Finding a country to retire in

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@David Vankerkhoven

International Living may give you some ideas on where to live.

Thanks @alan279

I would like to find a country that English is widely spoken, not too hot, low crime, does not tax foreign income and a low to medium cost of living. - @David Vankerkhoven

Wow, that's a very narrow specification! It sounds like rural Canada, but without tax. :-) The language requirement, in particular, might be challenging, as the world outside Canada is full of foreigners speaking other languages. For low-cost, low-tax countries North Americans tend to favor Central and South America. But, typically, you'd need to learn some Spanish, and the climate tends to be hotter (and more crime). Maybe up a mountain in Chile or Ecuador might work.

Plus, you've added the not-retired but with money requirement AND not willing to buy property. Most countries are easy for retirees, and many have residence options by property investment. But some kind of savings/passive income option is much rarer.

Maybe you don't need a country? You could be a PT instead, and just spend your 90 days visa-free (or tourist visa, in some cases) in different countries. Then you're not in the system and they won't chase you for tax. Or you need to compromise on some aspect of your specification.

Most of the no-tax countries tend to be expensive, and often hot.

Switzerland is cool and safe. It's thought of a tax-friendly jurisdiction. English is widely spoken. But very expensive.

Singapore also good on safety, tax, and English. But also very expensive (and very crowded). Bali (near-ish) is very nice, and still pretty cheap.

Spain (NLV) and Portugal (D7) have popular residence options which don't require property purchase or pension. Lovely countries and very safe and popular. But they will (eventually) hit you for tax.

There are a bunch of Caribbean tax havens who would welcome you and your money. Probably good on tax and safety and English. Mostly very expensive... and hot.

Andorra I enjoyed, it's a kinda poor-man's Switzerland. Some English (and plenty of tourists), but probably need Spanish/French.

Cyprus or Turkey, maybe. But both very hot.

I enjoyed Georgia, it might be a possibility. You'd probably need to speak Russian. :-)

Serbia, also non-EU, and OK.

Thanks for the detail response. I will look into your suggestions. @gwynj

Sounds rather unrealistic. If you actually have residency you have to pay income tax there on world-wide earned income, even if foreign earned. That is the standard rule in EVERY country in the world! I guess a tax free country would be an exception. I think I have heard claim that Paraguay is tax free in some situations and easy to immigrate to but not English speaking, pretty warm and definitely not safe. Assuming you don't also manage to maintain a residency in Canada then you should only pay tax on income made there, like on investments. Depending on the rules between the countries you might pay tax on such investment income in both countries. But since you are looking for English speaking countries you only have a handful of options to begin with.

Thanks for the reply. You make good points. @TominStuttgart

Maybe check out Panama, Mexico, Uruguay.

Thanks @electra777

I'm offering as a suggestion the country of Turkey.  I am a first Gen American (born in Bismarck) with immigrant Turkish parents.  I currently live in Minneapolis.  Upon my parent's retirement, they moved back to Turkey.  So, for my mother's 80th birthday in 2019, my wife and I visited her in Kusadasi.  We ended up falling in love with everything we experienced thusly decided that as soon as my college student son completes his studies, we will become expats in Turkey. 

I would recommend doing some research on Turkey to determine suitability to your expectations.  It is relatively low cost, very safe, some English speaking people there with lots of Brits retired there.  Tax wise you'll have to research if that is an issue, though for U.S. citizens, Turkey does not tax income earned abroad that is taxed by the US.  Through this website, I developed a friendship with a Philadelphia native who retired to Kusadasi in 2021 and he loves his life in Kusadasi and swears it was the best decision in his life.  I always get together with my friend during my visits with my mother. 

We already purchased an apartment unit in Eskisehir.  We chose this city because it is very progressive, clean, has 3 very large universities and has a colder climate, which we prefer.   We intend to explore the country but also look forward to car trips to different destinations in Europe.

Thanks for the reply. I will look into it. @Gino_C

Happy New Year, David,

and best wishes for your decision regarding your new domicile.

I researched the world when Canada became unbearable for me half a decade ago. I also had a list of must-haves amd nice-to-haves. Freedom was first priority to me (or I could have stayed in Canada), safety and climate next.

At the time I was close to regular retirement age.

What became apparent very quickly is that English speaking countries have sacrificed freedom on the altar of big government and globalism much more than countries of any other language group that is spoken in many areas.  So I had to compromise on the language issue.

Spanish speaking countries are on average less safe than other countries, but there are exceptions and exciting developments … and Spanish is learnable and Spanish-speakers very friendly and supportive.

