Where can I find my quiet paradise for retirement?

The moon, maybe? No visa required to live there. Arff! No... no social security system (a fracture would be a pain).

The desert, perhaps? Arff, no—no terrace to lounge on.

Well, otherwise, I’d say a small seaside village in Brittany, but that’s still in France.

A corner of Vietnam? (If you have some language skills.) Dogs there are so free they’re called 'stray dogs' (watch out for rabies, though—but you’ll have good health insurance). There are so many that no one knows how to limit their 'proliferation' (legend says they’re killed to be used in delicious dishes).

More seriously: Outside Europe, outside the EU, outside Africa... that leaves Asia and South America. A country where France has signed an agreement to make it easier for French retirees to settle (in every country, obtaining a visa is regulated). A country with a sufficiently developed healthcare system accessible to immigrants; you’ll need a social protection contract (expensive) to get care without too many costs. A remote country: it’s better to leave with prior experience of 'homesickness' (you probably won’t return to France every time you’re feeling blue). Either way, you’ll stay connected to France, at least through its tax system (calculating taxes on your income, including your pension).

In your search for a suitable country, carefully check the entry conditions for French retirees: is there an agreement with France, visa duration, validity of your French driver’s license? And also: conditions for renting a home, cost of living (price of gas, internet, transportation, etc.). If you can afford to buy a home: can you sell it when you return to France for good? And so on.

Murielle

PS: By definition, paradise doesn’t exist. Constraints are everywhere.

I agree with Elhine.

Paradise doesn’t exist.

Maybe a change of region first?

Or how about a laid-back community?

The trickiest part is wanting the beach. The coast is a magnet for everything you don’t like—plus the prices.