Retiring to Austria
Many people retire to somewhere
like France or Spain but have you ever considered Austria ?
It isn't
necessary to live half way up a mountain in a ski resort as there are
many beautiful regions of attractive rolling countryside which are
ideal retirement locations.
Health
care
Austria
offers many things to EU citizens and amongst the most important is top
class health care.
Generally the rules for
overseas retirees are standard throughout Europe. Certainly in the
UK, if you have reached the age of 60 for a woman and 65 for a man and
have made 40 years contributions to the NHS, then the UK government
simply transfers your rights to Austria and you receive free health care
for the rest of your life.
There is one basic difference.
The system in Austria actually works ! If you are registered with
a local GP then you will usually be seen without an appointment in under
an hour. If he thinks you need to see a specialist, then he gives
you a referral note and you then phone the specialist for an
appointment. You would usually be seen within a few days but in no
longer than a week. If he decides that you need hospital treatment
then you will usually be admitted immediately or within a few days.
You pay for prescriptions, of
course, currently 4.90 Euros (2009). However you do not get free
prescriptions for life for chronic complaints, you just get the
medicines at a subsidised rate.
Under the Austrian health
scheme they prefer to try and keep you well. Therefore, you
receive a full annual medical - comparable to a BUPA medical -
completely free. This is designed to detect possible problems
early. Hospitals are spotlessly clean, well equipped and even very
small hospitals have MRI scanners, full physio facilities and a whole
lot more.
Dental
care
As in many countries the state only pays for very basic care.
A simple filling is covered but crowns and more complex treatment are
payable. That said, there are plenty of dentists and getting an
appointment is no problem. Remember though that Austria shares a
border with Hungary so all you need do is drive over the border and get
first class treatment at a much lower price.
Pensions
Your existing UK state pension can
be paid directly to your bank account in Austria and in Euros. You
receive the annual increases as well as the Christmas bonuses and are
still entitled to the annual heating allowance. Similar
arrangements apply to all the other EU member states. Pensions and
benefits can be paid to you in Austria.
Thermal
baths
Most of the population of
central Europe visit these thermal bath resorts on a regular basis.
It is regarded as being part of the process of keeping well and is great
fun at the same time. They mostly cost about 15 Euros for four
hours or so and you just turn up at the door and pay. No
membership fees are payable. You can book a whole week including hotel
and full wellness package including massage, water aerobics, beauty
treatment and lots more. There are hundreds of these places right
across Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Hungary.
Cost
of living
This is currently about 80% of
the current cost of living in the UK. It is much cheaper to live
there. Houses and apartments are also much cheaper - just check
our listings.
Leisure
You don't have to ski !
But if you do, there are thousands of ski lifts and it is a great place
to pass the winter. Otherwise there is plenty of walking, riding, golf
and also culture which is frequently absent in the sterile developments
of coastal Spain.
We cannot tell you everything
about Austria in this section but we make you the following offer . . .
You are welcome to go and see
our family in Austria at Delta Immobilien GmbH without any obligation
and they will talk it all through with you and answer all your
questions. Please arrange a visit in advance though as they are always
busy.
see www.deltaimmo.com
Their offices are in Bad Ischl
- about 40 mins east of Salzburg by car.
