We built this site because we couldn’t find it anywhere else.
Not a travel blog. Not a government FAQ. Not a forum thread from 2017 with half the links broken — or the numerous dangerously incorrect answers from well-meaning but unqualified anonymous forum members. Just straight answers to the questions that actually matter when you’re deciding whether to move abroad, or figuring out how to make it work once you’re already there.
Who we are
Expats FAQ Network was founded by Tim and Joana Totten. Tim is originally from Kentucky; Joana is originally from the Philippines. Together we hold U.S. and Antigua and Barbuda citizenship, and Joana is also a Filipino citizen. Tim holds Philippine permanent resident status. Our primary home is in Puerto Rico, where we take advantage of the tax benefits under Act 60. We also spend significant time each year in the Philippines, Mexico, and Paraguay, where we maintain residences. We have a diverse collection of businesses and private investments around the world — from Armenia to Belize to the Philippines and Puerto Rico. We expect our Portugal Golden Visa shortly and are actively pursuing additional residencies, citizenships, and golden visas. This is not a side project. It’s how we live.
Tim has traveled to more than 100 countries. Joana has been to more than 80. Between us, we’ve navigated the bureaucratic realities of immigration offices, foreign banking systems, local healthcare, and property ownership across multiple continents — in multiple languages, with varying degrees of success.
We’ve been there
Our experience shapes everything on this site. We know what it’s like to walk into a government office in a country where you don’t speak the language, holding documents you’re not sure are the right ones, hoping the rules haven’t changed since the last time someone posted about them online. We created this site for people who are about to be there — or who are there right now.
What we actually are
Expats FAQ Network is a reference database, not a publication. Every page answers a specific question. There’s no editorial content, no news cycle, no content for the sake of content. If a question doesn’t have a real answer worth your time, we don’t publish it.
The site is run by an international team. Our research and editorial team is currently based in the Philippines, with local expertise expanding as we add coverage of additional countries. We verify information, cite sources, and date every page so you know how fresh it is. Where things change fast — visa rules, banking access, tax rates — we flag it and review it regularly.
What we cover — and what we don’t
We cover the practical reality of expat life: visas, money, housing, healthcare, taxes, safety, navigating government bureaucracy, and the cultural dynamics that most sites dance around. That includes a section we call Straight Talk — honest, non-judgmental coverage of topics like dating culture, nightlife, and the gap between local law and local reality. Adults making real decisions deserve accurate information, not sanitized summaries.
What we don’t do: give you legal, financial, or medical advice. We explain how things work and point you toward the right professionals. The decisions are yours.
A note on accuracy
We get things wrong sometimes. Rules change. We miss things. If you spot an error or have information that would improve a page, use the contact form below — we read everything and update pages when corrections are warranted.
Now go find what you need. That’s why this is here.
— Tim and Joana Totten, co-founders, Expats FAQ Network
Have a specific question you’d like us to address? Contact us.