Live Somewhere Else? Ten (Mostly) Practical Tips.

By Erica and Karen

Are you in a position—because you are no longer tethered to a demanding career—to live anywhere? Does the idea of living in another country excite you? Here are ten tips for how to organize your thoughts.

1. The first question, of course, is—where? You may already know, because you have fallen in love with a place where you have enjoyed delightful vacations.

2. If not, there are a number of publications that do surveys to generate lists of destinations chosen by other Americans. These publications include International Living; Global Citizen Solutions; U.S. News and World Report; Yahoo Finance; and dozens of other travel sites and magazines.

3. Each publication has a different slant on why a particular country is a positive location for retirees, but many will have some of the same considerations. For example, International Living used these criteria:

   • Housing

   • Visas and Benefits

   • Cost of Living

   • Affinity Rating (do you like the place)

   • Healthcare

   • Development and Governance

   • Climate

4. This year, as in other years, Lisbon, Portugal is high on several lists; so is Panama City, Panama; Montezuma, Costa Rica; Salinas, Ecuador; Cartagena and other towns in Colombia; smaller towns in France, like those in the Dordogne; Penang, Malaysia; smaller towns in Greece or Spain; Ixtapa or Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

5. Once you figure out an attractive option, if you have not already spent some time getting to know the place you may want to call home, do it now. Obviously, it’s one thing to take a vacation somewhere. It is another to commit to living there. Just as in any location, domestic or foreign, you will likely consider whether you want to live at the beach or on a mountain; in a bustling city or a quiet countryside; in a warm climate or a cooler one; with fiery food or milder options; with lots of cultural opportunities, or a sport team you can bond with; cosy housing options for you and your partner, or sprawling homes for large family visits; many other expats, or none. Finally, check out where it is easy for Americans to buy real estate.

6. Then you need to do some expat research. If you want to be a permanent resident but to retain U.S. citizenship, have a look at the website of the U. S. State Department. The Department has compiled information for many countries concerning visa and residency requirements; rights and responsibilities of foreign residents; rules for driver’s licenses; local currencies; how to vote in the U.S., and how to get Social Security payments delivered (Medicare does not cover health care abroad); how dual taxation systems work; and how to stay prepared for emergencies and connected with the homeland.

7. Many countries offer so called golden visas, which may be attractive to those with means, though careful study seems wise.

   • What are golden visas?

     • In its most basic form, golden visa acquisition, or residence by investment and citizenship by investment, denotes the process whereby qualified, vetted candidates are granted either full residence or citizenship rights in exchange for a defined economic contribution to the host country. Golden visa programs give high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) the option of physically relocating to a favorable jurisdiction — either now or upon retirement — and becoming residents of that state with full legal rights, including the right to live, work, study, and receive healthcare in that country.

8. Does some of this sound a little complicated? Well, here’s one other option to consider—endless travel with limited concern for local requirements. How to do that?

   • You could buy an ocean going yacht—but that seems extremely complicated, and vastly expensive.

   • Better to consider a residence at sea. Some look pretty nice, and offer pretty cool options—-though they are pricey too. Here’s how The World works:

     • [R]esidents of this “community-at-sea” collectively own the ship, and can thus choose their own itinerary along with the captain. This year, The World will stop at 104 ports in 30 countries, covering around 41,000 nautical miles. The itinerary includes three in-depth expeditions; the Namibia & Mid-Atlantic Expedition, which goes from Cape Town to the Canary Islands; the Greenland Expedition, which explores the remote Faroe islands; and the Antarctica Expedition, which passes through the Panama Canal.

9. Too expensive? Look into a new ship, the MV Narrative, owned by a company called Storylines, that may offer options that are more affordable, after you factor in housing, food and entertainment costs.

   • Storylines was developed to enable a wide diversity of people to travel the globe in total freedom and comfort. In 2016, founders and lifelong travelers Alister Punton and Shannon Lee were in the land-based real estate and construction sector and were ready to take that experience and shift it toward a new venture by creating a residential community at sea. There was only one successful product in the market at the time and it catered to ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Two years of market research and hundreds of pages of spreadsheets indicated there was enough demand to expand to a broader audience by making the lifestyle more affordable.

10. Or you could try the Endless Horizons program:

Through the “Endless Horizons” program, travelers get guaranteed access to a cabin with an ocean view aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey, a recently refurbished ship that can accommodate up to 924 guests. The one-time fee also includes high-speed Starlink internet service, meals and snacks, select shore excursions, laundry, and access to the ship’s pool and fitness center, among other perks.

Do let us know if you decide to take the leap, and what other ideas you have for living in another country or on the water.