Singapore was first mentioned as early as the 3rd century where it was referred to as Puluozhong, a Chinese translation of Pulau Ujong, literally ‘island at the end' (of the Malay Peninsula).
The Malay archipelago was under European colonial rule for much of the period between the 16th and 19th centuries, starting with the Portuguese in Malacca which than gave way to the Dutch, who developed a stronghold in the region. All this changed with the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 when he signed a formal treaty with the Sultan of Johor to establish a trading post on the island. However, Singapore did not become a full British colony until 1824.
It was Raffles who decided then that Singapore should become a free port.
If the city has never been part of the Francophone area, thousands of French people, famous or anonymous, have visited or have lived there (Pierre Loti tells about it in 'Pêcheur d’Islande'; Segalen, Clemenceau, Cocteau, Malraux stayed).
The French community in Singapore is constantly growing and its structure is very specific: it is young, feminized and family oriented.
4976 French are listed in the Register of the Consulate of France in December 31, 2006 (for comparison, 113,000 registered in the United Kingdom in 2009). This figure is increasing steadily since 2000: 3080 to date (progression 2005> 2006 is approximately + 15%)
The French are particularly young in Singapore (1750 persons under 18 years - 35%) and nearly 42% (all ages combined) are women. However only 20% of the latest are working.
It is a vibrant community, with a high level of senior professions, which tends to settle on the whole of the city-state.
A lot of French companies have settled in Singapore. The city had in 2006 nearly 400 companies or branches in 2006, with nearly 25,000 French employees of different nationalities. Half of the French used by these companies are in the manufacturing sector (ST Microelectronics, Thales, Gemplus) and in the service sector (mainly in banking, less in hotels). Finally, all the major French brands with an activity related to consumer goods are present in Singapore, particularly in the luxury sector (Christofle, Baccarat, Chanel, Hermes, Cartier, LVMH).
The French workers in Singapore are a vast majority of managers or senior positions.
The length of stay of the French in Singapore is increasing: nearly 23% in 2006 have lived on the island for over five years, and only 13% in 1997.
While until recently they were focused on the Holland - Farrer - Orchard area, the property boom of the 2000s changed the situation: the French are now more willing to settle near the French Lycée in the center of the island (the district of Ang Mo Kio became the third island in size of population) and to the east, in the direction of Changi International Airport (East Coast area).
We have now fully manually translated our original guide in English into French. You will find the usual articles in our guide to prepare your expatriation and manage your life once in there: Overview, Job, Passport, Visa & Permits, International Removal Companies, Finding Accommodation, Work, Benefits and Tax, Moving in, Education, Health, Practical Life (banks, transport, shopping...), Entertainment...
Singapour apparaît dans des textes pour la première fois au 3ième siècle où l’on parlait de Puluozhong, a traduction chinoise de Pulau Ujong qui veut dire littéralement «l’île de l’extrémi» (de la péninsule malaisienne).
L’archipel malaisienne a été sous l’emprise coloniale européenne pendant toute la période du 16ième au 19ième siècle, commençant d’abord avec les portugais à Malacca qui laissèrent la place aux hollandais qui développèrent une place forte dans la région. Tout cela changea lorsque Sir Stamford Raffles en 1819 signa un traité avec le sultan de Johor pour établir une place marchande sur l’île. Toutefois Singapour ne deviendra une colonie britannique à part entière qu’en 1824.
C’est Raffles qui décida que alors que Singapour deviendrait un port affranchi.
Si la ville n’a jamais fait partie de l’aire francophone, des milliers de Français, illustres ou anonymes, y sont passés ou y ont vécu (Pierre Loti en parle dans Pêcheur d’Islande ; Segalen, Clemenceau, Cocteau, Malraux y ont séjourné ).
La communauté française à Singapour est en constante progression et sa structure est très spécifique : elle est jeune, féminisée et familiale.
