Best English Speaking Countries to Live in 2025

What Counts for the Best English Speaking Countries to Live In?

English is the world’s lingua franca (an ironic statement, since the term is derived when French held the title). It’s used every day as the official language of many countries, but also as the de facto language in the world of business, investments and technology. With its importance highlighted, we qualify if a country is English-Speaking if:

• English is either widely spoken or commonly used in education, business, and daily life;
  
  
• Expats can integrate without learning another language;
  
  
• Public services, institutions, and work environments commonly operate in English;
  
  
• Relocation is realistic for foreign residents.

This broad definition includes countries where English isn’t the official language but is used fluently especially across the world.

How We Identified the Best English-Speaking Countries for Expats Live In

This guide highlights a mix of the world’s best English-speaking countries for expats to live in that also have the most accessible places to secure residency.

Here's what we considered:

English Proficiency

English is the #1 most spoken language in the world, when you consider both native speakers and second language learners. Currently, it's estimated to have more than 1,53 billion speakers, at least according to Statista.

Considering this, Investment Visa drew on Education First's recently released English Proficiency Index (updated November 2025), and our own expertise in Residency by Investment. 

For your own reference, the Best English Speaking Countries are:

Residency by Investment Options

Moving to a country with high levels of English proficiency isn't enough. How do you actually start the process to move there?

It all starts with visas and residency routes.

Investment is by far the easiest way to obtain residency in another country, as it bypasses many of the issues involved with obtaining residency, including lengthy waiting times.

Fortunately, many of the best English-speaking countries also offer residency by investment options, like Golden Visas.

Quality of Life Indexes

A country with high levels of English proficiency might be interesting for you, but what is it like actually living there?

Is the climate too severe? Is it safe for you and your family to settle there? What about the cost of living? Do you have to budget your options?

These are all questions you have to ask yourself, and properly think through before you decide on a country to relocate to.

Tax Benefits

There's always tax questions to be considered  when moving abroad. Since some countries offer tax benefits for expats, it's always a good idea to consider where it's going to cost you the fewer to move there.

With this set of criteria, the following are the best English countries for expats to move to and live in.

Top 10 English-Speaking Countries for Expats to Live In

The Netherlands

Dutch is the Netherlands’ official language, but English is spoken fluently across society, making it one of the world’s most comfortable destinations for native English speakers.

• EPI 2025 Ranking: #1

English is used extensively in business, government, and higher education, and many university programs are entirely in English.

Communication for expats is seamless, especially in major cities, where locals switch effortlessly between Dutch and English.

Top English-Speaking Cities in the Netherlands:

• Groningen
  
  
• Utrecht
  
  
• Eindhoven
  
  
• Amsterdam

The Netherlands ranks extremely high in quality-of-life categories, with strong healthcare, excellent public infrastructure, and high safety levels. While the cost of living is above the European average, the country’s stability, multicultural environment, and international job market make it highly attractive for expats seeking long-term security and mobility.

However, the Netherlands recently abolished its Golden Visa program, shutting down its Residency by Investment initiative. Still, it remains accessible through employment-based permits and EU mobility frameworks. 

Portugal

Portugal is one of the best English speaking countries to live in. English is spoken widely in Portugal, even if it’s not the official language, especially in the larger cities of Lisbon and Porto.

• EPI 2025 Ranking: #6

Locals typically learn English from an early age, making Portugal one of the best English-speaking countries to live in Europe. Portugal’s high levels of English fluency can be attributed to several factors, including a deep focus on early childhood education, and widespread American-based media consumption.

English classes begin as an elective as soon as the third or the fourth grade before becoming mandatory in the 5th grade, when children are around the age of 10. Subtitles are the predominant form of media viewing, with dubbing often being relegated exclusively to children-oriented movies. 

English is common in schools, universities, and multinational companies. Many higher education programs are offered in English, and day-to-day communication is highly accessible.

Top English-Speaking Cities in Portugal:

• Coimbra
  
  
• Guimarães
  
  
• Aveiro
  
  
• Braga
  
  
• Porto
  
  
• Lisbon

Portugal offers excellent safety, strong healthcare, a sunny climate, and a lower cost of living compared to Western Europe.

It's also one of the best countries to move to that speak English due to its investment migration pathways, including the Golden Visa and the D2 Visa.

Sweden

Sweden consistently ranks among the highest English-speaking countries, placing #8 in the 2025 EPI.

Most Swedes are bilingual and comfortable switching between English and Swedish.

English is common in public services, academic institutions, and business settings. Universities offer numerous English-language programs, attracting international students.

Top English-Speaking Cities in Sweden

• Halmstad
  
  
• Stockholm
  
  
• Malmö
  
  
• Göteborg

Sweden scores highly for safety, infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Its high quality of life and progressive society make it ideal for long-term expats. Residency options exist through employment, but not via investment.

Greece

Greece is another amazing choice, and one of the best English speaking countries to live in. Greek is the official language, but English is widely spoken across major cities, tourist regions, and business districts.

Greece often ranks in the High Proficiency tier of the English Proficiency Index. This makes it a great place for English-speaking expats. The country's openness to international visitors contributes significantly to English usage, especially in Athens and Thessaloniki.

