Is 80 too old?
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When I was young, I was an ex-pat for years in Belgium, England, France and Germany. My children were both born in Europe. Now I am an active widow for nearly eight years, children, grandchildren and even a great-grandchild all far away. More importantly, I loved living in Europe when I was young but am having doubts about the plausibility of leaving everything and moving back alone at my age. Can I even buy private insurance so old? I would welcome thoughts from other older single ex-pats or IL staff!
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You may have trouble getting into a private insurance plan but depending on the country (and sometimes depending on the community) you choose and depending on the type of residence/visa you utilize, you may find you have other great options such as getting into the public system or a hospital membership plan. True, most do make the move before the age of 80, and at any age there are a lot of factors to consider, including health, personality type, community ties, finances... but there are some wonderful 80+ success stories! Here's some inspiration:
https://members.internationalliving.com/articles/finding-adventure-in-retirement/
Plus you might enjoy this video of 81-year-old world travelers on the International Living YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/JSpt-xjkxFU?si=cs7RF78dCJ4BgkwE
Best,
IL Overseas Editor Jess Ramesch