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Recently Answered Questions

Is Mexico Safe? What is the crime rate in Mexico?

Gary Coles - Paradise For Gringos

Safety is a concern to all of us. Especially if we are in unfamiliar surroundings. Not everyone is safe. – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The biggest safety concern is crime -- but your personal safety involves much more.

It is interesting how many people are terrified of Mexico and if you talk to a person from the United States or Canada they will be very concerned about safety in Mexico.

Meanwhile, if you talk to someone in Mexico or in any other Latin American country, they will be terrified of going to a big city...

Safety is a concern to all of us. Especially if we are in unfamiliar surroundings. Not everyone is safe. – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The biggest safety concern is crime -- but your personal safety involves much more.

It is interesting how many people are terrified of Mexico and if you talk to a person from the United States or Canada they will be very concerned about safety in Mexico.

Meanwhile, if you talk to someone in Mexico or in any other Latin American country, they will be terrified of going to a big city in the United States.

The big thing is perception. The media in all countries will sensationalize everything. In the United States and Canada, the news media loves to tell horror stories of Latin America. It seems they can't print enough about drugs and drug related crime. At the same time, the media in a country which is south of the US border will sensationalize school shootings and disasters in the US cities.

Right now, I am in Tijuana, which has a horrible reputation according to the United States media. But if I talk to other expatriates who are living here, I get a completely different opinion. The most common comment from an expatriate is that it is more dangerous to cross the border and go back to the United States.

In reality, Mexico is a safe country but there are dangerous neighborhoods. It is the same in every country of the world.

Safety also includes many other things besides crime. Your biggest safety concerns in Mexico should be the common everyday concerns.

Auto accidents are a major source of injuries and death. Common accidents such as tripping and falling can occur anywhere in the world. How many of you know of someone who died after a severe fall?

I have a few tips that I give all my friends about safety in Mexico (and everywhere else).

When driving in a foreign country or even a strange city, you are at a disadvantage -- so slow down and be extremely careful. It is best if you not to drive at night.
It seems that there are a lot more hazards on the sidewalks when you leave the US. if you're not paying attention it is very easy to trip and be injured.
In a strange country or city, you need to be careful not to make yourself a target for crime. Do some research and find out what neighborhoods may be dangerous and stay away. Do not display anything that makes you look like a wealthy tourist -- I don't even wear a watch.

Above all just be careful and you will find that Mexico or anywhere else in Latin America is just as safe for you as the United States or Canada.

(Pictured: Sometimes we are just not careful!)

How's the kayaking in and around Granada, Nicaragua and the rafting in and around Granada, Nicaragua?

Anthony Largaespada - Tierra Tour

Boating in Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca Lake – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There is kayaking around the Lake of Nicaragua, or as local people call it: Cocibolca Lake. There are options for beginners and for people with experience.

Be aware that conditions can vary, depending on the season. Normally November through January, it is very windy, but the rest of the year the water is pretty mellow. And once you are in the middle of the islands, the islands act as a windbreak, and then kayaking...

Do I need a second passport if I retire, work, or live abroad?

Kristin Wilson - Orbis Relocation

Kristen Wilson working in Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

No, you don't need a second passport if you retire, work, or live abroad. There is a misconception people have that they need to either give up their US passport or US citizenship but no, you don’t need to. You can have your US passport.

As Americans, we're lucky that we come from a country where we don't really need to apply for even a visa to visit most countries. We can go with our passport. We can usually stay in countries anywhere from 1 to 6 months, depending on the regulations of each country. In Mexico, for example, we can stay up to 180 days with a US passport.

A lot of people who move abroad still want to go home once or twice a year and visit their family. You might be living in Nicaragua and stay 90 days before re-entering, because, without a visa, you have to leave and come back in. If you live in Nicaragua, maybe you want to go to Costa Rica or take a flight to Colombia. That’s basically what people do. They leave once or twice a year. They either travel around or go back to the US. You can do that all with your US passport. There's no need to make any changes. Just make sure that your passport is valid for a long time so that you don't have to go get a new one. Even if you lose your passport or you need to get a new passport, you usually can do so at the consulate in that country. It's not a big deal. Also, if you're planning on traveling a lot, you can order passports now that have extra pages that should last you a long time or you can get pages added to them about $80.

