International Living Community

[youtube url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB6-jhXA1Kc]

At this inaugural community workshop, host Jennifer Stevens, IL's Executive Editor, will welcome a panel of our experts including:

• Ted Baumann, IL's Global Diversification and 2nd Passport Guru
• Suzan Haskins, IL's Senior Lifestyle Editor

Plus, we'll also include a robust group of expats living all around the world.

Our experts and expats will share their hard-won experience and insights about what you need to do to create a "Plan B."

Post your questions below.

Hi @CNUGENT1 Thanks for your question!

We’ve checked in with Glenda Cole, our expert in Portugal, to get an answer to your question. Here is her response,

First, that type of renting is called long let. When searching, enter "long lets in _____". Idealista.com is a great site for both buying and renting, but it can be difficult to find just a month or two there. If you have a general idea of what area you would like to explore, you can look for long let companies in that area. Typically, going local can save you money. For example, I rent my villa near the sea in the Algarve in July and August. You can find it on Air BnB, but you would save quite a bit by going through my local management company, Luz Villa Rentals.

Before I bought, I used to rent in the western Algarve for three months in the winters. I used two companies: Lagos Long Lets and Coolhouses Algarve. Both were good.

Hi @GCOMM Thanks for your question!

We’ve checked in with Glenda Cole, our expert in Portugal to get an answer to your question. This was her response,

In the Algarve, pretty much all private docs speak English. In Lisbon and Porto, it requires a bit of research on their websites to find a doctor that speaks English.

If you are moving to Portugal, you want to research a general practitioner who speaks English. They will then refer you to any specialists you need, keeping in mind that you need an English speaker.

My doctor is South African. She speaks better English than I do.

@UNIVERSALPOWERSCEO We have also checked in with Cindy Sheahan who has lived in Porto. Here is her response,

I lived in Porto on a D7 retirement/non-lucrative visa for a year. I had an apartment in the Bonfim neighborhood, near the "other" train station, Campagna. I adored being a European - buying fresh and inexpensive produce at the corner market, strolling the cobblestone streets admiring the colorful azulejo tiles adorning the ancient buildings, enjoying delicious wines by the bottle for under 6 euros, and taking the metro, buses and train all over the city and the country!

For me, the "pros" far outweighed any cons - living in one of the safest countries in the world (coming from the USA) was a big relief, and having inexpensive and sometimes free access to medical services and ridiculously inexpensive prescriptions (for example, one medicine was 30 euros per month in Portugal, and sells for $300 per month in the States!) was incredible.

Porto offers many international restaurants - amazing Thai, great Korean food, a new Georgian bistro, delicious Vietnamese and BBQ, steaks, seafood and organic cafes. This isn't something you can find in every city of this size.

Porto is also well connected to the rest of Europe and the world via the Porto International Airport or even the Lisbon Airport, just a few hours south.

Although the rental and purchase prices in all of Portugal (really, in all the world!) have risen in the past 3 or 4 years, it's not difficult to find a nice 1-bedroom apartment in Porto for under 1000 euros.

If you're interested in finding a more affordable place to live, Coimbra and Braga are two smaller cities but still have lots of amenities on offer such as cultural events, good transportation, easy access to the airports and great restaurants.

Hi @CARRIE2020 Thanks for your question!

We've checked in with IL Correspondent Rachel Devlin to get an answer to your question. Here is her response,

Websites can be very unreliable as many real estate businesses do not take down old posts. The best and most reliable way to find a mid-term rental is through Airbnb. Or stay at a hotel for a few days and explore real estate agents when you arrive.

Hi @STACEYARBETTER

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We are working on the private message feature, we're hoping to have it available for users in the coming weeks.

Millie, IL Community Moderator.

Hi @MEAGANDOUG Welcome, and thanks for your question!

We’ve checked in with Ted Baumann, our Global Diversification Expert, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,

Once you have lived in Portugal for more than 183 days out of a year, you become tax resident. You are therefore liable for Portuguese income tax. Portuguese tax brackets are much higher than in the United States. But there are several offsets that you need to keep in mind.

First, any taxes you pay to the IRS are deducted from your Portuguese tax obligations. In other words, you won’t pay tax twice on the same dollar of income. You will, however, pay the difference between us and Portuguese tax rates.

