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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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There are several categories of residency for those seeking to live and/or retire in Costa Rica. Although it can be quite bureaucratic, the process to obtain your cedula (the Costa Rican “green card”) is actually pretty straightforward. Most expats who retire to Costa Rica and live here full time choose pensionado status.
Before you leave, work with the shipping company to make sure your car meets emissions standards. The test is done in the U.S. You should also consider whether your car will make a good match for Costa Rica. Although auto shops are common and labor inexpensive, the most common parts available are for Asian vehicles and every mechanic can fix them. It can be more difficult to repair an American or European vehicle.
When moving to Costa Rica, many expats wonder whether they should bring their car from home or buy something when they get down there. Well… it depends. As covered in this article, “Bringing a Car to Costa Rica,” importing a car from the U.S., while relatively easy, can be quite expensive. In fact, you could pay close to the value of the car in import duties and fees.
When moving to Costa Rica, many newly-arrived expats decide to forgo having their own car. In retirement on a limited budget they want to eliminate the added expense of maintenance and fuel for a vehicle. Cars can be expensive to purchase in country and import from North America too, so that's another reason to go car-less.
The tiny five-island archipelago of Malta is an increasingly sought-after retirement destination among expats these days—and it’s no surprise why. Situated just 100 miles south of Sicily, the Mediterranean island offers an incredible charm.
With year-round sunshine, a dazzling array of gorgeous beaches, and lots of modern amenities, Koh Samui makes a great destination for anyone looking for a dream retirement by the sea. You can live well here on a budget of $1,800 to $2,200 a month.
One of the things at the forefront of our minds as my husband, Tim, and I travel across the globe is our safety. After all, if you believed the TV and newspapers, just stepping out your front door is fraught with danger, let alone traveling through many countries around the world. And yet after traveling to over 135 countries, including 34 in Africa, much of the Middle East...
Take our 45-second quiz and instantly discover your ideal overseas haven. Plus, you’ll get a free country report you can use right now. It takes less than a minute.
The world is full of affordable destinations where your dollar goes further. While filling a tank of gas, getting the week’s groceries, paying rising health insurance premiums, and making all the other ends meet costs us more back home…
John Sklute, a retired English professor from California, has lived just about everywhere—from sunny Spain to spacious Sweden. So when he says that Berlin has a special something, you know he's done the legwork. John's love for Berlin started when he spent a summer there in 1994 and fell in love with a local. The relationship didn't work out, but John's passion for Berlin never waned.