Getting close to retirement and would like to live in South Africa during the winter months of the the states. Is this even possible?

crl

I think that it is difficult, if not impossible, for a non-black to immigrate to RSA. There was a brouhaha a couple of years ago when a member of parliament's wife's request for immigration was held up to the point of "denial."

I'd like to hear I am wrong, but I don't think that is the case. Kudude

crl,

I'm not an expert but you could always open a business in RSA especially if it is going to be with a black partner. That will count a lot of points on your side to get a visa to get in an out of RSA as you please. This could end up to your advantage and the business could end up making enough money to pay all your costs in RSA while you are here and you keep your retirement money safe in the States.

If you plan to spend some of your time back home in the USA then it's fairly easy to get a holiday visa. You just come in as a tourist and then apply to home affairs dept to extend that holiday visa - up to 6 months is fairly easy and up to 2 years is possible. - If you want to buy property, it's no problem, but I'd advise you try to buy on a secure estate if you won't be there for some of the year.

If you want permanent residency, it will depend on what catagory you apply for. Retired, employed or own business etc...... if you come in and start a business, there is no requirement to have a local/black partner.

There are actually some considerable financial advantages in not being a resident........ esp regarding foreign currencies etc. Depending on your financial position, you might also like to consider some of the other African countries. - Esp Botswana.

Feel free to e-mail me at shakari3@mweb.co.za if I can be of any further help.

I should add that after May I'll be difficult to get hold of until the end of November.... and certainly won't be able to access the forums during that time.....

If you have funds, I don't see much difficulty?

Running a business, even easier, a Brit mate of mine does and has no problems whatsoever.

I met two Americans who were doing the same 2 years ago when I went to get a new ID....

I am not sure about SA (I have never needed to know obviosuly) but most countries have a 'retired' category for immigrants and this may suit you?

To assume it will be tough if you are 'white', is nonsense! There are a good number of North Americans, Aussies and Europeans living/working in SA.

Alternatively, as Shakari mentioned it may just be easier to use a simple 6 months tourist entry each time, if you want to stay longer, just hop over the border and come back in. If you buy a house etc etc and have some kind of investment, all the easier I would assume.

All aside, I hope it goes smoothly and welcome if you do!!!

I have to say that they don't make permanent residency easy for white folks - I've been here for 7 years now, bought a house and cars and spent a bloody fortune but I'm still on an own business visa that has to be renewed every 2 years. Renewing this means a whole pile of paperwork, motivations, bank & accountants statements etc etc etc. Applying for permanent residency is a whole lot more complicated.......

If you plan to return to the USA once a year, my advice would be to come in as a tourist and extend your visa if you need to. That way, you just have to write a nice polite letter telling them how much fun you're having and how much you don't want to go home yet and provide some kind of proof of financial security like a credit card and/or bank statement and maybe a copy of your return airline ticket....... other advantages are that you don't need to worry about getting a SA driving licence and if you keep your overseas licence, you can pretty much always talk your way out of tickets AND you don't have to get involved with the SA income tax system.........

Let me add a point to underline how hard it is to get residency here..... my partner Susan is a qualified nursing theatre sister and theatre manager has many years experience of cardio thoracic surgery at Guy's Hospital in London. She has worked with the very best heart surgeons in the world and even has surgical procedures named after her and she goes elsewhere in Africa to conduct voluntary surgical tours at her own expense. Her particular area of expertise is heart ops on young children and babies - She then came to SA and paid for her own registration exams and procedures...... Bearing in mind that SA has suffered a huge drain on it's medical staff for many years you'd think the home affairs dept would be begging her to work in their surgical theatres...... they won't even consider giving her permenant residency or even a work permit to allow her to do so. Instead she has to have an own business permit that allows her to work in our safari business but forbids her from doing anything else........ Honestly, what a ridiculous waste.

I actually toyed with the idea of relocating to SA so I called the embassy in Helsinki and the consul was vey positive...

Then I started to sort out the details in getting myself accredited as an MD in SA and at first I was given a general runaround by every official I contacted! I was at last told I needed to pass a sh-tload of courses at a SA university etc etc.

It just wasn´t worth the hassle.

BUT then my PH tells me that Cuban MD:s are free to come and go as they wish without a) qualifying b) without even speaking ANY local language!

I then realised that it was a political issue.

Cewe and Sahkari, that sux, a pity it was/is a runa round.

Even more the irratation in that 'officially' (i.e. govt. info) seems to point towards them being very receptive towards established businesses or professionals....

Hope it works out....my Brit buddy has had no issues BUt is on a work visa which renews...

In apartheid days it would have been dead easy, if you were the right colour of course.

Stay more than 12 months (or was it 24/36 months) and not even a citizen and you were conscripted into the Army as well.

My plan would be to only live there part time. I really love Cape Town. The idea of a tourist visa sounds good. I am a couple of years out but want to start getting as much info as possible. I am going this spring to look around some more to see what is available for housing etc. Probably do some hunting as well.

crl

I know someone who may still have some land for sale there. PM me if you are truly interested.

crl,

I personally know an American who did just what you want to do. He retired some time ago from some beaurocratic post and moved to South Africa. He now stays in Bela Bela - formerly known as Warmbaths - in the Limpopo province. He hunts a lot and lives very much better than he could on the same pension in the USA. He even bought a house in Warmbaths.

Send me a PM and I'll provide you with his name and a telephone number. You can then speak to him in person - just remember the great time difference. I have tried to get an email address, but he has not yet responded to my telephone message.

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

I picked up my 10 yr old after school today. He asked me - out of the blue - if you won 50 million dollars, what would you do. I started to tell him a few things I would do. He then said, if you won $50m, I'd borrow half a million from you and move to Africa and buy a farm and buy some oryx.

I'll have to get him to read this thread of like-minded people.

quote:

Originally posted by cewe:
I actually toyed with the idea of relocating to SA so I called the embassy in Helsinki and the consul was vey positive...

Then I started to sort out the details in getting myself accredited as an MD in SA and at first I was given a general runaround by every official I contacted! I was at last told I needed to pass a sh-tload of courses at a SA university etc etc.

It just wasn´t worth the hassle.

BUT then my PH tells me that Cuban MD:s are free to come and go as they wish without a) qualifying b) without even speaking ANY local language!

I then realised that it was a political issue.

i had exactly the same experience 4-5 years when i checked on getting an M.D. license in RSA and moving there to practice. i had been in practice in the U.S. FOR 20+ years with a spotless record and was basically told by the licensing board to forget it. if i wasn't from Cuba they weren't interested( by the way, Cuba supported the ANC during the latter years of apartheid- do you think maybe politics was involved here?)

/

Which underlines my comments about there being certain advantages to being a non resident with a work, business or holiday visa.