4.976 français sont inscrits au Registre du Consulat de France au 31 décembre 2006 (à titre de comparaison, 113000 inscrits au Royaume Uni en 2009). Ce chiffre est en progression permanente depuis 2000 : 3.080 à cette date (la progression 2005 > 2006 est de l’ordre de + 15%)
Les Français de Singapour sont particulièrement jeunes (1750 mineurs de moins de 18 ans - 35%) et près de 42% (tous ages confondus) sont des femmes. Ces dernières ne forment en revanche que 20% des actifs.
Il s’agit d’une communauté active, très orientée vers les professions intellectuelles, qui tend à s’installer sur l’ensemble du territoire de la Cité-Etat.
Singapour est traditionnellement un lieu privilégié d’implantation pour les entreprises françaises. La Cité-Etat comptait en 2006 près de 400 filiales de sociétés françaises employant près de 25.000 salariés toutes nationalités confondues. La moitié des Français employés par ces sociétés se retrouvent dans le secteur manufacturier (S.T. Microelectronics, Thalès, Gemplus) et dans le secteur des services (essentiellement dans la banque, moins dans l’hôtellerie). Enfin, toutes les grandes marques françaises ayant une activité liée aux biens de consommation sont présentes à Singapour, notamment dans le domaine du luxe (Christofle, Baccarat, Chanel, Hermès, Cartier, L.V.M.H.).
Les actifs français à Singapour sont à une grande majorité des cadres ou des membres de professions intellectuelles.
La durée de résidence des français à Singapour tend à s’accroître : près de 23% en 2006 sont présents sur l’île depuis plus de 5 ans ; ils n’étaient que 13% en 1997.
Alors que jusqu’à une période récente ils étaient centrés sur la zone Holland - Farrer – Orchard, le boom immobilier des années 2000 a modifié la donne : les français s’installent désormais plus volontiers près du Lycée français au centre de l’île (le quartier d’Ang Mo Kio est ainsi devenu le troisième îlot en volume de population) et à l’est, en direction de l’aéroport international de Changi (quartier d’East Coast).
Nous venons de terminer la traduction française manuelle de notre guide en anglais. Comme d'habitude, vous trouverez toutes les informations dans notre guide pour préparer votre expatriation et de gérer votre vie une fois là-bas: présentation générale, emploi, passeports, visas, déménagements internationaux, trouver un logement, travail, avantages sociaux et fiscaux, l'emménagement, l'éducation, la santé , le vie sur place (banques, transports, commerces ...), divertissements ...
Seoul is the capital of South Korea and is one of the most highly
populated
cities in the world, located in the north-western part of the country
on the
Han River. With the establishment of South Korea (the Republic of
Korea) in
1948 it became the capital, except for a short time during the Korean
War.
The traditional heart of Seoul is the old Joseon
Dynasty
city, which is now the downtown area, where most palaces,
government
offices, corporate headquarters, hotels and traditional markets are
located.
To the north of downtown is Bukhan Mountain, and to the south is the
smaller
Namsan. Across the Han River are the newer and wealthier areas of
Gangnam-gu
and surrounding neighbourhoods. Yeouido is a large island in the
middle of the
Han River and is home to the National
Assembly,
the major broadcasting studios, and a number of large office
buildings, as well
as the world's largest Presbyterian church.
Seoul’s skyline is impressive and notable high-rise buildings
include the
Korea Finance Building, Namsan Tower, the World Trade Centre, the
six-skyscraper
residence Tower Palace, the Star Tower, and I-Park Apartments
A number of world renowned companies such as Daewoo Corporation,
Hyundai, Samsung and Kia Motors have their headquarters in Seoul. The
Gross Regional Domestic Product of Seoul contributes to roughly a
quarter of Korea’s national GDP.
You will find the usual articles in our guides to prepare your
expatriation and manage your life once in there: Overview, Job,
Passport, Visa & Permits, International Removal Companies, Finding
Accommodation, Work, Benefits and Tax, Moving in, Education, Health,
Practical Life (banks, transport, shopping...), Entertainment...
India is playing an increasingly important role in the global economic scene. More and more international companies are setting up operations in the country, Indian companies are strengthening their positions globally and its reputation as the preferred offshoring hub continues to go strong. Whatever the reason may be, if you find yourself heading for a meeting in India, here are some tips that may come in handy.
