Most people who move abroad after 50 don’t fail because they picked the wrong country. They fail because they didn’t know what they didn’t know. A visa gets delayed because a document was missing. A bank account gets frozen because nobody told them non-residents need a different account type. OHIP lapses because they didn’t count the days carefully enough.
This checklist exists so that doesn’t happen to you. It covers everything from the first serious conversation you have with yourself about leaving, through to the moment you land and start building a life somewhere new. It is not exhaustive for every country. It is built around what most people moving abroad after 50 actually need to sort out, with Albania-specific notes where relevant.
Work through it in order. Some of these steps take months. Starting early is the only thing that makes the timeline manageable.
12 Months Before You Leave
Get serious about the numbers. What are you actually bringing in each month after tax? CPP, OAS, pension, remote income, investments. What does a comfortable life in your destination actually cost? Not the optimistic version. The real version, including health insurance, occasional flights home, and the unexpected. If the numbers don’t work on paper, they won’t work in practice.
Research your destination properly. Not just the YouTube videos. Find expat forums, Facebook groups, and people who have been there for three or more years. Ask them what surprised them. Ask what they wish they had known. Read the negative reviews alongside the positive ones. A week-long visit is not the same as living somewhere. If you can, spend at least a month there before committing.
Understand your visa options. What category do you qualify for? Retirement visa, digital nomad permit, long-stay visa? What are the income requirements, the documentation, and the processing times? For Albania, read our full breakdown of Visa Options for People Over 50.
See an accountant who understands expat tax law. This is not optional. You need to understand what happens to your tax obligations when you leave, what non-resident withholding means for your CPP and OAS, and how to properly sever your ties with Canada if that’s your intention. One session with the right accountant saves you from expensive mistakes. Read our overview of Taxes When You Leave before that meeting so you arrive with the right questions.
Call Service Canada. Let them know you’re planning to move abroad. Ask specifically about your CPP and OAS payments as a non-resident, the Social Security Agreement between your home country and your destination if one exists, and what address changes you need to make. Set up My Service Canada Account online if you haven’t already. For the full picture on what happens to your government benefits, read CPP and Social Security: What Happens When You Leave.
Check your provincial health coverage rules. Ontario residents must be physically present in Ontario for at least 153 days in any 12-month period to maintain OHIP. Other provinces have similar thresholds. Know your number. The day your coverage lapses is the day you need private international health insurance in place.
6 Months Before You Leave
Start your visa application. Processing times vary by country and visa category. Albania’s Unique Permit process takes weeks, not days. Start early and have all your documents ready before you apply: passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay, police background check, proof of income, proof of health insurance, proof of accommodation. Don’t wait until two months before departure.
Sort your health insurance. You need coverage in place before you leave, and in most cases before you apply for residency. SafetyWing is a practical option for most people making this move. Their Essential plan covers emergencies and evacuation. Their Complete plan covers ongoing care including GP visits, specialist care, prescriptions, and preventive treatment. Read our full SafetyWing review to decide which plan fits your situation.
Talk to your bank. Ask specifically whether your account can remain active once you have a foreign address. Some banks restrict or close accounts for non-residents without a non-resident account type in place. Get this sorted before you leave, not after. Keep at least one credit card active for online purchases and emergencies.
Set up Wise. Wise is how most expats move money from their home account to their destination country. Do a test transfer while you’re still at home so you know it works before you need it. For Albania-specific money logistics, read Moving Money Day to Day in Albania and How to Get Your Money to Albania.
Decide what you’re taking. International shipping is expensive and most of what you own isn’t worth the cost to move. Start going through your things now, not the week before you leave. Sell what you can. Donate the rest. What you actually need fits in less space than you think. Read What to Sell, What to Ship, What to Leave Behind for the practical framework.
Get your medical records in order. Request copies of everything from your GP, specialists, dentist, and optometrist. Have prescriptions written for at least a three-month supply of any medications you take regularly. Research whether those medications are available in your destination country and what they’re called locally.
3 Months Before You Leave
Give notice on your apartment or house. Most leases require 60 days minimum. Read your agreement and give proper written notice. Document the condition of the property with photos and video before you leave so you can recover your deposit.
