Ecuador – the precise region to retire? This South American usa is idyllic in lots of approaches, from the stunning scenery, to the food, to the low price of fitness care. The flight from JFK Airport in New York City to Ecuador is ready 6 hours; at the same time as this could be a long flight, the change in life-style will make you sense like you’re in some other global. Whether you’re down in the valley or up inside the mountains, Ecuador is a beautiful country with plenty of things to look and do, however be warned – in case you plan to stay inside the mountains, it is going to take some time to get used to the high altitude.

Retiring for Ecuadorians

In Ecuador there are 3 parts to Social Security, they may be:

The Ecuadorian Social Security Institute
Farmers’ Social Insurance and
The Social Security Institute of the Armed Forces

Between these three components, only one-5th of Ecuador’s populace is included. Despite this low range, there’s the Human Development Bond which is for aged people who do not have a pension and are considered to be dwelling in poverty. Ecuador additionally has blessings for its senior residents, aged 65 and up, irrespective of what income degree. These advantages include:

Access to unfastened fitness care and medication
Discounts on transportation and
Tax exemptions

To have get right of entry to to these offerings, all a person desires is a legitimate I.D. That suggests their age. Under the Elderly Program, the elderly can take classes, socialize and get health care at the side of many different benefits.

Americans in Ecuador

Ecuador borders Colombia, Peru and the Pacific Ocean and is turning into increasingly more popular with American retirees. In truth, it become lately voted the primary place to retire by way of International Living Magazine. It turned into selected no longer only because of its region however additionally because of the lifestyle afforded to American retirees.

Life is plenty more relaxed in Ecuador than within the U.S. And the pace of existence is much slower. This is a country you go to if you want to live lifestyles in a less highly-priced and extra leisurely way. You can circulate all of your household items there duty-loose, which makes it very clean for Americans to deliver all of the comforts of home with them after they retire. The U.S. Dollar is legal currency in Ecuador, which means that you won’t have to determine out trade costs or trade your money.

Also, older human beings are pretty reputable in Ecuador and you may discover that the local Ecuadorians will give you the equal admire they give their very own retirees.

If you desire to live less than ninety days within a 12-month period, then you can go to Ecuador with out a visa; but, if you want to live longer, you will must contact your local consulate to discover the requirements for the exceptional kinds of visas that you could apply for.

Venezuela is positioned at the northern tropical Caribbean coast of South America. It borders Brazil to the south, Guyana to the east, and Colombia to the west whilst the islands of Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and Trinidad and Tobago border its northern coast.

Venezuela is a country this is domestic to a wide variety of landscapes. In fact, whilst Christopher Columbus arrived at the Venezuelan coast in 1498, he was so enthralled that he cited it as “Tierra de Gracia” or the “Land of Grace.” Even nowadays, the us of a is popularly stated with the aid of this call.

Venezuela is epic in proportion: it boasts South America’s biggest lake and 1/3-longest river, the very best waterfall inside the international, the longest of all snakes, and a number of the maximum dazzling landscapes you’ll ever see.

There are the snowcapped peaks of the Andes within the west; steamy Amazonian jungles inside the south; the hauntingly beautiful Gran Sabana plateau, with its extraordinary flat-topped mountains, inside the east; and miles of white-sand beaches fringed with coconut arms at the Caribbean coast.

The traveler season runs year-round, but don’t forget the weather and Venezuelan holidays before finalizing your tour plans. Venezuela has a dry season (overdue November to early May) and a moist season (the relaxation of the year). The dry season is virtually more excellent for journeying, especially for hiking or different outdoor activities, although sightseeing in cities or cities may not be greatly disturbed by means of rain.

Some sights, including waterfalls, are clearly greater mind-blowing inside the moist season. Angel Falls is genuinely incredible after heavy rains in the moist months, but can be little extra than a skinny ribbon of water within the dry season. Furthermore, the falls may be inaccessible by way of boat in dry months.

Venezuelans are mad approximately journeying to visit buddies, own family and the seashore over Christmas (through till mid-January), Carnaval (several days prior to Ash Wednesday) and Semana Santa (Holy Week; the week earlier than Easter Sunday). These intervals are colourful and alive with a host of festivities, however you could want to devise ahead for accommodation and transport.

The us of a is domestic to the world’s maximum waterfall, Angel Falls (about 16 times better than Niagara Falls), and the arena’s longest and maximum cable automobile, whisking vacationers from the college town of Mérida to the 4,765m- (15,629ft-) high Pico Espejo. The capital, Caracas, boasts fine historical monuments, an tremendous series of museums and artwork galleries, and contrasting examples of vintage and new structure.

