Best Countries to Move to With Kids in 2026

There are two parts to a family move. The country has to suit your children, and the visa has to cover all of you. This guide ranks the first using the scores behind every Transita country guide, then lists the routes built for families.

Countries Ranked for Families

The family score is the plain average of three Transita country scores, each out of 100: healthcare, safety and cost of living (higher means more affordable). Years to citizenship are the parent's clock, in total years of residence from arrival. Rules for naturalising children differ by country. All scores are editorial estimates. Healthcare follows the WHO idea of universal coverage (care when you need it without financial hardship). Safety reflects crime indices and how safe newcomers feel day to day.

Country	Family score	Healthcare	Safety	Cost of living	Years to citizenship
Portugal	86	88	92	78	5
Spain	84	95	86	72	10
Germany	81	92	82	68	8
Canada	80	90	88	62	5
United Arab Emirates	78	80	95	60	30
Netherlands	77	92	90	50	5
Italy	75	85	78	62	10
Thailand	75	75	70	80	8
Australia	73	88	84	48	6
New Zealand	73	78	92	48	5
France	72	90	80	45	5
United Kingdom	69	85	78	45	6
Singapore	68	90	98	15	4
Switzerland	66	92	95	10	10
Ireland	63	65	88	35	5
United States	41	38	52	32	11

What is the best country to move to with kids?

Portugal leads on the combined score at 86 out of 100, with Spain close behind at 84. If cost matters less to you than care, sort by the healthcare column instead: that puts Spain first.

Healthcare Access for Expat Families

Healthcare is often the deciding factor for families. Here the destinations are ordered by it alone. A high score describes the system, not how fast a newcomer joins it: some countries cover residents from arrival, others expect private insurance or social contributions first, and that is set by your visa.

Country	Healthcare score	Safety score
Spain	95	86
Germany	92	82
Netherlands	92	90
Switzerland	92	95
Canada	90	88
France	90	80
Singapore	90	98
Australia	88	84
Portugal	88	92
Italy	85	78
United Kingdom	85	78
United Arab Emirates	80	95
New Zealand	78	92
Thailand	75	70
Ireland	65	88
United States	38	52

Insurance is part of the application for several routes, so budget for it from day one. For city-level detail, see the healthcare city ranking. For healthcare alone, see the expat healthcare ranking; if budget is the constraint, the affordable healthcare guide weighs care against cost of living.

Visa Routes Suited to Families

These are the routes in our data tagged as suited to relocating a family, open to any nationality. Routes that are permanent on grant come first, because the whole family arrives with settled status and no employer tie.

#	Programme	Permanent residence	Processing	Job offer
1	Straight to ResidenceNew Zealand	Permanent on grant	1–3 months	Required
2	Atlantic Immigration ProgramCanada	Permanent on grant	6–12 months	Required
3	Express Entry: Federal Skilled WorkerCanada	Permanent on grant	6–12 months	Not required
4	Skilled Migrant CategoryNew Zealand	Permanent on grant	1–18 months	Not required
5	Skilled Independent (subclass 189)Australia	Permanent on grant	6–18 months	Not required
6	Skilled Nominated (subclass 190)Australia	Permanent on grant	9–18 months	Not required
7	EB-3 Skilled Worker (Green Card)United States	Permanent on grant	18–60 months	Required
8	Critical Skills Employment PermitIreland	About 2 years	2–4 months	Required
9	BC PNP Tech PilotCanada	About 2 years	2–5 months	Required
10	Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program: Tech DrawCanada	About 2 years	3–6 months	Not required
11	Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee ProgramCanada	About 2 years	4–8 months	Not required
12	Alberta Advantage Immigration ProgramCanada	About 2 years	6–12 months	Not required
13	Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491)Australia	About 3 years	6–18 months	Not required
14	Québec Skilled Worker ProgramCanada	About 3 years	12–24 months	Not required
15	Elective Residence VisaItaly	About 5 years	1–3 months	Not required
16	Non-Lucrative VisaSpain	About 5 years	1–3 months	Not required
17	Health and Care Worker VisaUnited Kingdom	About 5 years	1–3 months	Required
18	D7 Passive Income VisaPortugal	About 5 years	2–6 months	Not required

Schools: The Best Family Cities

School quality is decided city by city, not country by country. Transita's city family score combines public school quality, parks and outdoor space, family-housing affordability and safety. These are the highest-scoring cities.

