For some, retirement may seem like the end of the road. But if you are looking forward to a season of life where you can really enjoy the fruits of your labour, sound retirement planning with a little imagination will really broaden your horizons. 

Have you considered retirement abroad?

As an ex-pat retiree, you will join a select community of over 400,000 US retirees who retired overseas between 2007 and 2017. For increasing numbers of retirees, a US passport and maturing pension and investment funds are opening the doors to a new season of adventure abroad. If you can balance the tax implications, social security entitlements, and living costs, there is no reason some of the world’s most beautiful regions and cultural centers cannot become the base for your golden years. 

Enjoy amazing quality of life in some of the world’s best retirement havens for US citizens!

The world really is your oyster, and these four profiled places bring the social and cultural stimulation you will crave, along with outstanding natural beauty and the infrastructure and community amenities that are essential for maintaining your way of life in later years. 

Dartmouth, Devon, UK

If you have dreamed of the sailing lifestyle and love all things British, there is no better place to live in style than the quaint estuary town of Dartmouth in Devon, UK. It is home to the Britannia Royal Naval College and has an illustrious history of sailing, exploration, and conquest that goes back centuries. Not only do you have a marina and sailing club, but you will also be able to ease yourself into an enviable social calendar that includes seafood festivals, historical cruises, and an annual Royal regatta.

A fixed income will go far as Dartmouth is nestled within the South Hams, providing some of England’s most beautiful trails and natural produce, with fresh fish landed daily in nearby towns. The UK offers a Person of Independent Means Visa by which you can achieve your relocation. Being on the southwest coast of England delivers some of the best weather in this maritime climate.

Prince Edward Island, Canada

For retirees looking to live the island life without the costs of AC for a tropical climate, Canada’s smallest province could be the perfect match. With warm summers, cozy winters, and some of North Americas best produce, fish, and lobster, Prince Edward Island or PEI has all the ingredients needed for an excellent lifestyle, This island idyll has drawn countless American emigres, including the renowned Chef Michael Smith, who is a champion for the local restaurant scene. For Anne of Green Gables fans, you can enjoy lush prairie scenery and an engaging community with living costs that are comparable to those in the US. 

New Zealand

Retirees who can crunch some rather large numbers can furnish a very comfortable retirement all the way in the southwestern Pacific. New Zealand offers an extremely comfortable lifestyle, complete with outstanding natural scenery, a decent standard of living, and their famous warm Kiwi welcome. You have the option of sojourning for stays of up to three months unimpeded, or if you are at least 66 years old and able to make a capital investment of just over six hundred thousand dollars in business, property, or NZ stock you have the option of applying for a Temporary Retirement Visa for up to 2 years at a time. Expect living costs to be higher than in the US, and you will be required to maintain an annual income of just under $50,000.

Vienna, Austria

If you are a lifelong romantic and looking for the perfect setting for the happily ever after of your golden years, the illustrious city of Vienna will provide you with an almost unlimited supply of adventure! With a riverside position, historic imperial buildings, and access to the Alps, you can pass your retirement as a partaker of high culture, skiing, and a world-class calendar of events and activities. Another benefit of living in Austria is that its participation in the Schengen Zone means you can rove Europe by air, rail, or road with no additional border controls. Austria could be a dream come true for retirees with the acquisition of a Type D visa which permits longer-term stays, to get a residence permit, and with global air connectivity out of the capital, returning to the States is not a convoluted affair.

Rounding up

I hope that we have whetted your appetite for the type of international retirement lifestyle you could enjoy. Of course, your arrangements for retirement abroad will need to be underpinned by expert financial and immigration advice. If well-executed, overseas retirement at one of these choice destinations will certainly deliver the enviable lifestyle your have been working towards.