Imminent retirement to morocco

Good afternoon

All pension providers will pay you pension regularly to your bank account abroad ( including Morocco). The exchange rate will get will be set by your bank which usually set by the Moroccan government. This is usually lot better than what you will get from transfer money from the uk to Morocco. One thing you will need to know is that some pension especially the uk state pension will no longer pay the usual annual rise you will normally get if you lived in the uk ( or have uk address and bank account ). I advise you to seek clarification with your pension providers about is. Otherwise getting your pensions paid into your Moroccan bank account is no issue and better for you. Good luck.

welcome to morocco we wish you to enjoy your time here 😊
waiting expats to answer your questions 🙏

Many thanks for your advice. I did know about the loss of the state pension increase but small price to pay I think.

I think it strange that the new pension amount per year will not be paid
You need the answer
What about health care ?  Acute problems- say heart attack and chronic conditions?

Have look at this 👇. I hope this helps.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=does my state pension gets affected if i live abroad&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari

Thanks for your reply. I have previously posted a question about health care.
The question is, is it worth the monthly cost or is it better to use the medical service on a pay as you go basis.
I think if I were unfortunate enough to be afflicted with something serious long term I would return to the U.K anyway. Not because I don't rate the Morocain medical profession. From what I've seen it's as good as anywhere if you can afford it.
Something to consider when I get there.

Health insurance is something that you should seriously consider. Is will cover you for emergencies which people don't have time to travel and have to be dealt with immediately. It will also cover you to be airlifted to the uk if necessary and needed for specialist treatment. You should seriously consider health insurance cover in morocco which will cover you for serious emergencies. Make sure you get a health insurance that does what it says with zero access. Please contact the British consulate in Agadir for recommendations on various health insurance operations available in Morocco for the British people.

Thanks Said,
I didn't realise the British consulate did that sort of thing. The quotes I've had so far have been extortionate.
I will certainly follow your advice.
Thanks again

British consulate in Agadir or the British embassy in Rabat should make recommendations abour lawyers, health insurance ,schools etc.....
Did you try to get quotes in the uk for health insurance?

Yes, I've had several quotes which as I said were extortionate. I need to shop around more or as you suggested, do it locally.

Kingshams2 wrote:

Yes, I've had several quotes which as I said were extortionate. I need to shop around more or as you suggested, do it locally.

Hi, im a British Expat been living in Morocco for over 7 years. Yes your right the insurance is ridiculous, however once your resident in Morocco you can speak to the banks such as Banque Popular to see how much their medical plan would cost and what it would cover, This option tends to be much cheaper than the overseas insurance companies.

Iv had overseas medical insurance in the past and to be honest they always find a way not to pay the medical bill unfortunately and the case just drags on. I used to fly back to the UK to do my medical checks and test but in case of emergency i would pay privately on a pay as you go bases.

Thank you. That's invaluable information. I thought medical cover might be cheaper locally. I will certainly find out. If not you are the second person to advise on pay as you go. It will be interesting to find out what other expats have chosen.
Thanks again

Kingshams2 wrote:

Thank you. That's invaluable information. I thought medical cover might be cheaper locally. I will certainly find out. If not you are the second person to advise on pay as you go. It will be interesting to find out what other expats have chosen.
Thanks again

You're more than welcome. Please do keep up updated should you find any other solution as its always interesting to find other options.

But for now Pay As you go for minor things otherwise back to UK if that's an option.

Im not saying all Dr and hospitals are the same in Morocco but from experience it has not been the best for my medical issues.

However I have also had some good experiences with the medical system but a high cost. So always wise to try find local insurance if possible.

Keep safe and look forward to any updates you might have now or in the future.

Kingshams2 wrote:

Hi all, hopefully I am on the correct forum to get any useful advice from U.K expats in Morocco who have retired there.
I have owned a property in Agadir for fifteen years always with retirement in mind. This is now three months away.
I think I just about understand the residency requirements and I have a bank account there.
my burning question is,
What is the best way to transfer U.K state pension and private pensions to show that I have a regular income.
Would this be a regular transfer from my U.K bank or lump sums as and when needed?
Has anyone had their state pension paid direct, if so do you lose much in exchange rates?
Finally, did anyone transport personal belongings and which is the most cost effective way of doing so?
My appreciation in advance

Joining in on the pension and account information, if you would like to keep the money paid into your UK bank account to prevent the loss of increase then this option is fine,

Rather than using regular wire transfer you can use your international bank card which gives far better exchange rate than any other banks out there.

There are options and way to keep the commission and exchanges low which would benefit you in many way then others. Most cards can be used at ATM with little or no fees.

I prefer using my international cards and from time to time send some currency to my local convertible dh account held in Morocco. But i Mostly used my international card as i get a better exchange rate.

You keep safe too Vakil.

@Kingshams2 - Lastly on the transportation questions, i have always found it difficult finding a viable affordable solution to bring my belonging from the UK to Morocco. I used to travel regularly back and fourth and would bring my clothing and anything that would fit in the suitcases on each visit. However i have never really found a affordable or reasonable shipping service that would bring everything at a reasonable price.

Not sure if your wanting to bring furniture and other large items as its much cheaper in the UK especially if you have them already. However the best option would be to contact a freight shipping company that could possible bring the items on a shipping container or shared container to help reduce the cost if you have lot of items.

If you have any new update on this part please do keep me posted as I am always trying to find a way to bring things back from the UK that i had left behind lol

I've decided against bringing furniture as no matter which way I look at it, the value of it doesn't justify the cost especially as I have most of what I need already.
As for personal belongings I found a company called Sherpr International.
They do suitcases, boxes and other equipment like bikes.
The charge is per item and they do door to door if needed.
They are based in London but pick up anywhere.  I've checked them out at companies House and real people answer the phone. That's just my way of telling if something is legitimate!!
I'm pretty sure this is the company that I'll use but will update.

Kingshams2 wrote:

I've decided against bringing furniture as no matter which way I look at it, the value of it doesn't justify the cost especially as I have most of what I need already.
As for personal belongings I found a company called Sherpr International.
They do suitcases, boxes and other equipment like bikes.
The charge is per item and they do door to door if needed.
They are based in London but pick up anywhere.  I've checked them out at companies House and real people answer the phone. That's just my way of telling if something is legitimate!!
I'm pretty sure this is the company that I'll use but will update.

Much appreciated.

I am a 72 year old pensioner and would like to spend my retirement in morocco.  How should i proceed.  any information would be welcome.

@sheilasimmonds

I just moved here in February so I may be of some help.