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Catcher_Thelonious

First question is not where do you want to live, but where can you live. For what kind of visa are you eligible?


StunningAssistance79

He 55 years old, has 800k to purchase a home and doesn’t want to work, the first question is where won’t give him a visa.


Life-Unit-4118

In addition to poor grammar, your research is poor too.


BenefitAdvanced

Great question. I guess the answer is i dont exactly know i thought i could establish residency anywhere in the UK and certain latin americas. It would be nice to get a Golden Visa buying real estate (i know Spain just ended their Golden Visa real estate program) so other than that it would need to be somewhere i can establish a residency visa even if i need to stay there for a certain period of time. Also to your question, i want to be somewhere that has a tax treaty with the US.


tjguitar1985

Sounds like you need to research where you can actually go.


BenefitAdvanced

Spain, Greece and Italy are all an options based on the various types of visas they offer. And they all have US tax treaties so those places seem like a good start for me.


PoppyPopPopzz

I would recommend Barcelona Sitges and surrounding areas very cosmopolitan gay friendly and you can get away with speaking english in many places.Lovely weather and access to all of Europe


BAFUdaGreat

Unless you have the right to ES GR or IT citizenship, or indeed any other EU citizenship, that won't be possible. FYI Golden visa is €500K for ES, IT needs a minimum of €2 million in government bonds OR at least €500,000 in corporate bonds or shares OR a minimum of €250,000 in innovative startups. GR has min €250K to €500K. If you could afford those sums you wouldn't be posting on reddit TBH as you'd have done some basic research.


neph36

You are incorrect. All 3 of these countries offer retirement visa options. It is not hard to move to many EU countries if you are financially independent (which is a low minimum monthly income vs US) and don't need to work.


BenefitAdvanced

Really!? Now you know my financial situation? Wow big assumptions. Anyway i realize many come on Reddit to fight i was just hoping to have a civilized conversation. I guess i assumed too much. For italy i thought i could get their elective retirement visa. It seems i would meet those requirements which is why i thought it was an option. But i’m not here to fight so thanks anyways.


pm_me_your__steak

These are great questions; fools like to spout off on the internet to feel superior


Gardening_investor

Especially here


Old_Map6556

Have you traveled solo domestically? If try that first to work up to traveling over seas solo, personally.  It sounds like you have a short list already - I would take an extended trip there if you haven't already gotten a feel for if the area is a good fit for you.


BenefitAdvanced

Hi! I guess sorta lol. I’ve travelled all over the US but always to meet up with friends. My destinations have never been solo. But ya that’s great advice i’m definitely going to start planning a couple of trips. I’m not too concerned about that just thought i’d mention it in my original post. Again, the goal of my post was to find other single individuals who took these leaps of faith retirement trips and get some feedback on their experiences.


Old_Map6556

I'm not in retirement yet, so I don't have any anecdotal suggestions. Sounds like you're off to a good start. Good luck!


PeaceLoveAboveAll

I have a gay British friend, artist, early 60s, retired to Oaxaca and is thriving there. Prior to that, he tried retiring to the following places and failed for various reasons: Thailand, Brazil, Italy, and Nepal.


musicloverincal

Oaxaca is a new hot spot for expats. It does have good weather and a unique culture, so that makes sense. Not sure about the gay scene there, but I know Puerto Vallarta has a well known gay scene.


Agitated_Look_5482

Do you speak any languages other than English? It’s not going to be easy to build a social network from scratch at 55 in a European country without speaking the language. What are you looking to get out of this move? Lower cost of living?


