The short answer: how to meet other expats depends on what you want from them. For a fast first circle, go to an InterNations event (free Basic membership) and a weekly Meetup group in your first fortnight. For deeper friendships, pick one channel that repeats every week: a language exchange, a sports club, a run crew or a class. Facebook and WhatsApp groups are great for discovering events but rarely for friendships on their own. And whatever you choose, the trick is the same: go back to the same people, then suggest a small plan.
The first time I moved abroad, I joined everything: three apps, five Facebook groups, two networking events. I had a busy calendar and, after a month, no friends. The second time, I picked two things and went every week. By week six I had people to call. This guide compares the twelve channels expats in European cities actually use, with honest notes on cost, who you will meet and how the meetups really work, so you can choose two and commit. Where an app or club does not publish a clear price, I say so rather than guess.
How to meet other expats: 12 channels compared
Here is the overview. Details for each channel follow below. Costs were checked on official pages or app-store listings in October 2026.
| Channel | Best for | Cost | How meetings happen |
|---|---|---|---|
| InterNations | Meeting many internationals fast | Free Basic membership; paid Premium (UK App Store: £59.99 for 3 months, £129.99 for 12 months) | Official events plus member-run activity groups |
| Meetup | Recurring hobby groups | Free to join; some events charge a small fee | Organisers post events; you RSVP and turn up |
| BFF (formerly Bumble For Friends) | One-to-one friend matching | Free to download | Match, chat, meet; the relaunched BFF app adds a Groups tab (in the UK, Ireland and Germany the App Store still lists Bumble For Friends) |
| Facebook groups | Finding events and practical advice | Free | Posts about events, questions, occasional meetups |
| WhatsApp and Telegram groups | Spontaneous plans with a known crowd | Free | Someone suggests a plan; whoever is free goes |
| Couchsurfing | Travellers and nomads | Paid membership required (price set in the app) | Hangouts and local events |
| Language exchanges | Mixing with locals and expats | Often free (buy a drink) or a few euros | Weekly bar or café nights |
| Sports clubs and run crews | Regular contact, sober socialising | Crews often free; clubs charge membership | Weekly training plus social events |
| Coworking spaces | Remote workers | Day passes from about €20–€25 in many cities | Shared lunches, members’ events |
| Courses and classes | A group in the same situation | Varies | Same people every week for a term |
| Volunteering | Meaningful contact, often with locals | Free | Regular shifts or one-off missions |
| Nationality clubs, churches and alumni groups | Feeling at home early | Usually free or a small fee | Regular gatherings and events |
Expat platforms and apps
1. InterNations
InterNations is the best-known expat network. Founded in Munich, it says it is present in 420 cities worldwide. You can create a free account and attend official events; the paid Premium membership mainly adds cheaper or free entry to official events and access to more member-run activity groups. On the UK App Store in October 2026, Premium was listed at £59.99 for three months or £129.99 for twelve, and subscriptions bought through the App Store renew automatically unless you cancel. Prices vary by country and channel, so check before you pay.
Who you will meet: professionals in their late twenties to fifties who have moved for work or with a partner. How it feels: a large, friendly mixer where everyone is new and open to talking. The catch: big events are good for meeting many people once, less good for seeing the same faces. Use activity groups (hiking, dinners, book clubs) for repeat contact. We look at the pros and cons in more detail in our guide to the best apps to make friends abroad, and our honest review asks whether InterNations is worth it.
2. Meetup
Meetup is built around groups that meet repeatedly, which is exactly what friendship needs. Joining and RSVPing is free for members; some organisers charge a small fee for particular events, shown on the event page. Search for a hobby rather than for “expats”: a hiking group, board-game night or language exchange gives you more to talk about than a generic mixer. Check that a group has held events in the last month before relying on it.
3. BFF (formerly Bumble For Friends)
Bumble’s friendship app was relaunched as BFF in September 2025, rebuilt on Geneva, a community app Bumble had acquired. It keeps one-to-one matching and adds a Groups tab for community chats and events. It is free to download. One regional catch: when I checked Apple’s App Store in October 2026, the new BFF app was listed in the US store, while the UK, Irish and German stores still listed the older Bumble For Friends app (last updated in September 2025), so what you can download depends on your country. It suits people who find big events draining and prefer meeting one person over coffee. Activity varies by city, so give it a few weeks and move quickly from chatting to a short, specific meeting in a public place.
4. Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is best known for free hosting, but its Hangouts and local events are a way to meet travellers and residents. Since 2020 it has required a paid membership to use the platform, which thinned out the community in some cities; check activity in yours before paying.
Groups and chats
5. Facebook groups
Almost every European city has several Facebook groups for expats, often by nationality, by neighbourhood or by interest (parents, runners, women in tech). They are excellent for practical questions and for discovering events. They are poor at producing friendships on their own, because posts scroll past and nobody sees the same people twice. Use them to find a recurring event, then go.
