Thanks Bill! Guatemala is very easy. Americans get 90 days visa-free on arrival, extendable to 180. The pensionado/rentista residency is the most common path for retirees (1,250/month in income, pension, Social Security, investments) + pass a background check. Processing takes around 2-6 months (a good lawyer makes it happen on the shorter end). Taxed territorial, so only the US side to watch out for. Public healthcare is not that great, but with private insurance, you can go to Guatemala City for anything major (or fly 2h to Miami).
Thanks so much for this helpful analysis, Ben. What's the situation for American expats in Guatemala?
Thanks Bill! Guatemala is very easy. Americans get 90 days visa-free on arrival, extendable to 180. The pensionado/rentista residency is the most common path for retirees (1,250/month in income, pension, Social Security, investments) + pass a background check. Processing takes around 2-6 months (a good lawyer makes it happen on the shorter end). Taxed territorial, so only the US side to watch out for. Public healthcare is not that great, but with private insurance, you can go to Guatemala City for anything major (or fly 2h to Miami).