Great ExPat Options Where are they? Costa Rica? Others?

Nov 7 2012 | NLZ

[NoLibZone]

I desire to explore options for relocation away from the US.

Countries to live in.

Transferring funds.

What are some expat Freepers experiences and tips and tricks?

Thank You.

[oiler]

It depends on your finances. New Zealand and Australia would be optimal. Vancouver. All nice but expensive. Look to Panama. Costa Rica has a fare amount of crime.

I too have had this discussion with my family. Now that we are no longer a free country, we can pick from the various socialist countries out there. As it goes, our “takers” are really not as civilized as they are in other countries.

I am hoping that Texas would start succession plans. I am serious.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Chile - on the move up, low pitch fork factor, not at war, any climate zone you could want, easy to get residency and eventual citizenship, spanish
Uruguay - can fit in, low pitch fork factor, look like Europeans, spanish, Rush sighted there, lots of good farmland and water

Asia:

Singapore - new world financial leader, well run, crime pretty non-existent, entrepreneurial, limited free speech. Not cheap.
Philippines - nice climate, can get by with English, depending on where (Cebu nice), cheap to live there.
Thailand - excellent medical care that is inexpensive, warm, friendly, cheap

[ditto, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia)

Europe:

Most everywhere, you will appear to be one of them. You will need to speak their language eventually - though there are many expats throughout Europe. English speaking: Malta, UK, and many english-speakers in most countries.

Depending on what you are looking for and your age: New Zealand, and of course, Oz.

And that’s just it, what are you looking for??

Many places have displace our own country in terms of economic freedom and many measures of happiness.

[mandaladon]

I retired in Nicaragua and I enjoy it. Very inexpensive and becoming popular with North Americans. Check out this site for lots of info and contacts.

http://www.nicaliving.com/

[Rodney Dangerfield]

In the Phils, you can stay for 21 days on a Tourist Visa, but can have it extended to 60 days at any travel agency for up to 2 years.

After 2 years, you must leave the country for a minimum of 48 hours.

Most non-citizens fly to Thailand for a weekend, then repeat the above indefinitely.

The other option is to deposit 50k with the Phil Government to become a retiree citizen, but I hear that they are relaxing the rules to make the country more friendly to Ex-Pats that wish to retire in the Phils.

If you haven’t been in touch with AlexW, you should send him an email as he is also living in Cebu and loving it and can give you valuable advice as he has been living there for a few years.

[teacherwoes]

I’m in Hong Kong and the only way you can live here is either get a job (work visa) or marry someone from here (dependent visa).

If you want to own a gun...forget it here. You can own but but you need to store it at the local shooting range. If you want to keep it at home then you need government permission to do so.

[jwalsh07]

Don’t ask me. I was born here, raised my kids here, served in this nations Army and I’ll die here. And no marxist pig will ever chase me out.

[Gay State Conservative]

Although I've never *lived* overseas I've done some traveling in various regions/countries mentioned and I know something about renouncing US citizenship (having dome some research.First,the State Department doesn't allow US citizens to renounce their citizenship without first proving that they have a second citizenship.Second,I have *some* experience in Latin America,Southeast Asia and elsewhere.What little I've seen of Latin America,combined with what I've read about it,would make me avoid it like plague.Southeast Asia...the only place I'd consider is Hong Kong and that's damn expensive.Australia...great...but almost impossible to get into but when I checked a few years ago they had an investor immigration plan that requires something like a $500K investment in the country.

[JusPasenThru]

Cuba is a beautiful island.

Allow all Cubans to immigrate to California or the other west coast states, and the Great Northeast. The Castros may move to D.C. and live on the citizens’s dime, as they always have.

Annex Cuba and allow it to run as an independent financial state analogous to Hong Cong.

Problem settled.

[AlexW]

Rodney just explained my situation here in the Philippines, but I will add to it.
This is great if you are single, but I do not know if it would be the best for married to a western lady with family.
A family might have trouble adjusting to third world culture, but it might work in some of the more sophisticated resort areas.
As Rodney mentioned, we live on less then $1000 per month.

I get online mailings every few days from WWW.Internationalliving.com, and WWW.Escapeartist.com
Both specialize in central/south America, and they have very glowing reviews. Look them up and get on their mailing list.
If I were not here, I would be hot to trot to central America.

Before moving here, I spent about 8 years in central Europe, my last being 5 years in Slovakia. I moved here from Slovakia in Jan. 2009, following a one month visit in August of 2008.
I live in Dalaguete, Cebu www.dalaguete.gov.ph

[Gay State Conservative]

Can I ask you where you are? Hong Kong Island...Kowloon...New Territories? My several recent visits there seemed damn expensive to me.Or is there a way to do it cheaply?

[Coldwater Creek]

That’s right, just turn tail and run! You people disgust me. I would never desert my country that so many have given their lives for.

[she geek]

Germany is out for us, if you homeschool there you risk loosing your kids and being thrown in jail.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Google FATCA. They have already closed the door, and it’s almost locked.

[she geek]

How many thousands and thousands died when they didn’t get out of Germany? Leaving the country when freedoms are disappearing at record speed is not a slap in the face to those who have served. I greatly appreciate the sacrifices that so many have made to make this country as great as it has been. A lot of us see the greatness coming to and end without a way to stop it.

[teflon9]

If by “rational” health insurance you mean private, well, private health insurance is going the way of the dodo bird. The USA is one of the last holdouts in that area.

[teacherwoes]

I live in New Territories. The prices are often cheaper than in the US. The problem is that wages are less than in the US.Now, prices have been going up because tourists from China and western countries have money and spend leaving locals having to earn more to buy less. You can do cheap here food and other goods.....just need to speak/read Chinese or have someone you does go with you.

[MHGinTN]

An important video, especially for our virtuous friends who wonder where do we go from here, now that Obama has been hired once again to guide the Titanic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s02SypCcYIc&feature=g-all-u

[TheBattman]

Renounce your citizenship and you lose your 2nd Amendment rights...

[sergeantdave]

You better pick right or you’ll end up kidnapped or dead. Americans are targets all over the world. Some of the ex-pat communities are infested with druggies, leftists and hippies who will rip you off. Gran Pacifica is a modern North American middle class community in Nicaragua on the Pacific coast where you can buy a small castita (bungalow) for about $114,000. Unless you go native, you’re going to pay a premium for an American lifestyle in a third world country.

Good luck.

[CharlesMartelsGhost]

Israel.