2023-06-28 15:21:09
More and more Belgians are leaving the flat country for good to retire abroad. For what? It seems that it is cheaper to live elsewhere. Sabine, 61, tested the experience by moving to the Spanish island of Tenerife after a stressful career. And she does not regret: “Here, health care is of the same quality, but all treatments and medicines are completely free.”
The date of May 1, 2023 had been on Sabine’s mind for years. After no less than 43 years of career, she could retire. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time. For the past 32 years I worked for a social housing company in Ghent. It was stressful and frustrating. I was responsible for the maintenance and repair of 1,694 housing units, including deteriorating properties. Every day I saw how people treated their surroundings disrespectfully. Voluntary damage, vandalism, crimes, illegal dumping, etc. All these things went unpunished, which made me want to get away from it for my old age. Despite many attacks in my work, I persevered until my early retirement”.
Tenerife, “the perfect place”
These good prospects have allowed Sabine to hold on over the past few months. His plan was to spend his retirement in the sun. “I have traveled a lot throughout my life, especially to sunny destinations. Thanks to this experience, I know perfectly where it is good to live. Tenerife was the perfect place for me. The climate is always so pleasant throughout the year and the island is fantastically beautiful.”
“Moving to one of my other travel destinations, like Jamaica, Mexico or Sri Lanka, might be even cheaper, but not more convenient. These countries are outside Europe and the climatic variations over the seasons are not always ideal. As for the Greek islands and Portugal, I ignored them due to the difficulty of the language and the less clement climate during the winter months”.
Many steps
You don’t settle in Tenerife overnight either, Sabine knows that. “Over the past year I have had to make a lot of preparations for my final move. To be registered as a resident here, you have to complete a number of formalities. They are certainly stricter than in Belgium. You have to prove that you have an income and that you are not coming here to ‘benefit’ from the social system.”
“I first had to be deregistered in Belgium. In Tenerife, I went to the municipality with all kinds of documents. I also needed to be able to present a bank account and a permanent address here. Then I was interrogated about my intentions, at the commune and even at the police station. I also have to take my driver’s license again, but I have two years to do so”.
So I don’t pay taxes in Belgium on my pension, but I’m not ashamed of it
Two months ago, the time has finally come. Sabine has swapped her small apartment overlooking Deinze for another with a view of the Atlantic Ocean. “The monthly deduction of 2.5% on my gross pension is still paid to social security in Belgium. I therefore have the right to health care both in Belgium and in Spain. I also continue to pay my contribution to the Belgian health insurance fund. Health care is of the same quality as in Belgium, but all treatments and medicines are completely free. It’s a big difference with Belgium. When you arrive, you are also assigned a treating doctor.”
“On the rest of my gross pension, I pay taxes to the Spanish government. Income and pension tax rates are much lower here. For me, this translates into an allowance of 470 euros per month. You can definitely do a lot with this sum. So I don’t pay taxes in Belgium on my pension, but I’m not ashamed of it. I paid enough taxes for years and worked enough. Besides, I was really fed up with Belgium politically and judicially. Because of the many abuses, I didn’t want to pay taxes anymore”.
A much cheaper daily life
Sabine says she pays less rent for her apartment in Tenerife than for a comparable property in Belgium. “And the view here is much more breathtaking as well (laughs). The fixed costs are also much lower. I now pay 40 to 50 euros per month for electricity, whereas in Belgium gas and electricity cost an average of 200 euros per month recently. Thanks to the good weather, there are no heating costs here, so I no longer have a gas bill. In fact, daily life in Belgium is barely affordable for a single person, whereas here it’s easy to get by. Life costs much less here, in all areas.”
“For 25 to 30 euros, I eat in a very decent restaurant, wine included”, continues Sabine. “The price of my shopping cart is also really different. I like to eat and drink and I pay for quality. In Belgium, I could easily do shopping for 250 euros per week. Here it is around 100 euros. For telephony and television, I pay a total of 28 euros here, while in Belgium I paid 100 euros per month.”
“Without time constraints”
“Petrol is supposedly expensive in Tenerife today (mid-June, editor’s note), but this 1.13 euro per liter is still much cheaper than in Belgium. Fuel taxes are lower and petrol stations have recently refunded VAT on petrol and diesel to deal with the energy crisis. So I only paid one euro per litre. In addition, I pay 53 euros per year in vehicle tax for my Volkswagen Caddy. In Belgium, this amounted to 191.08 euros. These significantly lower amounts also apply to car insurance, garage, clothing, etc…”
Sabine therefore highly recommends moving to Tenerife. “I am aware that I am favored by a good pension and that not everyone can make the same choice. At the same time, I know Belgians who do well here with a low pension. In just a few months, I have become a totally different woman. After many years, I finally feel stress free and feel healthier. It is worth retiring here. I live without time constraints and only in exceptional cases do I still keep an eye on the clock”.
“Never alone”
And Sabine is far from feeling alone. “This is absolutely not the case. I have many contacts with compatriots and people from other countries. I also go out to restaurants regularly. Sometimes alone, but often with a group of acquaintances and friends. Every day I meet someone new. Fortunately, I have a good command of languages and I already speak a little Spanish. Every day I learn a few words.”
“I also do my usual household chores, while walking and swimming. The swimming pool is included in the apartment. Every day, I do my 40 lengths there. I also regularly receive visits from Belgium, for example from friends who want to escape their everyday life to relax here. From the end of June until well into winter, there is almost always someone on site. So I never feel alone”.
200 euros round trip
Mother, but also grandmother, Sabine can return to Belgium without any problem in case of emergency. “Flights depart from Tenerife every day. It is important because I also have my parents. Every six to eight weeks, I go to Belgium anyway for a few days. I then make the most of my children and my grandchildren. Thanks to my tax advantage and cheaper everyday life, I can already afford a little more. My last plane tickets cost 200 euros return. That’s as much as my monthly energy bill in Belgium. In short: I feel great and I hope to stay healthy for a long time. I am already working on my health. Exercise, good food, sunshine and low stress already make a big difference,” concludes Sabine.
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