What is a passport bro? TikTokers spark debate as they travel the world to date women

A group of guys on TikTok, who call themselves passport bros, are documenting their travels on the platform where they have the goal of meeting and dating women across the globe – and viewers have mixed feeling about it.

Since the global travel restrictions have been lifted, more people than ever are exploring the nomad lifestyle. With borders finally being open again, some people have taken the opportunity to both travel and find love at the same time.

A TikTok posted by the self-described passport bro Austin Abeyta has divided users with his lifestyle choices. In this video, he said: “Passport bros are right; dating overseas is easier for a variety of reasons.”

“A lot of young men in America are frustrated with the dating scene there. I am a firm believer in a free market that allows the best outcomes for everyone involved,” Austin told Insider.

In his video, Austin went on to name the three main reasons why he thought dating abroad was easier compared to the US. These included: local women seeing passport bros as “exotic” people with an accent, people loving to show off their countries while on dates, and the stereotype that all Americans are rich.

“Kind of true, because our currency is, like, the global currency,” Austin said. “If you make $60,000 a year, you can live like you made $120,000 a year pretty comfortably.”

What is a “passport bro”?

According to the Urban Dictionary, passport bros are men who have chosen to seek out foreign women, typically from other countries, for relationships.

The description reads: “They believe that Western women have been influenced by cultural and societal pressures to behave in a certain way, and that by seeking out foreign women, they can find a more authentic, fulfilling, and harmonious relationship. This is seen as a way to restore the natural balance between masculine and feminine energy, and to avoid the “wickedness” of Western women.”

This unconventional way of dating often results in the group getting sent a lot of hate, mainly with people wondering what’s wrong with the women in the countries they’re from.

Viewers can’t decide what to think of the passport bros

With the hashtag #passportbros having amassed almost 420 million views on TikTok, viewers can’t decide what to think about guys living this alternative lifestyle.

With several videos having been made about the topic, arguing that the passport bros lifestyle is “wrong”, some people are also arguing that they’ve done “the right thing” of getting out of the US to explore.

Commenting on one of Austin’s videos, one person wrote: “People from the US are so ignorant..they automatically assume that if American men date outside the US… Men are paying/exploiting women to date.”

Another argued: “Dating aside, the cost of living in these places is less. If you’re a digital worker, it makes sense to move there. You have a better quality of life.”

“Being a tall white dude with even a small amount of money relatively was the biggest cheat code in Peru dude,” a third person said.

However, some still weren’t convinced about the lifestyle, as one argued: “I think it’s weird to solely go to another country, especially the poorer ones just to get at women bc ur Americans.”

“How is this different from a mail-order bride?” another asked.