Moving overseas is very different from moving home in Lancashire. You may be moving to somewhere that you know reasonably well, such as Spain or Portugal, if you have been there on holiday a few times, so you know some of the customs and perhaps the area where you are going to live. 
Spain is one of the favourite destinations for people who are retiring and want to go and live in the sun. This is because it is also a favourite holiday destination, and many people go to Spain for their annual two weeks every year. So, they get used to the glorious weather, the food, and the laid-back way of life that the Spanish have where everything is “manana, manana”. And in many cases the golf courses and the Spanish wine. And why not? 
Moving home is one of the most difficult things that we ever do because there are just so many different things that you have to remember. It is bad enough if you are just moving across town because there are so many people to notify, but at least the kids may still be able to go to the same school and you may be able to keep your doctor. 
If you are planning on moving to Spain, you are by no means alone. According to the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, & Immigration, the number of Britons resident in Spain increased by 7 percent in 2021 compared to 2020. In 2019 the number of Britons living in Spain was 359,471, while at the end of December last year that had gone up to 407,628. 
There cannot be many Britons who have not been to Spain for a holiday at least once during their lifetimes. Many people go there every year for the sun, the sea, the laid-back lifestyle, and the general friendliness of the Spanish. So, it is not a great surprise that quite a number of us decide that it would be great to live there all year round. 
Did you know that the average person moves home seven times in their lifetime? OK, some people don’t do that: only yesterday we read about a woman in West Wickham, Kent, who has lived in the same house her entire life. She’s 96! Then again, some people move a lot more than seven times. 
If you have ever been on holiday to Portugal, you will know that life there is stress-free, the people are friendly, and most of them speak English. The weather is great as well. Many Brits go there for their holidays, year in and year out. And that is why, when it comes to retirement, quite a number of people decide to move there for good. The Algarve is especially popular. In fact, Brits have been settling in the Algarve for over 30 years. 
Many people in the UK decide to move overseas for one reason or another. For people who are due to retire, many want to be in a country where the sun shines. For others, they may need to move abroad for business reasons. Whatever the reason, a very popular destination indeed is France. Perhaps because this is our nearest neighbour on the continent, and perhaps because they have been there for holidays and just love the atmosphere. 
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