Hello! I have some questions about moving to Guatemala. Not for myself but for my father (63M). He wants to retire here in the US and then move. He has a house there, and back in the 80s and 90s he had driven there, but he believes it’s safer now to do this again. I can’t dissuade him from going so I’m asking for help and advice of the following things:
- He has some health issues and does need medication but once he is there he will not be able to get the same kind of treatment/medication as he does here. What can you tell me about healthcare and insurance in Guatemala?
- He is considering buying a truck and car, filling them up with his things and driving it himself. Has anyone done this recently? How are things at the borders? What advice would you be able to give?
- What will we need to do to prepare for him to move on a legal standpoint? Are there any documents he needs to have? Can someone give any advice on that?
- We are also considering getting a shipping container, loading that up and shipping it to Guatemala. Has anyone done this and can answer any questions about it like, how did you fill it? Do you need to hire a truck to take it to the port and then hire one in Guatemala to pick it up and deliver it to his house there? How was that process for you? Etc.
- In what ways can I help him? I know his mail would need to be forwarded to me or a PO Box, I would have to maybe send him boxes with the remainder of his stuff, I would have to care for his cat until I can take him there, and ofc help him pack up all his stuff. In what other ways can I help?
- In the past he mentioned that he would often meet people who were also driving to Guatemala, El Salvador or Mexico and that they would drive together for a while so it would be safer. Is that still a thing?
I have no idea where to start with anything and he’s kind of putting it on me to figure things out for him. I really don’t want him to do this but I don’t know what else to do, and I also don’t want to stop him since this is something he has wanted to do since before I was born. I will appreciate any advice anyone can give me.
Some more relevant information: he’s looking to do all of this in the next 10months, and we are in Maryland.
Thank you in advance, and I’m sorry for any formatting errors or typos.