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There are a number of practical gifts to consider for their first Christmas living abroad, and then there are the really unique local ones. As Black Friday and the Christmas shopping season closes in, figuring out what to buy for everyone on your list can feel overwhelming. I dont always know what to buy or when to mail without it arriving awkwardly too soon or too late. Gifting an expat a quirky mug from home can cheer them up in the morning, or when theyre sitting down for a cup of tea after a long day (maybe not everyone does that, but I moved to the United Kingdom so Im a firm tea-drinker now!). Many apps are free but there are options for in-app purchases or more extended courses. Bonus points for adding birthdays etc of family and friends at home! Ive gifted Homesick Candles to fellow Brits living in the US before and they have loved them. Check out this cute desk calendar or this photo-heavy calendar with 3 different looks. A bit of an oxymoron, huh? Good point! Having a waterproof and wireless travel speaker is a better option than putting your phone in a bowl for amplification, but without the commitment of a stereo, plus you can take it with you when you travel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); As a Brit living in the US these ideas are so helpful! Books that reflect where they are from or where they moved to make great coffee table books. I love the UK option. One of the exciting parts about basing yourself overseas is being able to explore the area around your new home. Its hard going from 80 to 5. Make sure you confirm that first so that you dont waste your time. You could also look at vouchers for local clothing stores. Or simply ask them. With all the cobblestone street walking or kids to outfit, Nike is a sure winner. So lets jump into the list of present ideas! Disclosure & Privacy Policy, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. For kids, local gifts might make all the difference when feeling a little homesick because traditions are off, people are missing, and Christmas routines are out of whack. After all, its the experience of living abroad that most likely motivated an overseas move in the first place. When I moved abroad I brought a huge 70-litre backpack with me, but this isnt practical for weekends away or short trips closer to home. It always makes me happy to have my morning coffee in a mug with designs from New Zealand or to have pictures and prints on my wall that remind me of home. Ok, so Ill admit that I never actually owned my own travel pillow until recently, pretty much because I refused to buy one for myself! Kindle Unlimited gives you access to over a million books, magazines, and audiobooks in the Amazon Kindle Store. For example, milk delivery service in old-fashioned glass bottles dropped off right at their doorstep, or a club membership, like the English Heritage in the UK. * By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. When asked by a friend in Texas what she can send to the UK as Christmas gifts for the kids, my immediate reaction was something local. You can send some unique and branded Dress or jackets. Sure, food doesnt sound like its all that special but when you cant eat Hershey kisses at Christmas time or bake those Peanut Butter kiss cookies for your new neighbors, it can make all the difference. You can check by changing your Google settings to the country in which they live and then search for the website in question to see if it can be shopped or not. I know selfie sticks arent cool, but I actually find this really useful when Im travelling by myself. We only received a handful (like maybe 5) our first Christmas abroad and it was quite sad. Hi Nicola! I never wanted to spend too much on new clothes knowing Id likely be moving again and the fashion would be different or climate wouldnt suit, but at the same time, I would really have appreciated a gift that allowed me to get some new seasonal stuff without feeling guilty, and maybe get rid of the old! Create a photo book of your experiences together so they can put it on their bookshelf and flick through it when they like. An Amazon Kindle is an easy gift to send overseas because you can just buy it from Amazon itself and have it sent for you. Lots of my moves abroad and travels have been solo and if you buy one thats also a tripod then its a lightweight gift for going away, plus helps the person to take photos and make memories! Rather than using a website like above you can go directly to a place and send your loved one a voucher for it. I would often buy second-hand books and leave them in hostels as I travelled. Ive also seen really cool personalised Christmas balls that relate to countries or coordinates. I now have a carry-on backpack that does wonders, and since I live in Europe I usually travel carry-on only (even in winter!)

