Unearth The Voyage
Every year, thousands of expats pack their bags and move to a new country, hoping locals will actually like them. Luckily, some places make that ridiculously easy.
Based on real expat survey data measuring social ease, local warmth, and how fast newcomers build connections, we ranked the 15 friendliest countries on the planet. Spoiler: a few of these might genuinely surprise you.
Mexico
Mexico has a superpower most countries would kill for: the ability to make a stranger feel like family within about 48 hours. Expats consistently rank it near the very top for social warmth, and honestly, the numbers back up what everyone already suspected.
Local friendliness here is not a tourist gimmick. It runs deep, showing up in neighborhood conversations, impromptu street food recommendations, and the kind of genuine hospitality that cannot be faked.
I moved to Oaxaca for a month and left with three dinner invitations I actually used.
Building a social circle in Mexico happens fast. The culture values connection, community, and shared meals above almost everything else.
For expats who dread starting over socially, Mexico removes most of that anxiety before it even starts. It is consistently one of the easiest places on earth to simply belong.
Panama
Panama punches well above its weight when it comes to making newcomers feel genuinely welcome. It ranks near the very top of the global expat friendliness index, and that placement is earned, not accidental.
What makes Panama special is how quickly a social circle forms. Within weeks, most expats report knowing neighbors, joining local groups, and actually having plans on weekends.
That kind of momentum is rare and seriously underrated when you are starting fresh somewhere new.
The country also benefits from a large, well-established expat community that actively welcomes newcomers. Locals are used to international faces and tend to be genuinely curious rather than indifferent.
Panama City buzzes with social energy, while smaller towns like Boquete offer tight-knit communities where everyone eventually knows everyone. Either way, loneliness is not really part of the Panama expat experience.
That alone makes it worth serious consideration.
Colombia
Colombia’s reputation has done a full 180 over the past two decades, and expats are partly responsible for spreading the updated memo. Today it ranks among the very best countries for the overall settling-in experience, and the reasons are easy to understand.
Colombians are famously warm. Not in a polished, customer-service kind of way, but in a genuinely curious, pull-up-a-chair-and-stay-awhile kind of way.
Strangers start conversations. Neighbors bring food.
It adds up fast.
Cities like Medellin have become global hotspots for remote workers and long-term expats precisely because connection happens so naturally there. The blend of local friendliness and a growing international community creates a social environment that feels both authentic and accessible.
Colombia scores high across every component of the friendliness index, from feeling welcomed on arrival to actually building lasting friendships. For anyone prioritizing human connection in a new country, Colombia belongs near the top of the list.
Indonesia
Indonesia does not just rank near the top overall. It absolutely dominates the Local Friendliness category, which is arguably the most important one when you are new somewhere and figuring out where you fit.
The warmth here is cultural bedrock. Across thousands of islands and hundreds of distinct ethnic groups, a spirit of hospitality called “gotong royong” (roughly: mutual cooperation) shapes daily life.
Expats consistently describe feeling genuinely seen and welcomed rather than tolerated. That distinction matters more than people realize.
Bali gets most of the expat attention, but Java, Lombok, and Sumatra offer equally warm communities with far less competition for housing and social space. Locals are curious about foreigners in a friendly, non-invasive way.
Language can be a small barrier, but Indonesians are remarkably patient with learners. The country’s top-tier local friendliness score reflects something real and consistent, not just a good year in the data.
Philippines
Few countries have held their spot in expat friendliness surveys as consistently as the Philippines. It is a perennial top-five finisher, and long-time expats will tell you that is no coincidence.
Filipinos are genuinely enthusiastic about meeting new people. English is widely spoken, which removes a huge social barrier right away.
But beyond language, there is a cultural openness and cheerfulness that expats notice almost immediately after arriving. People wave, smile, and start conversations without needing a reason.
The expat community is large and well-organized, with active social groups across Manila, Cebu, Davao, and dozens of smaller towns. Still, the real magic is in the local connections.
