Retiring abroad

[SkidsFox]

Anyone done this, and can give us useful advice? Things like health costs, receiving UK pension, travel restrictions etc.

It's not even wanting better weather - it's been warm enough this summer. Just the cost of surviving day by day is getting crazy here, from x thousand council tax to a glass of wine costing £7-8, to soaring energy bills.... But is there anywhere realistically better?

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 minutes ago, SkidsFox said:

Anyone done this, and can give us useful advice? Things like health costs, receiving UK pension, travel restrictions etc.

It's not even wanting better weather - it's been warm enough this summer. Just the cost of surviving day by day is getting crazy here, from x thousand council tax to a glass of wine costing £7-8, to soaring energy bills.... But is there anywhere realistically better?

Somalia?

[mozartfox]

Where are you thinking of relocating to?  This will be key for many things.

[SkidsFox]

14 minutes ago, mozartfox said:

Where are you thinking of relocating to?  This will be key for many things.

Well, had thought about several options, as follows;

 

Panama - Supposed to be very attractive for retirees, good health schemes etc. Warm all year round (although there is a "wet season" it's generally afternoon rains). However it does attract a lot of US visitors which may put upward pressure on prices

 

Spain - less attractive now that Brexit has taken place, but still thinking of the part-time option (see below).

 

Kurdish part of Turkey. Low costs, hot summers (but cold winters). My wife has relatives there, but I'm put off by the insecurity of the region and general habit of big powers (UK/Turkey/Israel/Iran) to engage in punitive air strikes there. So not really a long term option imo.

 

Phillipines look interesting, but whether I'll ever travel that distance to see them, is another matter

 

Part-time option means long holidays really, particularly December - March. Trouble is the parts of Spain I like best (Madrid and the north) can be cold too in winter. Not really a fan of islands, otherwise somewhere like the Canaries or Portuguese Madeira would appeal. Not totally ruling out the Costa Blanca either.

 

 

[SkidsFox]

Places I'm not interested in - Thailand (too sleazy, although I'm sure I'm being unfair in writing off a whole country), Australia, Jamiaca (love their food, some music, but put off by crime reports), Ireland (too wet and expensive)

[Milo]

I know Italy were offering incentives for people to move there. 
 

Not the ‘buy a village for a pound’ lot, but some districts were offering tax breaks and other perks for relocating retirees. 
 

Might be worth a look. 

[SkidsFox]

3 minutes ago, Milo said:

I know Italy were offering incentives for people to move there. 
 

Not the ‘buy a village for a pound’ lot, but some districts were offering tax breaks and other perks for relocating retirees. 
 

Might be worth a look. 

So that's why Jamie went there?

[mozartfox]

My relocation to Austria took place prior to Brexit, meaning I kept all the previous benefits such as free Health Care (Paid for by the UK) plus I already had property in Austria.

 

Health care is the major aspect and you may be better off saving regular cash into a separate account, as opposed to paying some high monthly premium to an Insurer, only to find out it does not work. I have Prostate Cancer and whilst I could have had treatment (and waited months) under the Austrian Socail Health scheme, I dipped into my savings and had immediate radio therapy.  So having this safety net is a good idea.

 

 For your UK Pension you will need a UK Bank Account and then just exchange your UKP into local currency and send using one of the reputable Currency Apps.  I use Currencies Direct and they are truly excellent and super quick.  The other thing I strongly recommend is learning the language!   

 

Personally, I have not for one minute ever regretted leaving the UK as the Country is finished and it is only going to get worse.

 

Buy you FoxesHub International Pass and you are sorted!       Austria is 80% wonderful place to live, but it does have certian things that wind me up like a clock !  But the Wine is excellent and very cheap and life is safe and peaceful!  Just never mention the War!!

 

Good luck and hope you find somewhere you like!

[Wakeyfox]

You looked at Cyprus?

UK based laws, great weather, good private healthcare, relatively inexpensive (compared to UK)

[SkidsFox]

1 minute ago, mozartfox said:

My relocation to Austria took place prior to Brexit, meaning I kept all the previous benefits such as free Health Care (Paid for by the UK) plus I already had property in Austria.

 

Health care is the major aspect and you may be better off saving regular cash into a separate account, as opposed to paying some high monthly premium to an Insurer, only to find out it does not work. I have Prostate Cancer and whilst I could have had treatment (and waited months) under the Austrian Socail Health scheme, I dipped into my savings and had immediate radio therapy.  So having this safety net is a good idea.

 

 For your UK Pension you will need a UK Bank Account and then just exchange your UKP into local currency and send using one of the reputable Currency Apps.  I use Currencies Direct and they are truly excellent and super quick.  The other thing I strongly recommend is learning the language!   

 

Personally, I have not for one minute ever regretted leaving the UK as the Country is finished and it is only going to get worse.

 

Buy you FoxesHub International Pass and you are sorted!       Austria is 80% wonderful place to live, but it does have certian things that wind me up like a clock !  But the Wine is excellent and very cheap and life is safe and peaceful!  Just never mention the War!!

 

Good luck and hope you find somewhere you like!

This is all great stuff. I hadn't thought of Austria tbh, and suspect it'd be beyond my budget. But I will do a little research. I remember visiting Wien many years back and being very impressed with the place. Vielen Dank Amigo!

[SkidsFox]

5 minutes ago, Wakeyfox said:

You looked at Cyprus?

UK based laws, great weather, good private healthcare, relatively inexpensive (compared to UK)

Not normally a big fan of islands, but it does tick a lot of boxes. I fear it may get drawn into regional conflicts though.

