International Living Community

Hi Abby and thank you for the question. What you are looking for seems to be a house sitting job here in Italy. That is smart as you will save on the costs on living while you learn about the region. The downside is that the job determines where you go. It doesnt allow you to determine the topography, climate or style of life you want to live. I.E., Rural, city, expat community or non expat community. What I woud suggest is two-fold. First do some research to determine the climate, topography, and lifestylle you are looking for. For example it you love to walk up and down hills and love the idea of a midieval hilltop town, with no expats, then focus on jobs that allow you to do that. If you want city life then look there. Second I would send you to two people who are expert house sitters and have had jobs all over the world on most of the continents of the world. Terry Coles and her husband are experts and can show you how to focus in and where to look to apply for just the right job. Here is Terry's email Good luck. terry_coles@yahoo.com. Terry and her husband have written a book about thier travels. Good hunting! I hope this helps. Chip Stites, IL Italy Correspondent.

I offer one to one consultations for people looking to secure ancestral citizenship in Europe so if you'd like to reach out, you can find the sign up link on our IL website. Look for Global Citizen. Regarding Poland, there is technically no limit on how far back you can go to find an ancestor who qualifies you for residency. The problem is that Poland only came into existence as a modern nation in 1920. That means that your ancestor must either have been alive and Living in Poland when the Polish Republic was declared, or they must have lived on territory that subsequently became the Polish Republic before 1920. For example, many ethnic polls left what was then the Russian Empire or the Austro Hungarian Empire prior to 1920, but qualify as Polish ancestors. Not all countries do that. If and when you have your Polish citizenship recognized come up your wife would be eligible for a family reunification visa. This is required by European Union law. However, the only way to qualify for it would be to move to a European country as an EU citizen and then apply for her visa once you are settled. She won't be able to get the visa if she's still living abroad.

My name is David Hammond, I have been living in Uruguay for several years. You can find medical and psych services here, but they will all be in Spanish.

The thing that's important to bear in mind is that the cost of paying for care out of pocket in Panama or any other of the countries listed here may well be as low as a co-pay in the US. Many expats in Panama find that paying out of pocket for healthcare in Panama, with no insurance to help them cover costs, is still far cheaper than living in and paying for insurance in the States. Many US expat retirees living in Panama do keep some form of Medicare so they can return to the US if they need anything major insofar as healthcare is concerned, to avoid long-term major costs and to be near family, etc. Best, IL Panama Editor Jess Ramesch

https://www.expattaxthailand.com/

Hi Ilkka, For private health insurance, the most popular private health insurance providers are: Sanitas Adeslas Asisa DKV Assa You can often request a quote on their respective websites or speak to someone on the phone to discuss the right plan for you. Coverage will depend on the plan you select. I am from the US and reside in Spain and I have a private plan with Sanitas. If you have any questions just let me know. Cepee Tabibian, IL Correspondent - Spain

Hi Lacy, This is Jane, the new correspondent from Belize. I'm sorry we had a gap there. I hope you had an enjoyable trip. Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you. Cheers!

I am following your exact road actually just 6mo to a year behind. Due to the government instability particularly for science work she might be laid off soon and is a year from early retirement. I am already effectively retired waiting for her. Spain and Portugal were on the top of our lists