1. Make that presentation longer: Indians have read the epics, they can handle more than 10 slides of your presentation. Indians are high context people so you never give them too much information. Instead of sticking to the core essentials, make your presentation a story and offer up a lot of details on the company.
2. Dress modestly: While Bollywood boasts of a lot of prancing around in skimpily clad clothes, most of the regular Indian population dresses modestly. Pants are a good bet for women. If wearing a skirt, make sure it’s at least knee length. Avoid tight fitting tops and low cut blouses and always carry a shawl. The air conditioning, when working, will be turned on to the maximum to ensure Alpine temperatures in the conference room.
3. For the love of processes: Indians love processes and will spend more time detailing how to get to a certain point rather than what to do when you get there. So if you’re presenting, make sure you have the process worked out to the last detail and if you’re being presented to, ensure that as much thought goes into why you’re doing what you’re doing and what happens when you get there.
4. Expect delays: Punctuality is not an Indian strongpoint. In fact, Indian Standard Time (IST) has been affectionately dubbed ‘Indian Stretchable Time.’ And for good reason. While in India, you can expect meetings to start later than planned and go on for much longer. You’d do yourself a big favour by fixing some buffer time between meetings. Also, bear in mind that a10 kilometer distance in a major city will take a lot more than 10 minutes to cover.
5. Small talk is big: Indians like to know and feel comfortable with the people they work with. So expect much small talk and questions about your education and background. Feel free to do the same. Showing an interest in cricket will make you an instant hit with the local crowd. Don’t worry if you don’t know too much about the sport… enthusiasm is more important than knowledge.
6. The boss is king: In many Indian organizations, hierarchy is still the norm and the boss has the last word on all important issues. It’s in your best interest to identify this person early in the meeting and make him/ her your new best friend. If invited for a meal or drink, make sure you accept as turning down the invitation could be a lost opportunity to make those important inroads to a personal relationship.
7. Saving face: It’s important for Indians not to lose face in front of their friends or colleagues. When in a meeting make sure that you are respectful and courteous with all people present. Being blunt will make you look unsophisticated. A kind gesture will earn you a place in the Indian heart.
Dubai has a huge
expat population. While a lot of foreigners have been packing bags and heading home
in recent times, the city still plays host to people from all over the world. I
caught up with a couple of expats calling Dubai
home and here’s what they say about life in the city.
Amar Singh, a 32 year old Indian consultant weaves his way
through the dancing crowd and tells me… “I love Dubai!
Look at this place… where else can you have this kind of a lifestyle in the Middle
East?” We are in Barasti, a favourite watering hole for
Dubai’s expatriate crowd. This could have been any bar in South East
Asia… the usual 80% - 20% ratio of white men to Asian girls, loud
music and free flowing drinks. “That’s the problem with this place” says
Hitaru, a Japanese friend who’s recently moved to the city as well and
obviously not having as great a time as Amar. “This could be anywhere in the
world, everything seems so artificial. This is supposed to be a desert but it
could just as well be New York.”
A snapshot of that conversation captures the many
conflicting emotions about living in Dubai.
Every time I ask someone what they like about the city, the answer I almost
always hear is ‘The lifestyle.” So what is this lifestyle that has
attracted people from around the world? I asked my American friend Helen who’s
here with her husband to explain further. “See… it’s about enjoying life…
about dressing up, partying and being seen. I used to be the kind of person who
cut my own hair yet here I have my hairstylist on speed dial. It’s also about
shopping. I have a group of friends and we catch up every other week for lunch
and a day of shopping. And of course, there’s a maid to take care of the
cleaning. I can’t even dream ofliving like
that back home.” ‘Jumeirah Jane’ quips another friend as I tell him about
her lifestyle – Jumeriah is a posh part of the city where a number of women
like Helen can be found. There are so many women with luxurious lifestyles
similar to Helen that there’s even a name given to the trend!
Funnily enough, the biggest complaint I get about living in Dubai
is also ‘The lifestyle”. A German friend who previously lived in Saudi
Arabia and recently moved to Dubai
had a pretty interesting view. He and his wife preferred their stay in Saudi
Arabia than Dubai.
