Susana Yang, founder and CEO of The Golden Portugal, joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about moving to and retiring in Portugal. Originally from Hong Kong, Susana moved to Portugal in 2018 and founded her immigration agency after a frustrating experience with local legal services. She breaks down the three main visa routes — the D7 passive income visa for retirees, the D8 digital nomad visa and the D2 entrepreneurial visa — and explains the income and savings requirements, realistic cost of living, rental market challenges, healthcare access, and why buying property might be a simpler route for some.

Susana also dives into Portugal's Golden Visa programme, the step-by-step visa application timeline, and a looming citizenship law change that could double the residency requirement from five to 10 years. Her advice for anyone already in Portugal: apply for citizenship now, even if you haven't hit the five-year mark, because processing times mean the current rules may still apply to your case. If you're considering Portugal for retirement, remote work or simply a better quality of life, this episode is packed with practical guidance on what to expect.

#ExpatLife #MoveToPortugal #PortugalExpats #RetireInPortugal #D7Visa #GoldenVisa

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00:00 Portugal Retirement Boom

00:45 Founding The Golden Portugal

02:37 Service Culture Shock

03:38 Why Move to Portugal

04:23 Who Uses Which Visas

04:59 D7 D8 D2 Explained

06:17 D7 Income Requirements

07:39 Realistic Living Costs

09:44 Rent Pressures and Co-Living

11:12 Healthcare for Residents

12:43 Visa Steps and Timelines

15:03 DIY vs Using an Agency

17:13 D7 Permit Timeline

18:27 Citizenship Rule Changes

20:23 Apply Now Strategy

21:58 Renting Reality Check

23:26 Finding Rentals and Fees

25:44 Buying Property Instead

26:57 D7 Stay Requirements

29:37 Golden Visa Explained

31:53 Why Portugal and Wrap Up

🎥 Video/Transcript – https://www.expatfocus.com/portugal/podcast/moving-to-portugal-visas-costs-and-a-citizenship-deadline-you-need-to-know

📝 Show Notes

The Golden Portugal – https://www.thegoldenportugal.com/

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Tom Zachystal, Founder of International Asset Management, joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about how US citizens can manage their money when moving abroad. With 25 years of experience advising American expats, Tom breaks down the difference between physically moving money into non-US accounts and simply diversifying out of the US dollar. He covers the challenges of opening overseas investment accounts due to FATCA reporting, why US-based accounts often offer better protections and lower fees, and how currency fluctuations can act like hidden inflation on your retirement spending.

The conversation also digs into real estate tax implications, gold and precious metals, ADRs and international ETFs, private equity and interval funds, and the 4% retirement withdrawal rule. Tom shares practical advice on using local banking products to manage currency risk and warns about the pitfalls of collectibles taxation. If you're a US citizen planning a move abroad and wondering what to do with your investments, this episode will help you understand your options — and why sometimes the smartest move is no move at all.

#ExpatLife #USExpats #ExpatFinance #MoneyAbroad #InvestingAbroad

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00:00 Moving Money Abroad

01:40 Currency Risk Explained

03:10 What Getting Money Out Means

04:54 Keep Investments in US

07:11 FBAR and FATCA Basics

08:42 Real Estate and Taxes

11:43 Diversifying Beyond Dollars

14:25 Gold Crypto Collectibles

18:44 Local Bank Products

20:11 Retirement Withdrawal Rules

21:20 Private Equity Warnings

24:48 Why US Accounts Can Win

27:02 Where to Find Tom

27:37 Podcast Wrap Up

🎥 Video/Transcript – https://www.expatfocus.com/international/podcast/us-expats-how-to-get-your-money-out-of-the-usa-and-why-you-may-not-want-to

📝 Show Notes

IAM Advisors – https://services.expatfocus.com/us-citizens-financial-advice

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American military nurse Lisa Denmark joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about retiring in Chiang Mai, Thailand — and why she has never looked back. After eight years working for the US military in Germany, Lisa faced a visa deadline that forced a decision: return to the States, or start over somewhere new. She chose Thailand, moved sight unseen, and hasn't left since. Lisa shares how she landed on Chiang Mai, what it was really like to arrive during COVID lockdown, and why the city's calm, small-town feel won her over completely.

Lisa breaks down the real cost of living — from a three-bedroom house in a gated community for 310 euros a month to a full Thai meal delivered for under a euro — and walks through the visa journey from visa-exempt to education visa to retirement visa. She also gets into the wilder side of expat life: finding rentals through word-of-mouth (and one very memorable connection), the challenges of bringing a 40kg service dog to a country that doesn't recognise service animals, several scooter wrecks, and major surgery covered entirely by her Thai health insurance. If you're considering retiring abroad on a fixed income, this episode is packed with practical insight, honest numbers, and a lot of heart.

#ExpatLife #RetireAbroad #LivingInThailand #ChiangMai #ThailandExpats #ExpatFocus

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00:00 Introducing Lisa Denmark

05:29 Arriving in Chiang Mai During Lockdown

06:40 COVID Logistics and Quarantine

07:53 Chiang Mai Cost of Living Breakdown

11:44 Retirement Visa

16:26 Finding Rentals by Word of Mouth

19:04 Bringing a Service Dog to Thailand

21:56 Chiang Mai Expat Scene Today

23:00 Healthcare Insurance and Pharmacies

26:20 Travel Insurance Reality

28:45 Medical Culture Differences

32:41 Scooter Wreck Stories

34:57 Living Without Thai

37:20 Retirement Daily Routine

41:27 Finding Community in Chiang Mai

46:01 Future Plans

🎥 Video/Transcript – https://www.expatfocus.com/thailand/podcast/could-you-retire-in-thailand-for-less-than-400-a-month

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