In general, I suggest spending a month and staying in each of the places to really get a feel for them and check out the vibe for yourself. But heading to different areas to get a feel for them is a great first step. I don't have anyone in particular that i can recommend for tours.. but I met this man on an editorial trip and he is starting a group to help people- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574689898866&rdid=q4twgfg5Z2gaIxih&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1B6pbpgsTY%2F# The best healthcare is in the Central Valley, so keep that in mind. The best equipped hostpitals and most specialists are there. Often times, a specialist will visit a clinic in Guanacaste once a month. So it isn't as conveninet. An important factor to consider is the weather. What temperatures do you prefer? It rains everywhere, yet some places have more rain than others. The beaches Hot and humid, and I love them! Guanacaste is the driest part of Costa Rica. The Central Pacific receives more rain. Lake Arenal Cooler (temperature) than the beach. Nuevo Arenal gets about 50% more rain than Tronadora, located just across the lake. Tronadora is much windier. La Fortuna and the surrounding towns like Chachagua are drier and warmer. The Central Valley Cooler temperatures - especially from the variety of elevations available. I always recommmend reaching out to FB groups and asking questions. I use those groups to learn about differnt areas and connect with new people all of the time. FB groups are very active here and worth using as a resource. These FB pages might be a good start: Arenal https://www.facebook.com/groups/712758082803982 https://www.facebook.com/groups/270122543035935 Guanacaste https://www.facebook.com/groups/297720547030161 https://www.facebook.com/groups/3442610169117243 Jaco https://www.facebook.com/groups/290260966853843 https://www.facebook.com/groups/711552235579574 There are lots of expat groups too: search 'Expats in... ' This group posts about a women's would be a great place to get insider info for Guanacaste. https://www.facebook.com/groups/663758784658197 Many people find staying in an Airbnb a good way to check out a community, more so than a hotel. I talked with Nick when in Nuevo Arenal and he rent out an Airbnb. https://internationalliving.com/from-deaths-door-to-thriving-in-lake-arenal-costa-rica/ (https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/40036748?source_impression_id=p3_1719933875_P3ic3CyJiPWB-oYF) Good luck on your travels. Let me know if you have any more questions. I have 2 contacts for Real Estate in the Central Valley Carol Prado - KW | Costa Rica. You can send him a message on WhatsApp message (‪+506 6345 7251‬) or email (Carol.prado@kwcostarica.com) to connect with him. And Brooke Bishop +506 8311 5336. And Mariana with KW in Tamarindo +506 6155 5265.

Hi AD1452, A scouting trip to Portugal sounds like a good plan. A tip: You might try leaving your question under the Portugal category of this Internatillnal Living Community section. A lot of people go straight to the country section they are interested in or know about.

I am in Guanacaste. Let me know if you are in my area and we can try to meet up. I also suggest joining Facebook pages in the areas you are interested in to get more info and connect with people. And hopefully people here will comment and share their experiences in CR.

What stands out about the two countries to you? I live in Costa Rica and am IL's Correspndent. I know a good amount of artists. I just met a man who is a fine artist in Ojochal on an editorial trip. And this is a new gallery that is pretty popular in Guanacaste by Tamarindo (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568438617057)-- one of my friend's Johnny has his art there- https://www.solgallery.cr/artist/johnny-coopwood?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ-cHdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFuRkJYREY2NkpNRWtJZjFzAR75ya20koowP77MK4TWRi5p3i61RYnQcPd-4ARwvkr5GPKYgmKmGikXFPBvjw_aem_RxJfZubODKh_X5k7zu0u3g There are a lot of new pottery places in the area, like this one- https://www.instagram.com/almanos.ceramica/ There are people who do Sip and Paint nights which are pretty popular. And Lindsey just started opened her own gallery https://www.facebook.com/LindsayArte and a kids club art- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564976650338. Junior Rodrigues also has a place in Tamarindo - https://www.instagram.com/artgallerycafejr/?hl=en Enjoy your trip! THat is the best thing to do... go check out areas and see what they feel like to you! -Bekah Bottone, IL's Costa Rica Correspondent

Hi there, That's really exciting! I'm not familiar with Oviedo enough to know which areas to focus on, however, I would suggest reaching out to a local real estate agent to get insights from someone on the ground. Here is one suggestion - Agencia Alvarez: https://www.agenciaalvarez.com/ Since Oviedo isn't a popular city for expats it may be challenging to find a real estate agent who speaks English. Do you speak Spanish by chance? Idealista.com is a popular website to check real estate go get an idea of what's on the market, you can also see listings by individuals and agents. That may be a good place to find other agents to speak to. https://www.idealista.com/ Best, Cepee, IL Correspondent - Spain