Filipino hospitality is legendary for good reason. Fiestas happen constantly, neighbors share food freely, and the general social atmosphere is inclusive rather than cliquey.
For expats who worry about feeling like an outsider, the Philippines has a track record of proving those fears wrong.
Brazil
Brazil is the kind of place where the party finds you before you even finish unpacking. Expats rank it highly for the overall ease of settling in, and the social momentum here is genuinely hard to match anywhere else on the planet.
Brazilians are physically affectionate, socially enthusiastic, and remarkably open to welcoming new faces into their circles. Community forms fast, whether through neighborhood barbecues, beach volleyball, or the kind of spontaneous gatherings that somehow always involve excellent food.
Cities like Florianopolis and Sao Paulo have thriving expat communities, but what makes Brazil special is that locals actively participate in that social mix rather than keeping their distance. Portuguese can feel like a wall at first, but Brazilians are endlessly patient with learners and will cheerfully correct your pronunciation while also refilling your plate.
The country’s high settling-in score reflects a genuine culture of inclusion that expats notice within days of arriving.
Oman
Oman is the quiet overachiever of this entire list. While its Gulf neighbors grab headlines, Oman quietly built a reputation among expats for being one of the most genuinely hospitable countries in the Middle East.
Breaking into the global top 10 for friendliness is no small thing, and Oman earns it through consistent, across-the-board performance on the components that matter: feeling welcomed, finding community, and experiencing real local warmth. Omanis have a reputation for dignified, sincere hospitality that expats describe as deeply genuine rather than performative.
The country is also notably safe and stable, which gives the social experience room to breathe. Expats in Muscat often mention how approachable locals are, even in professional contexts where other Gulf countries can feel more formal.
Coffee and dates are practically a social institution here. For expats who want warmth without noise, Oman offers a kind of quiet friendliness that is surprisingly hard to find elsewhere.
Kenya
Kenya earns its top-10 spot with a welcome culture that expats describe as both genuine and energizing. Newcomers consistently report positive first impressions that hold up long after the honeymoon phase of relocation has faded.
Nairobi has become a serious hub for international professionals and digital nomads, and the city’s social scene reflects that. But what stands out in survey data is not just the expat bubble.
Kenyans themselves score high on the local friendliness measures, which is the harder and more meaningful number to move.
Kenya also benefits from a strong tradition of community and ubuntu-style social values, where neighbors look out for each other as a matter of course. English is widely spoken, which helps enormously.
The country is diverse, dynamic, and fast-moving, and that energy tends to accelerate social connection. For expats who want to feel embedded in a real local culture rather than just passing through, Kenya delivers consistently.
Thailand
Thailand has been the expat world’s open secret for decades, and the friendliness data keeps confirming what everyone already knows. Its ranking reflects a consistently strong performance in the social and connection dimensions that matter most when you are new somewhere.
The Thai concept of “sanuk,” the idea that life should be fun, shapes social interactions in ways expats genuinely appreciate. There is an ease and lightness to daily life here that makes meeting people feel natural rather than forced.
Smiles are not just a tourism cliche. They are a real part of the culture.
Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and the southern islands each have their own expat scenes, but all of them share the same underlying warmth from locals. Thai people are patient, curious, and genuinely welcoming to foreigners who show basic respect for the culture.
Learning even five words of Thai tends to unlock a level of warmth that surprises most newcomers. Thailand rewards effort generously.
Cyprus
Rounding out the top 10 is Cyprus, a Mediterranean island that consistently punches above its size when it comes to making expats feel genuinely at home. Small country, big welcome.
Cypriots are warm in a Mediterranean way that feels unhurried and authentic. Meals run long, conversations run longer, and nobody is rushing you out the door.
For expats coming from faster-paced cultures, that shift in social pace is often described as an immediate relief rather than an adjustment.
The island has a large English-speaking population, partly due to its British colonial history, which makes the initial settling-in process significantly smoother. Both Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have strong traditions of hospitality toward guests.
