Have you ever considered using your valuable military benefits to travel abroad for an extended period … or even retire overseas?  About 40,000 military retirees already have done just that, according to DoD figures, as have nearly 7,000 survivors receiving Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) or other DoD survivor benefits.

Stephanie Montague, founder of the military travel website Poppin’ Smoke and the spouse of a retired Army officer, has been an expat for more than six years, first living in Japan and now in Spain. She cautions that it’s very important to do your research before you make a move.

Three key questions to keep in mind as you begin the process: 

1. What Options Does the Country Offer for a Residence Visa?

The best place to start your research, Montague said, is the country’s embassy website. There, you’ll be able to find what types of visas are available, what materials you’ll need to secure one, and what steps you’ll need to take in what may be a long process.

Don’t forget about your family’s heritage – if your grandparents or parents were immigrants, their home country may offer a way to get a passport or residence card.

Student visas are another path to living in a foreign country. As with residency visas, these will vary by nation – the U.S. offers five types of student visas, for example.

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2. What Is the Cost of Living?

Make sure you get an accurate picture of what you’ll need to pay to live the type of lifestyle you expect. Be wary of articles promising you can live comfortably on what seems like an unrealistically low monthly income, Montague said.

The website Numbeo offers a good starting point, with crowd-sourced prices from nearly 12,000 cities worldwide. It also allows users to compare cities – you can look at two international destinations, or compare an overseas location with your current place of residence.

3. How Accessible Is Health Care?

Assess the quality and availability of health care, particularly if you have any chronic conditions that may require treatment. Even though TRICARE covers you worldwide, not every country accepts it as sufficient coverage for residence visas that require the applicant to have private health insurance.

You can find basic information about a nation’s health care capabilities, along with other considerations, at this State Department website.

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Learn More From MOAA

This list is far from exhaustive if you’re getting serious about an overseas move. Want to know more from Montague about how to research locations and other practical concerns? Register for a special Aug. 7 MOAA webinar on moving overseas as a military retiree. Can’t make the webinar? Register anyway, and a link to the webinar recording will be provided.