You have to be young to move abroad.
Middle class American retirees have been moving to Mexico and Central America for decades because of the lower cost of living. Europe is not as cheap, but some countries will let you "buy into" their national health care plan for less than the cost of Medicare B and with much, much lower prescription drug costs.
You can only move to a country where you speak the official language.
You need not limit your list of possible new homes to countries where you already speak the official language. English is currently the business language of the entire world, and there are few places where you cannot get by knowing nothing but the tongue you learned as a child. Of course, your enjoyment of where you live will increase when you become fluent in the local language.
This is especially true in Europe where the people who take orders at McDonald's in the Netherlands, Germany or Austria speak better English than 85% of us Americans.
I came to where I live knowing only a few words of the official language. My problem has been that so many people speak fluent English here that I haven't had enough incentive to really buckle down and learn the language of my new home.
The New World Order will get you wherever you go.
It is frightening how far the arm of the American government reaches, especially in financial matters, but one world government is not here yet.
A few tips:
- make sure your passport has several years left on it so you won't be dependent on renewing it as you're establishing permanent residency or citizenship abroad;
- pay your taxes (remembering the $80,000+ exclusion on income for those residing abroad);
- get your criminal report with apostille prior to leaving the U. S.--once should be enough;
- behave yourself in your new country and refrain from telling everyone how Americans do things.
If you leave, you can never come back.
Nonsense. If the FBI, IRS or a roomful of creditors are after you, then they'll probably be waiting if you ever come back, but leaving the country does nothing in and of itself to make matters worse.