Start the address change process. This takes longer than people expect. Revenue agency, Service Canada, your bank, your investment accounts, your credit cards, your insurance providers, your provincial health authority, any subscriptions or services. Make a list and work through it methodically. Missing one can mean a tax notice or legal document going to a place you no longer live.
Gather your documents. Original birth certificate, passport, any marriage or divorce certificates, will and power of attorney if you have them, any property documents, your SIN card, medical records, prescription documentation, and any professional certifications you might need. Have certified copies made of anything critical. Store originals and copies separately.
Arrange a power of attorney. You need someone you trust who can act on your behalf for financial or legal matters while you’re abroad. Setting this up before you leave is significantly easier than trying to do it from another country.
Research your arrival logistics. Where are you staying for the first month? Do you have a SIM card sorted? Do you know how to get from the airport to your accommodation? Have some local currency ready before you land. Albania is largely cash-based. Have enough Lek on hand to cover the first few days before you find an ATM.
1 Month Before You Leave
Confirm your visa or entry documents. Everything in order? Passport valid? Insurance documents printed? Income proof ready? If you’re applying for residency on arrival or shortly after, have every required document in a folder, originals and copies.
Close or suspend services you won’t need. Gym memberships, streaming services billed to a home address, any subscriptions that won’t work abroad. Cancel utilities on the date you’re vacating, not before.
Tell the people who need to know. Your accountant. Your financial advisor. Your insurance providers. Any lawyers who hold documents on your behalf. Anyone who might need to reach you for something important.
Back everything up digitally. Scan every important document and store copies in a cloud service you can access from anywhere. Losing your passport or birth certificate abroad is a serious problem. Having digital copies doesn’t replace originals but it makes the replacement process significantly faster.
After You Arrive
Register with your embassy. The Registration of Canadians Abroad service (ROCA) is free and takes five minutes. If there’s a natural disaster, civil unrest, or a family emergency requiring government assistance, being registered means the embassy knows you’re there.
Start your residency permit application. In Albania, you have 90 days on a tourist entry before you need legal status for a longer stay. Don’t let that deadline sneak up on you. The permit process takes time and requires a local address. Get moving on it in the first few weeks.
Open a local bank account. You’ll need one eventually. In Albania, Credins Bank and Raiffeisen Bank both work with expats and have English-speaking staff in Tirana branches. Having a local account makes paying rent and utilities significantly easier.
Find a local accountant. Even if your tax situation is simple, having a local professional who understands the tax law and can file on your behalf is worth the modest annual cost. In Albania, Expatax.al is one service expats use regularly.
Get a local SIM card. Albanian mobile plans are cheap. ALBtelecom, Vodafone Albania, and ONE Telecommunications are the main providers. A local number makes dealing with landlords, service providers, and residency offices significantly easier.
Give yourself time to adjust. The first month is disorienting for almost everyone. Things that should be simple take longer than expected. The language is unfamiliar. The bureaucracy works differently. This is normal. It gets easier. Read The First Month: What Actually Happens When You Arrive for what to realistically expect.
The Things Most People Forget
Update your will before you leave. Laws governing inheritance vary significantly between countries and what works at home may not be recognized abroad without proper legal structuring.
Tell your credit card companies you’re moving abroad. Transactions from a foreign country can trigger fraud alerts that freeze your card at the worst possible moment.
Check whether your driver’s license is valid in your destination country and for how long. Albania recognizes foreign licenses for short stays but you’ll eventually need an Albanian license if you plan to drive long-term.
Research voting rights. Canadians living abroad can still vote in federal elections in most circumstances. Look up the rules and register as an international voter before you leave if this matters to you.
Keep a spreadsheet. Costs, dates, documents submitted, reference numbers, contact names. Moving abroad involves more moving parts than most people anticipate. A simple spreadsheet tracking all of it saves hours of backtracking.
A Note on Accuracy
The figures, rates, and regulations in this article reflect our best research at the time of writing. Exchange rates, rental prices, visa requirements, and tax laws change. Verify current numbers at primary sources before making any decisions. For exchange rates use xe.com, for cost of living use Numbeo.com, and for visa and residency rules check the official Albanian e-Albania portal directly.