Mr. Kumar spent 23 years in Australia after moving from New Zealand. After his wife passed away, he found a new life in Chennai. Use his step-by-step retirement planning checklist for tax, super, healthcare, housing, and city fit.
Mr. Kumar moved from India to New Zealand in 1994, then Australia. After his wife passed away in 2013, he found a new life in Chennai. Here's his 8-year journey and practical advice.
Check your move date and India travel history with the RNOR status calculator.
If you are retiring in India after years in Australia, do not decide only on lifestyle. First pressure-test Australian tax residency, superannuation withdrawals, age pension assumptions, Indian tax residency, health insurance waiting periods, gated community versus senior-living support, and the city where you can build a real daily routine.
| Decision | What to resolve before moving |
|---|---|
| Tax residency | Confirm whether you remain an Australian tax resident and how India will tax your worldwide income after return. |
| Superannuation | Separate age pension assumptions from super withdrawals; the tax treatment can differ and should be reviewed before remitting money. |
| Healthcare | Buy or review India health insurance early because waiting periods and senior-age underwriting matter more after retirement. |
| Housing | Compare a regular gated community, a retirement community, assisted living, and a trial rental before buying. |
| Senior support | Decide whether independent living, retirement community support, elder-care coordination, or assisted living fits your next 5-10 years. |
| City fit | Test transport, pollution, hospitals, social circle, climate, food, and daily independence for at least a few months. |
Use this story with the return-to-India checklist, the RNOR status guide, and the NRI health-insurance guide before finalizing retirement dates.
Mr. Kumar's story works as a planning sequence because retirement is not only a city or lifestyle decision. Run the money, tax, healthcare, housing, and daily-routine checks before buying property or moving funds permanently.
Do not assume citizenship and tax residency are the same. Review Australian tax residency, Indian residency, DTAA position, and property-purchase timing with a qualified cross-border adviser before changing investment or remittance patterns.
Mr. Kumar treated each income stream separately instead of using one generic retirement-income bucket. Map age pension assumptions, superannuation withdrawals, dividends, India deposits, and monthly spending before deciding what to remit.
Compare health insurance, nearby hospitals, regular doctor access, emergency support, and whether a gated community, retirement community, or assisted-living setup fits your current health and independence level.
Spend a few months in the city before buying. Test transport, walking routes, pollution, climate, grocery access, social life, cultural interests, and whether the daily routine still works after the holiday feeling fades.
Expect slower banking, call centers, servants, paperwork, traffic, and unsolicited advice. Keep local backups for transport, food, payments, maintenance, and community support so daily friction does not become a retirement regret.
"I would not at this stage go back to Australia. I do love Australia, but I find that at this age, Chennai works better, India works better." Mr. Kumar's journey spans three decades across three countries. After losing his wife in 2013, his sons suggested he explore India. What started as a few months became 8 years. Here's his practical guide to retiring in India - from tax planning to lifestyle choices.
Mr. Kumar's journey began in Bombay's software industry:
"I was working in India in a few companies in Bombay in the software industry. I found I was not going anywhere. My wife Gita has siblings in Australia and New Zealand - that was the impetus. We applied for PR in New Zealand, got it in 93, moved there in 94."
"We were in New Zealand for about 4-4.5 years. It was tough initially - new country, new culture, new climate with four distinct seasons. The Kiwi English accent was very different. But we decided to move to Australia - her sisters were there and more opportunities for me. We moved to Brisbane and settled down quite fast."
After their sons got married in 2012, they planned to split time:
"We were thinking maybe spend more time in India - 6 months in India, 6 months there. With that in mind, we invested in an apartment in Kimberto. Unfortunately, fate thought differently - she died in 2013."
"I was living alone in a huge house, struggling to maintain it, cooking my own food. My son suggested: 'How about you explore spending some time in India? You've got people there, you can travel around, you know the place.' I came to India in 2017. My sisters were in Chennai. I had passion for Carnatic music from my wife who was a Veena artist. I was pleasantly surprised - there were concerts happening almost every day. A few months became a couple of years and I was happy in Chennai."
Australia has unique tax rules that Mr. Kumar spent years understanding:
"Australia is quite different from USA. You can be a citizen of Australia but not a resident for tax purpose. If you're a resident for tax purpose, you have to declare worldwide income. The residency status is quite difficult to work out - it's complicated."
"My two years during COVID - I did lot of research. I used to do my own flowcharts: if this happens, if that happens, 183 days and this thing and that thing. Finally I got it fine-tuned for my requirement. Being a retiree helped a lot."
"I was able to manage my finances in Australia such that my tax there would be almost zero. Any returns on super would be zero, any tax on dividends would be zero. I repackaged my investments to zeroize my tax in Australia even after renouncing my tax residency status. This means I was paying tax in only one country - India."
