| When most people think about moving or retiring | | | | The two countries in the area that generally receive |
| abroad, they think of retirement age as the time to do | | | | the most attention as retirement destinations are |
| it. Previously most retiree visa programs abroad | | | | Costa Rica and Panama. Although it recent years |
| required a person being of retirement age in their own | | | | Costa Rica has at times dropped out of the top ten |
| country before they could even apply. This varied but | | | | retirement destinations, it is still considered a very |
| in most cases started somewhere around fifty years | | | | desirable destination. In recent years many of the |
| of age and upwards. Yet today many of these same | | | | benefits that made it so popular in the 1980's and |
| countries have lowered or have no minimum age | | | | 1990's have been removed, but it still has zealous |
| requirement. Instead, the primary requirement is that | | | | supporters. Like Belize and Nicaragua, anyone over the |
| the retirees have sufficient income to meet the | | | | age of 45 can apply for retirement residency in Costa |
| country's financial requirement for independent living. | | | | Rica. |
| There have always been other visa programs in | | | | Panama has taken over the number one spot for |
| addition to the retiree one, but now many countries | | | | retirement destinations among these Central American |
| have changed the retiree programs to facilitate early | | | | countries. Their pensionado visa program is not age |
| retirement. This means that in many cases now, | | | | related and as long as a person can show the |
| younger prospective expatriates can get the benefits | | | | required permanent annual pension income and other |
| of the retirement programs primarily designed originally | | | | legal requirements, he or she is eligible for consideration |
| for the older retirees. So, if you have the minimum | | | | for the retiree status. Even if foreign residents do not |
| established income to qualify for the program, your | | | | qualify for the many pensionado visa discounts; if they |
| age is not significant as long as you are of legal age. | | | | are over the age of 55 years for a woman and 60 |
| For U.S. citizens, the closest and most convenient | | | | years for a man, they are still entitled to most of the |
| countries for retirement are in Central America. This | | | | retiree incentives. |
| has been my area of special interest for some time. | | | | So, if you want to retire early, it is obvious that there |
| Belize, the only English speaking country in Central | | | | will be destinations that will readily accept you. If you |
| America has a minimum age of 45 and the retiree can | | | | are not interested in any of the Central American |
| be from anywhere in the world. The other Central | | | | destinations discussed, it is easy to get information on |
| American countries all speak Spanish. Nicaragua has a | | | | age requirements from the immigration departments of |
| minimum age of 45 for the retiree visa, but that has | | | | any other countries in which you are interested. Don't |
| exemptions available if the person retired for medical | | | | let age stop you. Step out of the box of your country |
| reasons or if the private income is sufficient and easily | | | | and explore some other parts of the world. You might |
| provable. | | | | find that you too should think about retiring early. |