The reason? Since there are much fewer options to socialize in Saudi, they
managed to forge much closer friendships within the expat community. In Dubai
however, despite the fact that there are so many things to do and opportunities
for entertainment, the couple feels like they have a smaller chance of building
real friendships.
As for working in the city, this is one area there’s a lot
of consensus in… most of the people I spoke to enjoy working in Dubai.
It’s a multicultural environment and since the city has major ambitions,
there’s much opportunity for people who enjoy a challenge. And of course the
tax free salary doesn't hurt either. As Hitaru put it, “The work’s great, it’s
the lifestyle I need to adjust to.”
Malaysia
is a tropical paradise – sunny days, warm evenings, sandy beaches and an easy
lifestyle – all at a very affordable price. And to make it even more
attractive, the government has introduced the Malaysia My Second Home
programme. Commonly known as the MM2H programme, this is an international
residency scheme that allows foreigners to live in the country on a multiple
entry visa that can be renewed every ten years.
The MM2H programme has become a choice option for many
seniors in western countries looking for a relaxed and comfortable retirement
in a warm country. So far, over 8000 people have chosen this option and made Malaysia
their new home. Read on and find out how you can enjoy a luxurious lifestyle at
a fraction of what it costs in the west.
Who is eligible for the programme?
This programme is available to citizens of all countries
except Israel, Serbia
or Montenegro.
Successful applicants are entitled to bring their spouse and unmarried children
below the age of 18 years. Living in paradise does come at a certain cost. Applicants
need to meet certain financial requirements.
Applicants below 50
years old are required to open a fixed deposit account of RM300,000 at any
international bank with a local branch. After one year, the participant can
withdraw up to RM240,000 for expenses, investment, children’s education and
medical purposes. A minimum of RM60,000 must be maintained for the remaining
stay in Malaysia.
Applicants above 50
years of age have to choose one of two options:
They
need to invest a minimum of RM150,000 in a fixed deposit account at any
international bank with a local branch
The
need to show proof of a monthly off-shore income of at least RM10,000
At the end of one year, the participant can withdraw up to
RM240,000 for expenses, investment, children’s education and medical purposes.
As in the case of younger participants, a minimum of RM60,000 must be
maintained for the remaining stay in Malaysia.
What are the main benefits?
Apart from the obvious benefits of sun and sand at an
affordable price, there are some additional incentives for joining this
programme. Chief among them are:
You are allowed to purchase residential property.
Certain conditions and terms apply. Check the link below for more details
Love your wheels? No problem. You can bring in your car
from home or purchase a local car without paying import duty, excise duty or
sales tax
For those who want a little help at home, here’s some
good news. Each participant is allowed to apply for one domestic helper in
accordance to the rules and regulations set by the Immigration Department of
Malaysia
And lastly, you can apply for an ID card which allows you
to cross borders as a local instead of a foreigner. It must be noted that this
card does not give you participant permanent resident status
Restrictions and things to watch out for
There are however some restrictions. If you’re a MM2H participant,
you’re not allowed to work or be employed during your stay in Malaysia.
Also, the government takes security very seriously. Any security threat or
anti-government action can get you on the fast track out of the country.
How to apply
The first step to applying for your MM2H is to find an
authorized ‘sponsor’. These ‘sponsors’ are private Malaysian companies that
offer application and follow-up services to foreigners. Make sure you only use
authorized sponsors as they are the ones licensed by the Ministry of Tourism.
Charges for this service vary dramatically and it is wise to check with a few
‘sponsors’ before deciding on the right one for you. Below are links to some
authorized ‘sponsors’ to help you get started.
India is booming. With a rapidly developing economy, the country is attracting both foreign capital and talent with equal ease. With a GDP of approximately 8.5% growth this year, India offers an optimism only few others can match. This has led to a profusion of jobs at all levels in a variety of sectors. It is estimated that this year alone, India will create about 1025000 new jobs, an impressive figure that’s only marginally lower than the previous year. And here’s the best news… the growth is not concentrated in just one area but has had a spill-over effect into a range of different sectors. Let’s take a deeper look at the hottest sectors in one of the hottest economies today.
