You've had the holiday - now you want the job - but working abroad requires a different mindset and a careful study of the rules and regulations.

We're going, going, gone at such a rate that the thousands of English people becoming expats can't all be retired. In fact more of us are packing up and heading abroad for a completely new life - we're talking homes, schools and jobs.

And it is the job that is the interesting one. The Internet has made communications so much better that it is possible to be in the office anywhere in the world. And then there's the EU. That has made living and working abroad simpler. But is the grasser really greener on the other side?

Spain easily beats its nearest rivals to be the most popular destination for the British to move to according to research by Barclays. Their survey of over 25,000 expatriates found that over 15 per cent of Britons moving abroad in 2004 went to Spain with the US, France and Australia in second place with 11 per cent each.

SPAIN

Check the market to make sure there is a demand for the product or service you are going to provide. Once you have convinced yourself of the viability of your new business, you can get started.

Step one, no matter what you decide to do is to visit the national police station and apply for an NIE number. This is simply an identification number for foreigners and is mainly for tax purposes. Simply take along your passport and complete a simple form.

In Spain there are two levels at which a business must be registered. At local level you need to register your business with the town hall and obtain an opening licence Licencia de Apertura. It will define your business and the way in which it will trade.

At national level you will register with the IVA office. This is the equivalent of the Inland Revenue.

The next step would be to decide on the format of your business, similar to in the UK with plc and Ltd companies. You will need expert advice as to which type best suits the business.

© Alexandru Florescu/istockphoto.com

ITALYIt is those dreams of olive growing and Tuscan hills that have been the inspiration as scores of Britons have headed for Italy looking for the good life.

Many have plunged into romantic new pursuits far removed from the boring office jobs they had at home but the stark truth is that there are too many like-minded people trying to get an increasingly small corner of a shrinking market. Incomers can earn enough to cover living expenses but there is little left over.

Working in a shop or café, if you can find a position, is worth a measly four euros an hour. Nor is the dream of picking and pressing olives particularly profitable.

A quintali - 100kg/220lb - of olives can be sold to the olive mill for 130 euros. At that rate, someone with 300-400 trees will make only about £3,000 a year.

There are more job opportunities in the north of Italy, the country's commercial and industrial hub, but most expats do not want to live there.

GREECE

Before you even start to contemplate working in Greece you'll need a good lawyer and a good accountant. Once you have these two things the rest is fairly straightforward.

If you are working with food, you will need a Health Book and to get it you will need to undergo certain medical checks. The Greek Authorities are not known for giving warnings out, if you break the law in any way you will be fined.

AUSTRALIA

If you are between 18-30 Australia is relatively welcoming and straightforward for a gap year. However, you still need the right sort of visa and there are quite strict rules about what you can do and how long you can work.

For a working holiday the starting point is Form 1150, the application to participate in the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) programme. You can download it as a PDF document from the Australian High Commission - Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs ?? website. Make sure you have been granted a work visa before you travel.

To work full time stricter checks are made and your skills have to be wanted in Australia.

USA

The E visa category is an extremely useful means by which individuals from Britain can remain in the United States for an indefinite period due to them having made an investment in a US-based business.

Their spouses and children under the age of 21 are also permitted to remain in America and attend school. Under recently approved law changes the spouse of the principal investor can also obtain work authorisation during this period.

E2 status is available for those who wish to purchase an existing business and for those who wish to start-up a new business. There is no restriction on the type of business that may be used.

There is no absolute test in determining whether or not an investment is 'substantial'. Although the oft-cited benchmark of $100,000 is mentioned.

CASE STUDY

David Harrison and his partner Peri Eagleton produce the well-known brand of Seggiano food products from their 10-acre olive farm in Tuscany.

They started the business 11 years ago and their olive oil is now a premium Italian brand in the UK. They also supply other products, including unfiltered honey, pecorino cheese, pasta and preserved roast artichokes and peppers.

"We were lucky," said Harrison. "We started our business at a time when the British public had developed a taste for olive oils and good, organic produce. The market was ready for us and we bottled and labelled everything ourselves and cut out the middle man."

The company now employs four people at the office in London and has a range of suppliers in the area of Seggiano, near Monte Amiata.

Harrison says he is "a bit of an ex-hippy" who first went to Italy 25 years ago, but he is not a full-time resident. He also has a home in Tufnell Park, London.

"Italy is a lot more expensive now because of the introduction of the euro," he says.