TRY LIVING ABROAD

Live there first, then decide.

Before a residence visa, an income test and a move you cannot easily undo, spend a few months living abroad as a visitor. Start with how long you want to stay, because that one rule decides which countries are open to you. Budget and place come second.

Step 1: pick your length of stay ↓

For US passport holders. Rules checked October 23, 2026.

STEP 1

Pick your length of stay.

For one place, 6 months is the practical ceiling in Latin America and 12 months is possible only in Australia. Anything longer in one country means a residence visa.

Up to 3 months

Europe, and almost anywhere else

Rule: Europe's Schengen area allows 90 days in any 180, counted across all its countries together. Australia allows 3 months per visit on an ETA, which costs about A$20 through the official app.

Watch: Portugal, Spain, Greece, Italy and France all share one 90-day clock. ETIAS, a €20 online authorization, is scheduled to start in late 2026, so check whether you need it before you fly.

Up to 6 months

Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama

Rule: Up to 180 days on arrival, but the officer at the desk decides the number and writes it on your entry.

Watch: Mexico now often matches the stay to your plans: carry a return ticket and proof of where you are staying, and ask for the length you need. Panama tracks repeat entries, and back-to-back tourist stamps have been refused in 2026.

Up to 6 months

Colombia

Rule: 90 days on entry, extendable online by another 90, up to 180 days a calendar year in total.

Watch: Apply for the extension before day 90. Leaving and coming back does not reset the 180-day count.

Up to 12 months

Australia

Rule: A visitor visa (subclass 600) can be granted for 3, 6 or 12 months.

Watch: There is a visa fee, the cost of living is high and the flights are long. It is a trial only, not a path to stay.

Short stays only

Thailand

Rule: 30 days without a visa since September 15, 2026, plus one 30-day extension at a Thai immigration office (1,900 baht).

Watch: It was 60 days until September, and the rules are still moving. Check before you book.

Rule of thumb: for a first trial, 3 months is enough to know whether daily life suits you, and it works almost everywhere.

Entry rules change. Confirm yours on the State Department country page before you book.

STEP 2

String stays together for a longer trial.

You can spend most of a year abroad legally by moving between regions, because each region keeps its own clock. Back-to-back re-entries into the same country are what draw questions at the border.

Winter in Latin America, spring in Europe. About 5 months in Mexico or Costa Rica, then up to 90 days in Portugal or Spain.
Europe in two halves. 90 days in Europe, then 90 days outside Schengen, in Latin America or back home, then Europe again.
One long Australia stay. A 12-month visitor visa covers the year in a single place, if the cost works.

Keep a simple day log with entry and exit dates for every country. Europe's limit counts days across all Schengen countries together, and Colombia's counts the whole calendar year.

STEP 3

Cover health and housing.

Health cover is the one step you cannot skip. Original Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the US, and the Medigap foreign travel benefit stops at $50,000 for life.

Health. Buy travel medical or international health insurance that covers the full trial, including medical evacuation. Check age limits and pre-existing condition rules before you buy.
Housing. Book a furnished monthly rental for the first month only. Choose the neighborhood in person, then rent longer locally, usually for less.
Budget. Live on the monthly budget you would have if you moved for real. That is the point of the trial.

STEP 4

Before you go.

Choose length and country, then confirm the current entry rule on the State Department country page
Check your passport is valid well past your return date
Buy health insurance for the full stay, with medical evacuation
Book the first month of a furnished rental, and no more
Book onward or return travel: several countries ask for proof at check-in or at the desk
Get a card with no foreign transaction fees and a cheap way to move money
Fill prescriptions for the full stay, or confirm you can refill there
Set up mail forwarding or a digital mail service
Start a day log of every entry and exit
Tell your bank and card issuers your travel dates

QUESTIONS

The short answers.

How long can a US retiree stay abroad without a residence visa?

Up to 90 days in any 180 across Europe's Schengen countries combined, up to 180 days in Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama at the officer's discretion, 90 days in Colombia extendable to 180 a calendar year, up to 12 months in Australia on a visitor visa, and 30 days in Thailand plus one 30-day extension. Anything longer in one country needs a residence visa and its income test.

Does Medicare cover me while I try living abroad?

Generally no. Original Medicare does not pay for care outside the US except in narrow cases. Medigap plans C, D, F, G, M and N include a foreign travel emergency benefit: 80% of emergency care after a $250 deductible, for care that starts in the first 60 days of a trip, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit. For a trial stay of months, buy travel medical or international health insurance that includes medical evacuation.

Can I spend a year abroad without a residence visa?

Usually, by moving between regions, because each one keeps its own clock. For example, about five months in Mexico or Costa Rica, then up to 90 days in Portugal or Spain. Back-to-back re-entries into the same country are what get refused at the border, so keep a log of every entry and exit.

SOURCES

Checked October 23, 2026. Not legal or immigration advice.

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