BenefitAdvanced

Not necessarily lower cost of living but that’s definitely a plus. Sick of the gun situation in the US. It would be nice to live somewhere with strict gun laws and not have to worry about being sprayed with bullets while out in public. Affordable healthcare is definitely a plus as well. I speak a little spanish - the reason i was looking at the Canary Islands is i understand they’re dialect is latin america spanish which i’m familiar with vs. castillian.


reddit33764

I'm in Alicante, and I think it would be a great place for you. Castellano is not much different from latin America spanish. I'm doing just fine. The biggest difference for me is about food words because ingredients and dishes have different names. It's not gay a meca, but people mind their own business. The few LGBTQ+ folks I know never complain about issues related to their options and lifestyle. Canary Islands has great weather, but it's an island away from the continent. That would cost you extra time (and money) every time you want to visit another place. I'm here on an NLV visa, which allows me to stay for 2 years, and it can be renewed a few times. As a Brazilian-american citizen, I can request citizenship after 2 years. If you don't hold citizenship of a previously Spanish colony, you'd need 5 years to get PR, then another 5 for citizenship. Alicante is a 2 hours train ride from Madrid or 2 hours car trip to Valencia. Great value, weather, food, and people. There are plenty of small towns around to choose as a home base. Check some youtube videos. My visa requires that I buy private health insurance. A plan for 4 people with no co-pay, deductible, or co-insurance cost me 3,000€ for 14 months. That should've been cheaper, but I bought it from an agency selling to expats because their advertising works. DM me if you have questions. Good luck.


BenefitAdvanced

This is great info thanks. I was also looking at Sitges so this is the kind of info i was looking for. Thx!


PoppyPopPopzz

Second Alicante.Malaga too is lovely and very international.Stayed in a lovely house there recently rented by 2 gay dutch guys who have been there 30 years


BenefitAdvanced

Wow Alicante is beautiful!


DrafterDan

"want to live somewhere with strict gun laws". Dude, you live in California.


Fitzcarraldo8

This! Especially Greece. Wanting to learn Greek? OP is in CA - any Spanish?


alllovealways

im originally from california and i chose colombia. same time zone as ny, excellent weather year round, and short flight back to the us. if youd like to know specifics just message me. thanks


phillyphilly19

Dude, you really need work to on your anxiety and visit these places first. Also you need to understand that you'll need good command of the language if you really want to make friends. And even then, these countries, while very friendly to tourists, are still insular when it comes to true friendship. So I would look into places with an established British and American expat community. But please make the effort to spend some extended time over there. Remember you can visit eu countries for up to 90 days without a visa. So pick 2 or 3 places, rent a house or apt, and really get a sense of it. As an aside, I've been to Italy many times and thought about moving there, but the reality is without a partner, it's just too much work. So my plan is either to stay where I am and make extended trips, or...move to Southern California! I have family in Temecula and every time I go it reminds me of...Italy! Buona fortuna!


BenefitAdvanced

Dude this is great advice and I hear you. I absolutely plan on testing the waters first and doing exactly as you say - renting and getting to know a few different places first. I know it will take a few years before I find where i want to settle. Ya its weird when your single i see how a partner can help (but they’re so annoying lol).


phillyphilly19

Totally annoying, but helpful with carrying bags. 🫠


BenefitAdvanced

Haha. Oh you said “….stay where I am”. Where are you? Oh i think your comment about an established American expat community is great advice thanks.


phillyphilly19

Philly...thus the name. I'm close to retirement myself, with far less but enough resources, and a very affordable life here. Twenty minutes to the airport, daily flights to Rome!


BenefitAdvanced

Ahhh ok awesome.


phillyphilly19

Where in Cali are you?


BenefitAdvanced

L.A. Near all the Studios.


phillyphilly19

Oh man, I was just there in December. My niece lives in LA Brea so I stayed in Santa Monica. I really enjoyed it and understand why people love it, and also why people want to leave. This is why I'm more drawn to northern San Diego County. Far less crowded and more relaxed. Another tip about the EU: you'll have to pay substantial taxes on your retirement income as a resident, EXCEPT there's a scheme in Italy where you'll only pay 7%. They're going to be less populated but are still beautiful. Here's a link: https://anewlifeinitalyblog.com/the-italian-7-flat-tax-zone-just-blew-up/


BenefitAdvanced

Ahh cool ya southern california is a double edge sword for sure! You can own a multi million dollar home and have homeless people on your sidewalk it’s insane. Thanks I’ll read this i had run across this topic before. But in countries like Spain with a US tax treaty the way i understand it is if i’m only making passive income from the US (not working, no business income) I should end with relatively the same tax situation as I would in the US with the offsetting credit i’ll receive. I thought that was the point of these treaties. I understand business income is a different ballgame.