Visitors to this united states have the selection of a chilled motel revel in, a cultural metropolis wreck or a wealth of adventurous sports. Whether they want to enjoy one, or all of the above, Venezuela has greater than sufficient to provide on all counts.

Travelers in Venezuela are obliged to carry identification. There are army checkpoints on many roads, so at the same time as journeying with the aid of automobile or bus hold your passport available, ideally you have to maintain a colour photocopy of your passport. Should your passport be stolen, this may facilitate procedures along with your nearby consulate. The navy presence is constant, but isn’t always commonly motive for subject.

That having been said, there are corrupt officials. It is wise to hold a near eye for your property while, as an instance, baggage are being checked for drugs. A soldier of the Guardia Nacional every now and then flora pills to solicit a bribe or scouse borrow valuables. Penalties for drug use are severe, and the weight of proof falls on the accused, the police may additionally call for bribes the usage of the identical modus operandi.

Today’s politics are dominated by way of President Hugo Chávez, the chief of a coup strive in 1992, who formed his own birthday celebration and, drawing on the guide of hundreds of thousands of disaffected terrible human beings, gained the 1998 presidential election. Despite attempts by means of the competition to eliminate him, Chávez’s function stays comfy for now. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, his birthday party won a majority of seats inside the National Assembly.

While they’ll be upholding the equal missions foreign places, Thai embassies and consulates round the arena perform and implement directives and guidelines in distinctive methods. Interpreting and enforcing immigration rules seem to be the maximum telling proof for these operation discrepancies. Some are sincere and lenient at the same time as others are tight and nearly impossible to deal with. Some are first-class and friendly whilst others are extreme and intimidating. Some trouble the visa within the next half-hour after submission of the Thailand visa application even as others take 2-10 business days. Some be given posted or mail Thai visa packages whilst others insist your non-public appearance inside the embassy workplace. Interestingly, this lack of uniformity results within the choice of a few Thai embassies/consulates through both visa companies and applicants. These Thai embassies and consulates stand out a number of the rest attributable to their efficiency, friendliness and hassle-unfastened strategies. There are of route different factors contributory to the way the Thai embassy or Thai consulate approaches visa packages for Thailand together with the nationality of the applicant, type of visa being applied for, area of the embassy and among different matters. Let us take a look at those Thai embassies and consulates round the world which might be ergonomically and economically beneficial to Thai visa applicants. This is according to Thai Visa applicants themselves who relate their studies in Thai visa forums on line.

If you’re coming from the UK, it’d be worth understanding the Thai consulates in Hull, Cardiff, Birmingham and Glasgow. They manner Thailand Tourist visa packages without a good deal ado. You can submit your visa applications to them along with your passport and get the consequences inside five days, mailing time protected. Small consulates in other European international locations i.E. The Thai consulate in Marseilles, France and Stuttgart, Germany are also excellent ones to send your visa programs to specifically in case you stay close to these regions.

Moving to Northern America, the Thai consulates in Alabama, Florida, Portland and New York hold a sincere Thai visa processing process. Applications may be carried out in man or woman or by using mail. In Canada, the Thai consulate in Ontario is a great one to go to to have your Thai visa applications processed.

In Africa, the Thai embassy in Nairobi, Kenya as well as the ones in South Africa procedure Thai visa in a well timed way.

Down to Oceania, the Thai consulates in Perth and Brisbane have the popularity to be green in processing visa packages. Applications can be sent by using put up or be tendered in man or woman.

When it involves the neighboring nations of Thailand, the maximum accommodating ones will be the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thai consulate in Penang, Thai embassy in Jakarta and Thai embassy in Laos.

Certainly, all Thai consulates around the world hold and follow sure rules when it comes to visa processing and Thai visa candidates are certain to observe them. I am certain there are more Thai embassies and consulates out there which deserve the list but for now let us simply stay with the above. You can visit the Thai Embassy internet site for a listing of embassies and consulates round the arena. Remember however in case you are making use of for a long time visa (One Year Visa) you’ll want a sponsoring Thai Company for a Thailand enterprise visa otherwise you have to meet the stern monetary requirements for the Thailand marriage or retirement visas. It is quality to seek the offerings of a Thailand Visa Agency to help you with the manner.

As of January 23, 2007 the new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires all tourists to and from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda to provide a passport or different regularly occurring report that establishes the bearer’s identification and nationality in an effort to enter or re-enter the USA. The goal is to bolster border protection and facilitate entry into the USA for U.S. Citizens and valid international vacationers.
Under this law the following documents are be ideal to satisfy report necessities:

• U.S. Passport: U.S. Residents may additionally gift a legitimate U.S. Passport while visiting thru air between the USA and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, and can additionally use a U.S. Passport when visiting via sea and land borders (including ferry crossings).

