Radio Shows

Retirement Show

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Adrian Mills talks with national property journalist, Cheryl Markosky, and Steven Jewitt-Fleet from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office about what it takes to retire abroad.

Gone are the days when the idea of retiring in the UK meant selling up the family home and moving somewhere smaller – retiring abroad to somewhere cheaper and warmer is now an increasingly popular option for many people. And although on the surface the idea is appealing, Steven, Cheryl and Adrian discuss the things you need to consider before you take this major step.

First up, Cheryl talks through the statistics of the number of Britons buying and emigrating abroad, and things that retirees need to be aware of in particular, such as obtaining adequate health insurance and the tax implications for pensions. The pros and cons of retirement homes and complexes abroad are also discussed, as well as considerations about the resale potential of your home abroad if you wish to sell up and move on or return to the UK.

Steven Jewitt-Fleet, Head of the Consular Communications Team at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, then goes into the practical aspects of retiring to foreign country. Not many people realise that, once you have done your research and decided on where you are going, it is very important that you register with the British consulate when you arrive in the country you will be settling in. Steven mentions tax considerations, healthcare, and issues that you need to be aware of when moving abroad with your pension - did you know that the rate of your UK pension is frozen if you move to certain countries? (And it's not where you'd think either - Australia and Canada are but two of the places where you can expect this to occur.)

Our panel then discuss specific countries popular with retiring Britons, such as Spain, Cyprus and France, as well as long haul destinations like Australia and Canada. Cheryl talks through property considerations for these countries, and Steven advises of the useful government resources available to you in your research process.

As ever, the team take a look at some of your questions, including recommendations about the best language courses available, healthcare issues in Australia, and the sort of money you need to have at your disposal if you’re looking to settle in South Africa.

Cheryl and Steven also share their experience and expertise in our Overseas Property Extra Podcast on Retirement, where you can hear their Top Tips on retiring abroad.

Below, you can download our Retirement Guide that accompanies the show, and you can also find some very useful resources in the form of websites and contacts.

More information on our Retirement Show guests

Length: 00:40:14

Download “Retirement Guide”