Moving Overseas - Maybe

Witzend

From experience of friends, do keep some sort of bolthole in the U.K., in case.

One pair of friends who didn’t, who’d left the U.K. ‘for good’, found on their return maybe 12 years later (ill health and missing family) that property prices had soared so much, they were barely able to buy anything in their chosen area with what their foreign property sold for. And it took forever to sell, even for what they’d paid for it many years previously.

I know of one other similar case.

Good idea.

I know of a couple who went to live in Spain, downsizing there (even though their bungalow here wasn't large) and investing the balance of their savings into a disastrous investment. They wanted to return when one fell ill but couldn't.

Our relatives very sensibly kept a flat in this country to which they return regularly.

@MrsMeldrew, yes Brexit did throw a few googlies at ex-pats but I believe, certainly in Cyprus, that if you buy a property of a certain value or over, then you are automatically granted residency. However, this is another thing we have to double check on - this has come from our ex-pat friends already in Cyprus.

Thank you again everyone for all your very useful comments and advice which I am reading out to my husband and its prompting further conversations between us. A lot will depend on what happens when when we are out there in a few months time when we will get to speak to Solicitors/Lawyers/Local Councillors etc, so I am sure these conversations will throw up their own thinking points.

I realise that everything may seem exciting and wonderful at the moment, but I believe we are now of an age not to look at things through rose tinted glasses as we all know that those glasses can get very dirty from time to time

Thank you again everyone. I will update as and when

We are also discussing do a year's rental if we can get a good long term rental price, but again, that's another thing we will have to look into when out there

We did just that! Retired to Cyprus 2016 and had a wonderful 5 years there until DH had a severe stroke and we returned to live with family. A word of advice is to maybe rent a property there for a year to then reassess your situation. English is widely spoken. Private health insurance is good but State healthcare is basic but available. Are you going to South or North?

We lived in France for several years and enjoyed it but kept our UK property. We returned after Brexit: too many redictable and unpredictable problems including the 90/180 day rule. Nowadays some 60% think Brexit was a mistake.

We've lived away three times for health reasons. Though not in Cyprus, always positive having new experiences and good health care.

We've owned holiday homes abroad, renting first. Perhaps rent first?

Would you have a place in the UK to come back to for the part of the year you wouldn't be able to live there? (Post Brexit)

My now almost ex- wife always wanted to retire to the Canary Islands. In retirement she bought an apartment on a small island there and we kept my house in the uk. I hated every minute of it out there. I was never able to learn more than a couple of Spanish words and was reliant on her for everything. No one spoke any English, I felt invisible mist of the time whilst she chatted away with her Spanish friends. There was nothing to do apart from laze in the sun reading, eating and drinking wine. Great for a couple of weeks at a time but I was bored and missed my family and friends. There seemed to be no purpose to my life there and no community. We got separated at the start of lockdown in our respective properties and countries for months.
The divorce will probably go through next month.

It is simple to become a resident … ask other local ex pats where to go to for the yellow card. Consider volunteering in a charity shop as they’re mostly manned by ex pats. I met wonderful Scottish friends while volunteering in the PAWS shop in Paphos! We’re still in touch now 10 years on.

I lived abroad with my husband for 14 years. When he died I found it impossible to stay as it wasn’t the same. I missed people to talk to who knew him of old and so came back to the UK. I have never regretted my time abroad, but do be cautious especially as you are getting older and may begin to suffer ill health. Really research the health system as you don’t want to become ill and find you are unable to get help because of the language barrier.
Every grandparent I knew missed their grandchildren and couldn’t wait to rerun to the UK, but it seems that’s not appropriate in your case.

I’d say go for it. But rent initially and keep a place in the uk , if you need to return . DH cousin moved lock stock and barrel to Spain and couldn’t afford to come back when his wife died .
Also look for places in a town or large village , where you have facilities and maybe public transport. We know someone who moved close to Paphos and could walk to loads of places .

