seoulguy
3/9/2017 15:48 EST
I was gratified at the amazing response of nice expats to my previous posts. Many factors are decisive in making a move. I meet the requirements for the cedula, and I'm glad that expats are eligible for state-sponsored healthcare. Here, I am using the very current ACA fight to determine the fate of Medicare. Briefly, if the Republican Congress can pass what they have offered and sign it into law, knocking off countless from access to healthcare, it will be a signal that killing off Medicare is next. Quality of life is also a concern. I like the coast, but Colombia's north coast looks like sprawl.
Anyway to the point, I'd like to hear from those of you who took an organized, step-by-step approach to finally deciding to make your move. What were those steps? What were the decisive factors, and are you satisfied with your decision. If so, why; if not, why? Thanks.
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joemindwarp
3/9/2017 16:25 EST
Arrived here 5 years ago, I have 180 day tourist Visa so I can not stay year round, love Medellin especially Laureles, not touristy or Gringoville, there are several Gringo owned cafes and hang outs but mostly Colombians, the Metro rail is very convenient and in the center of the town, actually 3 metro stops nearby. I come back for 180 days every year and also exclusively use airbnb.com
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Visitando
3/9/2017 19:34 EST
I think there are a couple misunderstandings in your post.....the Cedula is a national identification card that you can get when you get your Visa. It is not available to those of us on Tourist Visa. The cedula runs concurrently with your Visa, for example if you have Temporary 7 visa for pensionados that is good for one year at a time then your cedula will be good for one year as well. After 5 continuous years you can apply for the Permanent Pensionado Visa which is good for 5 years, and you will get a cedula that is good for the same 5 years. After 10 years you can apply for citizenship.
One fallacy of this is that as I understand it from several reliable sources when you have a TP7 pensionado visa good for one year you have to renew it before it expires or face a severe penalty. If you renew the TP7 even one or two days before it expires then you will not have a full 5 continuous years and will have to renew the one year visa for a Sixth year in order to qualify for the Five year visa. Very confusing. It´s not like in the US when you renew your drivers license a month before it expires then the new license will continue from the expiration date of the old license. In Colombian the new visa will begin on the day you renew it.
Another note about visas. As I understand it if you receive a Pensionado Visa you have to sign a document saying you will not work in this country. On the other hand, if you find a job here, as I am doing, then you apply for the Work Visa even though you might also qualify for a Pensionado Visa.
The health insurance is not state sponsored. There are several independent companies offering health care plans at very reasonable rates, and you can purchase the health insurance on a tourist visa, just using your passport as identification. The plan I have is all inclusive through a company called Coomeva and I pay $31 per month, it also includes dental. There is a copay for some visits and some medications. The copay that I paid for a replacement filling was 2,700 pesos, about 90 cents.
Thirdly, I´m not sure why you think the North Coast is all about Sprawl. I only spent a few weeks up there but didn´t sense any sprawl. There are miles and miles and miles of vacant land and beautiful white sand beaches between Barranquilla and Santa Marta for example. Barranquilla is pretty big but definitely not sprawled out, and same with Cartagena.
Just my thoughts based on dipping my toes in the water here in Colombia.
I chose Colombia for several reasons. The climate is a heck of a lot better than where I was living in the US. You can choose your climate zone by going up the mountains. At sea level a day temperature will be 30 to 35 degrees celsius or thereabouts on the same day in the mountains around Medellin the temperature will be 20 to 25 degrees celsius and you might need a long sleeve shirt or light jacket at night.
The Colombian people are pretty friendly and the cost of living is seriously less than in the US. For example, I´m renting a very comfortable apartment that costs $300 month and would easily cost $1000 month in the mid-atlantic USA. Food here is ridiculously cheap. A really good lunch with juice is less than $3. A similar lunch in US would be $10 or $12. In the stores a liter of milk or a can of beer costs 50 or 60 cents. I bought a medium size fancy chocolate cake in a pasteleria for my girlfriend yesterday for $3 and it was really tasty.
As I found out to my chagrin, you don´t need a lot of clothes here. I brought dress slacks, button down shirts and dress shoes, only to find out the regular guy here wears a polo shirt and blue jeans pretty much everywhere except to weddings and funerals. I am sending home a medium size suitcase of clothes and shoes I´ll never need here. The only time I have needed a jacket was at night in Bogota. I bought two umbrellas, one for me and one for her, for $3 apiece. And so forth. Lots of reasons to consider retirement here.
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noelstreet
3/9/2017 19:52 EST
I like Colombia for the following reasons; 1) Variety of climates 2) If you have teaching experience and speak Spanish work is easy to find 3) I can live well off of my retirement, around 6 million pesos 4) the people there are real nice.
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xaxacatla
3/9/2017 21:54 EST
Mountains out of molehills, folks. Existential angst isn't demanded, at least not when you can sometimes get an airline ticket to Colombia for about what it cost to fill the gas tank on your Suburban. If you like it, stay. If you don't, buy a ticket back.