Hi Randy, There are different healthcare options in Uruguay. All workers in Uruguay get comprehensive healthcare coverage as a social security benefit. The default plan is the public healthcare system. However, workers can move their social security covered healthcare plan to a private plan, called a mutulista, during open enrollments without paying any more. A foreigner who becomes a legal resident and does not work in Uruguay can buy coverage with a private mutualista for about $85 per month. However, they are private companies and can deny membership based on age and preexisting conditions. And each company's guidelines may be a little different. Another option is Uruguay's public healthcare system, which does not have any restrictions for age or preexisting conditions. The way you qualify for it is by becoming a legal resident. The cost for the public plan is also about $85 per month, and I understand it's free for people who make less than $2,000 per month. Here is a link to an article I wrote with more detailed information about your healthcare option in Uruguay: https://internationalliving.com/countries/uruguay/health-care/ In regard to other countries, I was recently in Argentina, and they also have private and public healthcare systems. Their public healthcare system is free to all legal residents of Argentina. Best regards, David

I got my answer. Post can be deleted.

Personally, I don't have any experience in this area. It does seem like dementia is a growing concern in the country. I would try contacting people here to look for more info: https://findahelpline.com/countries/cr/topics/dementia-alzheimers https://www.alzint.org/member/asociacion-costarricense-de-alzheimer-y-otras-demencias-asociadas-ascada/ a nursing home: https://nursinghomescostarica.com/ & https://verdeza.com/ Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi LCURRYTALK2001, While International Living covers destinations outside of the US and Canada perhaps some of our Canadian readers can weigh in on Vancouver which while lovely is indeed one of the most expensive cities in the world. If you're looking for somewhere beautiful with more affordable real estate and where English is the national language you may want to read our website section on Belize (https://internationalliving.com/countries/belize/). Or if you're looking for somewhere with similarly seasonal weather you'll find plenty of info on Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Uruguay, and Argentina at the main website www.InternationalLiving.com. Best, IL Overseas Editor Jess Ramesch

Hi there! That's wonderful! What did your son study in the Netherlands? The job market in Spain is tough as the country suffers from high unemployment and low wages. Getting a visa sponsorship is difficult, however, some roles that are in demand may qualify for the highly qualifeid visa (tech, finance, senior management). An easier route to Spain is through the digital nomad visa (DNV). If Chris can get a qualifying remote job that is based outside of Spain, he could apply for the DNV and take his remote job to Spain. In this case he would not require a visa sponsorship. This is the most popular route right now for remote workers who want to move to Spain. After 2 years on the digital nomad visa in Spain, since he is a Colombian citizen, he could apply for Spanish citizenship. After applying for citizenship the waittime to a response/approval is generally 6 months to 2 years. I hope this helps! Please le us know if you have any quesitons. Cepee, IL Correspondent - Spain

Hi there, sorry you had some trouble finding the Dream Retirement Project—I realize the website can be confusing at times. You should be able to access it at this link. Let me know if you have any more trouble accessing it.

Hi there! That's great that you're looking to spend the winter in Spain. Have you been to Valencia and Cartegena yet? If not, both are lovely options and quite different. Valencia is Spain's 3rd large city (population about 800,000) with a lot of culture, restuarants, arts, and entertainment, as well as mild winters, although lows can get into the 40s and highs are in the 60s. Cartagena is very lovely, however, a much different lifestyle than Valencia. It's a smaller city (around 200,000) and will be more laid back, and has much less going on. However, there is lots to see in and around the city. Spain has a wonderful public and private healthare system. Your wife being Italian, she may be able to get on a EHIC: https://employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies-and-activities/moving-working-europe/eu-social-security-coordination/european-health-insurance-card/how-use-card/spain-european-health-insurance-card_en Let us know if you have any questions! Cepee, IL Correspondent - Spain