6stringnut
12/27/2013 15:16 EST
I am considering moving to
Guatemala to one of the beach area's as an expat.
Any suggestions appreciated
I will be living on a fixed income.
I have construction management skills as well as building skills. Are expats able to get jobs in Guatemala with any ease?
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bajasur
12/27/2013 17:30 EST
Which coast are you thinking about? No not really easy to find legal employment.
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Normando
12/27/2013 18:17 EST
Hi... IF you are planning or like living in the beach area - Guatemala is not the place for you! Guatemala's beaches are not the best - because of the black sand, and the lack of recreational tourist areas - much better travel a couple of hours to EL SALVADOR, wher e there are some beautiful beaches!!!
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Normando
12/27/2013 18:17 EST
Hi... IF you are planning or like living in the beach area - Guatemala is not the place for you! Guatemala's beaches are not the best - because of the black sand, and the lack of recreational tourist areas - much better travel a couple of hours to EL SALVADOR, wher e there are some beautiful beaches!!!
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pato23
From: El Salvador
12/27/2013 21:19 EST
Non resident ex pats without work permit/residency are not able to 'work' legally in any country in the World! You may get your business residency and start your own business though legally you must hire Guatemalan workers and follow the labor laws, very strict, in 1994, fired our Night Manager for stealing, had to pay him 6 Months salary indemnity per law. Locals get upset, really upset, when gringos try to take a job a Guatemalan can do (exception Teaching English some places, and pay is around $500 Month without work permit, long hours, no benefits, by law those on tourist visas cannot work in Guatemala or anywhere!) Don't any of you get it!!!! Apply for your Residency and open your own business!!!!!! No short cuts. Illegal ones, yes. and salaries are low minimum wage $240 a Month $600 a Month a good salary.
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pato23
From: El Salvador
12/27/2013 21:25 EST
There is a great Beach in El Salvador Ex Pats and locals mix well here, not so in Guatemala, not as friendly as Salvadorans, the Beach is El Tunco, near La Libertad, there is Shuttle, 5 hours from Antigua, 1 way $35 USD or fly to El Salvador, El Tunco is a 45 minute taxi ride $30 or so directly West from airport on the new Coast Highway, again you can open your own business and hire Salvadoran workers, volunteer or teach English in the area as some do, residency is tough to get in ES!!! http://www.wtf-elsalvador.com/ or pm me for more ES information. I left Guatemala years ago, the only plus on Guatemala's coast is Deep Sea Fishing.
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AlPavarotti
12/27/2013 21:56 EST
I guess Normando is not aware of the large ex-pat english speaking community enjoying life to the fullest on the atlantic side in guatemala. Your best source of information would be for you to post your question on the forum on the www.riodulcechisme.com It's true the black sand beaches due to a high content of iron on the pacific side are not very appealing to some people. But even there you find some real nice resorts not known to some other people. Now, on the atlantic side in the Rio Dulce area, things are different. You can find some beautiful water front places to buy or rent or places where you can live near the water. Once you get your legal status squared away you could start some kind of small business and make a living that way. But of course it's going to take a little bit of cash from savings or some other source. Good luck.
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bajasur
12/28/2013 10:26 EST
AlPavarotti: When you say but or rent waterfront property, do you mean on the river, lake or Caribe Mar
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bajasur
12/29/2013 12:53 EST
Thanks, AlPavarotti. I presently live in Antigua and have been thinking of going there for a few months.
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AlPavarotti
12/29/2013 17:02 EST
I know you do because I read you on the Lonely Planet all the time. But you should go to check out that part of the country unless you hate the heat. And see why those people enjoy living there even the ones that don't own a yatch.
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bajasur
12/30/2013 13:12 EST
AlPavarotti, do you post on Lonely Planet? I don't recognize your name from TT. Have you lived in the Rio Dulce/Livingston area? I enjoy the heat and with the cool temps here in Antigua recently have been thinking of going over there until the end of Feb. or first part of March.
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pato23
From: El Salvador
12/30/2013 20:50 EST
The Webmaster of this web portal wrote a great article on relocating to and living in Guatemala to read it click on to http://www.expatexchange.com/ctryguide/4177/49/Guatemala/Expat-Guatemala-10-Tips-for-Living-in-Guatemala Tip number one concerns learning the local language, Spanish and in my own words it does not hurt one to learn street slang, often people in small towns and rural areas use a lot of slang, I have seen foreigners come out of 8 weeks of Spanish immersion in Antigua and fail to communicate well at all with kids, street vendors and humble rural people (campesinos), as well outside the classroom some people become shy and tongue tied so it is always great to practice speaking one on one with native speaking friends, listen and learn, Takes a few months of practice to get basics down, then you flow into intermediate. I am unforgiving to those Ex Pats who have lived in any Spanish speaking country for several years or more and still grind on in 'survival Spanish' met one US Citizen resident of Costa Rica, 9 years, hardly any Spanish yet he became angry if anyone corrected him! Do your best every day and your Spanish will mejorar (get better) without you even realizing it! Friendships and relationships with locals will blossom and by magic, prices and stress of living in a country where English is a 2nd language will fade away! Guatemalans can be reserved, yet once you make a real friend in Guatemala (different from 'friendly' persons) you make a friend for life! Felices Fiestas, Feliz y Prospero ano Nuevo al todos!!! saludos.
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pato23
From: El Salvador
12/30/2013 20:59 EST
One who was not born in Guatemala, nor does not have Guatemalan Parents in order to aquire Citizenship and right to work in Guatemala (or any other Latin American country!) cannot just land as a Tourist and find a full time LEGAL job with national health benefits IGSS, one must go through the process of finding a School or Company, if you are certified Teacher at home or highly skilled in IT and other areas along with Advanced Spanish, to aid you in getting Work Permit, working illegally in Guate is not unlike Guatemalans working illegally in US, low pay and no benefits, possible deportation if caught or bribing authorities that are corrupt not to 'turn you in' some Ex Pats do work for other Ex Pats 'off the books' but pay is rarely enough to live well on, unless one also has a pension, income or savings. Use common sense!
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