Once: The Top International Dating App for Finding Love Abroad

Once: The Top International Dating App for Finding Love Abroad

All you need to start is an international dating site and an internet connection.

If you’re not sure how that works, the benefits of international dating, its potential downsides, and the first steps on the website, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading to find all the nuances and intricacies of dating online and internationally. Let’s go!

Why is international dating more popular than ever? 

It feels like everyone around is either dating someone from abroad or considering doing that in the nearest future. 

What’s all the buzz about?

Well, international dating has really been picking up in the past couple of decades, and there are several reasons why we see that happen:

• Democratization of traveling means more people can drive, take a train, or fly to a different country regularly without it bankrupting them.
• Technology progress paired with the internet spreading and lowering costs of smartphones allowed millions of people to go online and look for love there. 
• Globalization changed the way we perceive unfamiliar cultures and other nations. We’re all connected in so many ways that international couples are bound to go up in numbers.

International dating has always existed, but it was often reserved for the selected few who spoke foreign languages, had the opportunity to travel, and were open-minded to dating people of other cultures. It is still true to some extent, but technology changed that in many fundamental ways. 

The abundance of good international dating sites, messengers and video call platforms to communicate with, translation tools, and even remote gifting services, – all that made dating with a foreigner much smoother. The entry barrier is very low, and you don’t feel like you’re doing work trying to chat with someone and build a genuine connection. It’s easy, it’s fun, and the stream of new potential lovers is endless. 

Should you find someone you really connect with, you can meet them relatively easily too. Okay, maybe a flight from Alaska to Peru, or Germany to Sydney, would cost a lot, but overall, you can plan for those things, buy tickets in advance, and see each other in person (relatively) without breaking the bank. Even 40 years ago, that would have been much more difficult. 

Thanks to trade among the countries, the internet that’s bringing us together, the Hollywood that makes it feel like we’ve all grown up watching the same movies, and other perks of globalization, you feel so much closer to people from different countries. 

Social media has also contributed to people becoming closer, despite all the negative side-effects of online presence. We follow influencers from halfway across the Earth, we laugh at jokes someone in Italy makes, and we empathize with terrible news from countries we might never even visit and have no friends from. 

Combined, all those factors contribute to the growing popularity of international internet dating, and it’s a beautiful thing! Don’t you agree? 

Unique advantages of dating internationally 

Overseas dating sites offer many unique advantages compared to geography-specific websites.

1. Unlimited dating pool. With international online dating, the world is really your oyster. Out of 8 billion on planet Earth, even a tiny fraction of those signed up on your international dating site already feels limitless. More is not always better, and you may suffer from decision fatigue, but you’ll have a much higher chance of finding someone special, someone who matches you fully on all fronts. 
2. Broadening your horizons. While you shouldn’t exploit others for your own cultural enrichment, it happens naturally when you date people from other countries. You learn about new cultures, different customs, and societal norms. You’ll probably try lots of new delicious food, listen to new music, and watch different movies, and will probably even pick up a new language. All that is a nice bonus to being in a relationship with an amazing person.
3. Boosting your intercultural communication skills. Language and cultural barriers are no joke. By dating foreigners, you open yourself up to many challenges, and you learn to navigate the intricacies of intercultural communication, building your flexibility and problem-solving skills. 
4. Fresh take on dating. International dating is never the same as what you’re used to. It’s simply not possible to have the same romantic experience with a girl from Tennessee and a girl from Argentina. And we’re not even talking about having to date online. The entire essence of how your relationship starts, grows, and evolves is different from people from other parts of the world. 
5. Your chance to travel and see the world. If you date someone and you really like them, you’ll want to see them in real life, ideally many times over. When two lovebirds are separated by thousands of miles, they’re bound to meet in the middle ground. And when that happens, couples usually want to try new places and not get stuck in the same location again and again. This means that they can come to you, you can visit their country, and you can also explore lots of other places in the middle together. Talk about unique memories! 

Challenges to watch out for when dating international

International dating is not without its challenges too. 

• Time zones will mess with your communication. Unless you’re lucky to be relatively close in terms of time zones, keeping in touch and scheduling online dates can be tricky at times, especially if you’re both busy and live active lives. 
• You may fight because of cultural differences. What’s perfectly normal for you can be super weird for your partner and vice versa. 
• Language barrier is a struggle if you don’t share a language that you both speak fluently. Not only can you misunderstand your lover, but also suffer from limited expression capabilities. It’s harder to show your personality and feelings when you lack vocabulary, which will cause frustration at some point. 
• Financial challenges. As we said, traveling is much cheaper these days, but it’s not always cheap. Not being able to see each other because of financial constraints is a tough issue to deal with. 
• Disapproval of your social circle. Oddly, some people frown upon international dating, even though there is nothing wrong with it. However, friends, and especially family members, may be skeptical about the intentions of your partner or the success of such a relationship. While it’s none of their business, it can still hurt when your closest people react like this when you’re happy in your relationship. 

Why choose Once as an international dating app 

There are several reasons why Once can be your go-to website for international online dating.

