Day 37: Step #13, Frequently Asked Move-Overseas And Expat-Life Questions
28 Questions You Want To Know The Answers To (But May Not Yet Have Thought To Ask)
Dear Student,
My promise to you when you began this program was that I would walk you through the process of launching your new life in the overseas haven of your choice, step-by-step, day-by-day, your hand in mine.
To that end, I want to try to answer every question you might have related to relocating to a new country… even those that it may not yet have occurred to you to ask.
For example…
- If I move overseas, could I ever return to the United States?
Yes, of course. Living overseas, even full-time, even as a legal resident of another country, affects your ability to spend time in the United States not at all. You’re still an American citizen, after all. You can come and go as you please.
- Living overseas, would I lose my U.S. citizenship?
Again, no, your residency status abroad has no effect on your U.S. citizenship. Remember, residency and citizenship are two different things (see Day 9). The only way to lose your U.S. citizenship is to renounce it formally. This is a serious step that you can’t take accidentally. That is, there’s no chance you’d lose your U.S. citizenship without realizing it. Renouncing it requires a formal application and at least one interview with the FBI. Once your application to renounce your citizenship has been approved, you then must appear again before federal authorities to relinquish your blue passport with the eagle on the cover. The United States doesn’t want to lose you as one of its citizens, for, as long as you carry American citizenship, no matter where you roam, you are obliged to report your income and earnings to Uncle Sam.
- Do I need a passport to move overseas?
You need a passport to travel anywhere in the world outside the United States, no matter how long you intend to stay.
- Do I need to let the U.S. government know that I’m leaving the country?
No. You can register your presence in your new country with the local U.S. embassy if you like, but you are not obligated to do so.
- What happens if I die while living in a foreign country?
Someone should inform the local U.S. embassy and consulate. The consulate will help organize the repatriation of your remains (if that is your wish). Note, though, that the cost of repatriation of remains is expensive. If this is your wish, be sure the expense is covered as part of your international health insurance policy.
- What happens if I get arrested in another country?
When in another country—as a tourist, a resident, a retiree, etc.,—you are subject to its laws. If you are arrested for breaking one of them, get a local lawyer quickly. The U.S. consulate likely will not be able to help much, other than perhaps making a local attorney recommendation. My best advice on this point is, don’t get arrested. Know the laws of the country where you’re living and respect them.
- Do I need any vaccinations?
It depends where you’re going. Some countries require you to have specific vaccinations before you’ll be permitted to enter. Generally speaking, to travel from the United States to the countries I feature in these pages, you would not be required to have any vaccinations. In some cases, though, you may choose to be vaccinated nevertheless. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a good section on its website discussing the question of which vaccinations might be advisable, depending on your current state of health and where in the world you intend to spend time.
- Can I drink the water?
Again, it depends where you’re going. The tap water is potable in France, for example, of course, but it tastes funny because of the chemicals it’s treated with. The tap water is generally not potable in Ireland, but it is in Panama City and other parts of Panama. The easiest strategy (the one I follow) is to drink bottled water everywhere.
- Is it really safe?
Yes, every country I’ve recommended to you in this program is safe. That is not to say no one ever does anything he or she shouldn’t do in any of these places. Nowhere in the world is 100% crime-free. Use common sense. Lock the front door to your house. Don’t leave the keys in your car. Don’t wear flashy jewelry on the street. But, in all the places I suggest you think about retiring overseas, don’t worry about violent crime either.
- Are there bugs or snakes?
Yes, there are mosquitoes, gnats, sand flies, cockroaches, and spiders nearly everywhere. You’ll find snakes in the jungle and other rural areas, including, sometimes, poisonous ones. It’s easy enough, though, to educate yourself on which varieties of creepy-crawlies you might encounter in your new home once you decide where you’re moving. Note that nearly every state in the United States has snakes, too.
- Are there earthquakes or hurricanes?
Yes, again, depending where you’re talking about. Panama, for example, sits outside the hurricane belt, but down here in the Hub of the Americas, sometimes the earth does quake.
- Can I still receive my Social Security payments?
Yes. You can even have your monthly Social Security check direct-deposited into your account in many countries. The Social Security Administration website offers some helpful materials. This PDF details all aspects of receiving all types of SS payments overseas. This page directs you to the forms you’d need to file in order to apply from or receive overseas.