6. WhatsApp and Telegram groups
Many communities live in group chats: a run crew’s WhatsApp, a language exchange’s Telegram, a “new in town” chat. Once you are in a good one, plans appear constantly. The best way in is through a real-world group: ask the organiser at an event whether there is a chat. Be careful with large open chats: your phone number may be visible to everyone, and scams circulate. Never send money or personal documents to someone you only know from a group.
7. Nationality clubs, churches and alumni groups
Your embassy, university alumni network or an English-language church may run regular gatherings. They are a comforting first step and useful for practical advice. Most church social groups welcome people regardless of faith. Just remember that if all your friends are from home, you may miss the city around you.
Activity-based channels
8. Language exchanges
Language exchanges mix expats with locals who want to practise your language, usually weekly in a bar or café, often free or a few euros. They are one of the best channels because they repeat and because everyone has a reason to talk. A one-to-one tandem with someone you click with is even better; see our guide to finding a tandem partner in person.
9. Sports clubs and run crews
Run crews, climbing gyms, football and volleyball teams and traditional sports clubs give you the same people every week and a shared activity, which takes the pressure off conversation. Crews are often free; clubs charge membership. In Berlin, for example, the Saturday parkrun and free weekly crew runs are a classic way in; our guide to running clubs in Berlin shows how this works.
10. Coworking spaces
If you work remotely, a coworking space with a shared kitchen and regular events is one of the easiest places to meet other internationals. Day passes in many European cities start around €20–€25. Pick a space for its community, not just its Wi-Fi.
11. Courses and classes
A language course, dance class or cooking course puts you with the same group every week for a term. Classmates in a language course are often in exactly your situation, which makes it a fast route to friendship.
12. Volunteering
Volunteering connects you with people who share a value, often including locals. Many cities have national or city platforms that list roles; international organisations welcome volunteers who speak English. Regular shifts with the same team work better than one-off events.
Which to try first: a decision box
Pros and cons at a glance
| Channel | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| InterNations | Everyone is open to meeting new people | Big events rarely repeat the same faces |
| Meetup | Recurring groups around interests | Quality varies; some groups are inactive |
| BFF | One-to-one, low pressure | Chat can stall; activity varies by city |
| Facebook and WhatsApp | Fast information, many events | Rarely creates friendships alone; privacy risks |
| Language exchanges | Mix of locals and expats, weekly | Bar-based, can be loud |
| Clubs and crews | Same people every week, shared activity | Clubs can take time to feel welcoming |
How to turn a first meeting into a friendship
- Go back. The second and third time you see someone matter more than the first.
- Remember one detail and ask about it next time.
- Swap contacts once you have met twice.
- Suggest something specific within a week: a coffee, a market, a walk, with a day and a place.
- Host something small after a month: a picnic or dinner for three to five people.
For a full step-by-step version, see our four-week plan on how to make friends abroad.
Avoiding the expat bubble
Meeting other expats is a great first step: they understand what you are going through and are actively looking for friends. But if every friend you have is another newcomer, two things can happen. First, people leave, and your circle can shrink suddenly. Second, you may never feel at home in the city itself. The fix is not to avoid expats; it is to add at least one channel where locals go, such as a sports club, a choir or a volunteer team. Our guide to making friends with locals abroad has scripts and steps.
Safety when meeting people from apps and groups
Meet in a public place for the first time, tell a friend where you are going, arrange your own way home and leave if anything feels off. Keep your address private until you know someone, and be wary of anyone who asks for money or moves the conversation off the platform too quickly.
Where does MeetNow fit? It is our own app, built around plans rather than profiles. It is live on the web now, starting in Malta, and the iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins. It is live on the web now, starting in Malta, with the phone apps on the way: open MeetNow and see the plans near you.
FAQ: how to meet other expats
What is the best way to meet other expats?
Combine one fast channel with one that repeats. An InterNations event or Meetup group gets you a few names quickly; a weekly language exchange, sports club or class turns those names into friends because you see the same people again.
Is InterNations free?
You can join InterNations with a free Basic membership and attend official events. The paid Premium membership adds benefits such as cheaper event entry and more activity groups; in October 2026 the UK App Store listed it at £59.99 for three months or £129.99 for twelve.
Are Facebook groups good for meeting expats?
They are good for finding events and getting practical advice, but rarely create friendships on their own. Use them to discover recurring meetups, then go in person.
How do I meet other expats if I’m an introvert?
Choose small, activity-based groups (board games, hiking, climbing) where there is something to do besides talk, or use a one-to-one app such as BFF to meet one person at a time over coffee.
Should I only make friends with other expats?
Expat friends are a great start, but add at least one channel where locals go, such as a sports club or volunteer team. It protects your social life when expat friends move on and helps you feel at home in the city.
Is Meetup free?
Joining Meetup and RSVPing to most groups is free for members. Some organisers charge a small fee for particular events to cover costs, shown on the event page.
Prices and features last checked October 2026.
