A friend of mine is considering moving to Budapest to spend his retirement. His family background is Hungarian Jewish (pre WWII), he speaks some of the language. Any experience with expat community? Thoughts on retirement in Hungary? Thanks!

Before your friend does anything he needs to find out how easy it is for an American to move to Hungary. It is a Schengen country and as such he will need the appropriate visa, or an EU passport.

My husband and I are Americans living in Budapest (I am working). We consider staying in retirement as the cost of living is very low and the life style suits us. I have not sought any the expat communities (I have no interest). We are new on this go, having just moved from Bratislava, Slovakia. But we lived here briefly before.

In general, it is not nearly so hard to retire here as to work here. You need to demonstrate financial means to support yourself and insurance. But many countries have figured out that retirees who spend money and pay taxes without taking a job are a bit like winning lotto.

Perhaps he might want to come for 3 months to try things out.

Is he up to date with the political situation in Hungary? It might just be wise to read up. Don't get me wrong, I like Hungary and have holidayed there a fair number of times, but this latest lot...

Hungary did have, and probably still has, an ancestry law which permitted descendents to claim citizenship. Your friend should call the nearest Hungarian consulate for official info.

As for an expat community you might try web searching for an American Women's Club. These used to be fairly common in Europe because wives usually went over with their husbands on job transfers but could not get employment due to local labor laws. The AWCs were a social option and provided excellent advice and help to new arrivals.

Try these expat sites;

gringos.com
internations.com
expatblog.com
expatfocus.com

Good luck.