Retiring Abroad - Snowbirding in the Time of COVID

It is November 2020, and normally Canadian snowbirds would be planning to travel somewhere warm for the winter. However, COVID-19 has changed a lot of things for a lot of people this year, and this winter’s travel season is no exception. Whether a person owns a place in Arizona, rents a place in Mexico or likes taking long cruises in the Caribbean, this particular winter will pose its own unique challenges.

The first major consideration is travel restrictions. As of this writing, the Canada-US border is still closed to non-essential vehicle travel. Snowbirds can still fly to the US, but would have to either have a vehicle there, rent one, or pay to have their own vehicle shipped from Canada.

Secondly, there are still stringent quarantine rules in many destinations. So even when a person gets to their desired destination, they may have to self-quarantine for a certain number of days. On the upside, however, at least they will be doing so in a warm, and probably beautiful, location.

Another very important consideration is travel insurance. Most travel insurance policies are now including COVID-19 as an eligible medical expense; however, it is important to clarify this with your service provider prior to departure.

Finally, here are two articles which contain excellent information for Snowbirds:

Should Canadian Snowbirds Travel This Winter?

COVID-19 Updates for Snowbirds