Second, if you are self-employed, as in freelancing or consultancy work, you can deduct legitimate business expenses just as you would in the United States. That means you will only pay tax on your net income, not gross.

Third, Portugal has many tax deductions, particularly related to children. You may well be able to qualify for those and reduce your tax burden.

Finally, and by far most important, most people who move to Portugal find that even though they pay higher taxes, public services (especially health care) along with the significantly lower cost of living balances things out. Remember that your taxes help to pay for the low cost public health system and all the other benefits of living in the EU.

Hi John,

We’ve checked in with Roland Dalton an expat in Southeast Asia, Norm Bour a full-time travel journalist and nomad, and Keith Hockton who is IL's Asia Correspondent, to get answers to your question.

Here is what Roland had to say: The health care in all of the Philippines is divided in two, in the urban areas it is far superior, with some excellent western style hospital/ medical facilities, many doctors having studies in the States and Australia. It is also reasonably inexpensive compared to North American costings.
In the rural areas it is sub standard, the local populace cannot afford the medical fees, also in the rural areas in the south, malaria is still prevalent as is rabies. These ailments are very rarely found in the built up areas.
Basically if you’re going to get sick, do it in a built up area!!
From Davao, Darwin, Australia is only a few hours flight away. Aussie has many reciprocal health agreements with many other countries.

Here is Norm's response: John, the question of “health care” is one of the most common that we run into. As older (70/71) US residents who have been on the road since 2019, we have encountered a few “challenges,” including a few emergency room visits.
When it comes to health care in a certain COUNTRY, it depends on your status with the government of that country. This information is NOT legal information, but is based on research on the Philippines and many other similar situations.
If you are a “citizen,” with the full rights and privileges, you would be entitled to the same as everyone else, which would probably include public services (usually free or cheap, but may be busier in hospitals), but you can also get private insurance as well. We encountered that in Mexico, Turkei, and many other countries. Presumable you will be/ or have been entitled to live in the Philippines due to your marriage (exclusive of visa limitations), but I cannot tell you if that makes you a “resident” or some other category. Some countries grant spouses the full rights and privileges, others do not. The pool and the gym you speak of might not come into the picture at all, but if you need emergency services or medical treatment, the country has well trained physicians, though their actual facilities may not be as good as other countries. Davao is a large city, so their services would probably be up to par with Manilla and other large towns.”

Here is Keith's response: There are some very good clinics in Manila, but they are not cheap and they cater to a well heeled crowd. Outside that area not so much - three people that I spoke to there said that for something serious they would fly to Kuching, in Sarawak or directly to Penang or KL, in Malaysia. There are direct flights from Manila.

Welcome Brian, it’s great to have you!

Remember you can access and search the International Living Magazine Archive and reach out to IL Customer Service about your membership benefits. You’ll find information on books and other products and upcoming events. In this forum you’ll find helpful posts on different countries (and we invite you to post questions you don’t find the answers for).

Again, welcome to the Community… you’re an ILer now. Here’s to thinking… and living… internationally

Hi @KAKIFRY_DP, these replies should be visible to you now.

Millie, IL Community Moderator

Hi @VANPATTERSON28 If you miss the live workshop, you can watch it later. The video will remain here and also be available to re-watch on our YouTube channel.

Hi @TDECHILL thanks for your question!

We’ve checked in with Roland Dalton, an expat in Southeast Asia and Norm Bour, a full-time travel journalist and nomad.

Here’s what Roland had to say: Choosing the right area in Penang is what it is all about for a condo or house. There are many areas from Batu Ferringhi next to the beaches in the north all the way down to Banyan Lapas in the south. Only way is to check them out personally. We have friends who live in the Gurney Drive area, amazing shopping, and everything except the heritage feel, however it is only a short trip to Georgetown, Penang’s amazing capital. For us we prefer the traditional area of Balik Pulau , with very few tourists, local markets and friendly locals.
With many condos they do not accept pets. Although some do. Some areas have houses with gardens which I’m sure the dogs would prefer. Many of my expat friends in Malaysia have brought their dogs to the country and I’ve always heard positive reports about them bringing them by aircraft.