You can choose to continue doing this indefinitely in many countries. What you decide to do depends on the situation and the residency attorney could tell you about that. It could be expensive to get residency. It just depends on the country. For example, the cost of getting residency in Nicaragua is a fraction of the cost of getting a residency in the UK or in some places in the Caribbean where it can cost over a million dollars. In some countries, it costs a few hundred thousand. In Nicaragua, in Mexico or generally in Latin America, it's always going to be a lot lower, for the most part under $10,000. That might be the route that you take but even if you do that, that doesn’t mean you're going to get a passport from the country that you have residency in. You'll still be traveling on your US passport.

If, for example, you travel to Nicaragua on your US passport and then you want to get a permanent residency or temporary residency in Nicaragua, it could be up to 5 years. You'll still use your US passport to travel. The only time you would need to actually get a second passport would be if you obtain citizenship in that country, which can take 10 to 20 years. You won't really need your second passport under most any circumstances especially if you have a US passport. I can't think of any reason why you would need a second passport. It would be a luxury to have a second one but it's not a requirement by any means.

(Kristen Wilson, relocation export, working on Mexico beach, pictured.)

Is the electricity reliable in Panama? Are there blackouts or brownouts in Panama?

Iván Eskildsen - Cubitá Group

Catedral de San Juan Bautista – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Panama doesn’t really have blackouts or brownouts. Panamanian electricity is very reliable, with very few blackouts. In Chitré, where I’m located, about 160 miles west of Panama City, we don't have any sort of problems with the stability of our electricity either.

In a typical month, electricity usually won't go out at all. In the entire five years I've been here in Chitré, the electricity has gone out perhaps a few times.

...

Do I need to own a car in Portugal?

Juan Matias - BLUE Boutique Hostel & SUITES

Rossio train station, Lisbon, Portugal – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Whether or not I need to own a car in Portugal depends first, the place where I live. In Estoril and Cascais (in the Lisbon area), you have everything at walking distance. If you want to go to the city center, you have a coastal train that’s a beautiful trip—the train goes always along the seafront from Cascais to the city center of Lisbon and it takes 25 minutes. The bus and taxi terminals are all over the place. So transportation in Portugal is very, very well...

How’s the hiking and camping in Belize?

Therese Jonch - Programme for Belize

Belize Barrier Reer, Hunting Caye beach – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

If you are a person who likes being out in the wild or in the wilderness, you should definitely try hiking here in Belize. The places that we market have major trails that are suitable for people who are into bird watching and hiking. They would visit our locations and they get to see things like a jaguar or a puma in the wild, if they are lucky enough. They get to see deer roaming around the property, too. Hiking in Belize is basically being outdoors and enjoying that feeling of...

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Opportunities Ahead— How David Btesh Sees Panama’s Past, Present, and Hopeful Future

(The Btesh family is very tied into the business and charitable communities in Panama. Mr. Btesh serves on the Boards of UniBank and the insurance company Aseguradora Ancon, and he is a partner in Pacific Developers, one of the largest builders in Panama. This story is the result of an interview done with Mr. Btesh February 29, 2016.)

Sea Point, Panama City, Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Sea Point, Panama City, Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

My family migrated to Panama in the 1930s and I was born in 1942. At that time, Panama was quite a small country, and Panama City itself...

Picturesque Town In Panamá

This is a small town that you do not find in the regular tourism books or maps. It´s the town of CERMEÑO, located left, and about 15 minutes of Capira. If you´re looking for a quiet place to visit, surrounded by trees and birds, and friendly people, do not miss this place. The little town, with it´s church and little houses is worth being seen. There are no hotels or restaurants, but you´ll see some very nice "fincas" (or weekend houses). There are facilities outside the...

Panama Canal and Visitor Center, Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

In choosing a destination to retire in the near future, I wanted to check out Playa Coronado, Panama. All the information I could find said this would be a great place for Expats.

We chose to stay at a 23 story condo building with three pools, bar up on the top deck, parking included, security, etc. Sounded perfect. It does have a great view of the ocean and mountains. We arrived on the tail end of the dry season, April. The...

Best Places In The World To Retire

Recently Answered Questions

Is Mexico Safe? What is the crime rate in Mexico?

How's the kayaking in and around Granada, Nicaragua and the rafting in and around Granada, Nicaragua?

Do I need a second passport if I retire, work, or live abroad?

Is the electricity reliable in Panama? Are there blackouts or brownouts in Panama?

Do I need to own a car in Portugal?

How’s the hiking and camping in Belize?

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Opportunities Ahead— How David Btesh Sees Panama’s Past, Present, and Hopeful Future

Picturesque Town In Panamá

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Best Places In The World To Retire