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Which countries are easiest for a non-native speaking foreigner to:
a) stay long term without hassles of frequent visa runs, high payments/deposits. This is related to the ease or difficulty of getting permanent residency and/or citizenship
b) get on their socialized medicine program for low cost or free medical care.
Currently looking at mexico colombia brazil ecuador.
Preference for warmer climes as secondary consideration.
No time to search this, hoping for some good answers.
Last edited by elnina; 09-19-2021 at 11:43 PM..
Reason: Typo
Both Mexico (1 year) and Colombia (3.5 years) are huge places with varying climates and local/regional cultures.
I found Colombia easier to live in, in almost every aspect. In my experience it was more organized, friendlier people and easier to adapt to. Getting my long-term working visa was much easier, the process was clear and quick. The process in Mexico was long, drawn-out and weird. Though Mexico, of course, had better food. Bogota's Spanish accent was more neutral and easier to understand than anywhere I was in, in Mexico. I only visited Ecuador but it is more developed than I thought it would be.
You really should learn some Spanish if you go to any of those places, it is not hard and you will have a much better time.
Medellin is a city full of expats if you really can't be bothered to learn much Spanish but that is a mistake and is known as having spring like temps year round. Cartagena is more like summer year round with warm ocean breezes sweeping into old town often. San Andres is a beautiful island with very high temps but lots of rain.
Depends on how badly they want you. My wife was a RN, we just walked and asked if we could work. Jordanian immigration fell over themselves. All papers were processed for us and they came to our house to hand us our residence cards. After a year, they sweetened the pot to get to stay another year.
In my whole two years, I only met two other people from non-Muslim countries who had not beebnrecruited prior to arrival.
Currently looking at mexico colombia brazil ecuador.
Preference for warmer climes as secondary consideration.
With the exception of Brazil (Ecuador could partly be included as an exception due to the economic importance of Guayaquil which has a tropical climate), the center of all those countries has a much cooler climate than anyone would think. Most of Mexico's population lives inland and near the central part, where elevation is high enough for the climate to be considerably cooler than on the tropical and sub-tropical coasts. In Mexico City it does gets chilly especially in the evenings during the cooler months. Often times, daytime temperatures are in the 60's and 70's (in fahrenheit.) In Colombia, most of the population also lives inland (when you think about it, this is a common trait throughout Spanish America with the exceptions are Panama, Peru -I think-, Argentina, and Uruguay. There might be one or two other countries where most people live on the coast.) For many they either need a jacket yearround or often in the evenings. In Ecuador the climate is very moderated by the height further inland, especially around Quito.
I think it's safe to say that the averge Spanish American lives in areas with much cooler temperatures than expected. People in places like the USA automatically think most live in tropical climate regions, heck when Americans think of Mexico it's the climate of places like Cancun that dominates the mind. People are shocked that most Mexicans actually experience a very cool existence for part of the year, especially in the evenings. Things indicative of yearround tropical weather such as coconut palms are simply not part of the scenery for most Spanish Americans (actually, for most people in the Americas when you think about it.) People that are not acquainted with the area often let the fact that these countries are in the tropical zone of the planet and along the coast of most of them the climate is tropical (plus most North Americans and Europeans that visit the region head to the coastal areas only in countries such as Mexico), so they think that's representative of what most people experience.
If you speak Spanish as a mother tongue, chances are you don't live in an area with tropical climate. Hispanics outside Latin America also don't live in areas with tropical climate since most of the USA and Canada isn't tropical, and neither much of Spain. For the most part, palms are part of the scenery of most Hispanics, but if you notice palms indicative of a tropical climate such as coconut palms often are missing and it's not because people don't like them or find them useful, because wherever it can be grown there it is, either grows by itself or people plant them. If they are missing, that's a sign that the area gets too cool to allow them to survive.
Both Mexico (1 year) and Colombia (3.5 years) are huge places with varying climates and local/regional cultures.
