it actually takes to stop needing a visa.
Routes that do not require you to already hold a job offer from that country.