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stillkicking
3/13/2017 23:43 EST
I have a theory that the more questions one asks about a possible move to a foreign country, the less likely that one will actually make that move. Just my theory.
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SkyMan
3/14/2017 13:44 EST
Stillkicking, I agreed with your post. Has anyone ever heard of the phrase..."Analysis to Paralysis"? My thinking is that if you "analyze" too long=you will tire of the entire process & finally just give up on it. In moving to a foreign country...you mneed to know certain things, such as...
-The weather(important to many)
-Lifestyle(also important)
-Language spoken(learn some prior to your move=verrry important)
-Currency(helps to know in advance)
-Cuisine(what is it ?)
-Medical(how good really ?)
-Cost of Living(a biggie for some)-Visa Requirements(get it in your home country)
***But after your "due diligence" is done...it's time to test-the-waters and live there a month or two, as one week=(you are a tourist) & one month=(A dose of reality sets in). Remember..you cannot absolutely cannot know everything about it, prior to your move...If you do, why move ? As a song said "sooner or later it comes down to fate...I might as well be the one".
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Visitando
3/14/2017 14:21 EST
Moving to a foreign country without a solid plan based on information gathered during due diligence is just plain boneheaded in my opinion.
There probably is such a thing as analysis paralysis but I think its just a saying people use when they don´t know what the fuçk they are doing. I don´t think you can ever have too much information about such an expensive and life changing (and maybe even life threatening) decision as moving to a third world country.
There are just too many things to know to take this process lightly.
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akabo
3/14/2017 16:36 EST
I am with @stillkicking on this one.
One reason for that is the potential expat has not fully convinced himself of the potential move. Those questions are really a cry for help. Please convince me not to go, please tell me it's a bad idea. It's like somebody standing on a ledge of a building yelling he is going to jump...
When someone is leaving a poorer country, or a country with political instability, or a country recently stricken by natural disaster, the move is easy.
But, when you are leaving a perfectly good country behind, you better have a good reason to do so.
Removing the questions pertaining to the logistics of the actual moving to country X, all the remaining questions can truly be answered by living in that country. It is very difficult to have a spreadsheet and a formula to come up with a "Go/No Go" conclusion.
Again, the common wisdom across all the sub-forums on this site is to rent first, which means, do not unpack your bags until you are sure the place can become your new home.
Frankly, I would just flip a coin. Head = "go", Tail = "no go".
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SunsetSteve
3/14/2017 17:05 EST
I dunno. I doubt many people look seriously into moving from North America to South or Central America on a whim. There will be a serious motivating reason - like the ability to survive on an income significantly less that they have enjoyed while employed. So the questions are to determine whether the cost of living, the climate, the facilities and accommodations, will accommodate the move as compared to other possible solutions. Removing onesself from family is another important consideration.
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namaskar
3/14/2017 19:14 EST
Hi Joe,
If you don't mind my asking, where do you go (what county/continent) the rest of the year? I guess I'm wondering how easy it is to pop back and fourth while maintaining a permanent residency elsewhere.
Many thanks, Namaskar
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Bobfrozen1
3/14/2017 21:52 EST
First decide if you want to leave your home country.
Do the research and try to find out if another country is cost effective for you.
There are many sites on the internet to do your research but take all with a grain of salt.
Go visit and spend time in the places you are considering. Maybe a week or two in each to get "the feel" for the country and/or city.
When you narrow it down a bit then short term rentals like Air Bnb stay a month or two and see if you like it. A little more expensive to start with but in the long run save you some headaches.
When you decide what country/city/barrio you want to live in then search for a more permanent place.
Store your furniture, car and whatever until you have spent a year or so and are very certain you will permanently locate there. Then you will have an idea what to ship to your new home and sell the rest.
As for your political reasons for leaving that is a decision you have to make and live with. Personally I usually wait and see what happens before I make a decision. In the end its your decision.
The advice I gave you is what I have used for the last 10 years after I left Alaska for parts unknown. It has always worked for me.
Good luck
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cccmedia
3/14/2017 22:36 EST
Welcome to the Colombia forum, Namaskar.
It's relatively easy to maintain a two-country lifestyle and not have to go through the visa process, if you choose, say, Peru, for 180-plus days a year and Colombia for up to 182.
How's your Spanish?
About that suggestion to put your car in storage back home for a year and then decide possibly to ship it to Colombia... forget it.
Colombia does not allow used cars to be imported into La República.
Based on recent information from DIAN, a used car can be brought into Colombia for up to one year, provided you make two in-country visits with the car to a DIAN office.
cccmedia in Quindío, Colombia
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cccmedia
3/14/2017 22:47 EST
Correction of my previous post:
The maximum number of days allowed in Colombia annually on a 90-day tourist stamp plus a 90-day extension is 180, not 182.
The Colombia/Peru strategy I referenced is still valid based on up to 180 days in COL and 180-plus in Peru.
cccmedia in La Zona Cafetera
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