Best Places In The World To Retire

Are there English-speaking doctors in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?

Santiago Hernandez - Chapala Med

Dr. Santiago Hernandez with a patient, Chapala, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

I am a doctor, having been raised in Chicago, so I am a native English speaker. I am bilingual. I am like most immigrants who immigrated to the US. I grew up speaking my native language at home (which is Spanish) and then outside or with my friends, I spoke English.

There are lots of people here in Chapala and Ajijic who have a very good grasp of the English language. Most people have a grasp of about 80% fluency. Most of the doctors from the offices...

I am a doctor, having been raised in Chicago, so I am a native English speaker. I am bilingual. I am like most immigrants who immigrated to the US. I grew up speaking my native language at home (which is Spanish) and then outside or with my friends, I spoke English.

There are lots of people here in Chapala and Ajijic who have a very good grasp of the English language. Most people have a grasp of about 80% fluency. Most of the doctors from the offices located north of Chapala, in the lakeside area, have had training north of the border in some way, shape, or form. This would include a fellowship, partial residency, or going to conferences. I like to work with doctors who have continuing medical education in the US and in Canada. This is very important to me because we try to keep the same standards of care and more or less we follow the same steps and algorithms.

We have other physicians here in Mexico and in the area that have gone to South America, Europe, Spain, Germany, and other countries for their training. It’s not that they do things wrong; it’s just that they do things in a different way and it might take a little bit more getting used to. For example, a US-trained doctor may recommend certain steps and a doctor from Canada, Europe or South America may take different steps. I would like to think that all of us doctors would like to ease our patient’s suffering and improve their well-being, so the particular way we go about it is the main difference.

Relative to how well their grasp of the English language is, a good majority of the physicians here have a good grasp of the language at a conversational level. Many of them may have different technical English but may have trouble with the colloquialisms. For example, if somebody comes in and says, “Doc, geez, I just feel tuckered out!” the doctor may not know what that means or they might have to look it up.

I practiced in Chicago with Spanish-speaking communities and we would have the same cultural and language barriers up there that you would find here in Mexico, but in reverse. In my practice, the cultural and language barriers between my English-speaking patients and me are almost non-existent, whereas, other doctors have to catch up. The other doctors who may have traveled north of the border more and who watch more North American TV can relate more.

To take a reverse example, if a child were brought to a clinic in Chicago with the Spanish-speaking parents saying, “My child is empachado” (which means “plugged up in their digestive system”), a doctor, who studied high school or college Spanish would not know what that meant. Having been more exposed to the Hispanic or the Mexican population, and the rural population, I am more familiar with this kind of colloquialism.

When you come into Mexico, and you are in any profession or any job that provides service, you have to be able to learn some of the cultural barriers that are reflected in the language. For example, for something to be done at a particular time here, Mexicans have a hard time saying no and they have a hard time of providing something on time. There is always the mañana culture. They like saying “al ratito”, which means “ little later.” They find it difficult to give you a definite day for a deadline when they will deliver you service or some results. They will say, “Ya veremos” or “We’ll see…” and they can beat around the bush and put you on hold for a while with those answers. It has taken me a while to get used to. In contrast, and from my point of view, I try to provide my patients the type of service they are used to and give them straight answers. Some doctors who have been successful with the expat communities tend to focus more on that aspect of their customer service.

In general, a great majority of the doctors here have a really laid back way living their lives, which is really attractive about the Mexican culture. However, from my point of view, when you are dealing with something as important as your health, you have to get a clear answer. You must get a “yes” or a “no”, and deliver on time.

(Dr. Santiago Hernandez with a patient, Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

What are the passport requirements for moving to Portugal or visiting Portugal?

Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living

The Palace of Queluz., Portugal – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Portugal has an agreement with the US under the Visa Waiver Program. Each stay of less than 3 months does not require a visa for American citizens. Americans can stay and visit the country of Portugal up to 3 months without having to request a visa. They can simply arrive, stay, and depart again. For stays longer than 3 months or if the objective is not come and visit but to actually come and live here permanently, Americans have to apply for a separate type of visa that has to be...

