While the UK is possibly the easiest country in the world for home education, it is also allowed in many other places, particularly for ex-patriates. If you are living away from your home culture, you may want to teach your children at home while you settle in and visit the local schools, or you might decide that it's a good opportunity to try out home education long-term. If you are posted abroad temporarily, home education can be a good way of bridging the gap for your children, so that they are not disrupted by a totally new school system.
Details about home educating in some countries outside the UK are given in the following web sites.
Australia
Home education is legal and fairly well-known in Australia. For information see: HERLIN web site - Home Education Research and Legal Information Network (Australia and New Zealand).
Belgium
Although little-known, home education does take place in Belgium. A web site with some links is at: Brussels Christian Homeschooling Association
Canada
Home education is legal and increasingly popular in Canada. Information at: Canadian homeschool information
Cyprus
Home education is not legal for Cypriots: school is compulsory from the age of 6 up to 15. However there are some ex-pats who educate their children at home although fewer than there used to be. So long as neither parent is Cypriot, and so long as the children retain their nationality it seems to be acceptable to follow one's own country's educational system and learn at home. There's a yahoo group for anyone interested in home educating in Cyprus
Denmark
Home education is officially recognised in Denmark although parents choosing to teach their children at home must have permission to do so. Brief legal details are at the Homeschoolmedia site: home education Wiki for Denmark from the resulting sub-menu.
Finland
Home education is legal in Finland, although rare. There is an up-to-date summary of the law about home educating in Finland, and also a thread about homeschooling on a Finnish ex-pat forum, with some detailed information given in one of the replies.
France
Home education is legal and increasing in popularity, although subject to some quite rigid restrictions and inspections. For a network of home educators in France, see the website for Les Enfants d'Abord
Germany
Homeschooling is officially illegal in Germany, with everyone including foreigners supposed to send their children to school. However there are some German home educators: see Homeschoolng in Germany for a brief summary.
Hong Kong
Home education is not officially legal in Hong Kong, although as with other countries it seems to be acceptable for ex-pats to educate their children at home. See this thread on a Hong-Kong forum for comments, and this site for a group of homeschoolers in Hong Kong who meet regularly.
Israel
Home education is legal in Israel. Although permission should officially be asked, many families educate at home without, and have no problems. See the Israel Home Education Association site for more details, and information about group meetings.
Italy
Home education is legal but not widely known in Italy. It is officially known as 'scuola paterna'. The legal reference allowing this is: Testo unico D.L. 16/4/94 n. 297 n. 297, titolo II art. 11 secondo comma G.U. serie generale, n. 79 del 19.5.94. A reference from the public istitution for education in Italy: Ministero P.I., Sig.ra Pazienti, 06 58495845.
There is a mailing list for Italian home educators (in Italian). If you prefer something in English, there's also a blog about home education in Italy with some useful links. Look for earlier posts about legal information.
Japan
The law in Japan is uncertain - there are many school refusers who receive no education at all, and there are certainly foreigners home educating. Some Japanese citizens are campaigning for changes to the law. See Homeschooling in Japan for details of current events, questions about legalities, and general information.
Netherlands (Holland)
It is more difficult to educate at home in Holland, although sometimes possible. You can find out more at the website for home education in the Netherlands.
New Zealand
Home education is legal in New Zealand. For information see: HERLIN web site - Home Education Research and Legal Information Network (Australia and New Zealand) or the New Zealand Homeschooling page
Norway
Home education is legal in Norway, though relatively unknown. For more information, look at: homeschooling in Norway, or for a site in Norwegian see the HUN (the Home Education network in Norway) site.
South Africa
Although subject to some restrictions and government requirements, home education is beginning to increase in South Africa. See: Homeschool resources for South Africa
Sweden
Home education is legal in Sweden. You can find out more from an organisation who are trying to promote this option, with a website at My Alternative To School (MATS).
Switzerland
Home education is not well-known in Switzerland, however there is a support group for homeschooling in Switzerland (site available in several languages)
United States of America
Home Education is legal in each of the 50 States, but there are regulations and requirements in several of them. A web search for 'homeschool' will find hundreds of sites about home education in the USA. You can find information about the requirements in each State at: American Homeschool Association
Miscellaneous
The following are sites which have general information about home education in other countries; most of them are based in the USA and may be updated more frequently than this page!
Homeschool central country resources
Eclectic homeschool world resources
There is also a useful Homeschool world forum about home education in various countries of the world.