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@LLEE3303 We’ve checked in with Tuula Rampont, our expert in France, to get an answer to your question. This was her response,
Hello, for the financial expert to help you in France, you can contact Brian Dunhill at Dunhill Financial: https://www.dunhillfinancial.com/
For purely French tax assistance, Jonathan Hadida at Hadtax is the France / US tax person to use: https://www.hadtax.com/.
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@MBAYMA We’ve checked in with Tuula Rampont, our expert in France, to get an answer to your question. This was her response,
Hello, there are several insurance policies that will meet the visa requirements. Here is a list of providers who have been used by visa applicants: Mondassur, Fab French Insurance, MAM Assurances, Cigna.
For the rentals, you only need three months of accomodation for the long-stay visa, otherwise I would recommend to secure a short-term rental before you arrive in France on a website like Morning Croissant, and then secure a long-term rental once you have arrived. This will be a more cost-effective step, and also allow you to explore the area before you commit to a one- to two-year rental. -
Hi @AMHANDZEL25 We’ve checked in with Suzan Haskins, IL's Senior Lifestyle Editor, to get an answer to your question. This was her response,
I’d say you are on the right track with your thinking. And yes, we always recommend staying as long as you can in one place you are considering for relocation. A month is ideal; longer if you can. That’s the best way to get a good feel for a place, especially anything you might find challenging. Once you decide where you are going, reach out to one of the IL correspondents on this community site with any questions you have. Just select the country and post away…or email them directly at, for instance Panama@InternationalLiving.com, France@InternationalLiving.com, etc. They can explain…or a quick Google search can turn up…the visa timeline for any particular country. MOST countries will give you 90 days, but often you’ll need to tell the immigration officer you want that. They tend to assume most tourists are only staying for a week or two. Knowing the rules before you approach immigration is your best bet.
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Hi @LILROSA-2021 We’ve checked in with Suzan Haskins, IL's Senior Lifestyle Editor, to get an answer to your question. This was her response,
Hi there, you are at the right place to post your questions. Each country will have different options when it comes to healthcare so once you have narrowed down your country choice, reach out to one of the IL correspondents on this community site and ask them. Just select the country and post away… Same goes for taxes. Many countries (especially in Latin America) do not tax foreign residents on their foreign-earned income. Others, such as Spain, do. However, if your income is minimal, so will the tax you pay…and it will likely be offset by the benefits you receive. As for how far in advance you should start your planning, that’s a personal decision based on your personal circumstances. For example, do you have a home and belongings to sell, do you plan to ship any of your belongings or just pack suitcases and go, etc. etc. If you have specific questions about Italy, post them in the Italy section of this community site that you’ll find on the bar at right…or email Italy@InternationalLiving.com
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Hi @KATHYLBAILEY We’ve checked in with Suzan Haskins, IL's Senior Lifestyle Editor, to get an answer to your question. This was her response,
Hi Kathy, if you can be more specific with your question, I am happy to help. I assume you are asking what the steps are to move overseas? IL has so many resources devoted to this. I’d suggest you start by deciding where you want to go and when. Once you have those things in mind, start a spread sheet with all the things you need to do…for instance, sell your home and belongings, apply for a visa, figure out what you’ll do about healthcare, get your pet vaccinations/inspections lined up, etc.
Once you decide on a country, check in with the IL correspondent in that country and they can help with specific suggestions. Just post your questions in the specific county section of this community site that you’ll find on the bar at right…or email, for instance, Panama@InternationalLiving.com, France@InternationalLiving.com, etc. These correspondents all live in the countries they represent and can help point you in the right direction.
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Hi @SUZCOWAN We’ve checked in with Suzan Haskins, IL's Senior Lifestyle Editor, to get an answer to your question. This was her response,
I would not worry about this too much. I am guessing when the time comes and this is implemented, your airline will provide and link and a reminder to complete the form. I think of it like those forms we had to fill out during covid to show we had been vaccinated before entry to a country. Not a big deal, just one more step. If you are under 18 or 70 or over, you will not have a pay a fee for the ETIAS.
Here is a story from Forbes on the topic: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-insurance/europe-etias-requirements-2024/ Don’t let this deter you, it will be just another document to fill out and show that you have been approved.
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Hi @PSMGOLF We’ve checked in with Glenda Cole, our expert in Portugal, to get an answer to your question. This was her response,
Who can you talk to about moving and settling here? There are many on line forums, or if you want to pay for official help, Rita Jardim is an immigration attorney that can help on all fronts. She has spoken several times at International Living events and she is very good.
Her email contact: rita.jardim@mayerjardim.com.
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Hi @LMCGLOTHIN435 We’ve checked in with Glenda Cole, our expert in Portugal, to get an answer to your question. This was her response,
As far as overwhelming paperwork, Rita Jardim is an immigration attorney that can help on all fronts. She has spoken several times at International Living events and she is very good.