We lived in Cyprus from 2015 to 2017 it was always our dream to move there, as my DH lived there as a child with his parents as his father was a foreign attaché , and we were posted there when my DH was in the army, we both loved everything about it and continued to return to it many times in the following years, we both to early retirement and followed our dream, unfortunately we couldn't stay, our DS became seriously ill, and we had to return, luckily we were only renting which I would definitely recommend as we had friends who could not sell their properties and wanted to return to the UK for various reasons and actually lost a lot of money as they sold there properties at a loss.
We were lucky as we moved there while we were still in the EU so we got our residency but think that has all changed now, there new health service is very good it's called Gesy, it wasn't up and running while we were there, and we had to get private health insurance, as we were both under 65.it is very expensive
I'm sure your friends will know something about it and will be able to give you more info.
It is very hot in the summer and a lot of expats actually feel they need to leave the island in the hottest months as it can be unbearable for months on end, we were lucky we had a beautiful villa with a pool which was a godsend. The winters although are quite short can be very cold . Many people don't associate Cyprus being cold, but you certainly need heating in your home for those cooler months. We had one friend who had lived there for about 20 years decided they were leaving because they were worried about the care aspect, as there is not many care homes and that is a worry for some.
For us it wasn't to be as circumstances had other things in store for us. That is life
Follow your dreams but really do your research thoroughly before committing
Good luck.

We both took

We have been living in Portugal for the past 10 years since my husband retired, and we love it, we did have a holiday home that we shared with two other couples, but when it came time for retirement we knew where we wanted to be. We lived in a lot of different countries, and my father was in the RAF, so I moved a lot as a child. So it was not a worry to be living overseas, and it seems it would be the same for you. What about renting your own home out and moving to Cyprus for a year, and trying it all out, in that time you will be able to discover where you want to buy your forever home, and if in fact you enjoy living year around in Cyprus, as it does differ to being on holiday. We made a conscious decision to live in a non-tourist area, something that friends of ours who also bought in Portugal now regret not doing. Although not necessary we now speak Portuguese, as we felt it was the right thing to do, and Portuguese people appreciate people trying to speak the language. The last time I came through the airport the immigration officer welcomed me home, which was a lovely feeling, so good to have some phrases but do not let that put you off. If you do go you will have friends visiting and going to Cyprus is not like going to Australia, so you can always stay connected. I have heard of people who have gone to South Africa and New Zealand and then not being able to return due to the exchange rates, and house prices, but maybe you would be able to keep a base in the UK and have a base in Cyprus and swap between the two or use one for a rental income, or even rent long term in Cyprus. We originally left the UK in 1981, for two years, and the only thing that made us get on the plane was the thought of sitting in our 60s saying ... but if only we had gone!! Not sure what the visa status is for Cyprus - here in Portugal to live as a UK Citizen you would need to apply for a D7 visa and have an income of €700 a month, other than that you can only come for 90 days in any 180 day period regardless of owning a property.

I have moved 19 times both in Britian and abroad, lived in various countries and under dictators etc. So my suggestion is what I say to anyone planning a move. Naturally we look with rose coloured spectacles at somewhere we think will suit us. So, firstly I suggest you start getting the equivalent of the local paper from various parts of the island. This means you get to see general ideas of what is happening in various places and also if there is any particular area that seems to have problems such as gangs of people hanging about etc etc.
Then importantly, try going at the worst time of year so middle of january and onwards when there is no holidays or christmas to give you a false sense of what it is like in an area. If you still like a particular house or village when it is the gloomiest time of the year, then that is useful to know as you will probably have seen it at its worst

Then for somewhere like Cyprus you should also find out the busiest holiday time and again go and see how you cope with that. Will the tourists make it almost impossible to travel round easily, or the prices go up so much or what was a peaceful little cul de sac now endlessly noisy etc.

