If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Heliotrope
Posts: 1167
Joined: Sun May 13, 2018 1:48 am

If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by Heliotrope »

For those of you who don't plan to go back to their home country after they're done teaching: where do you plan to retire?

We were thinking about:

- Portugal
- Mexico
- Malaysia
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador

Of course it depends on those countries' policies on foreign nationals retiring there by that time, how they develop in terms of cost of living, health care, and the outcome of the Great Water Wars of 2034.
But for now this is our list.
We might also change our mind and go back home after all. It's still many many years away anyway.
marieh
Posts: 212
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:33 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by marieh »

Spain. My old coworker did this and apparently it's quite easy to do and you can split your investment into multiple vehicles (e.g. house and bonds). https://www.globalcitizensolutions.com/ ... isa-spain/ .

Portugal has a similar program, but I feel more at home in Spain.
buffalofan
Posts: 350
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:08 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by buffalofan »

Somewhere warm and close to sea. That list is pretty good. I have loads more places in mind that I won't list here, as some are rather unknown and I'd like to keep it that way. I plan to jump around a bit after I retire rather than staying put in one place.

Retiring in the home country is out of the question, my finances would limit me to mostly horrible locations.

Regarding Portugal, I read recently about changes in which property purchases in Lisbon and all coastal areas would no longer qualify you for their residency/citizenship through investment program. This may make it a much less attractive option for some.
fine dude
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Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:12 pm
Location: SE Asia

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by fine dude »

My philosophy is to work in Asia and retire somewhere decent, an hour or so from the coast and a big city (healthcare will be critical). Panama, Portugal, Thailand, and Vietnam sound realistic, but if money isn't a problem, it's gonna be South of France.
Illiane_Blues

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by Illiane_Blues »

The plan is Thailand but we'll decide closer to retirement age. Maybe by that time Thailand will not be an attractive option anymore. We'll need good medical care and relatively low cost of living. Access to a good airport is also a plus.
Some good options mentioned in this thread and will look at those too.
ILMathTeachr
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Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:38 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by ILMathTeachr »

We want something warm, developed, and with easy transportation options. The place the Mrs. and I agree is most appealing is Italy, though she'd settle for the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Possible draws of Spain over Italy include the fact I can already speak some Spanish, though I've rarely been forced to navigate it in an immersion setting, outside of once filing a complaint with the Mexican police, and participating in a subsequent interview. Also, our teenaged daughter is fluent in reading, speaking, and writing Spanish and could wind up being drawn to an opportunity there, should one arise.
The way things are in the US right now, even if Biden wins, the weird strain of resurgent white nationalism isn't going away and I'd sooner skip out on the continued decline of American civilization. I just hope we don't go full authoritarian by that time and I can still move away (a growing number of people here are embracing authoritarian ideas, even if they object to that exact label).
PsyGuy
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

Japan or somewhere in Northern Europe.
alexout
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Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2016 1:37 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by alexout »

Spain. No doubt about it. I've already bought property there so when the time comes, I'll be ready. In the meantime, it's where I go for school holidays.
The weather (Med coast), the food, the cost of living, the people, the culture and history - it checks all the boxes and then some. I've lived there before and speak the language fluently so I have a pretty good idea of what I'll be getting into.
Italy checks the boxes as well, but after living there two years I found it to be too dysfunctional in too many aspects. So Spain it is!
Cafare52
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 5:21 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by Cafare52 »

Florida, USA

I know it is my home country but want to put it out there nevertheless and I am a Yankee from the North. As far as I am concerned it should be on everyone's list.

1) Very cheap pre-fabricated homes all within a drive to the beach. Low taxes and low cost of living if you aren't trying to exist in the center of places like Miami or Naples.

2) Plenty of part-time work available so you have something to do and don't shrivel up and die. Drive Uber, taxi dispatcher, front-desk worker at many fine hotels and resorts.

3) Great healthcare facilities who are used to treating geriatrics.

4) Nice sports teams to follow on your downtime. Plenty of world class fishing, kayaking, watersports and the like. Most of this is very cheap to do if you can navigate it on a small boat and stay close to the shore.

5) Beautiful weather and dramatic electrical storms.

6) Plenty of other geezers to hang out with and kvetch.

7) ENGLISH is widely spoken in most places.
chemteacher101
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 2:57 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by chemteacher101 »

alexout wrote:
> Spain. No doubt about it. I've already bought property there so when the
> time comes, I'll be ready. In the meantime, it's where I go for school
> holidays.
> The weather (Med coast), the food, the cost of living, the people, the
> culture and history - it checks all the boxes and then some. I've lived
> there before and speak the language fluently so I have a pretty good idea
> of what I'll be getting into.
> Italy checks the boxes as well, but after living there two years I found it
> to be too dysfunctional in too many aspects. So Spain it is!

