7 countries that will pay you to move there

We all dream about starting fresh in a scenic foreign land—eating strange breads, learning to make local hand gestures incorrectly, maybe adopting a goat. But before you book that one-way flight, be warned: these countries will pay you to move there… if you meet some very unusual demands first.

1. Iceland — Must Legally Marry a Glacier

Iceland’s beautiful but shrinking glaciers are lonely and depressed, and the government is concerned. In an effort to “stabilize the emotional ecosystem,” Iceland will pay you $12,000 to relocate, but you must first legally wed a glacier of your choosing. Ceremonies are conducted by municipal ice priests, and annulments are strictly forbidden unless your glacier “melts or slides into the ocean of its own free will.”

2. Portugal — Must Live Inside a Giant Sardine Can for 90 Days

Portugal is desperate to revive its coastal fishing towns but also honor its “preserved fish heritage.” Move there, and they’ll hand you €8,000—after you spend three months living inside a life-sized sardine can replica. Amenities include a tiny bunk bed, a saltwater mister for ambiance, and endless arguments with local gulls.

3. Finland — Must Win a National Sauna Sitting Contest

Finland will gladly pay adventurous souls €10,000 to boost the population of its rural areas, but you must first survive the National Sauna Sitting Contest: 14 hours, 110 degrees Celsius, and mandatory hot broth sipping every 20 minutes. Contestants must sign a waiver agreeing to “emerge spiritually transformed or physically stewed.”

4. Italy — Must Successfully Operate a Gondola in a Town With No Water

Italy’s latest relocation scheme offers €15,000 to foreigners willing to move into crumbling ghost towns. However, the new rule states that applicants must “demonstrate aquatic grace” by operating a gondola… through a town with no canals, lakes, or puddles. You will need to drag the boat down cobblestone alleys while singing romantic ballads to confused old men smoking on their stoops.

5. Japan — Must Perform in a Competitive Sumo Baby Crying Contest

In Japan’s rural prefectures, authorities will pay ¥500,000 (about $3,200 USD) if you move there and immediately participate in a Sumo Baby Crying Contest. The rules? You dress as a sumo wrestler and attempt to make local toddlers cry faster than the reigning Baby Whisperer Champion, a tiny grandma named Miko who hasn’t lost since 1979.

6. Greece — Must Herd at Least 17 Disobedient Goats Across a Busy Roundabout

Greece wants to rejuvenate its beautiful (but sheep-depleted) mountain villages. Move there, and they’ll give you €7,500 once you prove your “pastoral worthiness” by successfully herding 17 extremely uncooperative goats across a six-lane roundabout at rush hour. Bonus points if you can prevent at least one goat from eating a taxi.

7. Canada — Must Apologize to a Moose in Three Different Official Languages

Some of Canada’s more remote provinces are begging for residents, offering CAD $20,000 grants. But to qualify, you must first track down a wild moose, sincerely apologize for any historical injustices committed against its ancestors, and deliver your apology in English, French, and the secret third official language, “Mumbled Hockey Commentator.”