About dolfie

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Male

Currently Lives:

Freeport, Bahamas

Citizen Of:

Belgium

Past Expat Posts:

Liberia

Belgium

United Kingdom

About dolfie

I am standing with both feet on the ground. Innovative - organizer - leader. Work(ed) hard for more Intl. Companies as consultant - contractor for J.I.T. technical projects. Safety and Risks, prevention expert engineer. DSc. 12 years Diplomat.Rep. Cost efficient. Perm. resident with right to work for all (97).

Advice for New Expats

Talk, give and get straight forward information. All the "billionaires have been here already. Doing your homework will save you plenty of problems and money and can help you calculate the risks. Here is enough wind, keep low profile.

HR/Relo
Professional:

Help Manage Expat Programs for My Company

Education:

U,I,A, Antwerp Belgium
  1993 to 1997

Canterbury -DSc
  1998 to 2005

Favorite Cuisine:

The goodies - spoiled

Favorite Museum:

All

Some Forum Posts:

Bahamas: Moving to Freeport grand Bahamas:

You have other possibilities open: You can apply for a building investor license - even without Bahamian participation - in particular Ltd. corporation as licensee of the Grand Bahama Port Authority. This requires investment in properties where you can build on. As for the government: The land owners act has the details in it. (available on internet) Governmental approval is required. Same goes for your spouse if she sets up a company as independent nurse - self employed or also under corporation form. This is a new segment to explore too.

Bahamas: US Dollar:

you still can pay and spend US Dollars in the Bahamas. The more the better

Bahamas: 3 months in Freeport Grand Bahama:

Dag Emmy, I am in Grand Bahama since 1997 with my wife Natalia Ik spreek goed nederlands. We also have an apartment - Town house - not far from beach and canal. Newly built. Safe environment. Je kan ons eventueel kontakteren met een private message. Dolf

Bahamas: Insight & Help:

You better had come here first and explain your wishes. Many better opportunities are here, considering that many people here are long time residents. Do you have something now and if not, what are your expectations? My guess is that the first month is with the real estate company, be it complete or partially. On the other hand I had that problem also once but did my homework in a different way. If you had visited some properties, this wouldn't have happened.

Bahamas: Move help:

You can use postal services, but be aware that it takes time. Sometimes months. I did it some years ago, also from Europe. Welding wire (80 kg) arrived. My cigars are still missed. Now I use a courier service like "arising". They have a drop off address in Fort Lauderdale Fl, and deliver to their stores in Freeport and Nassau. Also good to drop off letters that they post for you in the US in a couple of days. They usually deliver within a week after drop off and can clear your goods, even the bonded ones.

Bahamas: Working as a Real Estate Agent in Nassau:

No, your residence will speed up because your investment will be $500.000 +. However, right to work is a different story. As foreigner you'll need to work for a real estate company with brea approval. It is one of the protected branches, reserved for Bahamian citizens, unless you'll come up with a business plan as corporation that the government will approve.

Bahamas: VAT query:

More tax is never a good thing without proper consideration if the taxpayers are able to sustain it. In the Bahamas there is still a long way to go. Your stimulation works when different %'s are applied and switched through different groups of activities. The needy go for less VAT. I have worked with international VAT systems where 6, 10, 15, 16, 21, 25 and 33 % were applied. Different from here is that these taxes were no taxes ON taxes as we experience now. To reform a conventional tax system to a VAT system takes time and consideration with all the parties involved. That is the way to go.

Bahamas: South African Doctor:

Difficult to answer with that little info. IMHO, a doctor should come up with some more diagnostics and reflections of future goals: There is no vademecum and also no "standard" doctor.

Bahamas: Electricity and hurracanes:

Nassau is the Lucky Island. Have seen no damaging hurricanes in the last 20 years.

Bahamas: working as a physician in eleuthra:

M.D.?

Date Joined:

5/20/2009

Total Posts:

181

Posts/Day:

0.06