Her email contact: rita.jardim@mayerjardim.com.
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Hi @MICASAFAVORITES-0 We’ve checked in with Ted Baumann, our Global Diversification Expert, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,
You don't mention what country or region you are referring to, but I'm going to assume it's the European Union. You can only spend a maximum of 90 days out of every 180 inside the Schengen zone. Leaving for a few days doesn't reset the clock. So you would only be able to use your rental for three months out of the six.
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Hi @MICASAFAVORITES-0 We’ve checked in with Ted Baumann, our Global Diversification Expert, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,
All countries require a special visa to work there. All those countries require a special work permit. In every case, that means you must have a confirmed job offer from a local employer. There may be some jobs that don't require the local language, but there's no way to tell ahead of time. Getting a work permit requires special skills, and is usually only possible if there are no locals available for the job.
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Hi @LEECERNY We’ve checked in with Ted Baumann, our Global Diversification Expert, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,
Switzerland and the Nordic countries are generally quite difficult to get into unless you have a special relationship there, either through relatives or business.Unlike countries on the Mediterranean periphery, most of them don't have independent means visas for retirees and so on. Nor do they have digital nomad visas. Poland does have a citizenship by ancestry process that reaches back several generations, but you would need to have Polish ancestors for that to work.
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Hi @KEITHFISHERPT We’ve checked in with Ted Baumann, our Global Diversification Expert, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,
It depends on the nature of your residency. If you have a residency permit like an independent means or digital nomad visa, you can give it up and leave any time you like. Once you become a permanent resident, however, there would normally be a process involved to renounce that.
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Hi @TETODEB We’ve checked in with Ted Baumann, our Global Diversification Expert, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,
Remaining inside most countries for more than 183 days Triggers tax residency. Most European countries have significantly higher tax brackets than the US, meaning that you would most likely pay additional tax to those governments. But it depends on the source of your income. If you are still working, you might benefit from the foreign earned income exclusion in the US, which means you only pay tax to the foreign government. If you have passive income like pension, there may be double taxation agreements that exempt part of that income from taxation abroad. In general, you can expect to pay higher taxes in Europe, although in return you get vastly better public services and quality of life. Most people report that their overall cost of living is lower even with higher taxes.
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Hi @P-KOEHNKE Kristin Wilson our Move Overseas guru has a great resource on everything you need to consider for a move overseas. It’s a step by step process that’s very easy to follow along.
You can check out the sales page here: https://pro.internationalliving.com/m/2334026
Good luck with your journey.
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Hi @AKELLEY333 Kristin Wilson our Move Overseas guru has a great resource on everything you need to consider for a move overseas. It’s a step by step process that’s very easy to follow along.
You can check out the sales page here: https://pro.internationalliving.com/m/2334026
Good luck with your journey.
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Hi @ANNEBLAKE1 We’ve checked in with Glenda Cole, our expert in Portugal, to get an answer to your question. This was her response,
Single and moving to Europe? Great idea! Europe is safe, people are welcoming, especially when you are on your own. I came to Portugal on my own for three winters. I sat with a British expat couple at a charity event. Four years later, I am about to vacation in Ireland with those charming people! Challenges are the same you face as a single anywhere. But it's hard to be lonely when you're an expat. There are social clubs, facebook groups and events in most European countries that focus on expats. The Algarve in Portugal has an exceptional number of events where you can meet new people around your age.
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Hi @EMMI154 We’ve checked in with Ted Baumann, our Global Diversification Expert, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,
Well, as always the answer depends on your individual circumstances. But if you don't have any possibility of getting an ancestral citizenship somewhere, I would say that Costa Rica, Panama and Uruguay top my list in terms of safety, affordability, and ease of establishing residency. All three countries allow you to become a resident without too much trouble as long as you meet the basic requirements in terms of monthly income. Costa Rica and Panama also have the benefit of having fully territorial tax systems, which means that you only pay tax on income earned inside the country. If you're living on money from the US or Canada, or another country, you wouldn't pay tax on it in those countries. Another possibility is Belize, but it's slightly less safe than the others.
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Hi @RONALDGREGORYLUCE We’ve checked in with Jeff our Editor of Global Intelligence, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,
Sure. Portugal, Spain, Greece, France, Thailand, Uruguay, Malaysia. The list is long. Not really sure how to answer your question. If you’re earning income online, then pretty much anywhere you go you can continue to do that. If you’re talking about working locally, then that’s going to be more challenging in some places because they don’t allow certain types of visa holders to earn locally. For instance, if you have a “retiree” or “independent means” visa in a place like Portugal, you will not have any way to work locally. So it really depends on the means by which you earn extra income.