There are many things that will cross your mind as you begin to plan your retirement abroad – from where you will live to what type of home you will be able to afford, from how much it will cost to move to how much you will enjoy your new life in the sunshine overseas. However, one of the aspects of your move that will be essential to get right to aid the smooth running of the relocation will, ironically, be one of the last things you probably think about!
Getting the bureaucracy, red tape and legalities of the move right will mean you have far less to contend with when retiring abroad, but because we know it can seem a bit daunting having to get your head around everything that needs to be done, we’ve produced this guide to knowing and managing your responsibilities.
Where possible we’ve provided links to other resources that you may need or find useful; and whilst this guide cannot be exhaustive as it can only take a generalised look at the bureaucracy involved rather than personal considerations on an individual basis, we hope it serves as a good basis from which you can plan and plot your relocation carefully and completely.
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We thought we’d have an end of the week open discussion forum at Shelter Offshore, and the following are the overall results and the general consensus of opinion held here – written up by our Africa expat correspondent. The subject matter touched upon today is whether it’s worth taking the risk of working abroad illegally when it’s a fact that work permits are very hard to come by.
Obtaining a work permit in the country where I live is a mission. It requires overcoming mountains of bureaucracy and red tape to get the necessary papers. Most organisations think twice before employing foreigners as a result, which is of course the government’s intention. They are trying to promote employment for their own people, and who can blame them in a country where at a conservative estimate those in formal employment constitute only 5% of the population.
I know quite a number of people who claim they are working “more or less legally”, not only here but in other countries abroad. As any lawyer worth his or her degree will tell you, there are very few countries (if any!) where the employment law allows for the concept of “more or less legal”, you’re either legal or you are not. Many expats are faced with the dilemma of how to work and earn some money in a new country. Often the rules in the new place seem burdensome and irritating. It seems easier to circumvent them for a while, earn a few bucks and then get your paperwork in order. For young people travelling around the world, taking a year out to discover new places, working illegally is almost a rite of passage. Most of us have done it, and then had the inevitable problems with being rushed out the door at work as the labour inspectors arrive, being informed on by a colleague or whatever…
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On Monday we told you about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s survey that determined that up to 42% of over 55s in the UK are actively contemplating a move abroad. That same survey also revealed that many who plan to move in retirement simply plump for a country where they have had a good holiday, and decide that that is enough ‘evidence’ to base their decision on.
However, as we have witnessed time and again in life, people who holiday somewhere, fall in love with the place and then return to live there, go through a period of a very rude awakening. Nowhere is like a holiday paradise all the time – what’s more, you cannot sustain the holiday lifestyle 24/7, 365 days of the year. Try it and you’ll get bored before you burn out!
So, in this report we’re going to break down how you can decide where you want to live abroad – we will detail all of the decisions you need to bear in mind, the facts you need to research, the criteria that can make or break a decision, and a checklist you can follow to help you decide where you would like to live abroad for life…
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