@gwynj
Welsh expat in Bulgaria
Forum
2327 posts
Contacts
58
About me
Welsh
Lives in Bansko, Blagoevgrad
Speaks English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese
Registration: 30 June 2020
Activity
Retired Gay American Expats in Spain? by RickyP3
Hello,I'm researching places to emigrate to in Spain, maybe Portugal in the coming year. We are a retired gay male couple in California, and would like to hear from similar folks who have found comfortable places in Spain for their new homes. It's a ...
@njadwriterThis article says far more about Christina than Spain. :-) It would appear that she hates Siestas, Late Dinners with Family, Public Healthcare and other deeply Socialist inventions. I doubt that you have anything to worry about.Our ... Read More
Quick question- How long to complete property by jeanmandredeix
Could you tell me the average time to complete on your property once you’ve found it?
@S25 - SeanMoneyPit --------> BG village house -------------------------------------------------------------------> Dream HouseApproximately. And I say that as a fan of BG village houses. We have one ourselves, and I'm very attached to it. :-) Read More
Leisure Centre or Pool by stevebillo1
Does anyone know if there is a decent size swimming pool where you can go to swim some lengths, 20 or 25 meters long, "not a hotel splash pool" I have checked out Toons. Extensive list of what Peyia has to offer but can't see a large pool or leisure ...
@stevebillo1Pretty sure Paphos has a municipal pool. Read More
New visa in Spain for non EU by telf
Not Cyprus but many EU now competing for immigration from non working with income https://www.ageinspain.org/post/non-lucrative-visa-nlv-guide
@telfSpain has had the NLV (and Portugal the similar D7) for many years. They're both very popular with retirees and younger folks with savings/income. Read More
Holiday/retirement property by ppanico38
Hello allMy first post as we are considering buying a property for holidays then retirement. We don't as yet speak bulgarian so looking for advice from anyone who has done or doing this? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
I've been happily retired in Bulgaria for some years, and recommend it highly. It's definitely not as cheap as it was (or as cheap as many foreigners think it is), but it's still relatively inexpensive. For buying property, owning property, and ... Read More
Expat Acceptance by ABQAce
Hello All-I'm an American woman researching retiring in Spain. Here in the US, we're seeing some news stories about Spain's housing shortage and the political response to protests. From the reports I've seen, it seems as though many Spaniards bear a ...
@ABQAceI'd say that my feelings are similar to those of @Seamus452, and that the frustration you talk about is not directed specifically at foreigners... it's directed at the rise of Airbnbs and short-term tourist lets, and how this inevitably ... Read More
Visa D / Residence permit for a very old non-EU pensioner? by sogy
Has anyone known a non-EU pensioner over 90 getting the D visa and then a residence permit in Bulgaria? Specifically have in mind my mother who is 92, a US citizen, and receiving a decent Social Security Benefit. The issue is that to get a residence ...
@sogyA retiree, of any age, can get an a D visa for Bulgaria on the basis of their pension. But if you are already a legal resident it's probably better to do Family Reunification instead (if it's possible).The standard Bulgarian Health Insurance ... Read More
Should you live as a tourist or as a local while abroad? by Veedushi
Hello everyone,I hope all is well with you.For an upcoming article in Expat Magazine aimed at helping future expatriates better integrate into their new countries, we'd like your input on the following topic:Experiencing expatriation as both a ...
@Veedushiexpatriate = "denoting or relating to a person living outside their native country"tourist = "a person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure"Being a tourist, or an expatriate who lives as a tourist, seems to me to be very much ... Read More
Mid-Sized Spanish Cities with Strong Artists' Communities by ABQAce
Hello All-I'm planning a trip to Spain in early March to do a retirement relocation scouting trip. I'm a recently retired American lesbian and hope to move to Spain in late fall on this year. I wondered if you might be able to suggest cities to ...
@ABQAceCarmel-on-the-Med with artists, museums and galleries... and a population of 150k and up... is a tough ask. I can't think of anything that fits the bill! :-)On the other hand, Sitges is a very nice place to live, even though it does NOT meet ... Read More
Anyone in or near Batak? by RachelG1980
My dad is coming over end of March to stay in Batak, he's wondering if there are any English speaking people living in Batak or nearby who would possibly meet for a coffee and a chat whilst he's there? Also, does anyone know how to go about getting ...
Can you pay for private health insurance and if so is it like BUPA where it increases with your health and age conditions or like the French where it’s just a general price. - @jeanmandredeixYup, true health insurance always gets more ... Read More
Anyone in or near Batak? by RachelG1980
My dad is coming over end of March to stay in Batak, he's wondering if there are any English speaking people living in Batak or nearby who would possibly meet for a coffee and a chat whilst he's there? Also, does anyone know how to go about getting ...
@JimJA kidney biopsy is a serious, expensive procedure. 7k lv sounds a little pricey, but not ridiculous, and Tokuda is the place I pick when I want to see a specialist up in the big city. On the other hand, 1k euros (after NHIF contribution, ... Read More
Finding a country to retire in by David Vankerkhoven
My name is David. I live in Canada. I am 47. I want to retire abroad, but I am not sure which country to pick. The problem is that I am 47, not the normal retirement age.I do not have a pension, just savings and investments.I am not willing to make ...
@David VankerkhovenI spent many years in Latin America, principally living in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Panama. With many stays elsewhere, including Colombia and Uruguay (regular ferry trips from Buenos Aires). There are some great places, and ... Read More
IKEA Belgrade - delivery to Bulgaria by Lisa PD
Hi - I ordered a two seater settee from IKEA in Sofia and was waiting for the three seater to come back into stock. It hasn't been in stock since November and when I called IKEA in Sofia they said that they don't know when or if it will be ...
@Lisa PDI know, happy wife, happy life and all that. :-)But you're probably underestimating the difficulty and cost. For sure, it's probably 2 days not 1 day. Hotel, van, fuel. And all the drama at the Serbian border when you try to get a brand new ... Read More
IKEA Belgrade - delivery to Bulgaria by Lisa PD
Hi - I ordered a two seater settee from IKEA in Sofia and was waiting for the three seater to come back into stock. It hasn't been in stock since November and when I called IKEA in Sofia they said that they don't know when or if it will be ...
@janemulberryI've had many furniture deliveries (to our Plovdiv flat and the village house) from JYSK and IKEA with no problems at all! Similarly, it's always gone smoothly with Decathlon, Technopolis, Praktiker, and Emag. I'm racking my brain for ... Read More
IKEA Belgrade - delivery to Bulgaria by Lisa PD
Hi - I ordered a two seater settee from IKEA in Sofia and was waiting for the three seater to come back into stock. It hasn't been in stock since November and when I called IKEA in Sofia they said that they don't know when or if it will be ...
@Lisa PDI'm with @Ozzy183a... there are so many 3-seaters on the IKEA and JYSK websites! With delivery direct to you in Razlog (you don't even need to go to Sofia). Just pick a different model, as your proposal is a huge amount of aggravation/cost ... Read More