Here’s what Norm had to say: We spent almost two months in Malaysia, but mostly in Kuala Lumpur with a week or so in Penang, which was NOT long enough. Our room was in George Town based on what many recommended, and since Penang is a big foodie magnet we found it to be yummy! It did get QUITE hot in April, so that would be a red flag (no pun) or what may be during the peak of summer.
As to traveling with dogs (or any animals), every country is different, with some more strict than others. A quarantine is typical, and although you may not need a pet passport, like in many EU countries, you do need an import licence. Yours is a small dog, so presumably not one of the “banned” dogs, which some countries will ban. We enjoyed our stay in Malaysia and have identified it as one of our Four Home locations in SEA, along with Bali, Vietnam, and Thailand. Good luck!

Hi @KAKIFRY_DP Thanks for your question!

We’ve checked in with Glenda Cole to get an answer to your question, here is her response,

Like much of the world, temps have indeed increased in Portugal over the last few years. This kind of heat is unusual, but we had a similar heat wave across central Portugal and Spain two summers ago.

I live in the beautiful Algarve on the southern coast, where the sea breezes offset this heat.

Hi @CAPTMIKEJD Yes, If you miss the live workshop, you can watch it later. The video will remain here and also be available to re-watch on our YouTube channel.

Hi @KAKIFRY_DP Thanks for your question!

We’ve checked in with Ted Baumann, our Global Diversification Expert, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,

This is a tricky one. The answer in a nutshell is that it depends on the country.

The only countries in Europe that offer Roth-like retirement accounts are the UK, with its Lifetime ISA, and Germany’s Riester Rente and Rürup Rente. Both countries have tax treaties with the US that appear to treat Roth IRAS the same way they treat their own, as tax free. But the details are murky, and it’s essential to consult an accountant in any country where you plan to settle.

Other countries, including those that have tax treaties with the US treat their Roth IRA’s in their own specific ways. Portugal, for example, Does not specifically mention transfers from Roth accounts in its own tax laws, but a reading of its tax code that I came across recently implies that distributions of principle would be treated as withdrawal of savings or capital rather than as income. But withdrawal of gains from investments in a Roth could be considered taxable. The article suggested that if it’s possible to characterize your Roth disbursement to yourself as purely from capital, you could probably avoid paying tax.

Unfortunately this is one of those topics where there is little clarity, and again, it’s critical to engage a tax accountant in any country where you plan to settle.

Hi @H-MEYER If you miss the live workshop, you can watch it later. The video will remain here and also be available to re-watch on our YouTube channel.

Hi @UNIVERSALPOWERSCEO Thanks for your question!

We have checked in with Terry Coles who has lived on the Silver Coast near the city of Caldas da Rainha, Vilamoura in Central Algarve, and Tavira in the Eastern Algarve. Here is her response,

Dear Diana,

This is Terry Coles, long time contributor to IL and now a long time resident in Portugal. If you are interested in connecting with expats in and around Porto, I'd suggest that you join some of the many Facebook groups pertaining to Portugal, like Porto Expats, American & Friends PT, Americans Living in Portugal, just to name a few. I'm not familiar with Caminha so I cannot be of any help with that location.

Our lives in Portugal began on the Silver Coast near the city of Caldas da Rainha. This location is 1-hour north of Lisbon, in the Central region of the country. But after two years with lots of rain, cold winters and little to no summer, we opted to move to the Algarve. It was EASY for us to make this transition because we were renting furnished apartments. I highly recommend that wherever you settle that you rent for a while before you buy to try out the location year round, and to see if you really want to live in Portugal long term.

Our next location was in the Central Algarve, in the resort town of Vilamoura. Ten months out of the year our complex was quiet, but come summer it filled with noisy tourists that partied day and night. Since it was a very touristy area we had NO expat community or friends, so we would attend meetups in Tavira. After two summers of wild tourists we decided to move once again, to Tavira, in the eastern Algarve.

Porto is a lovely city but winters are rainy, cold and damp, so do keep that in mind. But as I mentioned earlier, I've not lived there so it would be best to connect with Facebook expats who have or do.

Take care,
Terry Coles