Beginning to think about the possibility of retirement overseas can be intimidating. Most people have a lot of questions when they are in the early stages of planning a new life abroad. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about retirement overseas.

1. If I move overseas, can I ever return to the United States? Living overseas, even full time or as a legal resident of another country, does not affect your ability to spend time in the United States. If you're still an American citizen, you can come and go as you please.

2. Living overseas, could I lose my U.S. citizenship? Your residency status abroad has no effect on your U.S. citizenship. Remember, residency and citizenship are two different things. The only way to lose your U.S. citizenship is to renounce it formally. You can't lose your U.S. citizenship accidentally.

3. Do I need a passport to retire overseas? You need a passport to travel almost anywhere in the world outside the U.S., no matter how long you intend to stay.

4. Do I need any vaccinations? Some countries require you to have specific vaccinations before you can enter. There are also many foreign retirement spots where, although it's not required, you may choose to be vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a good section on its website discussing which vaccinations might be advisable, depending on your current state of health and where in the world you intend to spend time.

5. Can I drink the water? The safety of the drinking water varies considerably, depending on where you are going. Tap water is potable in France, for example, but it tastes funny because of the chemicals it's treated with. Tap water is generally not potable in Ireland, but it is in Panama City and other parts of Panama. The easiest strategy is to drink bottled water when you're outside the U.S.

6. Is it really safe? No place is 100% crime-free, but many countries outside the U.S. are generally safe. That is not to say no one ever does anything he or she shouldn't do in any of these places. Use common sense at home and abroad. Lock the front door to your house, don't leave the keys in your car and don't wear flashy jewelry on the street.

7. Are there bugs or snakes? There are mosquitoes, gnats, sand flies, cockroaches and spiders nearly everywhere. You'll find snakes in the jungle and other rural areas, and some may be poisonous. It's easy enough, though, to educate yourself on which varieties of creepy-crawlies you might encounter in your new home once you decide where you're moving. (Note that nearly every state in the U.S. has snakes, too.)

8. Are there earthquakes or hurricanes? Yes, these natural disasters occur in many countries. Panama, for example, sits outside the hurricane belt, but sometimes the earth does quake.

9. Can I still receive my Social Security payments? Yes. You can even have your monthly Social Security check direct-deposited into your account in many countries.

10. Will Medicare cover me overseas? No. You will need to make other plans for covering your medical expenses overseas. The good news is that in many countries, medical care and health insurance cost a fraction of what they do in the U.S.