The top 10 countries Brits want to spend their retirement in, according to new study

[xylophone]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

I’m English but was lucky enough to work in Glasgow for 3 years, staying in the old Copthorne St George’s square & many a great night out on Sauchiehall Street

I stayed at the Royal Stuart many times with a bunch of drunken Scots guys, when we were on our way to the rigs offshore Norway...................but wouldn't consider myself lucky!!

[NotEinstein]

"analysed the average monthly Google search volume for different terms relating to retiring abroad."

The fact is, the vast majority of those searching will just stay put.

This is like stating which model is the UK's favourite car by looking at internet searches..............

[proton]

43 minutes ago, sirineou said:

I see Portugal at #3

I remember reading that legislation has passed tat eliminates the golden visa program some time this year. 

If that's true they better hurry. 

My niece bought an estate in France in 2012 moved there, went on holiday to Portugal in 2016 bought there after falling in love with it, another very expensive place, renovated that as well, last Dec she sold up and moved to Scotland never having been there before, according to her France was too cold in the winter and the Portuguese are racist and mysoginist, not heard from her about the Scots as yet.???? 

[herfiehandbag]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Chiang Mai, in the northern region, offers breathtaking scenery with many mountains and country roads for peaceful living.

If you can see more than 500 metres through the smog...

[jak2002003]

26 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

If you can see more than 500 metres through the smog...

Yes, and don't mind the temperature up into the low 40's haha. 

 

Those beautiful mountains are also on fire a lot, no wildlife, and full of plastic and building dumped waste. 

 

 

[stoutfella]

"Thailand is in fourth place. Chiang Mai, in the northern region, offers breathtaking scenery with many mountains and country roads for peaceful living" along with amazing pollution in the crop burning season.

[Caldera]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Chiang Mai, in the northern region, offers breathtaking scenery with many mountains and country roads for peaceful living.

Unfortunately, the air is also breathtaking (barely breathable) for a good chunk of the year. And it just seems to be getting worse year after year.

[sirineou]

3 hours ago, proton said:

My niece bought an estate in France in 2012 moved there, went on holiday to Portugal in 2016 bought there after falling in love with it, another very expensive place, renovated that as well, last Dec she sold up and moved to Scotland never having been there before, according to her France was too cold in the winter and the Portuguese are racist and mysoginist, not heard from her about the Scots as yet.???? 

Some of the place such as Spain, Portugal , Malta and Greece are particularly attractive to Britons since brexit for attaining a EU member passport and easy access to the EU community. For an real-estate investment for a certain amount depending on the country (Greece is 250k euros it is called the golden visa,)  you get permanent residency and after 5 years in Greece you are eligible for citizenship and a Greek passport, in Malta is only 110 K Euro investment but there is a longer wait for citizenship. Spain is attractive to Britons because it is closer to the UK but their golden visa requires 2,000,000 euros investment,  etc. As I said Portugal was attractive for many reasons and close to the UK but they are eliminating their golden visa option , I think the objection was that locals were being priced out of the market. 

Anyway food for thought as plan B to Thailand 

[HauptmannUK]

My brother sold his business and moved to Spain last year. The visa requirements are not particularly onerous - IIRC €2500/month income plus €500/month for wife plus health insurance. After 5 years he can get permanent residency. Or you can get a long term visa by buying a house for €500k+, which by UK standards is not a lot.

The estate agent he dealt with in Spain told him that one of the benefits of Brexit for the Spanish is no more low-income British pensioners moving there and struggling to live on €1000/month.

[freedomnow]

Is there even a retirement option for India ?

 

I like these lists...so I can choose somewhere else.

 

Move half way round the world to hear an Alf Garnett sitting at every table around you....

[Darfoulde]

10 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Five countries that Brit retiree's want to retire in are in Europe but this is the group that were the largest supporters of Brexit......morons.

Really let’s see your proof 

[Pdavies99]

13 hours ago, proton said:

I thought Brits could only spend a total of 90 days a year in EU countries now, so how can they retire there?

For the Schengen Area (comprising the vast majority of EU countries, plus others) there is a limit of 90 days in any 180. The simplest way to look at this: if you went out to the Schengen Area on 1 January 2023, you would be able to stay there until the end of March. You would then need to stay out of Schengen for another 90 days, until late June.

 

However this is just for visiting, if you want to retire to say Spain, you can apply for a residence permit and providing you meet the financials and other rules you most likely will be issued a residence permit.

[Homburg]

A notable absentee from that list of countries is the UK.  Apparently Britons don't want to retire in their home country.  I wonder why?

[XB12X]

I have places in southwest Portugal and northern Thailand. I much prefer Thailand. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is in fourth place. Chiang Mai, in the northern region, offers breathtaking scenery

........and breathtaking atmospheric pollution at certain times of the year.......

[Chelseafan]

14 hours ago, Gaccha said:

Not only does that smog take our breath away but it creates a beautiful and mesmerising orangey aesthetic perfect for photos to show the grandkids. 

Rather like an old Polaroid from the 70's

 

[terryofcrete]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Chiang Mai, in the northern region, offers breathtaking scenery

That's so funny ... certainly does at times ! 