Where in Spain did you buy property? I'm curious. I have considered that, but simply don't know where. I would like s place that is not in the middle of nowhere, where there are things to do, but cannot afford anything in the big cities like Madrid or Malaga. Then there are many empty towns close to Malaga, but that would mean having to drive everywhere, and I do want to live somewhere where you dint need to take s car and go somewhere else simply to have dinner...
alexout
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2016 1:37 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by alexout »

chemteacher101 wrote:

> Where in Spain did you buy property? I'm curious. I have considered that, but simply
> don't know where. I would like s place that is not in the middle of nowhere, where
> there are things to do, but cannot afford anything in the big cities like Madrid or
> Malaga. Then there are many empty towns close to Malaga, but that would mean having
> to drive everywhere, and I do want to live somewhere where you dint need to take s
> car and go somewhere else simply to have dinner...

I bought a house in a tiny but exquisite village about 12 km inland from the Mediterranean coast near Denia and Oliva. It's a two minute walk to the local bar/restaurant, but a car is necessary for anything else. That's fine with me, because I prefer a rural area and should have been a farmer anyway. The northern Alicante area is great for several reasons. It's cheaper than much of the rest of Spain, has mild winters and a great climate without being too dry, and the people are friendlier. There's quite a large expat population, which I didn't think I'd like, but actually I'm enjoying it. The closest big cities with an airport are Valencia and Alicante - you might want to look into them if you prefer a city. I love Madrid, Castilla, La Mancha, Leon, all of the north from Galicia to the Costa Brava, but for living a relaxed, pleasant life, I think this part of Spain is best. I'm not a fan of Andalusia. I can always travel the country by car (huge road trip fan) or train (great discounts once you're over 60) and take advantage of it all. Just thinking about it makes me want to retire now!
PsyGuy
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

Definitely not Florida.
Illiane_Blues

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by Illiane_Blues »

Colleague just told me he bought a house in Patagonia for his retirement years. Too cold and isolated for me so I'll stick to my Thailand plan for now.
buffalofan
Posts: 350
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:08 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by buffalofan »

Illiane_Blues wrote:
> Colleague just told me he bought a house in Patagonia for his retirement
> years. Too cold and isolated for me so I'll stick to my Thailand plan for
> now.

Parts of Thailand are on my list too, but the idiot generals running the place seem determined to turn it into Myanmar circa 1999, or even North Korea. Who knows what it will look like in 10 (or even 5) years.

I'm not worried though, I have loads of backup options.
Rob
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:07 am

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by Rob »

I was overseas for 37 years or so as a teacher in international schools, like most of you. I retired in the States in the PNW about 7 years ago. I have views of the mountains and sea, and the setting is in a small town near Canada. I like it, but like some of you, I see a deterioration of democracy as I know it. As one of you mentioned, the US is moving toward authoritarianism, and that stresses a lot of us out. Maybe I'll feel better after the election if Biden wins, but not sure. In the meantime I have really researched places that I might want to retire, and zeroing in on three or so.

After spending 25 years in Singapore, I went through the process of retiring in Malaysia with the MM2H visa, only to give it up to retire in the States. The problem with MM2H is the requirements are apt to change, and when you renew every 5 years, it's always possible that you may need to meet those new requirements. The program is now in limbo, because the gov't is revamping the program, and who knows what that will be. Also, Malaysia is not a country for someone like myself who loves dogs, and I'm sure my Lab would not so well there.

At 73 years age, I wonder if it's too late to make a change like this, but I'm still going to pursue it. There are a couple countries that allow you to apply for citizenship after no more than 5 years, and those countries are Portugal and Panama. Portugal is very attractive to me, and the cost of living is lower than the rest of Europe (except Bulgaria), and it's ranked #1 or #2 by several retirement magazines. The retirement visa (D7) is pretty straightforward, and is initially accomplished from your home country through the nearest council, or in the country you are currently in. Apparently you qualify for the national healthcare in Europe rather quickly, and that is appealing for me. If you choose Thailand or Vietnam, healthcare will be very expensive or impossible for anyone over 65. Vietnam has no retirement visa, and so you need to leave the country every few months and return and have your passport stamped again. No thank you.

I am also investigating Panama. While initially loving it, the cost of living is high, and rentals are even more than many parts of the States. Your reason for retiring there needs to be more than wanting to have a low cost of living. The path to a retirement visa is done through a lawyer that you hire in Panama, and the lawyer directs you though the process. Like Portugal, it's very straightforward and leads to citizenship.

I spend about a month each year in Mexico, either in Baja or Lake Chapala. I love it, and that is also a possibility, especially if I have access to the States for any possible medical care. I still am attracted more to Portugal.

One final option I am considering is Uruguay. You get the retirement visa after you land in the country and live there. Uruguay is a little known retirement that has a retirement option that is excellent. Cost of living is low, and the retirees by and larger love it there.

With the pandemic, travel to these countries is hard now, and so I'll wait until after we have a vaccine before firming up my decision.

Stay safe.
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