Another area to be aware of is that being an island means that you will have to allow for extra costs going anywhere , as you need to either go by plane or ship to a mainland area, so you are less likely to be able to just go off at a whim. Have you also checked the situation as to receiving your pensions and whether this alters if you live abroad. Also have you checked on the law regarding wills, and what the rules are regarding how you are able to leave things to specific people. Sometimes there is no difference but there can be laws in other lands that would affect this, and again , although it is hard to think of it, what would happen should one of you die when you are there. Could each of you live on your own easily there? So if you can go through all these things and work out what is likely to affect you and what matters and what doesnt, then you are going to be able to have a year there and have a better idea of what it really is like to live there.

When I lived abroad, I used to deliberately keep a small notebook and write down what money I spent on anything each week. It was not meant to make me decide what to spend or not, but rather over time you can see where your money goes and begin to see a pattern and note the things that are important to you and you are prepared to spend more on, or the things that are cheaper there. After about 6 months you could sit down and over the time you should be able to see how you have spent your money and accommodated yourself to the new place. For example at one time I used to bring marmite, and golden syrup back with me as they were very expensive at the time in I think it was Portugal , but if you have a homesick day, there will be some very comforting food you want to make

Finally, although you would hope it would be different, have you thought how you would cope if your friends or godchildren rarely came to visit, or maybe even didnt keep in touch much by email phone etc? With all the new techniques we have I would expect they will easily keep in touch but I do think it is worth considering that, and also how much it will cost you to come back to visit family and friends.

No one can cover everything of course, and I am so glad that I did the travelling I did, and only wish I was able to do more now, so I am not in any way saying dont do it. On the contrary, if you have done your checking then go for i tThe most important thing of all though is to work out what is what you want to both do and NEVER end up ,if you have a bad patch ,saying Its your fault we ended up here! You might find yourself working out what the divorce courts are like if you do!! Go for it .! Life is always a gamble to a certain level and I have always regretted far less from doing something than not doing it. Good Luck and let us know how things go.

Moving abroad as youngsters is very very different to moving when retired and older.

I emigrated 35 years ago. Best thing we ever did. Can still go home to visit whilst our health is good.

dianad

I lived abroad with my husband for 14 years. When he died I found it impossible to stay as it wasn’t the same. I missed people to talk to who knew him of old and so came back to the UK. I have never regretted my time abroad, but do be cautious especially as you are getting older and may begin to suffer ill health. Really research the health system as you don’t want to become ill and find you are unable to get help because of the language barrier.
Every grandparent I knew missed their grandchildren and couldn’t wait to rerun to the UK, but it seems that’s not appropriate in your case.

Morning all,
@GinJeannie, that's a lovely story. Yes, I believe (and of course will confirm) that if you buy a property over a certain value (€300,000 I understand, but again to be confirmed the exact value), you get automatic residency.

To everyone who has suggested it, yes we are considering a year/6 months (during the winter) to rent before finally taking the plunge, but have watch the value of property during that time - and as several paper articles have commented on recently, Cyprus is becoming very popular for retirees.

As I have said, we have spent a lot of time in Cyprus so are aware of the heat during the summer. We also lived in Gibraltar for 3 years and, again, experienced extreme heat. The good thing in Cyprus is that when a new house is built, most are built with solar panels. For instance, one house we were sent by an agent yesterday had (and I think I am correct) 15 panels - over the roof, the garage and out buildings. They reported that this covered the heating, AC, and pool heating, so I believe Cyprus is better at this than we are but maybe because of the weather. Everything of course has to be confirmed

We would sell up completely before going to Cyprus (but not after we had rented for a period of time). I understand the benefit of keeping something here in the UK, but I also believe (and this is just my opinion) that that would make giving up and coming home too easy, rather than putting in an extra effort to make it work and to integrate to the local community. Again, I understand the reasoning behind it but its probably not going to happen for us

We are looking at properties away from the holiday centres - there are many lovely communities around Pathos, but don't get bothered with the summer rush for the coast. However, it will be within a 20 min drive if we wanted - and, as a previous poster has said, driving in Cyprus is the same as the UK, and I have driven out there many times, so that is not a concern.

