The Retire Abroad Checklist (25 To Dos Before You Move)
Everything you need to prepare before retiring in another country
Last October, I published The Move Abroad Checklist.
It became the most downloaded free resource I ever made.
Over 80 shares, 22 restacks, and more than 3,000 reads (all while I had less than 1,500 subscribers).
But questions kept coming up:
“What about my pension?”
“Does Medicare work abroad?”
“Can I get Social Security payments from Portugal?”
The Move Abroad Checklist covers basics that apply to everyone.
But retiring abroad adds a few things that the “old” list does not cover.
So I built a second checklist, specifically for retirees.
Here is what’s inside, and how to get it.
What’s Inside
The checklist covers 25 items across 5 categories.
Legal, Tax & Documents: Apostilles, wills, pension notifications, tax rules (yes, Americans file forever).
Retirement Income & Money: Social Security abroad, the 3 Account System, currency risk, the PFIC and Roth traps, budgeting for costs most people forget.
Health & Insurance: International coverage, the Medicare decision, vaccinations, medical records.
Life & Logistics: Visas, scouting trips, decluttering, virtual mailboxes, rent vs buy, finding your community.
Tech & Setup: Cloud backups, two-factor authentication, a $50 travel tech kit.
Each item has a “Why Care About This,” action steps, a timeline, and a practical tip at the end.
Why It’s Free
Same reason the first checklist was free.
I remember how confusing all of this was when I started.
If this helps you avoid even one expensive mistake, my job here is done.
If you want to do me a favor, share it with someone who’s thinking about retiring abroad.
Get It Here
You can download the checklist here:
If you want to check out more premium and retirement resources, you can check out this library.
Thanks for reading, and as always, appreciate having you here.
— Ben
PS
Let me know in the comments which item is most important to you and what you feel is missing.
I read everything and it helps me make these resources better.
PPS
If you are an American 50+ and want to emigrate within the next 0-5 years, and don’t want to navigate healthcare, banking, visas, taxes and country selection by yourself, reply to this mail with “RETIRE”.
You’ll get an invite to the “Retire Abroad Priority List” with some of my best tactics for retiring abroad.
A superb resource!