IL Magazine: Discover the World's Best Retirement Haven for 2022 + 24 more
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So, you have decided you want to live overseas. That’s great…this is where your journey begins. Moving abroad raises many questions, and can sometimes seems like an exhaustive list of things to check out before you go.
Sometimes the more answers you get makes you realize you have even more questions that you hadn’t initially thought about. In order to be well prepared for you move overseas, we recommend doing extensive research.
Luckily help is at hand and you are not on your own on this journey, we're here to help you every step of the way.
Do you have questions about living or retiring overseas? Do you need information about moving to Mexico or the visa requirements for Italy? Wondering which places would suit a single woman moving overseas? Is healthcare, affordability, or security your main concern?
If it’s important to you then it’s important to us. Submit your question below and have it answered by one of our many on the ground experts living their dream overseas. Since this can be one of the biggest decisions you will ever make, you need the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Our experts have been where you have been and know all the decisions and challenges you will face. They will give you unbiased and honest advice so you can rest assured you have the information you need to make an informed decision.
While we do our best to answer questions, unfortunately, not every question can be answered. We have an extensive library of content on the website that should be able to you help you with your query. If, however, your question is urgent please contact our customer service team here.
This is your opportunity to submit your question to our experts, gain real-world know-how, and start making your live-abroad dream your reality.
All Your Live-Overseas Questions Answered...
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Always wanted to live in a foreign country but not sure how to go about it? A lot of our correspondents and contributors went on retirement scouting trips before making the big move overseas. It takes time to learn which country, and even what town or city within that country, is your best fit. Below they share their experiences and what valuable lessons they learned:
Would you believe that not everyone knows that Portuguese is the official language of Portugal? Some think that Spanish is spoken here, and although both languages do share many of the same words, pronunciation of European Portuguese resembles more of a Slavic language...
In most of the places I've lived and traveled, including Costa Rica, Roatan, Dominican Republic, Mexico, etc. gringo is a term for any expat, North American and often Europeans as well. It's not an insult, which is the connotation in the U.S.
While the good old days of almost no crime are gone, Uruguay is still safer than most other countries. For perspective, the 2020 Peace Index ranks Uruguay 35th out of 163 countries. (For comparison, the U.S. ranks 121st.) Many say Montevideo offers the highest quality of life of any city in South America...
I am thinking of a retiring and am researching destinations. As Belize is an English speaking country and it rated in your top 10 I was pleased. However when I researched the crime rate in Belize I was shocked to discover how bad crime is in Belize.
Spain is the safest place I have ever lived. In fact, before visiting Spain, I had no idea that such a carefree life was even possible. The combination of Spain’s social safety net and strict gun laws creates a welcoming cocoon of safety. The 2020 Global Peace Index, which considers crime, as well as war and terrorism, named Spain...
From my earliest trips through my years of living here in Italy, I’ve never experienced a moment of feeling unsafe. I once rode the wrong bus in Rome to an outer, densely packed and squalid area; I have wandered country roads at night, and stumbled my way through a decidedly sketchy part of Naples, but never felt I was in danger.
As with many of its European neighbors, France is a safe and welcoming country. A recent survey of American travelers by Smarter Travel ranked the country as the sixth safest in the world—proceeded by the Netherlands at number five, and Italy taking the fourth spot.
We have traveled through much of Portugal, visiting castles in medieval villages, exploring the bustling city of Lisbon on foot, and strolling along the Atlantic coastline’s golden beaches. Never have we felt unsafe in any way. But everyone knows that there is no perfect place to live so let’s take a realistic look at Portugal with regards to safety.
We often receive queries about safety in Costa Rica. Since it is a worldwide issue, I would like to dispel some of those rumors and arm you with a little information to make your experiences of traveling and living in Costa Rica a bit more stress-free...