The expat community is well-established and genuinely integrated into local life rather than siloed off in separate social bubbles. Cyprus scores well across all the key friendliness components, and its top-10 placement reflects a consistently positive experience reported by expats year after year.
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The UAE is home to one of the highest expat-to-local ratios on earth, and somehow it still manages to land among the top destinations for settling in comfortably. That is actually a remarkable achievement worth pausing on.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi have built social infrastructures that actively support newcomers. Expat groups, community events, and international social networks are everywhere.
Finding your tribe here is less a matter of luck and more a matter of showing up to the right places, which are plentiful.
Local Emirati culture also values hospitality deeply, and while daily interactions may be more formal than in some other countries on this list, the underlying warmth is real. Expats who make the effort to connect beyond the expat bubble consistently report positive experiences.
The UAE places just outside the top 10 overall, but for many expats, especially those in professional fields, it remains one of the most socially welcoming environments they have ever lived in.
Vietnam
Vietnam at number 12 is genuinely exciting for anyone who has spent time there and felt the electric social energy of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. The country’s strong placement reflects a welcome-and-connection experience that expats consistently rave about.
Vietnamese people are famously curious about foreigners in the best possible way. Conversations start over shared street food, motorbike directions, and impromptu English practice sessions that turn into actual friendships.
The social entry points are everywhere if you pay attention.
The expat community in Vietnam has grown rapidly, particularly in the two main cities and in Da Nang, which has quietly become a digital nomad hotspot. What keeps Vietnam competitive with higher-ranked countries is the quality of local connection available.
Cost of living is low, food culture is central to social life, and the general pace of Vietnamese social interaction feels warm and inclusive. Expats who arrive curious tend to leave genuinely connected.
Spain
Spain at number 13 might feel surprising to anyone who has been brushed off by a Madrid waiter, but the expat survey data tells a broader and more nuanced story. Across the full index covering welcome, friendliness, and ease of finding friends, Spain performs consistently above average.
Spanish social culture is built around shared time. Tapas are not just food.
They are a social format. The two-hour lunch is not laziness.
It is an institution. For expats who come from cultures where socializing requires scheduling three weeks in advance, Spain feels almost shockingly spontaneous.
Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville each have thriving international communities, but smaller cities and towns often offer even easier social integration because the local scene is more contained. Spanish people are expressive, opinionated, and genuinely engaged in conversation.
Learning some Spanish accelerates everything dramatically. The country’s number 13 ranking reflects real, survey-backed warmth that goes well beyond the tourist-friendly surface.
Greece
Greece landing at number 14 in 2025 is a reminder that economic headlines and lived social experience are often two completely different stories. Expats consistently report feeling genuinely welcomed in a country that treats hospitality as a point of cultural pride.
The Greek concept of “philoxenia,” literally love of strangers, is not just a dictionary entry. It shows up in real daily interactions, from neighbors who share garden produce to locals who insist on explaining the entire history of a village square to a newcomer who asked one polite question.
Island life, in particular, offers a social intimacy that is hard to find in larger countries. Communities are small, faces become familiar fast, and belonging happens organically.
Athens has a growing expat and digital nomad scene that is increasingly well-organized. Greece scores well in the friendliness and finding-friends components of the index.
For expats who prioritize social ease alongside beauty and history, Greece remains a top-tier choice.
China
China at number 15 is the entry that tends to raise eyebrows, and that reaction is worth examining. Most people do not associate China with easy social integration for foreigners, which makes its top-15 global placement genuinely interesting data.
What the survey captures is the on-the-ground experience of expats who actually live there, and many report a level of local curiosity and warmth that surprises them. Chinese people are often deeply interested in foreign cultures and genuinely eager to connect, particularly in cities with large international communities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu.
Yes, the language barrier is real and significant. Yes, navigating daily life requires patience and adaptability.
But expats who put in the effort consistently report finding warm, curious, and generous local connections that go well beyond surface-level interactions. China’s number 15 ranking is not a fluke.
It reflects a real pattern of positive settling-in experiences reported by people who chose to look past the obvious challenges and stay long enough to connect.