"There is a DTAA that specifically mentions the pension you get because of age is not taxed in India. But the pension from your superannuation returns - the minimum 5% you must withdraw from your super - that will be taxed in India. I wasn't eligible for age pension because my savings threshold was too high. Whatever I withdraw, I bring from Australia and pay tax on that. I don't have a problem paying tax because I'm enjoying the system here."
Australian age pension (based on age) is NOT taxed in India under DTAA. But superannuation withdrawals ARE taxed in India. Consult a tax professional familiar with both countries.
Mr. Kumar evaluated both options:
"I visited a few retirement communities and spent couple of days in one in Chennai. Life becomes monotonous after some time. The most depressing part is you find lot of elderly people living alone in their 70s-80s, going on wheelchairs, people expiring every week. I said I'm not at that stage yet - I'm fit, I walk, I'm fairly healthy at 70. That life is not for me."
"My sons came to the rescue - said look for a gated community where you can meet people, get down from your apartment and meet 10 people around your age group. I found this place with about 1,500 apartments - very cosmopolitan, lot of NRIs from USA and London. I use swimming pool, gym, got a cook who comes and cooks for me. The lifestyle is fantastic. I would not at this stage go back to Australia."
"If you have a medical issue, then maybe think in that direction - you've got a nurse to look after you, someone 24/7. But for me, gated community works better because I can walk around, I'm independent, I live alone."
"India is paradise as long as you ignore the surroundings."
"One of the toughest things I found was the interference by people. You strike a conversation, casually mention something, and they start advising you - 'no no you should not do this, you should do this.' That's quite rampant in India. Also the WhatsApp university."
"Extreme poverty affects you because you don't have that overseas. You tend to help people, people ask you for money. I do that to maximum extent but you can't go on helping everyone."
"Very stressful initially. Everything takes time to get done. Servants are not 100% reliable - but when they come, they work hard. You have to be very patient dealing with call centers, banks, going to shops. In a mall, they come after you with a bag asking what you want. You have to adjust, accommodate, compromise."
"That doesn't mean India is bad. I found a lot of positives."
"You get to meet people - get down from your house, walk around, meet 10 people. They may be vendors, traders, but you get to talk to them, know their life, see how they cope. I didn't have that luxury in Australia. For me that is a huge thing."
"Internet connectivity is excellent - 5G phones. Apps for everything. Around that time, Ola and Uber revolution came about. It was easy to buy things and move around - no issue about bus or train. You can book a cab and move. Life was getting very comfortable."
"I had passion for Carnatic music from my wife who was a Veena artist. Chennai's Mylapore area is known for Carnatic music and South Indian culture. I was pleasantly surprised - there were concerts happening almost every day. I was able to go for a concert almost every day."
"Being a senior citizen, my requirements were less compared to those in their 40s with kids and struggling with career. Their requirements are much different. I was able to easily adjust."
"Do your homework thoroughly. Don't assume India is hunky dory and everything is fantastic. India is still developing with lots of issues. Understand those issues and see if you can work around them or still be happy with them."
"Look after your financial issues because taxation can kill you. Make sure you know the repercussions of moving in terms of tax implications."
"Come to India, spend a few months, travel around. Try to live as if you're living in India - Airbnb or apartment - get the taste of it. Then you can say 'this is a problem, this is not for me, I'm going back.'"
"Evaluate pros and cons of different cities. Bangalore is fantastic weather-wise but has other issues. Bombay is very expensive. Chennai is very hot. Your parents may be living in Noida so you might want to be near them. All these have to be considered."
"Assuming they can replicate their lifestyle in India from where they come from - not possible. Unless you go to a place like NRI township in Bangalore where everything is like USA. You can't just own a car and drive around - traffic is very bad. Things are difficult."
Get guidance on tax planning, lifestyle choices, and making the transition smooth.
You can be Australian citizen but not tax resident. If tax resident, you declare worldwide income. The residency status is complicated. Mr. Kumar spent 2 years researching with flowcharts on 183-day rules. Buying property in India can trigger Australian government attention.
Under DTAA, age pension is NOT taxed in India. But superannuation withdrawals (minimum 5% you must withdraw) ARE taxed in India. Mr. Kumar repackaged investments to pay zero tax in Australia and only pay in India.
Retirement communities can become monotonous with elderly people on wheelchairs and people passing away weekly. Gated communities offer independence, amenities like pool and gym, and cosmopolitan residents. Choose based on your health and independence level.
Pollution, non-existent footpaths, driving nightmares, corruption, interference by people, WhatsApp university, extreme poverty, unreliable servants, everything takes time. You must be patient with call centers, banks, and shops.
Meeting people easily, excellent internet and 5G, apps for everything (Ola, Uber), following passions like Carnatic music, lower requirements as senior citizen. Social connection that's hard to find abroad.
Assuming they can replicate their lifestyle from abroad - not possible. Traffic is bad, things are difficult. Don't assume India is perfect. Understand the issues and see if you can work around them or still be happy.
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