Or if you know theyve taken a ton of travel photos and not done anything with them except put them on Facebook, then you could poach a few and make a book of their experiences. Both allow them to research and document travel experiences that make nice gifts for someone living abroad particularly for expats in London. One tip is to never send perfumes via mail. You can choose the frequency in which the subscription boxes will be sent monthly or less frequently. She had a passion for writing about India's lifestyle, culture, tradition, travel, and is trying to cover all Indian Cultural aspects of Daily Life. Its something they may be paying for anyway and so it will be a pleasant surprise to have the cost covered for a year or it could be something they want but just cant justify the cost of as theyve been saving to make the big move. Create a calendar they can put on their wall for the next year. Ive made 6 different countries my home and travelled to over 40. It might seem weird to gift Christmas decorations for the holiday season, but if your friend is a newly living abroad or moving abroad close to the holidays then theyre unlikely to have any, and giving them a few small ornaments can help to cheer them up when theyre trying to get through the holidays away from friends and family. It could be a spa treatment, a restaurant dinner, or a weekend away. In a nutshell, GDPR means that if you are in Europe and can access a website, that website has to follow the GDPR regulationwhich is a whole slew of data privacy laws, settings, double opt-ins and a bunch of other nonsense. In this case, youll want to buy lightweight gifts to send overseas or the postage can get very expensive! A few years ago our Texas neighbors added us onto their Spotify family account as our Christmas gift. You can send them tons of lovely gifts and make the day memorable. Check restrictions on sending certain items abroad, and on taxes. It doesnt sound like much but after moving abroad, these little things go a long way. , So, if you know their favorite shop is blocked by GDPR and they arent particularly tech-savvy, a gift from there might be just what they want or need. And personally speaking, its hard going through weekdays without HGTV, weeknights without Jimmy Fallon and Saturdays without SNL. Even though Im technically an expat and have been living in one spot for several years now, I still find myself travelling a lot of the time. To help solve this problem of what to gift to friends overseas Ive often turned to the internet and all the many going away present and gift lists out there. Career Mom To Stay-At-Home Mom. This one is a little riskier but can be very appreciated when you dont have time to put together something yourself! And it is my faithful gym partner whenever I motivate myself to workout. It is a great tool to help with gifting bucket list travel all around the world whether you can afford nothing or anything. This is huge for someone just moving abroad. A Fujifilm Instax is also a really cool way to get travel snaps that print immediately and can be used to decorate your loved ones new home. I know that gift cards can seem lame, but there are a few companies that simply do it right and are super helpful gifts for overseas friends. Apple The most resourceful tool for living abroad is your technology: phone, laptop, etc. Simmi Kamboj is the Founder and Administrator of Ritiriwaz, your one-stop guide to Indian Culture and Tradition. While receiving gifts from a prior home can be nostalgic, it can also be a little risky. Ive sprinkled Christmas photos throughout the post because thats a popular time when people are looking for gifts for friends and family overseas but these ideas would really work at any time of year. There are free options but better ones are usually a paid service. Capturing a life abroad is important, especially when we want to be able to share moments with our friends and family at home. Not going to lie. Needless to say, I understand the overseas gift struggle. Though living in Europe affords you endless opportunities to travel, it can be quite expensive to do so.

Suggested Read:Best Website To Send Gifts From USA To India. . And nothing helps more than actually living as the locals do. A VPN allows access to websites overseas if theyre in a country that blocks them, and in some cases access to their own subscriptions when theyre travelling (like video streaming sites etc). If your loved one is into photography and has a lot of gear then you could consider giving them a camera backpack specifically designed for all their tech gear. It started with just me and a backpack but now I have my husband and two little boys in tow theres a lot more luggage! Sometimes it doesnt come up until youre much further through the purchasing process so youll need to hunt around the FAQs or see if theres a section about it elsewhere if you dont want to get caught out. Its likely if they move they might have to be left behind, so dont spend a fortune though! Both my husband and I were confused when we tried to figure out satellite radio in our Mini Cooper. Gifting an experience is a great gift for someone living abroad. From an expat in their second year living abroad, I know what its like trying to find the perfect gift thats personal but never in person. A mix of personal, useful, and just for fun, here are 10 gifts for someone living abroad. Honestly! Finding the right gift and shipping is a challenging job. This is especially important if youre buying Christmas gifts to send abroad because dates often change for December and the cut-off postal date which be much earlier. . It doubles as a laundry bag and a bag that helps you to do your laundry on the go! If youre specifically searching for gifts for kids, I also made a separate guide of 50+ presents for kids who love to travel or things that will inspire them to do so. Of course, this is may be well out of your budget so camera or computer accessories that help with capturing memories can be a more cost-effective option as a gift for someone overseas and hugely appreciated. If your loved one has an iPad remember that the Kindle App also allows you to read Kindle Books on that rather than having to get another device to carry. , Thanks!! Imagine how much money that would save instead of paying hostels or laundromats to do it for you! This obviously isnt for everyone, but many travellers have an interest in photography and would appreciate gifts associated with it. Lightroom is one of the most favoured editing applications and its available on a subscription basis. If youre buying a gift for someone who is moving away youll likely give it to them in person, but if your loved one is already overseas then you have a few options. Im really glad theyll be useful . Even if theyre already abroad, they may have made the move with large luggage but be looking for something smaller. Theyre not the cheapest or smallest item and they definitely arent something that would really be a priority to move back home with you. A Gift card is a prepaid stored-value money card and looks like a credit card, issued by a retailer or bank and can be used as an alternative to cash for purchasing goods. Its similar to Amazon in customer experience but remembers your former country details so you can log in as you always did before and checkout. One thing I noticed about moving abroad is how different fashion can be and how the environment affects what you wear. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); So how do you choose a gift for someone going overseas or already living abroad? Travelling really spurred my interest in photography and after living abroad for a few years I finally invested in a proper camera and love to be able to edit the photos Ive taken. Try to sneakily ask their friends, or look up top restaurants and experiences in the local area where they live to see if they offer gift vouchers. So whether its a gift card with US currency, British Pounds, Euro etc, the app simply doesnt care. Now Im usually coming to a home base again and Im accumulating a lot of books I know I might want to read again but cant necessarily keep forever. And remember, if you want and have time to do just one thing, a simple holiday card makes the perfect gift. Another streaming media player which has videos, music, and games that you can play on your TV. And if you travel a lot, a music subscription is amazing because it goes with you everywhere as long as you have data. So many services are provided on a subscription basis now, and they actually make a great gift for friends overseas or expats. Should you shop online for friends overseas or post something more personal? The company totally understands expat living! Between Apple iTunes and store gift cards, these are very useful gifts for someone living abroad. I always felt like Id be fine without it but then on long flights home or train and bus trips I was always jealous of people who have them. I love putting up photos around my home, and a lightweight photo hanger like thisallows an expat friend to quickly get photos put up without having to buy frames, and its easily moved. For example, Buy a Giftor Tinggly allows you to buy gifts for family or friends in the UK and there are other options in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA like Experience Days or alsoTinggly.

