A quick word about living in Cuba on a part or full-time basis before getting into immigration requirements. It is very important to think things through and to do one’s research and homework thoroughly.
There are many who are fascinated by living in a foreign country as an expatriate. Just the idea of living in a sunny tropical Caribbean is enough to make many make the move to a new country
Others may want o escape the rat race and start over. Many become enamored with a country while on vacation and think the country that they are visiting would be a nice place to live or retire. Cuba is especially attractive to some since it is to some extent an enigma locked in another period of time. Most “fall in lust” with the country and are not prepared for what happens when the lust wears off. It is very important to prepare for living in Cuba and to know exactly what to expect.
Here are some positive things the country has to offer:
- Fun-loving and intelligent people who actually like and admire Americans. The government’s politics do not reflect the attitude of the average Cuban.
- The beauty of the country and climate — twelve months of sunshine no cold winters. Miles of beautiful beaches dot both coasts.
- New opportunities in the not-too-distant future and an exciting culture all make Cuba attractive.
- Cuba is one of the safest places to live in the world and the safest place in Latin America since the crime rate is low and attacks or foreigners are not tolerated.
- On the downside there the country is very different to what Americans are use to. A general lack of products and services found in the U.S. can pose a problem.
- Access to the Internet is expensive and slow.
It is important to bear in mind that permanent foreign resident who live in Latin American retirement havens like Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama contribute millions of dollars to those economies yearly. The government of these countries realized residency programs for retirees are a vital source of income. Foreigners buy homes, open businesses, buy groceries, by airplane tickets, eat in restaurants, use medical services, invest in the banking system, pay taxes and employee a lot of locals, thus creating employment opportunities.
It is only a matter of time before the Cuban government becomes aware of this and opens the country up to retirees from all over the world. They will, however, have to provide the services foreigners expect in order to attract foreign residents and retirees.
There will have to be some kind of medical care specifically especially for residents. More food products from the U.S., Canada and Europe will have to be imported. Satellite TV in English as well as first run movies will have to be readily available. More businesses catering to foreigners will also have to be created. Restaurants, bookstores and fast food chains with familiar names will have to be set up as in other Latin American countries. Hopefully there will be will be opportunities for savvy business people and entrepreneurs to get their feet in the door and take advantage of all of the many opportunities that will exist.
The Cuban government is becoming more open to the idea of retirement in Cuba and has started to initiate “snowbird” visas for Non-Americans, especially Canadians. These visas are for retirees who wish to live in Cuba and allows them a six month stay with extensions easy to acquire with a quick hop out of the country.