[mozartfox]

6 minutes ago, SkidsFox said:

This is all great stuff. I hadn't thought of Austria tbh, and suspect it'd be beyond my budget. But I will do a little research. I remember visiting Wien many years back and being very impressed with the place. Vielen Dank Amigo!

Well if you need any help on Austria, I am your man.    

[Grebfromgrebland]

Cyprus looks the best bet out of all the suggestions so far. Not too far, relatively cheap, lots of English people there. 

 

 

[SkidsFox]

Just now, Grebfromgrebland said:

Cyprus looks the best bet out of all the suggestions so far. Not too far, relatively cheap, lots of English people there. 

 

 

I'm not sure that's the positive you believe it to be....

[leicsmac]

As other people have said, healthcare provision should be the biggest consideration here. Healthcare costs after retirement can be...costly.

 

I can't personally offer advice on specific locations, but IMO that should be the biggest driving factor here.

[UniFox21]

My mates parents retired, downsized massively here and bought a flat in Spain, they hop between here and Spain whilst they wait for citizenship. Basically avoid whatever weather they don't want to deal with

[SkidsFox]

2 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

My mates parents retired, downsized massively here and bought a flat in Spain, they hop between here and Spain whilst they wait for citizenship. Basically avoid whatever weather they don't want to deal with

This is essentially what we may end up doing. Keep a permanent base here, in case we need hospital stuff, but spend lengthy spells (maybe just in a caravan) avoiding the British winter.

[deejdeej]

Italy is the dream for me, mid 30s now and hoping to be there in our 50s. Have started learning basic Italian and will get more advanced lessons later on.

 

Like the OP, It isn't the weather that makes me want to leave the UK, for me its the people, seems like a majority of Brits now are self centred and so so cynical. Probably stems from those in power being corrupt.

[spacemunky]

2 hours ago, deejdeej said:

seems like a majority of Brits now are self centred and so so cynical.

That's new? 

[deejdeej]

23 minutes ago, spacemunky said:

That's new? 

 probably not

[FoxesDeb]

We moved to Spain in 2020 and have never looked back. I'm working as still nowhere near retirement age, so we are entitled to free healthcare paid for by my taxes, but you can pay around €65 a month for it, and when you reach UK pension age it's paid for by the UK.

 

Our annual council tax equivalent is €180 a year, and we pay €120 in local tax a year, this cover things like the bins, but they are emptied every single day year round. Our water bill is around 20 a month, and electricity 40 a month, this is all the power we use for everything, no gas. Fast fibre internet and 2 unlimited data mobile lines €30 a month. 

 

Glass of wine out around 3-4, decent wine by the bottle from the supermarket can be cheaper than milk. Fuel is slightly cheaper and supermarket shopping the same. Fresher and better quality too, but less choice.

 

Second hand cars are very expensive compared to the UK. It gets cold in the winter! Bureaucracy can be a nightmare, and you do need to know the language, or at least a bit. The people are lovely, very warm and family orientated. We love it here and would never return to the UK. We might consider somewhere else in the future, but not the UK. 

[SkidsFox]

38 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

We moved to Spain in 2020 and have never looked back. I'm working as still nowhere near retirement age, so we are entitled to free healthcare paid for by my taxes, but you can pay around €65 a month for it, and when you reach UK pension age it's paid for by the UK.

 

Our annual council tax equivalent is €180 a year, and we pay €120 in local tax a year, this cover things like the bins, but they are emptied every single day year round. Our water bill is around 20 a month, and electricity 40 a month, this is all the power we use for everything, no gas. Fast fibre internet and 2 unlimited data mobile lines €30 a month. 

 

Glass of wine out around 3-4, decent wine by the bottle from the supermarket can be cheaper than milk. Fuel is slightly cheaper and supermarket shopping the same. Fresher and better quality too, but less choice.

 

Second hand cars are very expensive compared to the UK. It gets cold in the winter! Bureaucracy can be a nightmare, and you do need to know the language, or at least a bit. The people are lovely, very warm and family orientated. We love it here and would never return to the UK. We might consider somewhere else in the future, but not the UK. 

That’s great thanks. I do know Spain well, but not been there often in last few years, so good to hear what la luz and el tinto costs now. I imagine parking is still a fraction of uk equivalent too. Saludos!

[izzymuzzet]

5 hours ago, deejdeej said:

Italy is the dream for me, mid 30s now and hoping to be there in our 50s. Have started learning basic Italian and will get more advanced lessons later on.

 

Like the OP, It isn't the weather that makes me want to leave the UK, for me its the people, seems like a majority of Brits now are self centred and so so cynical. Probably stems from those in power being corrupt.

Lots to love about Italy but its political class isn’t exactly renowned for being squeaky clean.

[Grebfromgrebland]

8 hours ago, SkidsFox said:

I'm not sure that's the positive you believe it to be....

To be fair it helps when trying to get things sorted and set up relationships when settling in. 

[MaidstoneFox]

On 08/08/2026 at 07:35, SkidsFox said:

Anyone done this, and can give us useful advice? Things like health costs, receiving UK pension, travel restrictions etc.

It's not even wanting better weather - it's been warm enough this summer. Just the cost of surviving day by day is getting crazy here, from x thousand council tax to a glass of wine costing £7-8, to soaring energy bills.... But is there anywhere realistically better?

There's a good detailed article here about retiring to France, Spain, Portugal or Italy in particular. Virtually everywhere is cheaper than the UK.

 

https://news.sky.com/story/the-four-most-popular-retirement-spots-in-europe-for-britons-as-enquiries-surge-13569383