• The Passport Card (additionally called the PASS Card): This constrained-use passport in card layout is currently underneath development and will be to be had to be used for journey best through land or sea (together with ferries) between the U.S. And Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Similar in size to a credit card, it’ll match without difficulty into a pockets.

• DOS and DHS also anticipate that the subsequent files will continue to be acceptable for his or her modern-day travel makes use of under WHTI: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active obligation traveling on orders will stay exempt from the passport requirement

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. Citizens touring to or returning directly from a U.S. Territory. U.S. Residents returning immediately from a U.S. Territory aren’t considered to have left the USA and do not need to provide a passport.

U.S. Citizens journeying from U.S. Territories need now not to present a passport to re-enter the USA. As lengthy because the territories are a part of the USA. U.S. Citizens returning without delay from a U.S. Territory are not taken into consideration to have left the U.S. Territory and do now not need to give a passport. U.S. Territories consist of the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Children also are required to offer passports underneath the guideline. Yes, kids could be required to provide a passport whilst entering the US at airports. More information on obtaining a passport for a minor may be determined at http://tour.Kingdom.Gov

Here’s what will show up to you if you try to re-enter the U.S. With out a passport or an opportunity tour card. Under the regulation, the new documentation requirements may be waived beneath certain instances. These exceptions encompass character cases of unforeseen emergency and character instances based totally on “humanitarian or countrywide hobby motives.” In addition, the State Department has strategies to help U.S. Residents foreign places to attain emergency journey documentation for people with misplaced or stolen passports. There became a time while if a U.S. Citizen lost or their pass port become stolen you could visit any U.S. Embassy and get a new one issued proper instant.

Safety is a subject no matter in which you travel inside the international. Of path, a few international locations and towns may be more secure than others will, but it’s far continually vital to be alert and to preserve personal safety in thoughts while you tour.
Before You Leave Home

Before you move, make a photocopy of your passport and visas. Keep them with you, however separate from your real passport. Also go away a set at domestic with a person you can contact easily. If you lose your passport, cross in person to the closest American Embassy or Consulate, and observe for a brand new one. If your passport has been stolen, document a police report, as you may want it whilst you reapply for a brand new passport. Having a replica of your passport will save time. If you’re travelling with any other man or woman, have them include you to help verify that you are an American citizen. Bring your U.S. Motive force’s license or other identification with you. If the consulate can not affirm your identity, you may be given a restricted validity passport and when you get returned to the U.S. You may want to reapply.

Travel Safety

It is important to be on protect at airports, train and bus stations. These are regions in which petty theft can without problems arise. These areas are without problems accessed by means of the general public and feature quite a few activity, which enables a thief paintings unobserved. Interestingly, maximum commercial enterprise people document that it isn’t always the locals which you need to fear approximately, it is different individuals who can be journeying. Don’t count on that a country generally perceived as secure, consisting of Japan, has no crime troubles and permit down your shield.

If you’ve got bags, use blanketed bags tags, and use an workplace in preference to a domestic cope with. Lock your suitcase earlier than setting it into overhead containers and hold your handbag with you when you visit the rest room on the plane or train. Don’t wear loud jewelry on the way to make you stand out as a rich target or visitor to a thief. It is usually quality to combination in as a whole lot as you could with out calling attention to yourself. Some girls advise that touring dressed down is a safer way to head. However, others warning that you could now not be considered or handled as a expert in case you are not dressed in smart attire whilst you travel.

Hotel Safety

You can reduce your threat of theft and assault with the aid of staying in a exceptional resort that has protection capabilities such doormen, bellmen, and night group of workers. Choose famous, enterprise vacationers’ inns in traveler regions, now not in residential areas in which the streets tend to cool down within the nighttime. Some women propose staying in a resort this is huge so there are people actively coming and going and you might not be by myself. Others choose a small inn where the lobby is below the watchful eye of the desk clerk and in which a loiterer could be obvious.

When you take a look at in, make sure that your room number is not announced for nearby guests to listen. Lock your valuables inside the motel safety deposit box or the safe in your room. Use the peephole in your door to help perceive visitors. If someone knocks for your door at night stating they may be night group of workers, call the inn foyer to verify and verify their reason earlier than beginning the door. Most cutting-edge accommodations have voicemail. If you are not looking ahead to a past due night time name, let the caller go away a voicemail message. You can call the man or woman again; it’s far really worth a -minute put off to make sure it isn’t always a crank caller.