Thanks all again

@madeleine45 thank you for your very comprehensive message. All the points you have mentioned we have considered / are considering. We too have also lived abroad at various times, each time for several years. Yes, it was with the military which helps a little but doesn't cover the home sicknesses or the fact that your friends don't come to visit but we took that as part of our life. Some friends/family did, some didn't. I don't believe you can plan the rest of your life around those folk who wouldn't visit, but I do get your point, and it is a consideration.

You raised a good point regarding Wills and I know that you have to have two - one in the UK and one in Cyprus - they then pull together at the end - not sure how, but I know this is what you have to do. We have a UK one and will make a Cyprus one a priority if/when we go.

We don't have grandchildren but do have 6 god children. 4 of them we only see probably 3 times per year (and may be even less as they live away from us), but are very close to 2 of them because they live in the same town as us, within easy walking distance. If anything would stop us going it would be these two. We are very close and the eldest is my husband's shadow, but I also realise that they are getting older now and things may change. Can we really hold back on a dream for the two of us on this basis? Something for us to consider.

We lost our only son in 2009 while he was serving with the peace keeping forces in Kosovo (he was in the RAF). It proved to us that anyone's life can change on a dime - no-one knows what's around the corner. We made a decision at that time to never say "no" to anything and to follow any dreams we may have - if we regret those decisions, then its something we have to live with. Only time will tell

As I mentioned in an earlier post, nothing is going to happen until June time so a lot of breathing / thinking space before any decisions are made, but I have appreciated everything that you lovely gransnetters have said and pointed out.
Thank you

Don't worry about medical care. I have just been looking at ranking of medical care for another thread. The UK was well down the rankings. The Cypriot health system was ranked higher than the NHS.

I presume you both can drive as if not find a place where you can get around as there could be a chance when you no longer can do so.
Also, as someone mentioned, make sure you are near friends just in case you become a widow which is what I am relying on my dear neighbour.

For full residency you need to buy a property minimum value £300,000 +Vat and have an incpme of £50k + £10k for spouse.
The requirements for category F residency are much lower.
Healthcare is co-founded between the individual and the government, it's very reasonable (especially if you have £60k income).
If you are thinking of renting before applying for either visa you are limited to how long you can stay in the country (there are short term visas but when Cyprus enters Schengen - predicted this year - the short term visa availability may change for UK residents). If you are able to keep a property in the UK you would be wise to do so, rent it out - it won't then be so easy to fall back on it.
Facebook expat groups for Cyprus have many people who have emigrated who give the best advice.
Very best of luck! Go for it

*co-funded

*M0nica Thank you. I did know the health care in Cyprus was good but had not seen any rankings, so that is good news and good to know.

Cath9 Yes we can both drive and have driven in Cyprus many times. The good thing is that Driving is the same as the UK (although they don't seem to like their indicators too much . We also have quite a few friends who have settled there to retire and there is a large Brit community, so I don't think we have any worries there (unless they don't like us

OldFrill Thank you for that. We were told about the €300,000 for full residency and I think we will be slightly higher than that. We also meet the income criteria so fingers crossed we won't face too many hurdles if that's what we end up doing.

We need to look into the Visa situation as Hubby and I are still talking about how long we will rent for to begin with. He says only 3 months, perhaps early December to end February - I think more like 6 months or longer, but we have yet to decide. Once that's done we will look at the Visa situation, but thank you for reminding me.