• EPI 2025 Ranking: #20

English is commonly used in tourism, hospitality, retail, and an increasing number of academic programs. Younger generations speak English fluently, and many urban professionals use it daily in workplace settings.

Top English-Speaking Cities in Greece:

• Athens
  
  
• Thessaloniki
  
  
• Heraklion
  
  
• Patras

Greece offers a warm climate, strong family-oriented culture, high safety levels, and a relatively low cost of living compared to Western Europe.

The country's Greece Golden Visa remains one of the most accessible Residency by Investment programs in Europe, with entry points beginning at €250,000 in certain areas and increasing across the country.

The program provides long-term stability, EU mobility advantages, and a clear path to establishing residency in a culturally rich and welcoming nation.

Denmark

As a country with strong healthcare and education policies, it should surprise no one that Denmark made the list. Danish may be the official language, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a single Dane that doesn’t speak English at the conversational level.

• EPI 2025 Ranking: #7

English is used in universities, multinational companies, and government institutions. Many master’s and bachelor’s programs are available in English, attracting a global student population.

Top English-Speaking Cities in Denmark:

• Copenhagen
  
  
• Aarhus
  
  
• Odense
  
  
• Aalborg

Denmark scores extremely high on global safety, healthcare, work-life balance, and environmental quality. Although the cost of living is high, the country offers long-term stability and excellent public services.

Residency options exist through employment and study routes, not via investment.

Hungary

Hungary may not be a country you’d expect to find on this list, but its rapidly growing English proficiency makes it a rising destination for expats, especially when you combine it with the county’s attractive Golden Visa.

Budapest is highly international, and most young professionals speak English confidently.

• EPI 2025 Ranking: #22

Hungary recently launched a revamped Golden Visa, allowing residency through real estate funds investment from €500,000. The program provides a strategic EU foothold with a straightforward structure.

Cyprus

English is an unofficial language in Cyprus, due to the long historic ties between the country to the United Kingdom. English is used extensively in business, real estate, banking, and tourism. Many locals, especially in urban areas, are bilingual or trilingual.

English-language private schools, universities, and public services are common, making daily communication straightforward for expats.

• EPI Ranking: #40

Top English-Speaking Cities in Cyprus:

• Nicosia
  
  
• Limassol
  
  
• Larnaca
  
  
• Paphos

Cyprus offers a high quality of life, warm climate, low crime levels, and a strong expat community.

The Cyprus Golden Visa allows residency through real estate investment starting at €300,000 and provides a straightforward route to long-term residence in the European Union.

While not yet in the Schengen Zone, future accession is expected to further enhance mobility benefits.

Malta

Malta sneaks into this list, even though it’s not featured in the English Proficiency Index, which makes sense, since English is an officially recognized language.

Malta offers native-level English comfort combined with safety, strong healthcare, and warm Mediterranean living.

Malta also provides an extremely exclusive property-based permanent residence program, allowing you to invest in real estate starting at €375,000.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) admittedly ranks significantly lower than most other countries on this list, ranking in the “Low Proficiency” tier.

However, you'll be hard-pressed to actually find someone that doesn't speak English in the UAE, as it's the default language of business.

With nearly 90 percent of the population composed of expatriates, everyday life is conducted in English. 

The native Emirati population and the large expat communities that have taken up Residency in the UAE, on the other hand, tend to be extremely fluent in English and use it on a daily basis for communication.

Information on the country’s Residency programs and Visas is also readily available in English. 

Though the United Arab Emirates demands the vast majority of people to hold a job in order to move to the country, which is obtained via a visa sponsored by an Emirati company, the country has a self-sponsored UAE Golden Visa option.

This program in particular enables real estate investors to acquire property in the UAE and enjoy Residency status in the country for 10 years. 

Qatar

Qatar, in the same vein as the UAE, also ranks in the “Low Proficiency.”

However, this is not to be taken literally, as the same that occurs in the UAE basically applies to Qatar as well.

Native Qatari and expat communities, on the other hand, tend to resort to English alone for communication.

Despite Arabic being the country’s only officially recognized language, English is virtually the country’s lingua franca, as business and tourism is typically conducted in the language. 

Qatar has a program akin to a self-sponsored Golden Visa, composed of two Real Estate options, one which leads to Temporary Residency and the other to Permanent Residency at USD $200,000 and $1 million, respectively.

While the temporary residency lasts only for 1 year, the permanent residency option must only be renewed every 5 years. 

How Investment Visa Can Help You

Investment Visa combines industry expertise, transparent communication, and thoroughly vetted investment opportunities to deliver secure residency outcomes.

We always endeavor to provide clarity in a complex global landscape and maintain strict standards across all programs.

For English-speaking expats, moving abroad is significantly easier when the destination offers high English proficiency, and this is where our guidance becomes invaluable.

We specialise in relocation pathways to the world’s most English-friendly countries, offering regulated solutions such as the Portugal Golden Visa, the Greece Golden Visa, the Hungary Golden Visa, Malta’s residency program, Cyprus’ Golden Visa, and many more.

We handle all documentation, legal coordination, and due diligence so you can relocate with confidence and communicate effortlessly from day one.