Hi again, this David Hammond. I am writing to let you know they've just added a new Uruguay category to the International Living Communitry page.

@RAINE1949 Hi Raine, Sorry you've had trouble accessing the Global Retirement Index. It looks like our community site is having some trouble displaying images right now, but I'll do what I can to help you. Try using this link—it should take you directly to the Global Retirement Index. https://magazine.internationalliving.com/internationalliving/library/item/annual_global_retirement_index_2025/4237086/

Great to hear fom you with your very interesting article on Bali. And yes, you have tried to balance your article with talking about the downsides(bad roads, no road, washed out roads). However there are many people like me who come from a snake-free environment. Maybe you should have mentioned that some of the deadliest and aggressive snakes in the world reside in places like Bali ( and Costa Rica). /CG.

If your father's father (your grandpa) was born in Malta before 1 September 1964, then your father Is automatically a Maltese citizen. You do not automatically acquire Maltese citizenship from him; but you can apply for citizenship by registration on the basis that your father is a Maltese citizen as were your grandparents and great grandparents. To pursue this, you'd need to contact the Malta Citizenship Agency, get the application, gather all the documents that prove your ancestry, and submit your case.

Thank you, Ted!!!

Hi Ray, I faced this issue when cancer restricted my wife's mobility. On a trip to Hawaii, we found a rental company that had a small powered scooter waiting for us at our hotel. That worked fairly well, as we were in Honolulu and the buses were all equipped for accessibility. On a trip to France, we rented a travel chair in the US and checked it at the airport. I provided the power on that trip. This was less than Ideal, as the travel chairs tend to have small tires - great for the smooth hallways of the Louvre, but tough on gravel walkways at the Versaille Palace. We did find that the French were extremely accommodating; pushing us to the front of the line at passport control, free entry to museums for both my wife and myself, and so on. If your powered chair has the FAA-approved gel-type batteries, it can also be checked on the flight. Your airline and chair/rollator mfg could tell you more about that. The main issue will be where do you want to go? Our experience traveling in the old towns in Europe and in parts of South America is that many places are just not setup for mobility issues. For example, aggregate sites like Expedia, Booking, etc. have filters you can use to search for only accomodations that are wheelchair accessible. I just did a search for hotels in Lisbon, Portugal and once I applied the filter, it did find some nice hotels, but it also eliminated 97% of the ones available in my time frame. So to sum up, a lot depends on your particular needs and choice of destinations, but travel with power chairs or rollators can be dome but definitely requires careful advance planning and research. Hope that helps, and let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi there, If you're just looking to get a feel for what the country is like, IL's "Escape to Colombia" guide contains a host of information for people looking to visit or retire there. Cartagena is a famously charming city. Here’s a shortlist of must-see attractions you should check out when visiting Cartagena (according to the Escape to Colombia guide): • Bolívar Square • Gold and Archaeological Museum • Castle of San Felipe de Barajas • Palace of the Inquisition • San Pedro Claver Cathedral • Temple of Santo Domingo • Mucura Island Medellín also has plenty to offer in the realm of entertainment and cultural tourism. In July, the city hosts Colombiamoda, where the country's top fashion designers show off their work.

Hi there, If you're already a member, you should be able to find this book (and others) in your IL library. For now, try using this link to access it directly. If you find yourself looking for a specific book in the future, however, you could try logging into the IL website (or clicking on the "member site" button in the top right of the screen) and using the search button at the top of the page. Also, you can always browse through your IL library by clicking on the "My Library" button (located under the "New For You" header on the member site).

Hello there! Thailand is very friendly to all races. I've seen an increase in the number of black Americans living here during the past few years, especially couples. The Philippines is also quite open and friendly with many retired military members from all races choosing the island nation as their new home. When it comes to openness and diversity, Southeast Asia is hard to beat.

Hi Laura, My name is David Hammond. I moved from the U.S. to Uruguay 19 years ago when I was 46. I had a good net worth, but did not have a regular passive income. I learned that Uruguay and many other countries in Latin America won't consider a residency applicant's net worth--only their monthly income. However, the regular income does not need to be social security or a pension. In several countries, it can be any form of regular monthly income. What many do (and what I did) is to invest their savings so that it produces a monthly income that can be used as proof of monthly income, such as rent income, dividends, etc. If that doesn't make sense for you, here are a couple of other strategies to consider: I've met many people who got a job teaching English in order to move abroad. It provides you with a visa to live in a country without a passive monthly income. It will enable you to earn some money and also to develop a social circle right off the bat. From what I understand, you can get a TEFL certificate at an online school in a matter of months. And in many places native English speakers are in demand. I've also met several expats who enjoy a roaming life abroad--without needing a foreign residency. In many countries one can stay as a tourist for 90 days. And for a small fee extend one's stay for another 90 days--for a total of 180 days. People who do this might stay in one country for 5.5 months, another for 5.5 months, and then travel for a month. Good luck to you!

It shows I've receive a reply but I don't see anything. Can someone please help?

I use Redpocket.com. I ported my US number to them from Verizon. They have a plan you can buy on Ebay for $60 annually and a slightly more expensive plan on their own site, redpocket.com. My US phone number is a "normal" number; i.e., it can receive SMS for authentication. It works perfectly with WiFi calling when i have WiFi coverage at my home abroad -- or in a cafe abroad--and randomly works when i have cell service (though they don't provide support for cell problems when when roaming.) That way i have a US number i can keep permanently for a cheap price. I have used it in several EU countries and in LatAm, and it works.

It probably wouldn't hurt for some of us to eat a little humble pie. My experience in foreign countries, even 50 years ago, was that a lot of people seemed to feel that people from the United States were rather arrogant, even though we are trying to be friendly. Calling ourselves American can really bother people from Mexico, Canada, Central or South America. The people in Argentina called me Estado Unidense (United Statesian) or Yankee. With the Argentine accent, that sounded to me like they were calling my "junkie". Needless to say, I didn't like the sound of that. So breaking the ice wasn't easy. I eventually made life long friends with them, but it wasn't a great way to start. As far as people from other countries hating our government, especially places like Panama, Canada and Greenland, I can only think to comiserate with them, and let them know that is one of the reasons I'm coming to their country now.

Hi Jim. I'm Jim Santos, IL's Roving Correspondent, and we have had to deal with this issue ourselves. You hate to pay for insurance when you are not using the car, but on the other hand, car rental prices in the US have increased greatly over the last two years. So a lot comes down to how long you will be gone on each trip, and where you can keep your vehicle. We have found that if our car is garage-kept, being away for up to three months at a time isn't a problem. We complete any regular service required, and make sure the car is clean and the gas tank full before storing. I've read that reducing the tire pressure a bit helps, but we haven't tried that. We also once kept our car in a rented outside space (with an all-weather car cover) for 5 weeks while we were in Mexico and it started right up on our return. Last April, we did sell our car, because we planned to be traveling for two or more years. However, a medical issue forced an early return, and we ended up having to buy a car again. In the future, we plan to keep our car, and like yourself, travel 8-9 months of the years in 2-3 month increments. Hope that helps, and happy travels!