Category: International Retirement
January 16, 205 -- One of the best choices for an expatriate retirement lies in a Central America. This country is warm year round, but has mountains to offer relief from the heat. There are fabulous beaches, national parks, small coastal towns, and at least one city with many attractions. The economy is stable, and so is the government. Plus the cost of living is probably less than where you live now. Note: for even more information, see our "Mini-Retirement Guide to Costa Rica".
The Switzerland of South America" - Costa Rica!
f you're considering where to spend your golden years, Costa Rica, with its "Pura Vida" lifestyle, might just be the perfect spot. This beautiful country with coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific has stunning natural beauty, welcoming culture, and an excellent quality of life. This Central American gem has become a favorite for retirees from around the globe. Here are some reasons why Costa Rica is an outstanding retirement destination.
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Published on January 15, 2025
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Category: International Retirement
November 13, 2024 — Perhaps the adventure—or maybe the lower cost of living—has made you dream of retiring abroad. Or, maybe the contentious nature of American politics has you considering a change of country. Regardless of your reasons, there are many appealing options for dual citizenship or permanent residency. This article explores some intriguing countries to consider for retirement, including links to mini-retirement guides for specific destinations where available. At the end we will outline the pros and cons of retiring abroad.
Dual Citizenship: A Top Option for Retirees
Dual citizenship is often the most attractive option for retirees moving abroad, as it provides more rights and fewer restrictions than residency permits. Many countries offer residency to foreigners, but they usually impose additional financial or in-country residency requirements.
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Published on November 12, 2024
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Category: Adventurous retirement
July 3 , 2025 — A trip to Scandinavia might be on your bucket list. It certainly was on ours. After talking about it for many years, Roberta and I went there for 2 weeks in June. We highly recommend it - the sights are magnificent, the people are friendly, and the traveling easy. Just about everyone speaks English, often better than we do! Here are some thoughts if you decide to go.
Cruise or Land?
Since the Scandinavian countries are surrounded by water, touring by cruise ship can be a great way to go. You will see fjords, villages, and the most interesting cities, all from the comfort of your floating hotel. As one option, the Hurtigruten line offers different trips with options to visit between 14 and 34 ports for stops of varying length. We chose to plan our own tour, mostly by land, because of the flexibility that allowed us to customize where we went, and especially, where we ate and stayed. That involved more planning work, but made it very special. Thanks to Roberta for doing all that planning!
Copenhagen, Denmark
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Published on July 2, 2024
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Category: International Retirement
May 2, 2024 -- Unintended consequences - they come with the best of ideas. Spain's Golden Visa program, where foreigners could get extended resident visas for purchasing real estate worth at least 500,000 Euros, is now ending. Over 14,000 people from non-European countries had taken advantage of the program. Spain joins Portugal in shutting down the real estate portion of its Golden Visa programs (Portugal modified its last fall). Greece is modifying what it offers, increasing the investment to 800,000 Euros from 500,000 in Athens and on popular islands like Mykonos.
The unintended consequences are similar to what is happening to real estate all over the world. Many buyers from China and Russia and other countries took advantage to launder some of their money, evade taxes, invest a hot real estate market, and gain long term residency in an attractive country. The result was to drive up property prices in the most desirable cities and areas, making them unaffordable for residents of the host countries. Affordable housing became harder to get, and governments realized that the advantage of attracting capital was not worth the harm to its own citizens. The residency programs were unpopular among the Portuguese population.
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Published on May 1, 2024
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 12, 2024 -- People looking to retire in a charming European town on a budget have many fine choices beyond the obvious destinations like France, Ireland, and Scotland. They can be terrific places to retire, but countries like Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Italy, and Bulgaria offer affordable rents, much lower cost of living, and sometimes liberal policies about permanent residency. They can also provide an ideal lifestyle for adventurous retirees.