I found Colombia easier to live in, in almost every aspect. In my experience it was more organized, friendlier people and easier to adapt to. Getting my long-term working visa was much easier, the process was clear and quick. The process in Mexico was long, drawn-out and weird. Though Mexico, of course, had better food. Bogota's Spanish accent was more neutral and easier to understand than anywhere I was in, in Mexico. I only visited Ecuador but it is more developed than I thought it would be.
You really should learn some Spanish if you go to any of those places, it is not hard and you will have a much better time.
Medellin is a city full of expats if you really can't be bothered to learn much Spanish but that is a mistake and is known as having spring like temps year round. Cartagena is more like summer year round with warm ocean breezes sweeping into old town often. San Andres is a beautiful island with very high temps but lots of rain.
Much thanks for that good answer. The thing that I like about Mexico is that I can stay 6 months and renew 6 months easily.How easy was it to rent an apartment in those two places? Also did you happen to use any of the medical services in those two countries and how did you find that.
Depends on how badly they want you. My wife was a RN, we just walked and asked if we could work. Jordanian immigration fell over themselves. All papers were processed for us and they came to our house to hand us our residence cards. After a year, they sweetened the pot to get to stay another year.
In my whole two years, I only met two other people from non-Muslim countries who had not beebnrecruited prior to arrival.
wow, that Country was never on my radar. Is it a good place to live?
With the exception of Brazil (Ecuador could partly be included as an exception due to the economic importance of Guayaquil which has a tropical climate), the center of all those countries has a much cooler climate than anyone would think. Most of Mexico's population lives inland and near the central part, where elevation is high enough for the climate to be considerably cooler than on the tropical and sub-tropical coasts. In Mexico City it does gets chilly especially in the evenings during the cooler months. Often times, daytime temperatures are in the 60's and 70's (in fahrenheit.) In Colombia, most of the population also lives inland (when you think about it, this is a common trait throughout Spanish America with the exceptions are Panama, Peru -I think-, Argentina, and Uruguay. There might be one or two other countries where most people live on the coast.) For many they either need a jacket yearround or often in the evenings. In Ecuador the climate is very moderated by the height further inland, especially around Quito.
I think it's safe to say that the averge Spanish American lives in areas with much cooler temperatures than expected. People in places like the USA automatically think most live in tropical climate regions, heck when Americans think of Mexico it's the climate of places like Cancun that dominates the mind. People are shocked that most Mexicans actually experience a very cool existence for part of the year, especially in the evenings. Things indicative of yearround tropical weather such as coconut palms are simply not part of the scenery for most Spanish Americans (actually, for most people in the Americas when you think about it.) People that are not acquainted with the area often let the fact that these countries are in the tropical zone of the planet and along the coast of most of them the climate is tropical (plus most North Americans and Europeans that visit the region head to the coastal areas only in countries such as Mexico), so they think that's representative of what most people experience.
If you speak Spanish as a mother tongue, chances are you don't live in an area with tropical climate. Hispanics outside Latin America also don't live in areas with tropical climate since most of the USA and Canada isn't tropical, and neither much of Spain. For the most part, palms are part of the scenery of most Hispanics, but if you notice palms indicative of a tropical climate such as coconut palms often are missing and it's not because people don't like them or find them useful, because wherever it can be grown there it is, either grows by itself or people plant them. If they are missing, that's a sign that the area gets too cool to allow them to survive.
[Mod cut: rude] not exactly the reply I was looking for, but informative nontheless.
wow, that Country was never on my radar. Is it a good place to live?
Then, Jordan was a wonderful country, but has experienced wave adter wave of refugees -- Palestinians, then Lebanese, then Iraqis, with nu natural resources to support them. Amman was a quiet small town then, and sprawl looks pretty awful. English widely spoken. I was just lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
Don't be afraid of the Muslims. They are warm-heated hospitable peopl4 who will treat you with respect, and will not expect you to obey Muslim law -- only be considerate of it. They will be happy to welcome you, and the line to get in in is kept short by fear and ignorance.
Well OP, this ^^^ reply is for your "Preference for warmer climes as secondary consideration." He replied to your inquiry.
yeah, ok point taken.
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hahaha
