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    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
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    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

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Live and Invest Overseas
  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
  • Conferences

    Upcoming Events

    • Explore Our Events Site

    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

    Nov. 13, 2025

    Learn More About This Event
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    • MORE EVENTS

    Contact Our Events Team

    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
    1 (888) 627 8834
    From Outside North America:
    1 (443) 599 1221
    Working Hours
    Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

    Unlock The World

    • Access Your Library

    Overseas Havens Reports

    • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

    Conference Kits

    • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

    Lahardan Books

    • Titles on living and investing around the world
    • Explore Our Store
    Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

    Services

    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
    The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
    Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

  • My Library
Live and Invest Overseas
 Moving Out Of The U.S?

THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

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Home How to

5 More Things To Check Before You Move Overseas

How To Retire Overseas In 2023, Part 2

by Kat Kalashian
Jan 11, 2023
in How to, Lifestyle, Retirement/Living
0 0
Picturesque lane with flowers in an Italian hill town

Adobe Stock/Jenifoto

Yesterday I began a list of 10 things you’ll need to think about when you’re planning for a move overseas.

Think of it as “How To Retire Overseas In 10 Easy Steps.”

Today, we continue, picking up with point number 6…

#6: Get your affairs in order

Go paperless on all accounts and make sure you know how to use online banking.

Don’t close any bank accounts, but change your address on file to that of a close family member or trusted friend who can receive mail on your behalf. Consider applying for new credit cards that come with benefits for overseas travelers (like no foreign transaction fees, reimbursed ATM fees, or airline cards that give you miles per purchase).

You’ll also need to open at least one bank account in your new country (preferably more than one if you can), though you might have to do this after you’ve settled into your new home. Local credit cards may also be a boon to you in your new life—in Europe, it’s sometimes hard or impossible to make online purchases at local stores using foreign cards. Plus, local debit cards allow you to avoid ATM fees and local credit cards won’t charge foreign transaction fees.

Before you leave home, make sure your passport isn’t due to expire anytime soon. It should be valid for at least six months, but you really want to have at least a year before you need to renew, especially if you’re seeking residency in your new country.

Make copies of all your important documents and bring them with you (birth and marriage certificates, etc.).

#7: Get tech savvy

Make sure your cell phone is unlocked before moving, which will allow you to buy a local SIM card and pop it into your existing phone.

Download communication apps like Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and a host of others that are used globally and make sure both you and your loved ones know how to use them effectively. They’ll not just help you keep in touch with those back home, they’ll save you tons of money on communication both international and local.

Consider investing in a VPN or DNS system that will allow you to use American media. Netflix is international, but what it offers changes from country to country. You won’t be able to use HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or most other online TV services in your new home without an IP cloaking service of some sort.

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#8: Get connected

Scout around for local social groups to join, be they local or expat. Making some contacts before you move can be hugely valuable, not just socially but also practically. These new friends can help you get settled into your new home more easily than you might have on your own.

You can do this online or in person, so don’t be shy. Even if you’re not in town yet, you can do plenty of preliminary work on this front from the comfort of home. Use Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, local sites and blogs, and anything else you can think of to get the scoop and make some friends. Chances are there are plenty of options, so join some clubs and dive right in.

#9: Learn the lingo

If you’re moving to a country that’s official language isn’t English, you should learn at least a bit of the local tongue. You don’t necessarily need to become fluent, but even if you’re in a place where most locals speak English, it’s only smart (and polite) to know a few basics.

At the absolute least, the five magic words that you should know how to say locally are: hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and excuse me. I recommend learning these even if you’re only passing through someplace as a tourist. Some basic conversational skills are always good to have, too—like “how are you,” “my name is,” etc.

Make sure you have a translation app on your phone (or carry a pocket dictionary). You’ll likely use these several times a day once you get out and about in your new home.

There are plenty of language learning software options out there, but I highly recommend Duolingo as a starting point for language learning—download it now and get started from home. It’s free to begin, and if you like the format, the annual subscription is a good value. You can also take classes from home (either in person or online), buy some kids’ books in Spanish, turn on the French subtitles, or find some musical artists singing in Italian, for example. These are all great ways to begin learning.

