Retirees Abroad

The 5 ways Australians actually retire overseas (not just selling up and moving)

A free online workshop for Australians 60 and over. Plain answers, checked and dated, and nothing to pay.

  • 60 minutes, online, from your kitchen table
  • What changes with your pension, Medicare and the house
  • Your questions answered live at the end

Starts in -- days, -- hours, -- minutes

Save your free seat

Tuesday 1 December, 11am Melbourne time

10am Brisbane · 10:30am Adelaide · 8am Perth

  • Free, no card details
  • An Australian business
  • General information, checked and dated
  • We never sell your details

Sound familiar? The questions that come up before anyone books a flight

  • “We only know one way to do it: sell up and go.”

    That's the one you hear about most, and the hardest to undo. There are four others, and we suggest starting with the easiest.

  • “What happens to my pension?”

    It keeps paying overseas. Some extras stop at 6 and 12 weeks away, and we show you exactly when.

  • “What if one of us gets sick?”

    We cover what Medicare does overseas (very little), and what to ask about health insurance before you go.

  • “We'd miss the grandkids.”

    A winter away or two bases means you can be home for Christmas and the big family moments.

  • “It all sounds so complicated.”

    It's five ways and a handful of rules. We go through them in plain English.

  • “Is this just a sales pitch?”

    The workshop is free and general. At the end we mention a free call for anyone who wants help with their own plan, with no pressure.

In one hour you'll know which of the five ways fit you, and which don't

  1. The five ways, side by side

    From a winter away to the move for good, and how to tell which ones fit you.

  2. Your pension, step by step

    What changes at 6, 12 and 26 weeks away, and what never changes.

  3. Medicare and health cover

    What Medicare does overseas (very little), and what to ask about health insurance.

  4. The house

    Keep it, rent it or sell it, and why selling usually comes last.

  5. Where Australians actually go

    Penang, Chiang Mai, Da Nang, Bali and Portugal, and roughly what a month costs.

  6. Your questions, answered live

    Twenty minutes at the end for anything you want to ask.

A couple in their late 60s planning over a fold-out map

A taste of what we cover: the five ways Australians retire overseas, side by side

The five ways at a glance
Start hereThe winter awayThe long stayThe trial yearTwo basesThe move for good
Time away6 to 12 weeks, home for summer and Christmas3 to 6 months in one baseUp to 12 monthsAbout half the year in eachLiving there for good
Your houseStays your homeStays your homeRented out; exempt for the first 12 monthsStays your home; you pay for twoOften sold; tax rules change as a foreign resident
Age PensionKeeps paying; after 6 weeks the Energy Supplement stops and your Concession Card is cancelledPension Supplement stops at 12 weeks; past 26 weeks it can be reduced if you have under 35 years of working-life residenceThe 12 and 26-week changes apply, and rent from your home counts as incomeKeeps paying; Pension Supplement stops at 12 weeks, and past 26 weeks it can be reduced if you have under 35 years of working-life residenceBase rate from the day you leave; past 26 weeks it can be reduced if you have under 35 years of working-life residence
VisaOften a visitor stay is enoughUsually a longer-stay visaA long-stay or retirement visaOne that allows long, repeated staysA retirement visa with age, income or deposit rules
Easy to undo?Very easyEasyFairly easyFairly easyHardest
  1. The winter awayStart here

    Time away
    6 to 12 weeks, home for summer and Christmas
    Your house
    Stays your home
    Age Pension
    Keeps paying; after 6 weeks the Energy Supplement stops and your Concession Card is cancelled
    Visa
    Often a visitor stay is enough
    Easy to undo?
    Very easy
  2. The long stay

    Time away
    3 to 6 months in one base
    Your house
    Stays your home
    Age Pension
    Pension Supplement stops at 12 weeks; past 26 weeks it can be reduced if you have under 35 years of working-life residence
    Visa
    Usually a longer-stay visa
    Easy to undo?
    Easy
  3. The trial year