[geisha]

4 hours ago, sirineou said:

Some of the place such as Spain, Portugal , Malta and Greece are particularly attractive to Britons since brexit for attaining a EU member passport and easy access to the EU community. For an real-estate investment for a certain amount depending on the country (Greece is 250k euros it is called the golden visa,)  you get permanent residency and after 5 years in Greece you are eligible for citizenship and a Greek passport, in Malta is only 110 K Euro investment but there is a longer wait for citizenship. Spain is attractive to Britons because it is closer to the UK but their golden visa requires 2,000,000 euros investment,  etc. As I said Portugal was attractive for many reasons and close to the UK but they are eliminating their golden visa option , I think the objection was that locals were being priced out of the market. 

Anyway food for thought as plan B to Thailand 

Never heard of this 2 million Euro  investment. I have a niece just bought there and has residency and I know for certain she had no 2 million to invest ! 

[Hummin]

15 hours ago, bogs smith said:

yeah. it also offers choking smog for half the year.

 

if thats your thing then go for it.

Two months at most, it is bad air

[joecoolfrog]

13 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Yes. That would be amazing wouldn't it? 

 

We had plans to retire to France.  Had been saving up and looking at properties.  

 

Can't do it now. Stuck here in thailand or go back to UK are our only realistic options.  

 

 

What's wrong with Portugal ?

[sambum]

15 hours ago, proton said:

Friend bought in Spain now can only spend 90 days at most there, if there was a visa I think they would have found one in the last 3 years

 

I've been retired in Thailand for almost 20 years - retirement visa (Sorry, extension of visa based on retirement) for a few years, and for the rest of it, based on marriage to a Thai national. Only problem is that my UK pension is "frozen" due to Thailand not having a "reciprocal" agreement with the UK ???? ????

[jak2002003]

19 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

What's wrong with Portugal ?

I can't go into it here in detail. We did look into it. It's not straight forward. They restrict what properties you can buy.. And you can't get residency for years...plus other requirements.  

 

If you are interested you can look it up too.  We don't want to be doing visas, paperwork, going to immigration, buying a property of a certain age or state or repair, and restricted to certain areas of the country. 

 

We just wanted to go to France or Spain, buy a nice house and I woild get a job while my partner retired. We looked forward to being free to travel and explore Europe too as and when we fancied. 

 

Now it's very restricted and by the time 5 or so years is up we are going to by at an age we may not be able to enjoy it so much. 

 

Just feel like a great opportunity has been closed off to us and others that wanted to live or work easily in Europe. 

 

 

[Phil1964]

16 hours ago, proton said:

I thought Brits could only spend a total of 90 days a year in EU countries now, so how can they retire there?

It's just 90 days in any 180 days. But you can't stay for 180 days straight off. Only 90 days maximum in one stay then you need to leave the EU zone for 90days, ie: if you choose to do a continuous 90 day stay.

[Enoon]

5 hours ago, Darfoulde said:

Really let’s see your proof 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/520954/brexit-votes-by-age/

 

And my cousin, who dreamed of living in Southern France, where she and her family had spent so many happy camping holidays, was one of them!

 

Stupid ******* *****!

 

 

[CartagenaWarlock]

1 hour ago, Phil1964 said:

t's just 90 days in any 180 days. But you can't stay for 180 days straight off. Only 90 days maximum in one stay then you need to leave the EU zone for 90days, ie: if you choose to do a continuous 90 day stay.

Same for US citizens also. After spending three months in Schengen area, must wait another three months from the last date of departure from the Schengen area before you can apply to enter the Schengen area again without a visa. 
 

Digital nomads (Non-european, mostly US) in 2008 used stay three months in any of the 25 (san Croatia which is Schengen member now) countries and then go to a non-Schengen area (mostly nomads will flock to Croatia, Ukraine, Georgia, etc.). That's how the nomads discovered those countries and made them popular in the nomad communities. One of my friend bought a place in Kiev and did very good reporting in social media in early phases of the War when Ukrainian refugees were pouring into Poland and Hungry.

[blazes]

11 hours ago, proton said:

My niece bought an estate in France in 2012 moved there, went on holiday to Portugal in 2016 bought there after falling in love with it, another very expensive place, renovated that as well, last Dec she sold up and moved to Scotland never having been there before, according to her France was too cold in the winter and the Portuguese are racist and mysoginist, not heard from her about the Scots as yet.???? 

Scotland?  I've heard the name.   Isn't that where transwomen can undress wherever they wish?

[save the frogs]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

5 Canada

canada because brits want to shovel snow and pay 800$ for hookers in retirement,

 

[Northstar1]

46 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

canada because brits want to shovel snow and pay 800$ for hookers in retirement,

 

Believe me, we don’t want or need the Uk rift raft here, they can stay in pattaya 

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is in fourth place. Chiang Mai, in the northern region, offers breathtaking scenery with many mountains and country roads for peaceful living.

If you can stand the smoke.

[Dene16]

6 hours ago, Homburg said:

A notable absentee from that list of countries is the UK.  Apparently Britons don't want to retire in their home country.  I wonder why?

Its jam packed full of foreigner's bleeding our welfare state dry