The Best Places in the World to Retire in 2025 Workshop
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Can I still receive US social security when living in a foreign country
Hello,
Yes you can. I know retired expats in France who are receiving their US social security.
-Tuula, IL France Correspondent
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Im wondering about the advantages and disadvantages of buying vs renting property
also, Im not much of an urbanite. I prefer to live within reasonable distance to town, but would prefer living in a quiet riral area, in a small bungalow-type of home. Im having a hard time finding a website to begin a search
thank you in advance
Brucieil_admin said:
The Best Places in the World to Retire in 2025 Workshop
Our Annual Global Retirement Index Explained
If you’re looking for your just-right place overseas, this roundtable discussion is for you. Here at International Living, we’ve been exploring the world’s best options for better living abroad since 1979. Each year, we create a useful tool with our Annual Global Retirement Index—comparing, contrasting, ranking, and rating the 20 top countries for retirement living across seven key categories.
Jennifer Stevens, Executive Editor, together with expats who live in the countries that snag the top five spots in the 2025 Index—Tuula Rampont in France, Bel Woodhouse in Mexico, Glenda Cole in Portugal, Bekah Bottone in Costa Rica, and Jessica Ramesch in Panama—will discuss what life is like in their respective countries and dive into the benefits that make them top contenders. You’ll discover how they compare when it comes to healthcare, cost of living, day-to-day lifestyle, climate, and more, plus take a look at those under-the-radar perks that make these places special.
Our experts will be online answering your questions, below. Please type your questions, and we’ll get you the insights you’re looking for.
Monday, December 2, 2024
12:00 Noon Eastern TimeA good resource that'll give you a sense for what's available all over the world is Idealista.com -- if you search "Idealista" with "Spain," or "Panama" or whatever country you're curious about, that'll give you a realistic feel for what's available. And in most places, you can search by specific area in the country.
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How do we find an attorney that can review home or apartment rental contracts before we sign them? Rental agreements in other countries can be tricky.
Hello,
You can contact the IL correspondent of the country you are interested in and they will help you.-Tuula, IL France Correspondent
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Will it be captioned? I am Deaf
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We are interested in retiring to either France, Mexico, Panama or Portugal. Getting visas can be tricky for those of us who haven’t done it in the past. Do you recommend getting an immigration attorney? If so, would that be one in the U.S. or the country we’re interested in? How do we find a knowledgeable immigration attorney?
Hello,
The French visa is pretty straight forward, you could do it on your own if you wish. Otherwise, the IL country correspondents can give you attorney contact info.
-Tuula, IL France Correspondent
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what plans to make to bring a pet into your country?
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safest place to retire?
I think France is a good bet! Also Spain, Portugal, Italy... many places in Europe are very safe.
-Tuula, IL France Correspondent
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I am a musician and I'm wondering what is the best way to research the community music scene in various places overseas.
Hello,
In France, you look on the town hall website, or really just go to the center of the village and ask at the cafe. There's always something going on, music-wise.-Tuula, IL France Correspondent
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Not all airlines allow dogs these days to Costa Rica, but I have heard these airlines still allow them in cabin or as luggage: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and Lufthansa.
There are also companies that have private charters for pets you can research.
I know a lot of people who have brought their pets along to join their new life! I know a woman who works at a vet and I can have her send me the guidelines. If you want more info, send me an email: bbottone@internationalliving.com
Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent
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my husband and I are 76, so social contacts would be very important should we move away from our family.
Can you recommend locations in France, Spain, Italy and Spain where there are large english speaking populations. -
great counties for a liberated woman?
please talk about heath insurance. I see someone else asked.
thank youThis little discussion of places for folks retiring solo might be helpful: https://internationalliving.com/can-you-advise-me-on-the-safest-countries-for-a-single-woman-to-live-in-qa/
More in-depth is this piece Jess wrote for us a little bit ago -- lots of good advice in here: https://internationalliving.com/singles-guide-to-fitting-in-and-making-friends-overseas/
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What about moving? I mean physically. Do you recommend shipping all your furniture, appliances, books, cd's, etc. Or should you just dump all that and start from scratch?
What type of electricity is available in these 5 places?
Is online shopping easy and reasonable abroad? During covid I got used to using Amazon a lot. I know Walmart and other common US stores have an international presence, Can I shop online with them? What about HSN and QVC?Hello,
In my opinion, I would take as little as possible. It can get expensive to ship, plus any additional customs fees... and paperwork to deal with. Shopping online is a breeze in France. I am a happy Amazon prime member. Shopping currently for Christmas! I haven't seen HSN or QVC, but we have a lot of discount shopping sites. See Showroom Prive, my favorite.-Tuula, IL France Correspondent
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Hi everyone
Bonjour !
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As a US expat, is it necessary to have an address in the US for matters of federal/state tax, Social Security, Medicare Advantage coverage, etc.? If so, do the mail screening and forwarding services that provide you the US address, that is not a P.O. Box, an effective and practical solution?
I suggest establishing a virtual home address in your home country as many people say family and friends is not ideal-- although I use my parent's address still, after MANY years.
For Costa Rica, you can look into Correos de Costa Rica (with a box in Miami) and these options too: Access USA: myus.com / Earthclassmail.com
Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent
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Interested in Colombia to retire, is this not an acceptable place any longer?
Colombia is still a good option. It's on our Global Retirement Index... and here's a recent piece that will hopefully give you some insights -- reasons you should (and should not) retire there. https://internationalliving.com/countries/colombia/
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UK has horrendous waits to see a dr. how are wait times in the countries you mention?
Hello,
I can see my general practicioner the same day for an emergency, common here when you establish a relationship with them. Other wait times are a few weeks for most serves, a bit longer for an MRI or special test. If you have a procedure to do, that will be a few months. Otherwise, I call around if I need to get in somewhere quick and usually manage to find a spot - even if it's the next town over.-Tuula, IL France Correspondent
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Does International Living offer one-on-one consultations to help me narrow down which countries would suit my family's situation?
Yes, my colleague Ted Baumann does this -- he's our Global Diversification expert and does exactly what you're talking about... he helps people sort through their best options for residency, investment, how to hold real estate, tax considerations, etc.
https://internationalliving.com/author/ted-baumann/ -
what plans to make to bring a pet into your country?
Hello,
I believe that info will be on the IL website, by country. For France, you need to have your pet microchiped and have the vet sign-off. When you arrive, there is no quarantine period.-Tuula, IL France Correspondent
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LOTS of people speak English in Panama, but if I were a betting woman, I'd say southern Portugal would find you among more English speakers, just because of the huge population of British and Northern Europeans there. That said, if you settle in Panama in a spot where there are lots of N American expats, you'll find many, many English speakers -- Boquete and Coronado, for instance, are two places you might consider.
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my husband and I are 76, so social contacts would be very important should we move away from our family.
Can you recommend locations in France, Spain, Italy and Spain where there are large english speaking populations.Hello,
For France, there are many English speakers in Paris, Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Lyon, Toulouse, the Dordogne and Lille - to name a few!
-Tuula, IL France Correspondent