Why Did We Decide to Relocate?

In 2016, my husband Roman and I quit our tech jobs and set off on a one-way trip to Southeast Asia. The idea was to travel and then explore the possibility of living in another country. We considered Thailand, Vietnam, and even Berlin.
But after seven months on the road, I found myself missing my country. My heart just wasn’t in the idea of living somewhere else long-term.

So we returned to Israel, and I began building my travel blog, “Traveling Outside the box.”
We traveled almost every month to a different destination for a week or two, and it felt like the perfect balance, living in Israel while still getting to travel often.

Then I gave birth to our daughter Maya, and COVID hit. Around that same time, I received approval for my Portuguese citizenship, something I had started working on years earlier.
The moment it was approved, a close friend of mine, an immigration lawyer based in London, explained that if I had Portuguese citizenship, then Roman and Maya could legally live and work with me in any EU country.
Until then, I had assumed Roman would also need EU citizenship for us to relocate, but it turned out he didn’t.

So why move to another country?

At the time, we were living in Tel Aviv, and with the pandemic in full swing, it was a very challenging period, especially financially.
Suddenly, the idea of moving to any country in the EU became much more relevant and attractive.

We initially moved to Zichron Yaakov to reduce our living expenses, but the thought of Europe kept lingering in our minds.
We decided that once the situation allowed, I would fly to Portugal to pick up my passport, and we would relocate to Europe.

Both Roman and I were self-employed and working from home, and even after moving to Zichron, our financial situation hadn’t improved much. Looking ahead, we felt frustrated.
My blog income had dropped to zero due to COVID, and Roman’s startup was also hit hard, clients canceled deals, and everything felt unstable.

The idea of moving to a European country with lower taxes and more affordable living costs seemed like a real opportunity to get back on our feet and build a more secure future.

Beyond the financial aspect, we were also craving change, new experiences as a family. Maya was just a year old, the perfect age for a big life transition without it affecting her too much.

We wanted her to grow up in an international environment, to learn English as a first language, to be exposed to different cultures, and to feel that the world was open to her.

Honestly, we had dreamed for years about living abroad for a while, and now, with the Portuguese passport, it finally felt easy. So why not?

Where to?

We were looking for a country with low taxes and good quality of life. Some of the countries we considered were Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, and Estonia.

At first, we focused on Bulgaria. We loved the country, its nature, affordability, and the ability to travel by car both within the country and to nearby destinations. Flights to and from Israel were short and cheap.
We were almost ready to go, we found a preschool for Maya, paid a deposit, picked the area we wanted to live in, and started looking at properties.

But then winter began. Even the mild Israeli winter felt difficult with a toddler who loved being outdoors.
We realized that a country with heavy snowfall wouldn’t suit us.

That’s when Cyprus came up, a country close to Israel, with cheap flights, a warm Mediterranean climate, a calm, vacation-like atmosphere.
I had also heard from several women who gave birth there and shared positive birth experiences, which was important to me since we were planning to grow our family.

Four Years Later – Reflecting on the Move

Today, after more than four years in Cyprus (we moved in May 2021), I can confidently say: it was the right decision.

Not only because life in Israel became even more complicated in recent years, but also because the move gave us the chance to experience something different, to grow as a family, and to live life at a different pace.

And yes, I did end up getting pregnant here and gave birth to our second daughter, Sophie. It was a wonderful birth experience, which I detailed in a separate post about giving birth in Cyprus.

Financially, the move allowed us to invest in real estate on the island, save more, and gain greater stability.