Portugal has an agreement with the US under the Visa Waiver Program. Each stay of less than 3 months does not require a visa for American citizens. Americans can stay and visit the country of Portugal up to 3 months without having to request a visa. They can simply arrive, stay, and depart again. For stays longer than 3 months or if the objective is not come and visit but to actually come and live here permanently, Americans have to apply for a separate type of visa that has to be done at a Portuguese consulate in your area, which on the West Coast would be San Francisco, and on the East Coast would be Washington, DC. If you are applying for a resident visa, you need to apply at a local consulate and you may then be requested to attend an interview in Washington before you are granted your permanent visa, which then entitles you to come and move into Portugal. In summary, you don’t need a visa if you are staying in Portugal for less than 3 months. If it is more than 3 months or if you intend to come and live here permanently, then you need to apply for a visa at your local consulate.

If you are coming to Portugal to work, you have to apply for a working visa, which is very much like when you are going to work in the US. We also have a special type of visa called the Golden Visa, which allows you to buy permanent residence in Portugal by buying or spending € 500,000 (US $ 550,000 or £ 370,000) on real estate or € 350,000 (US $ 385,000 or £ 260,000) on real estate if it is in a rehabilitation zone of a main city. The Golden Visa is like an EB-5 Visa in the US, in that it allows you to get residence in Portugal automatically through an investment route.

As far as your initial application is concerned, my understanding is that you can do the initial application via email and sending the initial documents to your regional consulate. They can deal with your application via electronic means, but for the interview, you have to be physically present. The interview is always conducted in Washington, DC, so you will need to go there in person. I am not aware of any exceptions for the interviews to be held elsewhere but I could be wrong as I am not an expert on specific immigration issues. Once you are done with the interview, you fly back home, and wait to see whether they will grant your application for permanent residency in Portugal.

If you just want to stay in Portugal for more than 3 months but do not need to be a permanent resident, there are many other ways to do it, such as by getting an extension once your 3-month visa is expired, which is sometimes possible depending on your motivation. You can also apply for a slightly longer visa in advance if you explain your situation to your local consulate. They may have the discretion to approve that. Overall, you don’t need to go to an interview if you just need a visa that is longer than 3 months but you do need to go to an interview if you are getting a permanent residency visa.

If you are coming to Portugal because you want to know if you would like the country or not, you still have to make your intention clear to the consulate. They will ask you for your intention, whether you are going to work, how you will support yourself, and so on. It is no different in any other country. If your intention is to come to Portugal for 6 months, for example, to see how it is, and you have a possibility of staying here, my suggestion is that you declare your intention well in advance because just as it is in the US, if you land in Portugal on a tourist visa, and then suddenly you decided that you are want to live here, and in some cases you wanted to get a job, you will be illegal because you haven’t declared your situation and intention truly. So it is very important to actually express your interest to the consulate more than just stating the length of your intended stay in the country of Portugal.

The other reason that I say this is because your tax situation may be affected by the number of days that you actually remain in the country. The general global rule is that when you stay in a country for more than 183 days, that country typically (though not always) has the right to claim that you are a resident there for tax reasons unless you say otherwise. So people who come to Portugal need to be aware of the impact of the length of their stay.

If you are going to Portugal for 6 months with a view of seeing what the country is like, the first thing you need to do is apply for a visa that is longer than 3 months. You can do that in one of two ways. The first is you can either come for 3 months and then while you’re in Portugal, go to the local immigration department and tell them that you want to extend your visa. You have to do this well in advance of 3 months. They will ask you for the reasons why you wanted to do so. They will either approve or decline your application to stay for another 3 months. If you are staying beyond 6 months, it becomes more complex because for the consular authorities and to the immigration department, it feels that you are perpetually extending your stay and they will start to ask more questions about why you are not going back home and applying for a resident visa or why you didn’t apply for a resident visa in the first place. Any stay that is beyond 6 months starts to feel like you are going to permanently stay and hence the consulate would find it questionable if you do not apply for a permanent resident visa upon coming here. Once you are already here in Portugal for 6 months and then you decide that you want to stay for good, you have to go back home first and then apply for a permanent residency from there. It is no different than applying a permanent residency in the US.

