Expatriate family, Amandine's testimony

Expatriating as a family is both an exciting and intimidating experience for many people. For Amandine and her tribe, moving as a family has become a habit! From France through China and Singapore, they chose to settle in Mauritius. 🌴

Hello Amandine ! Tell us about yourself ?

Hello! I am Amandine, I am 40 years old and I am a mother of two children! I work for a French recruitment agency based in Mauritius, as a Talent Acquisition.

Is this your first expatriation? ✈️

No, I left France 10 years ago. My husband is a teacher, so he has the opportunity to teach in French schools all over the world. We were previously in Asia.

My husband and I both came to China and left as a family with our two children! We then lived in Singapore for 5 years! Expatriating as a family is something we know a lot about!

The Covid years having been somewhat complicated in Asia, we needed a change of scenery, to travel and discover new horizons and cultures.

we needed a change of scenery, to travel and discover new horizons and new cultures.

Why did you choose Mauritius? 😎

Mauritius met most of our criteria. First of all, Mauritius offers a rich culture with a strong French influence, which reminds us of our country of origin and gives us a certain familiarity. Furthermore, Mauritius is known to be a peaceful and safe destination, far from the bustle of big cities that we had experienced in Asia.

As an expatriate family we were looking for a place where our children could develop and grow in a safe and stimulating environment, and where English and French are spoken.

The perfect destination for us!

How did you hear about Mauritius? 💻

It really came up at the last minute! We had decided to leave Singapore last year and in June my husband was offered a job in Mauritius! So we thought, why not?

After doing some research on the local culture and the island itself, because initially, when we think of Mauritius, we think more of a tourist destination than an expatriate destination, we finally decided to go for it.

And that's how it happened! So we packed our bags and started this new, exciting and challenging adventure as a family

What about the Visa process? How did it go? What about the SmartTraveller support? 💪

My husband got his visa as part of his new job. When we arrived, I had a dependent status with my husband, but since I don't like to stay at home I started looking for a job. While waiting to find the ideal job, I accepted an administrative position in the school where my husband works. That's how I got my first professional permit (occupation permit).

A few months later I was lucky enough to be recruited by a French recruitment agency based in Mauritius, which is my current job! That's when SmartTraveller intervened.

Indeed, in Mauritius, it is the company that takes care of the work permit procedures for a foreign employee. These steps being long, they often call upon agencies such as SmartTraveller to manage the file and the installation of the employee.

I changed from a professional license to another professional license. SmartTraveller accompanied my employer in this change of license with complete peace of mind, because I was afraid of not complying with the authorities' requirements.

Sandrine and Anaïs reassured me a lot during the procedure! It's nice to feel supported, especially when you don't know the administrative and legal obligations of your new host country.

Tell us about your life in Mauritius! 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦

After 10 years of living in big cities, our life here has become much calmer, much more peaceful. We have refocused on simple things, like spending time with family.

With the children and my husband, we adapted easily to the Mauritian life and to take full advantage of the nature! We often go to the beach with our children, it feels good! We are very happy, because we have finally found a balance of family life with less pressure.

Any advice for future expats? 💖

When you decide to expatriate for the first time, I think it is important to be well informed and well accompanied. This avoids bad surprises, misunderstandings and loss of time. SmartTraveller is for me a good solution, not only on the administrative side, but also for everything that has to do with daily life on the spot: housing, regions, schools, phone cards. I think it makes the arrival easier!

SmartTraveller is like a good friend who is already on site and who gives you all his good tips and addresses! It is reassuring!

It is essential that you take the time to think carefully before taking the plunge and moving as a family. Consider all aspects of the experience to ensure that it is a beneficial and successful one for every member of the family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦.

If you are ready to change your life and become an expatriate family in Mauritius, we encourage you to contact our expatriation experts for more information about your project.