Els & Truus(61)

Truus and I both worked at the NPO — she as a camerawoman, I as an editor. We've been together for 28 years and married since 2004, the year it was legalized in the Netherlands. At 59 we were both offered an early retirement package. We seized the opportunity and left for Alicante, a city we knew from holidays.

Our biggest concern was: how LGBTQ+-friendly is Spain really? The answer: very. Spain legalized same-sex marriage in 2005, one year after the Netherlands. The city of Alicante has an active LGBTQ+ community, an annual Pride parade, and we've never had a negative experience. Our neighbors — a traditional Spanish couple in their seventies — invited us for Christmas as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

The financial side: our early retirement pension from the NPO totals €3,400 net per month together. Additionally, we'll receive AOW in four years. The Netherlands-Spain tax treaty determines that our pension is taxed in Spain. Through the IRPF return we pay less tax here than we would in the Netherlands, thanks to the higher personal deduction for those over 60.

We bought an apartment in the San Juan neighborhood, within walking distance of the beach, for €165,000. Costs: 10% ITP transfer tax, notary fees and registro brought the total to €187,000. The IBI is €340 per year. The comunidad de propietarios — the owners' association — costs €80 per month including pool, elevator and garden maintenance.

We arranged our healthcare through the S1 form from the pension fund. We're registered at the Centro de Salud in San Juan. Truus had to adjust her diabetes medication — the Spanish doctor prescribed a different brand available here. The tarjeta sanitaria covers everything. For dental and physiotherapy we have supplementary private insurance through Sanitas for €95 per person per month.

Life in Alicante is wonderful. We walk along Playa de San Juan every morning, have lunch on the terrace for €10 per person, and visit the MARQ museum or Santa Bárbara castle in the afternoon. The Dutch club in Alicante organizes monthly drinks, but we've also made Spanish, British and Norwegian friends through our walking club. At 61 we feel younger and more active than ever.