• We’re international! Once is a global dating website, so you’re not bound by a region or a country. Sign up and date whoever, wherever.
• When registering, you’re choosing the vibes that match your personality, lifestyle, values, hobbies, and many other things. All this information is used to find the best partners for you, not just the ones that are in your desired location. This means that you can build a deeper connection with your matches, and have more fun chatting with them too. 
• Once is focused on mindful dating. If you’re looking for international romances, you’re probably in it for a long game. Registering on a website that attracts like-minded audiences will improve your chances of finding the one.
• Because Once focuses on mindfulness, users get delivered one match per day – a match that is most fitting to you, according to the algorithm. This means that your time is not wasted on mindless scrolling, and you don’t have to deal with decision fatigue. 

Tips for finding genuine connections abroad and successful international dating

To find genuine connections you need to have a thoughtful approach. Here are our tried-and-tested tips to help you date internationally successfully.

1. Be clear about your intentions. Any dating goal is fine, as long as you’re being transparent about it and not misleading the other person. 
2. When you match with someone abroad, take the time to learn their culture, values, and view of the world, and pay attention to etiquette too. Being respectful and curious does not only feel good for the other person but is also great for your personal growth.
3. Take your time. It’s hard to build trust with people from our town, and it’s ten times harder with someone sitting 8 thousand miles away from you. Start with consistent chats, move on to calls, then to video calls, and only start talking about a personal meeting when you’re confident that you guys are compatible. Push too hard too soon – and you’ll scare them off. 
4. Be realistic. Dating online internationally comes with its limitations. No, you won’t be able to fly to each other all the time, and no, you can’t have long daily conversations if your time difference is intense. 
5. Keep a positive attitude. Like any dating format, remote and international ones can be tricky at times. Don’t let that get to you. You’re on a quest to find love, everything is an adventure!
6. Experiment with remote dates. As you get comfortable with each other, try different date ideas, such as cooking the same meal or watching the same film together. You can also go on a walk in your cities and FaceTime each other. This can be a talk and an excursion. 

Safety and trust on Once: your secure overseas dating site 

Once is vigorous with safety measures, you can always report anything weird. Still, online scams and less-than-perfect interactions happen. Here is how you can protect yourself.

• Leave all personal data offline. Don’t post too much on your profile, and avoid oversharing in private chats. 
• Don’t move on to third-party messengers too soon. Use the Once’s dating chat for as long as you need. There, you don’t have to share your phone number, and the entire conversation is stored on the server. If you realize the person you’re chatting with is bad, you can block them and/or report them, without the risk of them trying to get ahold of you via other messengers, phone numbers, and social media accounts. 
• Block anyone who asks for money. Dating scammers are not giving up the attempts to make money off of naive dating website users. Don’t trust anyone who says they’re in a bad situation and need help. It’s a scam, and sometimes con artists will play a long game and make you believe you’re talking to a genuine loving person, but in fact, they’re simply trying to win your trust to boost their chances of you sending them money. It’s sad, but it’s pretty common. 
• As you move to face-to-face meetings, book separate hotel rooms (or better yet, separate hotels). Tell your friends where you’re going and keep them updated on your plans once you land. Don’t carry lots of cash with you, and don’t keep large sums of money in your checking account. Go to countries where you can easily talk to natives and get help if needed. Have your first and second dates in a public spot. Don’t rely on anyone for your transportation. 

All these safety tips can put you off dating, but they’re only there to protect you. Most likely, you’ll only be dealing with the nicest and most genuine users. But if there is even a 1% chance that you can come across con artists, we want you to take all the precautions and be super safe.

International Dating FAQ

Is Once a real dating app?

Yes, Once is an absolutely authentic international dating app with an emphasis on mindful dating. It encourages users to focus on quality rather than quantity and seek deep connections. When new users are signing up, they are asked to select a number of ‘vibes’ across several categories. This data is later used to find the best match who isn’t only similar in tastes and preferences but also has traits that will complement the other person. 

What is the best international dating site?

There are many good international dating sites out there, and which one’s best for you will depend on your requirements and current needs. For instance, if you’re looking for one-night stands, Once might not be your primary choice as our international dating site is more about long-term relationships and finding love. It doesn’t mean that you won’t find people who agree to sex on the first date there, but the pool might be smaller than on sex-focused alternatives. 

Apart from that, all good international dating sites will offer security and privacy to keep your data protected, and they’ll have a user-friendly interface that won’t leave you wondering what is even going on there because it’s so confusing. 

How do I find someone to date overseas?

Finding someone to date overseas is not as difficult as it may seem at first. Ideally, you need to speak the language that many people understand, such as English, be open-minded and empathetic and have the right international dating site to supply you with gorgeous candidates. 

In your profile, mention that you’re open to meeting people from all over the world, and highlight that long-distance relationships are okay for you too. If you’re planning on going somewhere soon, you might mention it as well, but better use the space to write about yourself, your hobbies, and your preferences. 

On an international dating site, for example, you can change the location to the one where you’re eager to find a partner. Set the best location and start looking for love. 

Is there a dating app to meet people from other countries?

Yes! Once is an international dating site for meeting people both close to you and far-far away. It takes a minute to sign up, and you can start browsing through the profiles right away. Try it today, and see for yourself!