Retiring to the EU after Brexit?

steampowered

There are two roadblocks:

* Healthcare. This will require a reciprocal deal to be reached under which the UK agrees to provide healthcare to EU nationals and vice-versa.

* Immigration controls. Unless a deal requiring free movement of people (i.e. no immigration controls) within the EU is reached, Spain/Portugal/Greece may not be willing to grant her a long term visa. For non-EU migration most long-term visas required a job.

There is no certainty on where either of these things will end up, so we are crystal ball gazing at the moment.

Silvertabby

Even if a deal is reached, the reciprocal medical treatment arrangement on production of the E111 card (or whatever it's called now) is limited to medical treatment that is 'free' for the locals. Depending on which country we are talking about, this may be much less comprehensive than the NHS.

ADD:

Unlike the NHS, which provides 'free' translators at the drop of a hat, your mum would have to provide her own translator for every appointment. Unless she speaks the lingo, of course.......

seacaitch

mbzon wrote: »

This is on behalf of my mother, who after years of chasing the moving goal posts will finally retire this year with a long awaited plan of retiring to a warmer EU country

It seems clear there is no plan, only an aspiration, albeit one probably shared by many.

To form a plan you/she have a great deal of research to do, complicated hugely by Brexit's additional unknowables.

I suspect she's probably going nowhere.

Andy_L

mbzon wrote: »

Yes I am also looking into the specific countries and what her situation would be there, but I was thinking more about using the NHS healthcare in these countries somehow. Maybe by keeping her British residence for example?

by moving overseas she would automatically (after 2 years IIRC) break residency. To keep it she would have to spend part of the year living in the UK which would probably defeat the advantages of living overseas

NineDeuce

The best vague opinion is maybe, maybe not. It all depends on whether the government need to win over anti-immigration voters. It's quite easy to provoke false feelings so it will all depend on this.

Sobraon

1.3 million people born in the UK live in other EU countries.

In 2016 the DWP paid out 490,869 British pensions a year to people in the EU (although these include, for example, Irish people who have returned to Ireland after working in the UK).

If the current retirement health arrangements are significantly changed then that would be a "A Very Courageous Decision" on behalf of the PM!

Cyclizine

NHS care is residency based, if you're permanent home is one of the home nations, you're entitled. If you live abroad permanently, you can't just pop back to the UK to get some free health care on the Nash. Many people do it, but it's really an abuse of the system - and before all of the "I've paid my stamp" folk start arguing, lobby the government for contribution based care if you're that bothered by it. The majority of the "foreigner" spending is for returning ex-pats, who are the real health tourists

fewgroats

Alexland wrote: »

Would she consider moving down to the south coast harbour towns in Devon where it can be quite warm?

Why would someone who saved up to move abroad over several years suddenly change their mind for no good reason?

Owain_Moneysaver

fewgroats wrote: »

Why would someone who saved up to move abroad over several years suddenly change their mind for no good reason?

Because the implications of Britain leaving the EU may be a very good reason.

Healthcare in Greece is already one of the worst in the EU and given Greece's ongoing financial difficulties unlikely to get any better.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/01/patients-dying-greece-public-health-meltdown

mgdavid

Sobraon wrote: »

..........
If the current retirement health arrangements are significantly changed then that would be a "A Very Courageous Decision" on behalf of the PM!

unless British residents abroad couldn't vote either (which should be the case IMO).