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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If You Planned to Retire in an EU Country what Are You Plans Now?

202 replies

ZaraW · 14/12/2020 09:26

Not really AIBU but interested to see what others plans are. I'm 50 next year and always hoped to retire to Italy when I was around 60.

Obviously, that's not going to happen. If you planned to do the same what will you do now?

A) Relocate within the UK to countryside, coast etc.
B) Retire to a country outside of the EU. I thought about Thailand as I love it but the heat and humidity would be too much on a permanent basis.
C) Stay where you and travel to Europe for the permitted time.
D) Other

Covid has got me thinking about future plans and I just don't know what I want.

OP posts:
Original poster
ZaraW · 14/12/2020 17:43

wimhoffbreather I didn't say it was easy but I know a few people that did it and if I wanted to retire there it could be done. I have looked into it. Buying an apartment would the easiest option. I've lived overseas and I don't assume I can just rock up and retire wherever I fancy.

OP posts:
Original poster
ZaraW · 14/12/2020 17:45

@Blue565

We planned to retire to Italy, but that's another thing stolen from my family.

We are a point in our life where moving abroad right now is just impossible for many reasons. Otherwise we'd be out of here and never look back.

I'm still bitter

I'm the same. It makes me so angry.
OP posts:
SantasBritchesSpelleas · 14/12/2020 17:49

It's not in my plan to retire to an EU country, but I'm still hoping we might have rejoined by the time I retire (20 years).

Oliversmumsarmy · 14/12/2020 17:51

Not retiring, but we were planning to buy a holiday home in Spain or Southern Italy but it looks like we can only stay for 3 months during each year.

We are looking at the US now.
Flights will be more expensive but the option to stay for 6 months is a big draw

TheSilentStars · 14/12/2020 17:52

Italy is going to be pretty expensive when you factor in the healthcare etc. Utility bills have always been about the highest in Europe, then of course there's the higher taxation for ownership of second homes (for everybody, not just non Italians)

Europilgrim · 14/12/2020 17:58

@oliversmumsarmy - I think it's 90 days in each 6 month period.

Original poster
ZaraW · 14/12/2020 18:07

[quote Europilgrim]@oliversmumsarmy - I think it's 90 days in each 6 month period.[/quote]
I think that's correct.

OP posts:
Oliversmumsarmy · 14/12/2020 18:10

I think it's 90 days in each 6 month period

So 180 days or 6 months in a year

AgentProvocateur · 14/12/2020 18:16

My plan is C, while I wait for Scottish independence. After which, I will buy an apartment in Spain and split my time.

Changi · 14/12/2020 18:23

So 180 days or 6 months in a year

Yes, but I don't think that the 90 day periods can be back to back.

Confusedflea · 14/12/2020 19:48

@Oliversmumsarmy

I think it's 90 days in each 6 month period

So 180 days or 6 months in a year

Except it is a rolling period, so for every 90 days you spend in the Schengen zone you will need to spend 90 days out so a "new" 180 period starts. You can't spend 6 months straight.
GirlCalledJames · 14/12/2020 19:54

Can’t you just go back & forth? My dad splits his time between here & Spain & he has said he will still be fine to do that post Brexit.
That will be fine for your dad as he will already have his residency and NIE. As a non-EU citizen the criteria are different.

TikTokFinger · 14/12/2020 20:23

We plan to retire to Ibiza. I have citizenship of an EU country and I hope my DH, British national only, can join me there. Otherwise I may have to leave him behind. 👋

Confusedflea · 14/12/2020 20:42

@MadisonMontgomery

Can’t you just go back & forth? My dad splits his time between here & Spain & he has said he will still be fine to do that post Brexit.
If your dad isn't a Spanish resident, he will have to be very careful not to over stay his 90 days entitlement in any 180 days rolling period. If he stays 3 months, he will need to be out of the Schengen area (not just out of Spain) for 3 months. He won't be able to simply "go back and forth".
WorriedMutha · 14/12/2020 21:30

Although I accept that British citizens with Irish passports still have the privilege of freedom of movement in the EU, they can't acquire Irish EHIC cards as this is based on residency. It would still be necessary to sort our health insurance privately as I don't think anything else covers you in most countries. We have talked about our EU residency options and I happily have an Irish passport but as my husband has a chronic condition, we are a bit wary of moving beyond the reaches of the NHS.

HateIsNotGood · 14/12/2020 21:51

Always planned to 'retire' to Albania; I suppose their EU rejection might be helpful? Never mind, I still plan to spend most of my last years there.

Oliversmumsarmy · 14/12/2020 21:54

Confusedflea

I wasn’t planning to. But I would be planning to stay more than 3 months in a year

Lemonsyellow · 14/12/2020 22:03

Our idea was retiring to Italy too, at least for a good part of the year. We know it well and I’m fluent in the language. We think we have to give it up. We won’t meet the income requirements and we won’t be able to afford private health care, as we both were diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. It’s a real shame.

Whammyyammy · 14/12/2020 22:40

So long as you have funds to support yourself and adequate health insurances, there is not an issue.

No free ehic/health care available shouldn't be a stopper, just pay your own way, same as before with non eu countries

Whammyyammy · 14/12/2020 22:53

Too note. Were considering semi retirement(me retire, Oh part time)to Seville, Toulouse or California as oh in aviation industry. All 3 options are still available and the same. We will need to pay for our home, living costs and medical treatment. I really dint see an issue.

SebastianTheCrab · 14/12/2020 23:02

Freedom of Movement only came in in 2005 - haven't Brits been known to retire to Spain since at least the 1980s? I.e. long before there was FoM? How did they manage back then?

Whammyyammy · 14/12/2020 23:11

@SebastianTheCrab

Freedom of Movement only came in in 2005 - haven't Brits been known to retire to Spain since at least the 1980s? I.e. long before there was FoM? How did they manage back then?
Same as moving to USA, NZ, Australia, Canada, Middle East, Africa, Hong Kong, Thailand, South America........
timeforanewstart · 15/12/2020 00:08

Even if you retired to an eu country before brexit you don't necessarily get free healthcare

Europilgrim · 15/12/2020 07:44

@sebastianthecrab You need a lot of money to retire in that case. FOM has the advantage that you don't need to be rich to do it.

dreamingbohemian · 15/12/2020 08:20

@Whammyyammy

Too note. Were considering semi retirement(me retire, Oh part time)to Seville, Toulouse or California as oh in aviation industry. All 3 options are still available and the same. We will need to pay for our home, living costs and medical treatment. I really dint see an issue.
Well your OH will now need a work visa for Spain or France, which may be harder to get for part-time work. If you're not married, it will be harder to get your own residence permit. And can you really not see that not everyone can meet the income requirements? Of course it's an issue for a lot of people.
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