City	Country	Family score	Safety	Healthcare
Munich	DE	92	95	92
Edinburgh	UK	90	88	85
Melbourne	AU	90	88	90
Sydney	AU	90	90	90
Brisbane	AU	88	88	90
Gold Coast	AU	88	85	85
Montreal	CA	88	88	85
Porto	PT	88	90	80

Every city and the method are on the family city ranking.

The language question decides the school question

In English-speaking destinations your children can go straight into public school. Elsewhere, public school is taught in the local language. Younger children often cope with that, while families with teenagers more often choose an international school, which charges fees you need to budget for.

School-Age Children

For school-age children, timing matters more than the visa. School years do not start at the same time everywhere, so plan the move around the enrolment window in your destination rather than the visa decision date. Public schooling for resident children is the norm, but enrolment rules and any fees for temporary residents vary by country and region, so confirm them with the local education authority before you sign a lease.

If Your Family Is Joining Someone Already Abroad

If one of you already lives in the destination as a citizen or permanent resident, the family sponsorship routes apply instead. Those are compared on our family relocation page, including spouse, partner and child visas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best country to move to with kids?

On Transita's healthcare, safety and cost-of-living scores averaged together, Portugal ranks first (86 out of 100), followed by Spain (84). The right answer also depends on which visa your family can get.

Which country has the best healthcare access for expat families?

Spain has the highest healthcare score in Transita's data, at 95 out of 100. How quickly a newcomer gets covered depends on the visa and, in some countries, on paying into the system or holding private insurance at first.

Can my children attend public school as expats?

Enrolment rules are set nationally and usually depend on your family's legal residence, so check with the local education authority for the city you move to. Language of instruction is often the bigger question: outside English-speaking countries, public school is taught in the local language, and international schools charge fees.

Which city is best for raising kids abroad?

Munich has the highest family score in Transita's city rankings, at 92 out of 100. The family score combines public school quality, parks and outdoor space, family-housing affordability and safety.

Do family members get healthcare when I move on a work visa?

Dependants on a work visa usually join the same public or insurance-based system as the main applicant once registered. Some visas require private cover for the whole family at application, so budget for it until registration is complete.

Can my children come with me on a work visa?

On most skilled and residence routes, yes: a spouse and dependent children can usually apply as dependants of the main applicant. The conditions (proof of funds, housing, health insurance) are set route by route.

How long until my children can become citizens?

Children's rules differ by country, but the parent's residence clock is the usual reference point. In the registry, the shortest total timeline to citizenship eligibility is 4 years and the longest is 30 years of residence from arrival.

Which visas are best for families?

Routes that grant permanent residence on approval are the simplest for families, because everyone arrives with settled status. Points-based routes in Canada, Australia and New Zealand are the main examples.

Are these scores official rankings?

No. They are Transita's editorial estimates (0 to 100) built from public indicators. Use them to narrow a shortlist, then check official school, health and crime data for the specific city you are considering.

Related guides

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official sources: STR · immigration.govt.nz·AIP · canada.ca·FSWP · canada.ca·FSWP success-rate data · canada.ca·SMC · immigration.govt.nz·SC 189 · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au·SC 189 success-rate data · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au·SC 190 · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au·EB-3 · uscis.gov·CSEP · enterprise.gov.ie·BC PNP Tech · welcomebc.ca·OINP Tech · ontario.ca

Best Countries to Move to With Kids in 2026: Schools, Healthcare, Safety and Visas