Since Portugal still manages to require interviews if you want to apply for permanent residency that tells you that there are not a lot of people coming from the US to Portugal, so this is a huge and untapped market and one of the reasons why our business is increasingly focused on the US. Most Americans and Canadians who visit Portugal love it. I know it is a very broad generalization but this is the reaction that we get from most Americans and Canadians. Seeing is believing in this case. Most North Americans can’t figure out why they haven’t come here before. That is the kind of reaction that most people have. At the moment, there are very few people from the US and Canada who are actually coming to Portugal to live permanently. It is my view that the Portuguese government should be doing more to make Portugal more generally known to North Americans.

If you are from the UK or from any other European country, you can come and live in Portugal with no questions asked. If you are part of the EU, there is a permanent and total right of migration of nationalities within the European Union and because of that you can come and live freely in Portugal. You don’t even need a visa to come to Portugal if you are from any European country. As long as you an EU national with a passport or an identity card issued by any state within the European Union or the European Economic Community, you are entitled to travel freely within the zone and to settle in any EU member country.

(The Palace of Queluz., Portugal, pictured.)

What are the best places in the world to retire?

GISELLE SOCARRAZ - Real Estate Chiriqui

While there are many lovely places to retire in the world, I would personally recommend Panama.

Why Panama, you ask? Let me list some of the reasons:

Panama has been ranked as the number 1 retirement destination choice.

According U.S. News and World Report’s ‘The 18 Best Places to Retire Overseas 2012′:

“Panama is the world’s top retirement haven. Panama City no longer qualifies as cheap, but other spots in...

While there are many lovely places to retire in the world, I would personally recommend Panama.

Why Panama, you ask? Let me list some of the reasons:

Panama has been ranked as the number 1 retirement destination choice.

According U.S. News and World Report’s ‘The 18 Best Places to Retire Overseas 2012′:

“Panama is the world’s top retirement haven. Panama City no longer qualifies as cheap, but other spots in this country certainly do. Panama continues to offer the world’s gold standard program of special benefits for retirees. The currency is the U.S. dollar, so there is no exchange rate risk if your retirement savings and income is in dollars. The climate in Panama City and on the coasts is tropical, hot, and humid. However, the climate in the highlands can be temperate and tempting. Panama is the hub of the Americas, meaning it’s easily accessible from anywhere in North and South America and Europe. “

According to the International Living (2012):

“ Panama tops the category with an organized program of discounts and perks called the pensionado. The program is open to foreigners and there’s no minimum age requirement.With it you have serious discounts, money off that makes a big difference to your costs. Like 20% off any professional services used in Panama; 50% off for movies, theaters and sporting events; a 30% discount on public transport, 25% off the price of food eaten in a sit down restaurant; 15% off in fast food joints, 15% off in hospitals and private clinics…25% domestic flights on COPA…the list goes on…”

Panama is free of the truly devastating natural disasters that plague other nations.

According to the Panama Planner (2005):

“Panama is the only country in Central America in a climate zone that is absolutely hurricane-free. Truly blessed by nature, Panama also has none of the destructive earthquakes that plague its Central American neighbors.”

Panama has the lowest crime rate in Central America and one of the overall lowest crime rates against tourists in the World.

According to Panama Info (2012):

“Panama is one of the safest countries in Latin America for tourists. Tourism crime especially is low. You won’t have to be constantly on your guard for pick-pockets or purse snatchers like in other countries in the region. Foreign residents will tell you how safe they feel in Panama compared to other countries in the region and it is only getting better. Under the new Martinelli government, effective measures are being taken that have already reduced crimes in general by 28%.”

