8 Christmas Gift Ideas for Expats Away From Home
For a lot of expats, Christmas is the day the distance feels the most real. Everyone back home is together, and you're on a video call trying to feel close to a table you're not sitting at.
You can't close that gap completely. But the right gift can make the day feel a little less far away — whether you're shopping for someone who moved abroad, or you're the one far from home and want to give your own holiday season a bit of that feeling back. Here are eight ideas that actually help.
1. A custom artwork that combines home and here
A single piece showing both the city they grew up in and the city they live in now is the kind of gift that turns a house into somewhere that holds both parts of their story. It's especially meaningful to unwrap at Christmas, when missing home tends to hit hardest. You choose the two cities, see a free digital preview before it's printed, and can request unlimited adjustments until it's right. Create Your Artwork
2. A personalised two-location poster set
A matching pair of prints, one for each city, works the same way spread across two frames instead of one. It's a good option if they'd rather hang their old home and new home as two separate pieces, or if they want one to keep and one to send back home as a gift in return. See Personalised Poster Sets
New: A Two City Landscape Canvas
A softer alternative to the artwork above. Instead of a skyline, home and here are blended into one flowing landscape, connected by the rivers and waterways that run through them — a quieter piece for someone who wants a gentler reminder of both places this Christmas. Same process: choose the two cities, get a free digital preview, and request changes before it's printed.
See the Two City Landscape Canvas
3. A care package with real tastes of home
Snacks, sauces, sweets, or a specific brand of tea or coffee that isn't easy to find where they live now can mean more than almost anything else under the tree. Order it early enough that it arrives before the day, so opening it becomes part of their actual Christmas morning rather than something that turns up in January.
4. A planned family video call, not just a call
Set an actual time, adjusted for both time zones, so it's a fixed point in the day rather than something everyone tries to squeeze in. Some families open one gift together on the call, or cook the same dish at the same time. Having it planned in advance makes it feel like part of the day instead of an afterthought.
5. A recipe card or cookbook of dishes from home
If a family recipe is part of what makes Christmas feel like Christmas, having it written down (or a full small cookbook of holiday dishes from home) lets them recreate that meal wherever they are. It's a gift that keeps being useful every year, not just this one.
6. An ornament that represents both places
A small, specific detail — an ornament from their home country next to one from where they live now — is an easy way to make their first tree abroad feel a little more like the ones they grew up with. Simple, but it's something they'll likely hang again every year.
7. A memory book from the people they miss
A collaborative book of messages, photos, or memories from family and friends back home is one of the few gifts that can't be bought where they live now. It also works well as something the sender puts together rather than something they buy, which makes it a good option if others in the family want to contribute too.
8. A flight home, or a deposit toward one
If it's possible, nothing closes the distance like actually being there. A flight, or even contributing toward the cost of their next trip home, is often the gift an expat wants most — even if it's not something that gets wrapped and opened on the day.
Why the holidays hit differently when you live abroad
Christmas is built around routines — the same food, the same people, the same rooms. When you're doing it differently, or doing it alone, it's normal for the day to feel heavier than it does the rest of the year. That's not something a gift fixes on its own, but a thoughtful one can make the day feel a little more like it still includes you.
Final thoughts
None of these ideas bring someone all the way home for Christmas. What they can do is make the distance feel a little smaller for one day — something to unwrap, something that tastes familiar, or a call that's actually been planned for. Pick whichever fits how your family already stays close, and let the day be what it is.
Looking for gift ideas beyond the holidays? Read our guide to gifts for expats who miss home, or if they've just made the move, our guide to gifts for someone moving abroad.
FAQ: Christmas gifts for expats
What's a good Christmas gift for someone living abroad? Gifts that connect their old home and their new one tend to mean the most — a custom two-city artwork, a care package of foods they can't easily get where they live now, or a planned family video call all work well, depending on whether you're after something to unwrap or something to do together.
What should I send an expat for Christmas who can't come home? A care package with familiar tastes from home, sent early enough to arrive before the day, is one of the most appreciated options. Pairing it with something more lasting, like a custom artwork of both their cities, covers the moment and the year-round reminder.
How can expats celebrate Christmas away from family? Planning a specific call time in advance, recreating a family recipe, and adding one small tradition from home — an ornament, a dish, a film — all help the day feel less like it's happening without them.
Can I personalise a gift with both their home country and where they live now? Yes — with a custom TwinCity artwork or poster set, you choose both cities, whether that's where they grew up and where they've settled, and you'll see a free digital preview before anything is printed.
Is it better to send a gift ahead of Christmas or wait until they're home to give it? If they won't be travelling home for the holidays, sending it ahead so it arrives before the day usually means more — it becomes part of their actual Christmas rather than something that arrives late.
Looking for more ideas? Browse the full TwinCity Gift Guide, organized by situation.