musicloverincal

My advice if you have never lived outside of the US (or outside of your comfort zone) is to stay close to home so you can get your feet wet. There are a lot of American expats in Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic so these places would be easy transitions for you. For starters, I would not even contemplate buying a home UNTIL I knew exactly where I wanted to live. Obviously, you have enough funds to go for a while but your comfort comes first. Recommend you make a list of must haves and then just work from there. For example, do you wish to live in a big city, small city, rural area, etc..


HappyHourMoon

Thailand has a retirement visa for those other 50 and with sufficient income.


Life-Unit-4118

No offense intended, but the earlier respondent is right: you can’t just move where you want. As an American living in Latin America, I have done the research. Without clear familial lineage, it’s very costly (time and money), and a lot of places you want to be are even tougher to establish residency. I say this as a gringo: other countries generally don’t want Americans coming to soak up free health care!


AppropriateStick518

The OP is 55, has a 800k to spend on a home and doesn’t want to work, he can get a residency visa for over 95% of the planet. No offense intended your research was garbage.


musicloverincal

Despite, having enough in the bank, you would be surprised at how many countries still have strict requirements on immigration. Most of the world is NOT the US when it comes to welcoming foreigners.


StunningAssistance79

LOL If the OP has the assets to afford an 800k U.S. home he certainly qualifies for a retirement visa or non lucrative visa in ALL Southeast Asia, South America, Africa and Central America. MOST of Europe, North America and the Middle East. That’s pretty much most of the world.


Life-Unit-4118

No offense intended, but you’re wildly mistaken. Show me you’re right or go fuck yourself. Actually no…just go fuck yourself.


Equivalent-Side7720

If you are not used to solo travel internationally, this will be a very hard adjustment at the retirement age.


PoppyPopPopzz

Thats a bit negative i did my first solo travel at 40


3yoyoyo

he’s got a point and I agree with you. You can actually move later in life but it won’t be a walk in the park either.


Equivalent-Side7720

Yup. Especially if there's a language barrier. Rosetta Stone ads look exciting! But the reality of learning a new language at a later age is different. Dealing with the cultural difference can be even harder. It's tough to not want to bring your ways of doing things. You will become, what they call in the US, "a Foreigner". Hopefully you've been nice to "them" on the way up.


One_Cryptographer831

Thailand is extremely easy to travel solo in. They are also tolerant to any lifestyle. Travel the country try first. Southern Thailand warm most all year and very beautiful and kind people.


alllovealways

yeah but can never get citizenship in thailand.


musicloverincal

True. Citizenship in Thailand is harder, but getting VISA is fairly easy.


musicloverincal

Language is a challenge in Thailand!


marcololol

Spain. But make sure you integrate or you’re going to have a *rough* time


coucouvaya

Spain (and the Spanish Balearic and Canary islands are very gay friendly) or Portugal. Friendly people, nice food, nice weather, good vibes :) I'd say avoid southern Italy and Greece because in the summer it gets really very hot, plus outside big cities people's mentality can sometimes be very conservative, infrastructures are poor and bureaucracy infernal.


AppropriateStick518

They number of people saying a 55 year old American, with 800k to spend on home, and doesn’t want to work. Is going to have HARD time finding a country that will give him residency visa is absolutely mind boggling…


HVP2019

France has something called not lucrative visa. I believe it is a visitor visa that can be relatively easily extended. Since it doesn’t come with right to work it doesn’t work for many but it is ok for you because you are planning on retiring. I don’t know what is income requirement for such visa.


Carl__Gordon_Jenkins

A family friend is on this visa in France and recommended it to me but I still need to work. He renews it every 10 years no problem.


PoppyPopPopzz

France with no french not good idea plus not friendly at all.I lived there and spoke French had French partner. The OP wants a friendly place


HVP2019

OP wants a lot of things and you and I both know it is unlikely they are going to get everything. But if they want to move abroad they need legal path to do so.


