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Popular Destinations for Retiring Abroad

Retiring abroad is a popular choice for thousands of people from the UK. Many go overseas to be close to family or friends, or to a town or city where there is already a thriving British expat community. Others may be looking for somewhere warmer or cheaper to live.

Hamiltons Removals is expert in organising UK overseas removals. Here we look at some of the most popular destinations for people to retire to, and why they have been attracting such large numbers of people from the UK.

Australia and New Zealand

Official statistics say there are just over a million UK expats in Australia, of which at least a quarter of a million are believed to be of pensionable age, while New Zealand is home to around 250,000 people from the UK.

Both countries attract such large numbers of UK residents because of their warm climates, their attractive coastal communities, and the fact that both are English-speaking countries.

Those people retiring to New Zealand, which has now brought in special retirement visas, will be able to enjoy an excellent quality of life, with a low crime rate. Australia, and particularly the cities of Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, enjoys a comparatively low cost of living.

 USA and Canada

The USA is behind only Australia as the most popular international retirement destination for UK residents. More than 800,000 people originally from the UK live in the States, and 140,000 of these are retired. The USA is a vast country and with such a cosmopolitan culture you should be able to find a type of retirement community that suits you.

Canada has more than 600,000 UK expats, and around a quarter of these are retired. People are attracted by the lower living costs and lower property prices, spectacular scenery and quality healthcare, although the visa requirements are becoming more stringent. As with Australia and the US, many people move here to be closer to friends or family. Others, known as ‘part-time expats’, live here for part of the year to avoid the cold winters.

South Africa

This country is home to more than 200,000 British expats, and around 40,000 of these draw a pension here. Cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg are the most popular places to retire to, but countryside destinations which enjoy spectacular scenery are proving attractive too. The day-to-day cost of living is quite low compared to the UK, and English is widely spoken.

European Destinations

Many countries in Europe are popular places to move to, even if English is not the main language. Spain is the most popular destination on the continent to retire to, with many Britons attracted by the warm climate and thriving expat communities. Neighbouring Portugal is also noted for its cuisine and friendly locals, and has plenty of golf courses and beaches to enjoy.

France has upwards of 250,000 UK expats, and around one in five of these are pensioners. Low house prices make having a second home abroad, and living there for part of the year, a very attractive and affordable option for many.

Other destinations are growing in popularity. Malta, for example, enjoys more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, and English is the most widely spoken language. Asian destinations like Malaysia and Thailand are now home to increasing numbers of Britons looking for somewhere off the beaten track and they have a comparatively low cost of living.

Suffolk removal company Hamiltons Removals can organise UK overseas removals to a wide variety of destinations in Europe and across the globe. Our European section offers a weekly service to most EU destinations, including France and Portugal.

Our international department organises UK overseas removals to a range of worldwide destinations, including South Africa, Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. These can be shipped as full container loads, grouped together with other loads, while smaller items can be sent airfreight. Whatever your needs, we will tailor our service to fit your individual requirements. Follow the link  if you would like to receive an online quote.