- Will Medicare cover me living overseas?
No. No exceptions. You need to make another plan for covering your medical expenses overseas. See Day 14.
- Will my computer work in another country? My cell phone? My DVD player?
Your laptop computer will work anywhere, as all laptop AC adapters should be dual current, meaning they should work with 110V and 220V electrical systems. You may need a plug adapter to be able to plug your computer cord into the outlet, depending on where you’re going to be spending time. Most of Central and South America uses the U.S.-type plug. In Europe, Asia, and Argentina, you’ll need a plug adapter. You can find adapter sets in shops in most international airports.
Your cell phone may or may not work. First, find out if your current carrier has coverage where you’re traveling. Second, check with your carrier to find out if your account allows “roaming” in the country where you’re going. In the long term, you’ll want a more permanent way to communicate locally. See Day 22.
Every DVD player is programmed to play DVDs from particular zones. Bring your U.S. DVD player with you to Europe, Asia, or South America and try to use it to play local DVDs, and you’ll be disappointed. Won’t work. Unless you have a multi-zone player in the States, leave it behind and buy a new one in your new country when you arrive. They are easy to find and typically not expensive in most places in the world.
- Can I drive on my U.S. driver’s license?
Yes, typically for the first thirty days to one year that you’re resident in a new country. After this time, most countries require you either to qualify for a local driver’s license or to have your U.S. license validated locally.
- Do I really need to learn the local language?
No. You could get by in most places I’ve written about in these pages speaking English only. I don’t recommend it. See Day 35.
- Is there Burger King?
It depends where you’re thinking about retiring. The sorry truth, however, is that, yes, fast food has gone global. You can buy Coca-Cola almost anywhere on earth, and McDonald’s et al. are to be found except in the most remote regions of the planet.
- Can I get a job?
Probably not. To work in a foreign country, you’ll need a work visa. This is not easily obtained unless you’re sponsored for a job by an international employer and relocated to the country with their help. You can, though, many places in the world, start your own business. Easiest is a laptop-based enterprise. More on this to come later in the program.
- Can I vote in local elections?
No, not as a foreign resident. To vote in government elections, you’d have to become a citizen of the country. Again, remember, residency is not the same as citizenship.
- Will my U.S. credit and debit cards work overseas?
Yes, they should. Before you use them, though, research what fees you’ll be charged. Some credit card companies impose such onerous fees when their cards are used in foreign countries that it can be worth switching to another group before you move. See Day 18.
- How will my friends and family be able to stay in touch with me?
Email. The Internet age has made it possible to move overseas and still communicate with friends and family on a daily basis. See Day 22.
- Can I bring my car with me?
Yes. However, as I explain on Day 17, this isn’t necessarily a good idea.
- Can my children attend school in another country? Will it hurt their chances to gain acceptance to a U.S. university?
Your children could attend school almost anywhere in the world, although in some cases your residency status may be an issue; that is, it may be necessary to establish legal residency to enroll your children in school. In fact, attending school overseas and, certainly, graduating with an international baccalaureate (IB) degree is an advantage when it comes time to apply for college. An IB degree is well respected. For a list of schools around the world offering the IB course of study, take a look at this website.
- How much does it cost to move overseas?
How long is a piece of string?
More on this later in the program.
- What are my options if I don’t qualify for health insurance?
Most in-country health coverage providers will write you a new policy up until age 63, with exceptions based on pre-existing conditions.
Bupa International will write you a policy up until age 74, again, with exceptions (though many fewer) based on pre-existing conditions.
If you don’t qualify for in-country or international coverage because of your age or your health circumstances, you can choose to go without insurance altogether. This isn’t as crazy an idea as it may seem. In many of the places you may be considering, the cost of medical care can be so affordable that going naked, as it were, can be a reasonable solution if you don’t qualify for health insurance (and even if you do).
If, though, the idea of no health insurance makes you sick, consider a policy with Lloyd’s of London.
Through the Worldwide Medical Trust, Lloyd’s will accept new policy-holders up until the age of 85 with renewals for life.