    Time away
    Up to 12 months
    Your house
    Rented out; exempt for the first 12 months
    Age Pension
    The 12 and 26-week changes apply, and rent from your home counts as income
    Visa
    A long-stay or retirement visa
    Easy to undo?
    Fairly easy
  4. Two bases

    Time away
    About half the year in each
    Your house
    Stays your home; you pay for two
    Age Pension
    Keeps paying; Pension Supplement stops at 12 weeks, and past 26 weeks it can be reduced if you have under 35 years of working-life residence
    Visa
    One that allows long, repeated stays
    Easy to undo?
    Fairly easy
  5. The move for good

    Time away
    Living there for good
    Your house
    Often sold; tax rules change as a foreign resident
    Age Pension
    Base rate from the day you leave; past 26 weeks it can be reduced if you have under 35 years of working-life residence
    Visa
    A retirement visa with age, income or deposit rules
    Easy to undo?
    Hardest

General information, checked 19 October 2026. Your situation may differ.

What retiring overseas can look like, once you've found your feet

  • A couple in their late 60s at a cooking class, rolling spring rolls

    A cooking class in Hoi An

  • A couple in their late 60s riding bicycles side by side

    Out on the bikes in Penang

  • A man in his 60s ordering an iced coffee with a phrasebook

    Trying the language

  • A couple chatting with a local neighbour over a garden fence

    Getting to know the neighbours

Is this for you? An honest look at who the hour helps, and who it doesn't

This is for you if

  • You are 60 or over and curious about living overseas for part or all of the year
  • You want plain facts before anyone sells you anything
  • You'd like to try it before deciding anything big
  • You have some savings or super to retire on

It is not for you if

  • You want someone to tell you where to invest
  • You are after a free holiday or a sales seminar
  • You have already moved and settled overseas
  • You need a visa agent or tax adviser today (we will point you to licensed ones)

How it works: three easy steps from here to your kitchen table

  1. Save your seat

    Two minutes: your name, email and mobile, then three quick taps.

  2. We text you the link

    A reminder the day before and an hour before, with a phone dial-in too.

  3. Join from home

    Watch from your kitchen table, then ask anything in the live Q&A.

Who we are

Retirees Abroad is run by a small Australian team that has lived overseas, on and off, for more than 10 years. So we know the practical side from experience, not just from reading about it.

Since 2020 we have helped people with European travel and visas. Along the way, a lot of retirees asked us the same thing: could we help them spend a month or two somewhere new, with other people their age, rather than going alone? Retirees Abroad is our answer.

When you book a call or come to a workshop, you talk with the Retirees Abroad team, based in Melbourne. Questions any time: hello@retireesabroad.com.au.

Questions people ask before they register for the free workshop

Is it really free?
Yes. No card details, no catch. It's the easiest way to get to know us.
Do I need Zoom?
It works best on Zoom from a computer or tablet, but you can also dial in by phone. We'll send both with your reminder.
What if I can't make it live?
Register anyway. A replay until Sunday night, if you can't make it live.
Will you try to sell me something?
No hard sell. At the end we mention a free 15-minute call for anyone who wants help with their own plan.
Is this financial advice?
No. It's general information, checked and dated. For your own situation we point you to licensed advisers.
Can my partner join too?
Please do. One registration covers you both; just watch together.

Checked 19 October 2026

Our promise to you

The workshop is free, and it stays free. No card details, no hard sell, and you can unsubscribe from our emails and texts any time. We never sell your details.

Your first step is free

60 minutes on the five ways, from your kitchen table. You decide what comes next.

No pressure and no card details. You decide what comes next.

The 5 ways Australians actually retire overseas

Free online · Tuesday 1 December, 11am Melbourne time

10am Brisbane · 10:30am Adelaide · 8am Perth

  • The five ways, from a winter away to the move for good
  • What changes with your pension, Medicare and the house
  • Your questions answered live at the end
Save my free seat

Free, and no card details needed.

Free workshopTuesday 1 December

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