Once you get to your new home, you’ll be glad you have some foundation already, and once you’re immersed in the language, learning it will come much easier. Joining a class is not just a way to learn but an easy way to make friends.

#10: Realize that, no matter how much you prepare, Murphy will have the last laugh…

Sad but true. No matter how well you prepare, something will inevitably go wrong. Although you can’t avoid bumps in the road, you can prepare yourself for them mentally. Know that with the good days come the bad and that patience is key when it comes to dealing with the unexpected overseas.

Moving overseas can be a series of dizzying highs in the early stages, and something going wrong can feel like a major crash. By reminding yourself there will be tough times, you’ll be better equipped to thrive in the face of them.

Bon voyage.

Kat Kalashian
Editor, Live And Invest Overseas Confidential

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Kat Kalashian

Kat Kalashian

Kat Kalashian has grown up around the world, living in the United States, Ireland, France, and Panama, and has traveled extensively in her few years. Growing up as a young expat she is familiar with the trials and tribulations of an overseas move and the adjustments that must be made in every new destination. After living in Panama for seven years, she and her husband relocated back to Paris, France, in 2018 where they now live full-time with their American-born cat, Panamanian-born dog, and two French-born daughters. She's now been living in Paris for over 10 cumulative years, and enjoys being able to explore France and the rest of Europe at every opportunity. As head of Live And Invest Overseas’ European Division, she is Editorial Director of Europe Uncovered, a monthly subscription service, MCs the Europe based Live And Invest Conferences, and scouts out new locations for coverage on the Continent.

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HOME

Top Countries

  • Spain
  • Portugal
  • Panama
  • Belize
  • Colombia
  • Cyprus
  • Mexico
  • France
  • Montenegro

Best For:

  • Health Care Abroad
  • Retirement Living
  • Cost Of Living
  • Investing in Real Estate
  • Establishing Residency
  • Gun Ownership
  • English Speakers
  • Safety
BROWSE ALL COUNTRIES

Budgets

How Much Will It Cost
To Live Overseas?

Super Cheap

  • Chitré, Panama
  • Santa Marta, Colombia
  • Phuket, Thailand
  • Dumaguete, The Philippines

Cheap

  • Medellin, Colombia
  • Boquete, Panama
  • Kyrenia, Cyprus
  • Hua Hin, Thailand
  • The Algarve, Portugal

Affordable

  • Valencia, Spain
  • Cascais, Portugal
  • Las Terrenas, The DR
  • Pisa, Italy
  • La Rochelle, France
  • Mazatlán, Mexico

Luxury

  • Ambergris Caye, Belize
  • Kotor, Montenegro
  • The Panama City Beaches
  • Paris, France

Resources

Global Living

  • Living & Retiring Overseas
  • Raising A Family Abroad
  • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
  • Offshore & Diversification

Making Money

  • International Real Estate
  • Banking
  • Employment
  • Investing
Meet Our Experts

Real Estate

Overseas Property Alert 

 

How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams

VISIT SITE

Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

 

Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

READ MORE

Explore Our Latest Posts

 

Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

EXPLORE

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Live and Invest In Spain Conference

VALENCIA, SPAIN Sep. 17-19, 2025
Learn More About This Event

Offshore Wealth Summit

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA Oct. 15-17, 2025
Learn More About This Event
PRE-REGISTER

GREECE WORKSHOP

VIRTUAL Nov. 13, 2025
Learn More About This Event
PRE-REGISTER
MORE EVENTS

Contact Our Events Team:

Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
1 (888) 627 8834

From Outside North America:
1 (443) 599 1221

Working Hours
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Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

Store

Overseas Havens Reports

  • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

Conference Kits

  • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

Lahardan Books

  • Titles on living and investing around the world

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  • The Simon Letter: Wealth Protection Insights
  • Global Property Advisor: Global Investment Opportunitites
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THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

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