Best Places In The World To Retire

It is absolutely no problem when it comes to bringing your pets to Mexico.  But just like there are more hassles for people returning to the US from Mexico, the same is true for pets.

 

It seems that most of the pets are brought to Mexico by driving across the border. In Mexico, the pet must meet the requirements of the National Department of Health, Food Safety and Food Quality, SENASICA. This requires a...

It is absolutely no problem when it comes to bringing your pets to Mexico.  But just like there are more hassles for people returning to the US from Mexico, the same is true for pets.

 

It seems that most of the pets are brought to Mexico by driving across the border. In Mexico, the pet must meet the requirements of the National Department of Health, Food Safety and Food Quality, SENASICA. This requires a health certificate issued by a veterinarian stating that the pet is in good health and has a current rabies vaccination. Service animals are not exempt from these requirements. For certain countries (not the US or Canada) the pet must have been de-wormed recently. For airline travel, there are requirements for the kennel or carrier which must be followed.  The airlines will also require the health certificate and may have other requirements.

 

Several years ago, I landed at the airport in Veracruz with my cat, Yazmine.  It was interesting that the officials did not even know what paperwork was required and had to contact another person at home in the evening to find out where the forms were located and what needed to be done. Everyone was very helpful and finally we were on our way.

 

If you return to the US, the United States requirements state that a dog requires a rabies vaccination and a physical exam.  A cat is luckier and only needs the exam.  If there is no certificate of vaccination, the dog will be quarantined.  However, I have friends who drive across the border all the time and they have never been asked for the certificate or had their dog examined.  Airlines will usually require a current statement of health from a veterinarian.. 

My wife & I and our Calico cat have lived in the Marbella neighborhood of Panama City, Panama, for more than 6 years.  At one time the cost of living in Panama was much less than the cost of living of North America, but that it is no more.  Some of the things that do cost less than the US are my monthly condo maintenance fee of $180.00 and my annual repeat annual real estate property taxes are $41.07 - NO TYPO!

My wife & I and our Calico cat have lived in the Marbella neighborhood of Panama City, Panama, for more than 6 years.  At one time the cost of living in Panama was much less than the cost of living of North America, but that it is no more.  Some of the things that do cost less than the US are my monthly condo maintenance fee of $180.00 and my annual repeat annual real estate property taxes are $41.07 - NO TYPO!

If you are moving your things to Portugal, it is best not to bring your electrical appliances because we have a different voltage here in Portugal than in the US. We use 220 voltage here, which is the same as in England.
 
You don’t really have to bring a lot of your stuff here because you can purchase everything here in the Lisbon area. You can find nice furniture, wonderful linen, wonderful china, etc. so you don’t need anything else. The same is true for the whole...

If you are moving your things to Portugal, it is best not to bring your electrical appliances because we have a different voltage here in Portugal than in the US. We use 220 voltage here, which is the same as in England.
 
You don’t really have to bring a lot of your stuff here because you can purchase everything here in the Lisbon area. You can find nice furniture, wonderful linen, wonderful china, etc. so you don’t need anything else. The same is true for the whole country of Portugal.
 
It costs pretty much the same in Portugal as in England to buy things. England is a bigger country so it has a lot more variety and a lot more competition. Here in Portugal, the Swedish have opened up a new chain for us called IKEA. They are here now and everybody shops in IKEA. The prices are pretty much competitive here.
 
If you want to buy some Portuguese furniture, you will find it a bit more expensive but it is because it is of higher quality and of good craftsmanship. When I moved back here from England, I didn’t bring my stuff over. I sold them in England and just bought everything new here in Portugal.

 

(Roof patio, Tavira, Portugal, pictured.)

One of the worst reasons I can come up with for retiring abroad is one of the most obvious these days, I believe: The political turmoil in the U.S., (at least for U.S. potential expats.) My wife and I did not move first to Panama, then to Colombia to escape the political rancor and polarization up north. We moved to escape the chilly winter weather. But people have asked if we left so we didn't have to hear Trump this, Hillary that, Bernie in between. When we arrived in Panama we...

One of the worst reasons I can come up with for retiring abroad is one of the most obvious these days, I believe: The political turmoil in the U.S., (at least for U.S. potential expats.) My wife and I did not move first to Panama, then to Colombia to escape the political rancor and polarization up north. We moved to escape the chilly winter weather. But people have asked if we left so we didn't have to hear Trump this, Hillary that, Bernie in between. When we arrived in Panama we realized that many folks retained their affiliations and perspectives, and to some it had become their persona. Colombia is a bit different, but there are still pockets of what I'll call political activism in Medellin, organized around the events of last November 8th.

 

The point is, don't expect to get away from U.S. politics, especially now. You won't. The only advice I can offer, if your expat decision is based on escaping all that foo-farah, is to learn what my wife and I have, to become adept at changing the subject. Our trigger phrase is 'how about those Cubs!' Any time the conversation meanders toward the political and/or liberal Vs Conservative Vs Libertarian etc., one of us says 'how 'bout them Cubs!' Come up with your own expression, and don't be afraid to use it. There are fine, engaging, fun and interesting folks in the expat community wherever you go. Try to engage them on that basis. Don't expect them to have shed all their 'home baggage,' but instead learn to steer them toward better, more satisfying topics. And don't retire abroad to escape the turmoil, it ain't gonna happen.

Within the last six or so years, in Managua, Nicaragua, they just opened the largest hospital in Central America, a private hospital called Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas.  By North American standards, it’s very inexpensive and its very, very good; state-of-the-art.
 
To give you an idea of the care you can receive in Nicaragua at Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas, I recently came back from a trip that included a very long plane ride, which caused me some...

Within the last six or so years, in Managua, Nicaragua, they just opened the largest hospital in Central America, a private hospital called Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas.  By North American standards, it’s very inexpensive and its very, very good; state-of-the-art.
 
To give you an idea of the care you can receive in Nicaragua at Hospital Metropolitano Vivian Pellas, I recently came back from a trip that included a very long plane ride, which caused me some symptoms of numbness.  I went to the emergency room of the hospital and saw medical personal immediately.  Three hours later, after putting me through several tests, including a scan, they determined that nothing was wrong with me.  The total cost to me was $46.  The care was first rate.