Having eliminated exotic options such as Georgia (Russian threat), North Macedonia, Albania and Tansania, there were only two countries left on my list and those were Paraguay (which is safer than most South American countries) and Uruguay (which is outside of the Montevideo metropolitan area very safe).  Uruguay also has a very good climate (at least the nights are cool), a hands-off-the-people government, and very little corruption, good, health care(with competition between state, co-op and private actors), plus empty beaches without urban sprawl there.  Big draw back is the cost of living and a lot of (but very predictable) bureaucracy.  The immigration can be done from within the country (like in Paraguay) and your foreign income is tax free for 10 years.

If I would have to make the same decision today I would also look at El Salvador, which may have a stellar future if Nayib Bukele does not get killed, and Argentina under Millei (same caveat – but this is a much bigger ship and more swamp than even in DC).  I was looking for fertile land with good climate, so that would be hard to find in El Salvador, but in Argentina that would be easy.

Hope this helps.  May you make a very good decision.  It is so important.

Armin

Hello, Armin. Have you ever considered retiring to Barbados in the Caribbean? Let's have a conversation.

@David Vankerkhoven

Hello David, I am Wendell Phillips from ***. Let's have a discussion.***

Thanks for information. That is very useful information. @armin31

@David Vankerkhoven

My native Colombian wife hasn't been to Uruguay but also has heard of the allure of Uruguay.  It definitely is also worthy of consideration and further research. Good luck in your search and enjoy the process.

Thanks for the message. Uruguay is on my list. I am looking at Uruguay, Croatia and Columbia right now. @Gino_C

@David Vankerkhoven

Unfortunately, Colombia is not very safe.  Even my wife is on her guard when she travels there.  I would advise further  research on safety for expats in Colombia.

We have Croatia high on our list of destinations to visit when we move to Turkey.

@David Vankerkhoven

I spent many years in Latin America, principally living in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Panama. With many stays elsewhere, including Colombia and Uruguay (regular ferry trips from Buenos Aires). There are some great places, and spectacular scenery, and definitely worth visiting. For a change of scene/pace, maybe for a year or two, they are actually pretty good options. But, for various reasons, they never grew on me as places to live indefinitely. And I'm very pleased I decided to get outta Dodge.

The EU (Croatia is a member), on the other hand, is very safe and secure with low crime rates.The whole bloc is pretty civilized with functioning legal systems and little or no corruption. There are many very nice countries and loads of lovely beaches and spectacular mountains. The EU is geographically convenient with a ton of cheap Ryanair and Wizzair flightsa so you can pop over to many tourist destinations. Driving is also great, given the open internal borders with Schengen, and the portability of car legals (registration plate, insurance, driving license). Great public healthcare is also typical, with EU portability with the EHIC.

Croatia is a little pricey, so it's not my favorite, but it's beautiful and has a lot to recommend it. I'm now a PR of Bulgaria, the EU's poorest member. Taxes are low, property is cheap to buy and own, and the cost of living is low. Consequently, we have a lifestyle here that's far out of our reach elsewhere. I'm a legal resident of Cyprus and Spain too, so we pop over regularly. I pay 20 euros per month into the public health system (as unemployed) for full public coverage (NHS equivalent with free or nearly-free care in public hospitals). Most private hospitals are affiliated with NHIF, so if I need anything I go private and get whatever I need immediately, for a minimal private surcharge (they get the standard public reimbursement). Getting back to the EU was a very good option, but choosing Bulgaria was one of my best ever decisions. :-)

@David Vankerkhoven


Croatia is a little pricey, so it's not my favorite, but it's beautiful and has a lot to recommend it. I'm now a PR of Bulgaria, the EU's poorest member. Taxes are low, property is cheap to buy and own, and the cost of living is low. Consequently, we have a lifestyle here that's far out of our reach elsewhere. I'm a legal resident of Cyprus and Spain too, so we pop over regularly. I pay 20 euros per month into the public health system (as unemployed) for full public coverage (NHS equivalent with free or nearly-free care in public hospitals). Most private hospitals are affiliated with NHIF, so if I need anything I go private and get whatever I need immediately, for a minimal private surcharge (they get the standard public reimbursement). Getting back to the EU was a very good option, but choosing Bulgaria was one of my best ever decisions. :-) - @gwynj

Were you originally a EU citizen or did you apply for a visa?

Just drop the requirement of English speaking and learn another language. It will open up MANY options..

Serbia is one more good option. I heard that English language proficiency among shopkeepers and taxi drivers is decent Belgrade city center. If you buy an apartment, citizenship can be obtained in 3 years and there is no language test. However, please check with a local immigration lawyer in Serbia.

