{"id":451061,"date":"2025-09-25T19:15:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/451061\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T19:15:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:15:12","slug":"not-a-single-place-in-the-u-s-made-the-cut-for-top-retirement-destinations-but-experts-warn-to-weigh-these-3-factors-before-moving-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/451061\/","title":{"rendered":"Not a single place in the U.S. made the cut for top retirement destinations\u2014but experts warn to weigh these 3 factors before moving abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"

Retirees are ditching the expensive United States in favor of\u00a0 a more affordable, albeit slower life overseas. But before copping a one-way ticket abroad, experts warn it\u2019s crucial to understand the implications of their expat journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The reason why some American boomers are headed overseas instead of warmer U.S. states like Florida and Arizona? Retirement visas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many countries now offer dedicated programs for retirees to have more affordable living and a new laid-back lifestyle, which is why if you look through the Global Citizen Solutions\u2019 retirement report for 2025<\/a>, it shouldn\u2019t surprise you to see the U.S. didn\u2019t make the cut.<\/p>\n

While sipping wine on a tiled balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea<\/a> might sound tempting for retirees, recent shifts in visa rules, tax policies, and local costs mean the process could mean moving abroad is more complex than you\u2019d think.\u00a0 Successful retirement overseas now requires careful planning, thorough research, and flexibility to navigate evolving financial, legal, and lifestyle challenges.<\/p>\n

The Global Citizens report ranks 44 passive-income and retirement-visa programs. It also evaluated 20 key indicators grouped into six main categories: visa procedures, citizenship and mobility, economic factors, tax benefits, quality of life, and safety and social integration.<\/p>\n

Each country received a score out of 100. Many of the top-ranked countries were in Europe and South America. Portugal got the highest score, followed by Mauritius and Spain.<\/p>\n

The 10 best countries to retire abroad in 2025<\/strong> \u2014 and their citizenship paths<\/p>\n

Portugal<\/strong> \u2014 5 years<\/p>\n

Mauritius<\/strong> \u2014 6 years<\/p>\n

Spain<\/strong> \u2014 10 years (2 years for selected nationalities)<\/p>\n

Uruguay<\/strong> \u2014 5 years<\/p>\n

Austria<\/strong> \u2014 10 years<\/p>\n

Italy<\/strong> \u2014 10 years<\/p>\n

Slovenia<\/strong> \u2014 10 years<\/p>\n

Malta<\/strong> \u2014 8 years<\/p>\n

Latvia<\/strong> \u2014 10 years<\/p>\n

Chile<\/strong> \u2014 5 years<\/p>\n

As housing shortages and increased costs<\/a> of living may deter retirees from staying in America, Jeanne Thompson, a retirement-strategy consultant and former SVP at Fidelity, offered advice for those looking to pursue retirement in another country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. Understand tax implications to avoid double taxation and exchange rates<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a financial perspective, retirees need to understand the tax implications to avoid double taxation, account for exchange rate fluctuations that could significantly impact their retirement budget and confirm that their banks and investment firms can continue serving them abroad,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMany financial institutions have restrictions on serving expats, making this verification essential.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Check your healthcare access<\/p>\n

\u201cHealthcare access is another critical consideration,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cSince Medicare generally doesn\u2019t cover healthcare abroad, retirees must budget for international or local health insurance\u2014an expense that can be substantial depending on the destination country and coverage level desired.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t underestimate cultural adjustments and language barriers\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u201cFinally, the social and cultural adjustment shouldn\u2019t be underestimated. Building a new community takes time, particularly when language barriers exist\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \u201cWhile many retirees gravitate toward expat communities for initial support, these can be transient as people come and go. That\u2019s why I recommend renting for 6-12 months before committing to purchasing property. This trial period allows retirees to experience daily life, navigate local systems, and ensure the location truly suits their lifestyle and expectations before making a permanent commitment.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

    Fortune Global Forum<\/strong> returns Oct. 26\u201327, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Retirees are ditching the expensive United States in favor of\u00a0 a more affordable, albeit slower life overseas. But…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":451062,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5311],"tags":[4376,17394,2766,151759,522,2772,13592,1232,2499,97188,2250,3028,1523,49,978,659,3623],"class_list":{"0":"post-451061","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-advice","9":"tag-baby-boomers","10":"tag-culture","11":"tag-fidelity-national-information-services","12":"tag-international","13":"tag-language","14":"tag-medicare","15":"tag-money","16":"tag-personal-finance","17":"tag-personal-savings","18":"tag-retirement","19":"tag-savings","20":"tag-taxes","21":"tag-united-states","22":"tag-us","23":"tag-usa","24":"tag-wealth"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115266540272056835","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=451061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451061\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/451062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=451061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=451061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=451061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}