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International Living’s expat network is your key to a new life in a new country. Get real, honest advice from people just like you. Discover the tips, tricks, shortcuts, and strategies you can use to cut through red tape and improve your life overseas right away.
Read about and learn from real-life experiences our expats have had in their new home countries, from health care to taxes, earning an income overseas to buying real estate…and much more.
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Boquete, in the highlands of Panama, offers a pleasant climate, affordable cost of living, a welcoming community, outdoor adventures, and delicious local produce. What potential Boquetinos may not be aware of is that there are also a myriad of volunteer opportunities in the town to occupy their time. Boquete has an established and active retirement community who volunteer with taking care of animals, providing food to the needy to assisting the disabled.
If you plan to retire abroad on a fixed income, you may wonder about the expense of socializing. Can you afford to go out? Or will you be stuck at home...
Recent years have seen the small South American country of Ecuador attract many foreigners to its borders. The low cost of living, diverse geography, and ease of immigration are just a few factors that make this equatorial nation appealing.
I guess the best way to spin this is to say, “I’m trendy!” That’s my reading of a new Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report, “Working Better with Age,” which effectively concludes that older workers are now absolutely vital to the global workforce, and that people who might otherwise be settling into life after Read more...: My Retirement Plan? Pursue My Passions in a Place That Fills Me With Energy
We've had a lot of questions about the meaning and origins of the Costa Rican phrase Pura Vida. Our Costa Rica country correspondents give their thoughts on Pura Vida and what it means to them...
Readers often write in to International Living to ask whether U.S. health insurance companies cover treatment abroad. For any U.S. resident considering a move abroad, this is an important consideration. The short answer is: probably not. Most U.S. health insurers don’t cover treatment outside the U.S. Neither, of course, does Medicare.
I remember walking into Credit Suisse in downtown Chicago back in 1986 to open my first international account. It was as simple as filling in a one-page form, showing my driver’s license, and giving my opening deposit.
We first met Laura and Joel (not their real names) a decade ago on the shores of Mexico’s Lake Chapala, where they were vacationing. He was retired and she was happily working as a network television sales executive. He wanted her to quit her job and move to Mexico with him and she was having none of it.
Mention the word “tropical” and most people will think of turquoise-blue waters and powder-white beaches. But one downside of a tropical retirement can be the threat of hurricanes. But there are many idyllic retirement havens where savvy retirees can get all the pleasures of life...
When you move overseas, there are few better ways to integrate into your community than through volunteering. Volunteering is an ideal way to meet new people. You’ll meet the locals and other expats, giving you plenty of chances to expand your circle of friends.