Thanks for the reply. I am Canadian, I do not have any other passports. What is the process of getting PR in Bulgaria? @UhOhDetran

I was considering Panama, but I thought it might be too expensive. International living said it is the #1 destination. If I could afford it, I would love to go to Panama. @electra777

That is a good point. @UhOhDetran

@David Vankerkhoven

Numbeo.com is a decent website which provides not only cost of living numbers but also relative indexes for safety, transportation, healthcare and others which I cannot recall at the moment.  It also offers a comparison between two cities for all of the factors I mentioned above.  I'm not sure of its accuracy but it provides a rough guideline to compare cities. 

@David Vankerkhoven

I would wait to see if Trump sends the army there first

@David Vankerkhoven
I would wait to see if Trump sends the army there first - @lambieallan

Iignoring the politics that name always shoves at you, you may have a point.

Apart from anything else, wild policies might well create resentment against expats from, or thought to be from, the US.

My name is David. I live in Canada. I am 47. I want to retire abroad, but I am not sure which country to pick.
The problem is that I am 47, not the normal retirement age.
I do not have a pension, just savings and investments.
I am not willing to make a huge deposit or buy real estate.

I would like to find a country that English is widely spoken, not too hot, low crime, does not tax foreign income and a low to medium cost of living.

Any suggestions, how do I get started? This is very overwhelming to be sure. I have looked up countries online and watched YouTube videos, but I am still uncertain. I did hear the country of Georgia lets you stay on a 365 day tourist VISA that is renewable with a low cost of living. Is that a good idea. I need advice and support. Thanks. - @David Vankerkhoven

at the very least you should meet a lot of people here in the forums who look at retirement in a foreign country the same way you do:

a search for getting the most while having to give the least.

The very best deals around the world are reserved for those who are willing to invest in their new country.

The worst deals are reserved for those who want to continue to have all of their investments in their home country and simply show up and take advantage of their adopted country.

Good luck!

@OceanBeach92107

I totally agree with you, an expat`s loyalty should be to his new country, despite the term expat impying a strong connection to the old country.  We should invest, adapt, and support where we are.  Here in Uruguay the people are really wonderful, honest, decent, supportive.  They deserve the best from the immigrants.  However investing, adapting, and supporting needs time to get a feel of the new environs just as learning the language takes time.  So people like David try to reduce this time by looking for people who have experience in the areas that matter to him.  This way he can do all the things we agree should be done by a new resident more quickly.

@Fred

It seems you re doing something similar as the person you are replying to do.  Therefore I will do the same.  President Trump will cause some surrent expats to return home, because the left because of people like the corrupt Biden administration that certainly had very "wild" or at least totally new policies, that scared many.  I trust that many people (not necessarily politicians and media) in Mexico will understand that a country will protect its borders.  The name of the gulf is an unnecessary battle field but this should not cause hard feelings as the Mexicans and US Americans can call it what they want as is so often the case in geographic names, each country or at least language having its own name for a certain geographic entity..

So let us keep our cool and not worry about our new neighbours reaction to the actions of the new and former president of the USA.

@Fred
It seems you re doing something similar as the person you are replying to do. Therefore I will do the same. President Trump will cause some surrent expats to return home, because the left because of people like the corrupt Biden administration that certainly had very "wild" or at least totally new policies, that scared many - @armin31

I was thinking of the threat to retake the Panama canal.

Invading countries tends to make the local distrust you to the point they want you dead.

@Fred

on this one I agree with you, that is a really problem because any expat could be a spy.

Sorry for not making the connection you had in your mind

@Fred

The platform does not allow me to answer my previous response.  Since it could be misunderstood I will clarify here.

I agreed with you that in general being the citiozen of an invading country while be a guest in the invaded country can lead to real problems.

I do not believe that President Trump will do not do such a thing as invading Panama to retake the Canal.  In his first term President Trump did not start a war and I firmly believe he will not do it this time around.  So this is really a non-issue for me.

@Fred
The platform does not allow me to answer my previous response. Since it could be misunderstood I will clarify here.
I agreed with you that in general being the citiozen of an invading country while be a guest in the invaded country can lead to real problems.

I do not believe that President Trump will do not do such a thing as invading Panama to retake the Canal. In his first term President Trump did not start a war and I firmly believe he will not do it this time around. So this is really a non-issue for me. - @armin31

It's a 'time will tell' thing.

So far all US expats have to consider is how dangerous his threats against Panama are to them. Do locals simply dismiss Trump, or is he creating anti-US feeling?

Additional

https://www.ft.com/content/ace02a6f-330 … b6646b60f6

This is a potential problem for US expats. Only time will tell on this, but Americans abroad might feel increasingly unwelcome, or even start to consider their physical safety, as Trump upsets more and more countries.

@Fred

Or the sky may fall.

@Fred
Or the sky may fall. - @alan279

This depends a lot on if he follows through with his rants. If he does, attempts to, or just insults his way across the world, US expats may find themselves unwelcome or worse.