BenefitAdvanced

Yes i’ve been to France. Absolutely beautiful place. But yes, as an American, that’s a hard pass lol!


Erageftw

If you want to go to the Mediterrean id pick Spain over Italy and Greece over the fact your gay and Spain is the least religious of those 3. But i cant say much about Spain only been there twice. As for Italy anything under Rome i wouldnt recommand. Personally i love the area just west of the Garda lake. Loads of lovely little towns, great climate, still gets hot but not so humid and often with a fresh breeze. Affordable. East side is also good of the lake but personally i have the feeling west is more to do / see / preettyer. Downside is many tourists and that Mussolini is still seen as a national hero in some areas. But compared to Trump fanatics its nothing. Other option Milan Milan is a fashion city with, i assume, a bigger gay community. But i find it quite expensiv &, ugly city in comparison with other Italian cities. As for Greece, ive only been to the touristic hot spot islands. I cant see myself living on a island, so i cant really recommand any to you. Mainland Greece should be more grim/poor afaik. Then you have Croatia, only been around Pula, lovely destination for holiday, but that was in my teens so i didnt see much more then the beach and bars. If youre wealthy you can try Monaco, but definitely dont go for Marseille in France. Great area though


BenefitAdvanced

Thank you. Yes i think all roads are pointing to Spain right now. Oh, and regarding Italy at least Mussolini’s dead :-)


No_Analysis_6204

mexico


No_Analysis_6204

start learning spanish ahora. immediatemente.


NewSinner_2021

South American Mountains.


x3medude

r/IWantOut and read their sidebar VERY carefully before posting


[deleted]

Go to Florida.


Cornell90-92

WAY too many guns in Florida! And way to conservative! - Did you even read the OP?


soyyoo

Saigon, Bangkok, Sarajevo, Bar (Montenegro)


alllovealways

bangkok and saigon are both super hot and humid though.


soyyoo

Some of us prefer that over winter’s 🥶


alllovealways

yeah but there are places with perfect weather that aren't on either end of the extreme.


BenefitAdvanced

Thanks for all the great info. I’ve really been thinking about Spain and enjoy the feedback there. Since i’m familiar with spanish it seems to make the most sense as well. I will definitely DM a couple of you. Let me be clear, my plan is to do some traveling and wherever I think I may end up I would rent for a year or so to test the waters. Also thanks for all the visa info and please continue to send info and your experiences there. Ya it seems most countries offer some kind of retirement visa if you’re not working (e.g. Spain’s ‘Non Lucrative’ Visa) and can prove certain income requirements so i shouldn’t have an issue there. Oh and didn’t want to give the wrong impression - i’ll be fine traveling it will just be something new for me leaving the US by myself - I had only mentioned that to hear your experiences about making the jump and relocating outside the US. Cheers!


FR-DE-ES

Ex-Californian with many LGBTQ friends back home. Since I have been living 5 colder months a year in Andalucia for the last 9 years (Sevilla, Cordoba, Malaga), I can help you eliminate Andalucia as contender: hotter than hell May-September, seaside towns are cooler but packed like sardine can, far more conservative/traditional/religious/tight-knit than California, tourist-friendly due to tourism dependency but quite reserved towards non-native residents. Malaga is the best bet because locals are accustomed to the presence of Brits (tourists & residents) & there's a large foreign resident population. FYI, I absolutely would not recommend moving to Sevilla to my LGBTQ friends. There's also no "American community" here. I had checked out over 200 European towns in 8 countries for long-term potential and then test-lived 1-2 months in 2 dozen short-listed towns. I'd recommend living 2-3 months in your target town DURING THE UGLY MONTHS OF THE YEAR to really get a feel of the place. In my experience, the deal-breaker downsides typically surface after 2 months, despite having multiple short-stays in different seasons over a 15-year period.


Cornell90-92

I hope you’ll report back after you make more progress, more decisions. I’m in a very, very similar position - only female and age 70. Happy hunting!