A policy with coverage up to US$2 million offers deductibles of US$2,000, US$5,000, and US$10,000. This coverage isn’t cheap… but it’s an option. A policy with a deductible of US$2,000 for a 76-year-old male could cost US$7,000 to US$8,000 per year, depending on pre-existing conditions.
- Can I bring my pets with me?
You can bring your cats and dogs with you most anywhere. In some cases, a quarantine period will be required following the pet’s arrival in the new country. Sometimes this must be at a registered facility; other times it can be in a space you create at your new home according to government specs.
Other animals can be more complicated. A reader recently contacted us to ask about bringing her pet chickens to Panama with her. We didn’t see the point but checked anyway. No, not possible.
Our son Jackson wanted to bring his pet turtle with him from Paris to Panama City. While this was possible, the associated costs (fees to the airline and to the Panama government) were so great we gave the turtle away to friends in Paris instead. Once in Panama, Jack got a pet iguana.
- What should I do if my significant other isn’t as enthusiastic about making this move as I am?
This is a tough one. You can’t very well pack your better half’s suitcase for him (or her), then take him by the hand and lead him out the door (as we did with our then 8-year-old daughter when she made it clear, on the eve of our planned departure for Ireland, that she was fully opposed to the whole moving-to-a-new-country thing).
Years ago, walking down the street in Paris, a colleague remarked, out of the blue, “You and Lief sure are lucky. You both seem to have the same ideas about how you want to live and where you want to spend your time.
“My wife and I are struggling with this,” my friend continued. “I’ve been trying for years to persuade her to move here to Paris. This is where I’d like to spend our retirement. I’ve dreamed of it for decades. But she’ll have no part of it. She doesn’t want to leave the grandchildren. I can’t even get her to agree to spend part of the year here. Do you have any suggestions?” he asked.
Making a success of a new life overseas requires energy, commitment, and a positive attitude. You don’t want to force someone into it. Neither do you, though, I understand, want to write off your own dreams because your significant other doesn’t share them. And you shouldn’t have to.
Practically speaking, you have two options. You can leave your spouse. (I’m not recommending this, simply stating the obvious.)
Or you can engineer a compromise. Start by trying to understand your partner’s reluctance. What is it based on? Not wanting to have to learn a new language? Not wanting to be a 12-hour plane ride away from the grandkids? A general fear of the unknown?
Break the proposition down into steps and give your better half a chance to raise and voice any concerns along the way. If language is an issue, as it is for many, consider places where you wouldn’t have to learn a new one (Malta, Ireland, Belize, or the Bay Islands of Honduras, for example). If not wanting to be too far removed from family is the primary objection, consider destinations an easy plane ride away (for example, Panama, Mexico, or Belize)… or, maybe better, where the children and grandchildren will want to come visit. How cool to have grandparents with a beach house in the tropics?
It’s easier than ever these days to stay in touch with whomever and whatever you don’t want to leave behind. Friends from North Carolina have recently joined us here in Panama. This is their first experience living overseas, and it has meant moving away from grandkids and other family with whom they were very close “back home.” Their solution? To make sure that doesn’t change. They’re communicating with their small ones back in the States live and daily via Skype… and their son has begun considering the idea of moving down here to join them!
If your spouse’s objection to moving to a new country is based on a general, vague fear of the new and the foreign, again, break things down into steps. Small ones.
This doesn’t have to be all or nothing, certainly not at first. Start by taking a trip. Treat it as a vacation. Let your spouse choose the destination. Stay as long as he (or she) is comfortable.
What’s the worst thing that could happen? You enjoy a holiday and return home with a few weeks worth of happy memories.
More likely, this first small step will lead to a second, bigger one… maybe a three-month rental in another destination your significant other finds interesting.
The key is to address and then to work to reconcile your spouse’s priorities and concerns. And to remember that “retiring overseas” can take lots of forms. While the thought of selling everything you own and taking off for a foreign country where they speak a different language and you know not a soul is intimidating… what about the idea of a month at a time in a safe, sunny place where the folks speak English?
What’s so scary about that?
Good luck.
- Can I continue to vote in U.S. elections from overseas? Does my vote count for less?
Yes, you can still vote. Go here to learn more about how to vote in U.S. elections while living overseas. And, no, your vote doesn’t count for any less. One vote is one vote, no matter where it’s cast.