Thank you all

TopSec

Good afternoon all,

My husband and I (69 & 75) are very keen(ish) to move overseas (Cyprus). We love it there and have friends already who live there. We have no children but do have some beautiful god children, so we will miss them terribly, although I expect we will see a lot of them during holidays etc. I just wonder if any of you wonderful gransnetters had moved overseas, and what your experience, opinions are. I know I have to be 100% sure and at the moment I am about 90/95%. I just worry that if we don't then we will get another 5 years under out belt and wish we had done so. Its such a huge step - one minute I am positive, the next I start wavering, like today - got out into the garden and tidied it up ready for spring and thought to myself that this was a lot to give up. However, I know when I watch the news and listen to how our country is going, I just think, let's just bloody go.
My husband was in the forces for 33 years so we did a lot of living abroad during that time, so that aspect of moving is not a worry for me. I believe I can even do my job from there too, which would be a bonus. I think it it our age that is a worry to me, although we are both fit and healthy (at the moment), and we have looked into the health care in Cyprus and it is very good and certainly cheaper than private health in the UK (which we pay for currently)
Anyway, don't want to go on too much but would be really grateful for any experiences any of you may had
Many thanks

Hi everyone!

I decided to share my experience of living in Cyprus – the pros, the cons, and just how life here really is. I’ve been living here for three years. During weekdays, I work; on weekends, I relax – basically, a normal working life in another country.

I live in Iskele. It’s a quiet, peaceful place with clean sandy beaches and no tourist crowds. Northern Cyprus, in general, is perfect for retirees: the sea, the sun, fresh air, and a sense that there’s more time for yourself.

I work in real estate, and observing the island, I see that more and more new people are coming – retirees, families, or just those looking for a calm life by the sea.

For my family, this place is especially important: our child was born here in Northern Cyprus, which adds a special meaning to living here.

One of the biggest draws for me is the weather. 320 sunny days a year! And yes, there’s always a little breeze, so the heat is easy to handle. You can swim almost all year round. Even in winter, the water temperature is around 17 °C – so for cold-water lovers, swimming is absolutely possible! The coldest month is February, but in other months, the sea is perfect.

Safety is another big plus. There are very few people, very little crime, and overall, it feels like a small town where everyone knows everyone. Nothing gets stolen – people even leave money in their cars because they know it won’t be touched. But, of course, a little caution doesn’t hurt – I usually take extra care 😄. You feel safe even walking on the beach in the evening.

Peace and quiet are a huge bonus. No car horns, no shouting crowds, no city chaos. Just sun, sea, sandy beaches, and if you look for it, there are even wild spots where you can have your personal “paradise” picnic. For those who like a bit more activity, there are modern beaches with cafés and entertainment – something for everyone.

Cyprus is an island of contrasts. The northern coast is green, rocky, and full of vegetation. The eastern coast is more desert-like, with sandy beaches where you can fully enjoy space and quiet. I personally love this balance – greenery, sun, beaches, and a sense of freedom all in one.

There are a few things to keep in mind: a car is almost a must here. Buses exist, but if you want to travel, go shopping, or explore, a car is essential. Honestly, though, a car solves all problems, and you get used to it quickly.

Another small downside is that groceries and goods are relatively expensive. But honestly, prices are rising everywhere these days, so the difference with other countries isn’t that noticeable.

A huge plus for families is healthcare and education. There are good private clinics and dental offices – the price-to-quality ratio is impressive compared to Europe. Many people actually come to Northern Cyprus specifically for quality services at reasonable prices. Almost all clinics have English-speaking staff, so communication is easy.

Adapting here is also very simple. Northern Cyprus is a cultural mix, with lots of foreigners and communities from different countries. You can find your people, socialize, and enjoy your time here. For families with children, there are English schools and several universities with accredited degrees recognized worldwide – you can study here and work in Europe.

I live here with my family – my wife and child – and we all really enjoy it. Here, we’ve found a balance between work, relaxation, and family time.

If anyone is thinking about living by the sea and trying life in another country – Northern Cyprus is definitely worth considering. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask – I’ll be happy to share tips and insights.

I wonder what TopSec decided to do in the end?