# Retiring to Florida



## GJWright (Feb 18, 2019)

Hi 
This is my first post only joined today.
My wife & myself are a couple of years away from retiring & our dream is to live 6 months in the UK & 6 months in Florida. We have been going there for over 25 years have been all over Florida. So would be grateful of any advice on how to get started.

Thanks
GJWright


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

There is no "retirement visa" for the US, so you have to kind of improvise for a six-month split situation like what you're looking for. Some folks get a B-2 visa - which is a multiple entry visa for tourism. Maximum stay is 6 months at a time, and the visa can be issued for a period of up to 10 years.

There are some "gotchas" with using a B-2 visa, though. I know of a few people who get stopped on entry to the US when the officer notices a "too regular" pattern of travel or something like that. It's usually not serious as long as you can show that you have a home elsewhere that you will be returning to, but it can become something of an annoyance.


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## GJWright (Feb 18, 2019)

Thanks I wasn't sure what visas we would need to stay for 6 months at a time. As I have said we are only taking our first steps in exploring the possibility of buy a home there and everything we need to consider. We have started looking at areas & communities, villas or condominiums. Any advice would be much welcome.


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## Brooklands (May 22, 2019)

Hi

This is my first post on here and I spotted your title "Retiring to Florida"

We too, are looking at retiring to Florida and doing exactly what you are planning to do, six months in Florida over Winter and six months back in the UK. We may be a little bit ahead of you because we have put a deposit down on a house in Naples but it won't be built out until December or January 2020. I'm hoping to pick up some useful tips on this forum but I have checked out Visa requirements and a B2 Visa seems to be the best that we can hope for, it does involve a 2 to 3 hour visit to the US embassy in London and an interview with one of their officers so we have that to come but I have been told so long as you can prove that you have a property to return to in the UK then obtaining the Visa should not be too much of a problem.


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## kimmichanga (Jun 13, 2019)

I noticed that you mentioned Naples as the area where you might want to purchase a home. I'm an American, currently living in Jupiter, Florida. I grew up in the Tampa/Sarasota Area. Not sure if you've heard about the toxic algae/red tide situation over here but it's really bad. Most Gulf Coast cities are greatly affected!


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