Panama has world class beaches, mountains, waterfalls and natural splendor.

According to Panama Invest (2009):

“Think of fine powdery sand on your feet. Think of rugged landscapes and seaside cliffs. Think of the coral reefs and the variety of marine life and fish. Panama has it, in great abundance. After all, Panama is sandwiched between two oceans. For those whose passion is surfing, you can take your pick or explore all of Playa Punta Puss Head, Paunch Beach, Bluff Beach, Larga Beach and Cayo Zapatillas. Panama is great for snorkeling, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, and diving activities. One of the most beautiful snorkeling destinations is San Blas Islands. Home to the Kuna Indians, San Blas is one of the last remaining unspoiled beaches, and it has miles and miles of coral reef that you can explore to your heart’s content. Go to the Pearl Islands and explore around 60 beaches of all types and colors while island hopping.”

“Bird watching and trail hiking are offered in Panama. It has miles and miles of live coral reefs and it has 12 national parks as well as 19 protected areas. You want the sea, Panama has it. You want jungles and forests, Panama sill has it. For nature birdwatchers, you can indulge your passion in Bocas del Toro’s Island Birds where around 50 species of migratory birds go. In the Teribe Territory, about a 100 species of birds also thrive. Here you will also find the famous thumbnail size red frogs. You can also visit native Indian tribes in their natural habitat trough travel agencies that offer this. Ecotourism is becoming more and more popular in Panama, and the possibilities are endless. Here we have rainforests, jungles, water falls, streams, rivers, mountains, deserted beaches, anything nature can provide, all in this small country called Panama.”

Panama has a stable and rapidly growing economy that make it a boon for investors.

According to the US Commercial Service’s Investment Climate Report (2012):

“Panama’s investment climate is generally positive. The country’s sterling economic success is based on a strong macro-economic policy and excellent management of the Panama Canal and associated transportation services. Panama has enjoyed some of the highest economic growth in Latin America in the past decade, and most observers predict continued strong growth in the years ahead due to stable and consistent macro-economic policies. Growth tallied 10.5% in 2011 and 7.5% in 2010, after a deceleration to 3.2% in 2009. The Government of Panama (GOP) has promoted economic growth over the last decade through open market policies and by encouraging trade.”

As a foreigner, can I buy real estate in Nicaragua?

Mike Cobb - ECI Development

The constitution of Nicaragua guarantees equal protection under the law for Americans buying real estate in Nicaragua. Title issues remain a problem so it is critical to have a title opinion from a major law firm here before buying a property. First American Title used to provide policies here, but they have closed their offices here. Some developments have a master policy on their property. While you won’t get a title policy by buying in a master planned...

How much is it to build a house in Panama?

Lourdes Townshend

Construction in Panamá

In the past the cost was ridiculously low to build any type of construction in Panamá. That is, until growth began to change the country. With thousands of people coming every day, prices have risen in every aspect, as would be the case for any modern and cosmopolitan city, or place.

There are thousands of construction projects taking place, both in the city of Panamá, as well...

What are Rights of Possession in Belize and why is this so important for me to know?

Boris Mannsfeld - Boris Mannsfeld & Associates

Title to real estate is very secure in Belize. You receive “fee simple”. The system Belize has is based on British Common Law. It’s super secure.

There are no squatter’s rights here. If you show title and there is someone on your land, the police will assure they depart.

They have title insurance in Belize, but virtually no one buys it, because it is not necessary.

Recently Answered Questions

Are there English-speaking doctors in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?

What are the passport requirements for moving to Portugal or visiting Portugal?

What are the best places in the world to retire?

As a foreigner, can I buy real estate in Nicaragua?

How much is it to build a house in Panama?

What are Rights of Possession in Belize and why is this so important for me to know?

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Best Places In The World To Retire