Affordable, stable countries in Europe to retire on a budget
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Published on February 18, 2024
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
October 30, 2023 — Spain and or Portugal retirement is very popular, as these Iberian countries are for tourism as well. Americans and Europeans are checking out these two countries, not only as great places for a retirement trip, but for where to retire too. Your editor recently spent 2 happy weeks touring some of the best tourist spots on the Iberian Peninsula, the home of Spain and Portugal. Our hope is that this experience might help you plan a potential trip to the region. And, it might help you learn what it might be like to retire in one of these amazing countries.
Portugal Retirement Trip
This beautiful, dry country has a long western coastline on the Atlantic Ocean that in the south curves eastward past Gibraltar to the Mediterranean. Lisbon, on the coast, is the capital and largest city. Portugal's cost of living is one of the lowest in Europe (65th highest in the world - the U.S. is 12th), the country is safe, and the food and wine are excellent. The country has a complicated history - Celts, Phoenicians, Roman, Visigoths, and the Moors (Arabs) all had their day, and then its eventual retaking by the Crusaders. Towns and buildings reflect that heritage within their walled cities, Roman ruins, and Christian cathedrals, that were often Muslim mosques for a time.
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Published on October 30, 2023
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Category: Adventurous retirement
June 29, 2023 -- While any kind of travel is usually high on many people’s retirement bucket lists, a walking or hiking trip a particularly good idea for those looking for an active experience. Walking tours are the perfect Goldilocks adventure option for people of retirement age. Easier and less risky than bike tours, they provide plenty of action and adventure. They are perfect for folks who crave the outdoors and nature, but don’t want to experience new worlds from a seated position on a bus or boat.
Your editor has just returned from a hiking trip in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy - a fabulous adventure. Much of this mountainous region of northeastern Italy has been made into National parks, and the area has now been declared a World Heritage Site.
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Published on June 28, 2023
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Category: International Retirement
With Elizabeth Varadan
May 8, 2023 -- Special thanks to the expat writer Elizabeth Varadan for this fascinating interview about how she loves her retirement in Portugal. It sure makes it seem like Portugal is a great place to retire.
Q. Why and when did you decide to have your retirement in Portugal?
A. We vacationed for many years in Galicia, a region of Spain north of Portugal. On one visit, I decided to write a cozy mystery and set it in Portugal, since so many cozies abroad are set in France or Spain. A map showed that Braga was only about 2 to 3 hours away from Galicia, so I decided to set my story there. After an exploratory trip, we fell in love with Portugal, and after repeated trips and two books, we decided to retire there. In the midst of our research, I also stumbled upon casino zonder cruks beste uibetaling — a topic that caught my interest due to its connection to the growing gaming industry in Europe. We liked everything about Portugal: the art, museums, and events. People are welcoming and friendly. It’s very family-oriented. Parents take their kids everywhere, and you can see the mutual affection and closeness. The cost of living is reasonable, and it’s also a non-violent culture, which resonated with us, given the escalating gun violence in America.
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Published on May 8, 2023
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Category: International Retirement
March 29, 2023 — If you have seen the ads from International Living and other companies you would think paradise awaits you in a sun-soaked tropical paradise. According to the claims, all you need is a Social Security check to find a nice rental, hire domestic help, eat out at…
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Published on March 27, 2023
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Category: International Retirement
June 15, 2021 -- Where do people go when they choose an international retirement? Different sources have different answers for the best places to retire abroad. The 2021 Expat Insider Survey named Taiwan, Mexico, and Costa Rica as the best 3 places for American expatriates of all ages. A study looking at Americans who receive Social Security benefits put Canada, Japan, and Mexico at the top of their list, while Investopedia rated Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico as the best 3 countries for American expat retirees. Other countries making frequent appearances on this type of lists are Thailand, Portugal, Spain, Vietnam, Ecuador, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France. But in truth, people go all over the globe in pursuit of a happy retirement, and for a variety of reasons.
Some of the factors to consider when choosing a country for an expat retirement are:
Political stability
How easy is it to buy or rent property
Healthcare and entertainment
Visa and residency requirements
Cost of living
Will you fit in
Development and infrastructure
Climate
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Published on June 14, 2021
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