Real estate: Property prices are soaring in India. In some cases, prices have doubled in less than 2 years! This has led to a spur of real estate development projects and a corresponding rise in careers in this sector. Infrastructure development has also caused a spurt in hiring activity as many real estate companies vie for infrastructure development projects that fall under public-private partnerships.
Hospitality: The increasing affluence of the local population combined with the growing numbers of foreign tourist has propelled the growth of the hospitality industry. There is an estimated 430,000 new jobs that will be created in this sector alone.
Retail: The retail sector in India is poised to see a surge in action this year. Major international players like Wal-Mart and Carrefour are set to enter the market. Transforming the retail market in India will be a challenging job and one that will offer many opportunities for locals and foreigners alike.
Health care: As the population grows, the demand for high quality healthcare increases. This sector is now booming thanks to corporations opening branded hospitals and spreading their networks beyond the metropolitan cities. This has resulted in a vast number of openings for highly qualified people in the healthcare sector.
BPO: Despite the sub prime crisis in the US, there is an optimistic mood in the outsourcing industry. Smaller cities like Vishakapatnam, Nagpur, Chandigarh are expected to be the emerging hotspots.
IT: Funnily enough, if there is a slowdown in any sector, it will be in IT. Salary at the junior levels in this sector has stabilized and there is a 3% dip in average salary for engineering positions compared with the same time next year. But there is still a huge demand for talent especially in roles as technical architects or product managers.
Finance, Banking, Insurance: If all the above sectors are growing, they will need some help from the banking industry to provide them with finances and ensure that their assets are properly insured. Hence, needless to say, the banking and financial industry is a thriving, action-packed place to be in right now.
Number of opportunities for locals and expatriates in India
As is obvious, there are a number of opportunities for locals and expatriates in India. Some of the key talents, advantages and experience that expatriates can bring with them are:
Foreign languages and understanding of foreign cultures: As more Indian companies increase their reach and conduct business internationally, more opportunities arise for the ‘bridge’ between countries. A good knowledge of foreign languages like German, French, Spanish etc and an understanding of their cultures can come in handy.
Specialist skills: From design to supply chain logistics, there are a number of specialist skills that people from the developed economies can bring and share with the Indian market.
Management Skills: Top level management and best-practices from other countries and sectors to improve and leapfrog development in the Indian sectors.
Key roles and opportunities: While most of the Western countries are in a ‘slow’ mode, Indian companies are in high drive and offer opportunities and challenges that are difficult to find elsewhere. These jobs also let you play a key role with daily access to decision makers.
Challenges to watch out for
Working in India is not a complete bed of roses though. There are a number of challenges that expatriates to India need to be aware of. Key among them include:
Work permits: Though expatriates might be able to land jobs and work permits in India, their spouse doesn’t automatically get working permits as well.
Comparatively low salaries: Even a good pay package in India will be a poor package compared to US or the West. Typically, a competitive Indian package will be about 25%-30% of an average US salary. Having said that, the value of the income will be much more than the value of salary earned in the US.
Competition: There is tough competition from a well educated middle class who will work at Indian pay. So you really need to be able to bring something different to the table.
Connections: Personal connections and networking are still the best ways to land a job in India. Without this, it might be a bit tougher to break into the market.
Despite the challenges, the benefits make for a rewarding experience. If India sounds like an interesting stop for your next job, log onto http://www.expat-list.siteblast.com/
Singapore guide for expats in French / Guide pour expatriés sur Singapour en français
26 July, 2010 16:50
Singapore was first mentioned as early as the 3rd century where it was referred to as Puluozhong, a Chinese translation of Pulau Ujong, literally ‘island at the end' (of the Malay Peninsula).
We have now fully manually translated our original guide in English into French. You will find the 
We are proud to launch our new 
The traditional heart of Seoul is the old 
Dubai has a huge
expat population. While a lot of foreigners have been packing bags and heading home
in recent times, the city still plays host to people from all over the world. I
caught up with a couple of expats calling Dubai
home and here’s what they say about life in the city.