You know how challenging it is to handle a long-distance relationship. , Its in the best interest of the consumer, but it can really mess up gift-giving. I consent to receive emails from aBroadpurpose.com. When in doubt about what to give just choose an online flower delivering website and send a bouquet of flowers to your loved ones. Send your loved ones a unique gift set which they will love to use. Check for international shipping when youre buying online. Similar to gifting an experience or a gift card, vouchers can be used for intangible goods, or for things your expat friend really needs. Youre also not supposed to send jewellery through the post either! While the Amazon Firestick lets you take your tv with you. Then alas we discovered there is no such thing in the UK. The more expensive option is a camera itself (I use a Sony a6000 and love it because its small enough to carry around but I can adjust the settings to take photos as I like) or a GoPro. There are all sorts of things to think about, like how small should the gift be, where will you buy it from, and how easy will it be to send? Family and friend birthdays, anniversaries and holidays are important occasions I dont want to miss despite the long distance between us. After all, what could an expat want who gets to see the world? It might seem cliche but trust me, as an expat I definitely appreciate food from home as a gift! Sonja is from New Zealand but now lives in Scotland with her husband and little boy, after having lived in 5 other countries along the way including the USA, Australia, Canada, and Spain.

I particularly love Pretty City London, which highlights where to go for the pretty views, mews, and most photographed locations in London. (This post contains affiliate links. While finding a going away gift for a friend moving to another country can be tough and I definitely cover that in this list, I wanted to come up with some extra ideas on what you can get your friends and family who are living overseas already, or who are about to become long-term expats! Both allow them to research and document travel experiences that make nice gifts for someone living abroad particularly for expats in London. Its a great gift for an expat friend that does a lot of solo travel and wants to be able to take pictures alone. An Amazon Kindle is a slim and smart way to travel more lightly with loads of reading material to select from. Happy shopping for your friends and relatives moving or living overseas! Jewellery This could be the main gift or something small to add to a bigger present since its lightweight.

Experiences like afternoon tea to stadium tours to a horse race, are all possible to purchase online. As an expat who has lived abroad for many holiday seasons and birthdays, I know what its like to be asked what I would like as a gift and have no idea. The only exception to this is if I want to send something hyper-local and its not possible to find it online. If your loved one is travelling long-term or living abroad then gifting them travel-related stuff is usually a fairly safe bet. I hope these gift ideas for someone living abroad have helped you with your holiday shopping list, whether you are shopping from home or braving the lines. Think chocolates, favourite lollies (thats candy/sweets to non-Kiwis) and favourite condiments. Best 25 Gift Ideas For Overseas Family and Friends, Best Website To Send Gifts From USA To India, Gift Ideas For Overseas Family and Friends, How To Say Hello In 5 Different Ways In French. Etsy is one of my favourite websites for personalised gifts, and they have a TON of customised photo calendar options. This is the kind of tripod that I use for my GoPro. We provide you with information on various aspects of the great Indian culture and its diversity. Sometimes you can find these foods in online shops and have them sent direct which is an ideal option, otherwise, you can put together a package and send the gift overseas to your friend or relative yourself.