Guide to Expat Dating in London
Dating for expats in London, be it for the long term single or the newly single, can seem a little daunting – especially if you’re from a country where the culture and ways of doing things are somewhat different.
The first thing to decide is the kind of person you actually want to date. For instance, are you happy to meet people of all nationalities, or perhaps you’d like to date a British national?
Would you prefer to meet someone from home, or from the same religion and beliefs as you? Are you straight or gay?
Do you want to try out online dating or do you want to meet someone in a more traditional manner?
As you can see, there are loads of questions to work out even before you dip your toe in the dating in London pool…
Online Dating
There, we’ve said it! The ‘online’ dating word… like it or loathe it, meeting potential dates online is here to stay. In London, it’s actually the most popular way for two people to hook up.
But don’t worry. If Tinder isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other options to choose from. Expatica Dating London is a website specifically set up for those looking to connect with other expats.
I Love Your Accent is a dating website specifically for Americans and Brits (although we’re pretty sure that they’re not going to stop you from signing up if you’re from a different country).
If you’re happy to jump into the mire with everyone else, not just expats, then there are loads of different online dating sites.
Some of the biggest include Match.com and E Harmony. For gay relationships, check out UK Gay Partnership.
But what if you’re not looking to start dating online? What other options are there for expats in London to meet people?
Speed Dating
Speed dating is not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. For those who are not yet familiar, this is basically an event where you get a short amount of time (generally about 5 minutes) to chat to other people.
After that time you place a tick or a cross in the box next to their name. At the end, all the couples who have ticked each other are told, and then it’s up to you to decide if you want to take things further and go out on a ‘real’ date.
Many speed-dating events take place in London every day. Check out Date in a Dash and Speed Dater for a couple of examples. There are some expat specific speed date options as well.
Antipodate is one such example (as the name suggests, this is generally for Aussies, Kiwis and South Africans). Original Dating also offers speed dating for expats too.
Meet Up
Meet Up is a website where anyone can join a group of other like minded people in pretty much any genre you can think of, and that includes expat dating.
For example, there’s an expats singles club that currently (as of January 2016), has a membership of 446 people.
There’s also a ‘Greek, Sexy and Single’ club, a ‘Highly Qualified Indian Singles’ club, ‘Indian Dating London’ and ‘French Girls in London’, amongst others.
The good thing about Meet Up groups is that you’re simply going along to a social event, not signing up for a one to one date with someone you’ve never met.
The Old Fashioned Way…
Of course, dating as an expat in London can always be carried out the old fashioned way – simply by connecting with people you meet in your everyday life.
Feel free to utilise friends and colleagues – there’s nothing wrong at all with people introducing you to people they feel you may well be interested in.
Don’t forget to accept every single invitation (yes, even those after work drinks when you’re absolutely shattered and have survived the day on only a couple of hours sleep and all you really want to do is hit the sack).
You never know when a dating opportunity might present itself.
Cultural Barriers
Of course, as we briefly mentioned above, there may well be some cultural differences with dating in London as opposed to back home. We’re all shaped by our upbringing, and every country has different ways of doing things.
Those coming from the US might find the Brits a little ‘slow’ or backward in coming forwards, whereas those hailing from Asian countries might find the British too forward or full on.
The thing about dating is to approach it with a degree of common sense. If you like someone, and if they like you, that should well include a degree of respect.
If your way of doing things is different from that of your prospective partner, then speak up. If they really do like you, then they’ll respect your wishes. If they don’t, it’s time to move on.
The best way to date is to simply get out there and meet people. If you regard everyone you meet as a possible date then you’re setting yourself up for a big disappointment.
In exactly the same way as back home, meeting that special someone is something that can very rarely be engineered. When you’re in a different country to your own, successful dating can sometimes feel even more of a challenge.
The best advice for any single expats in London is to get out there and enjoy yourself.
Whether you choose to go speed dating, use online dating, join a Meet Up (or similar) club, or simply go the traditional route and trust to Lady Luck, the whole thing is that you should have fun.
No matter where you might be in the world, if you set your goal on finding a partner no matter what, you’ll probably be missing out on having a whole load of fun along the way.
So chill, relax, accept that in London (and indeed all of the UK) things might be a little different on the dating scene than back home, and most of all, enjoy. Good luck…