Many Questions about Roatan

Roatan Expats Forum
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Hi there!
New to the forum here. My family and I are looking into possibly relocating to Roatan. I have a few questions though that are important to us before we make any decisions:

What is the medical system like there? Is there access to medications if need be?

We have a 1 year old daughter and would like to expand our family over the next few years. Is there quality care/doctor’s for pregnancy?

What are the schools like? Are there schools that speak English? Are the schools safe for expat children?

What about crime? We know the main island has quite a bit of crime but what about Roatan? Is that something we would need to be worried about?

Animals! We have 3 dogs that would be moving with us. Would you consider Roatan a pet friendly place?

Is it difficult to get residency there? Who do we contact to go about moving our family that can answer questions about the moving process?

Is it possible to have things shipped?

Sorry for so many questions! We are just doing our research and any information helps

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RESPONSES: @shandih1

  • What is the medical system like there? Is there access to medications if need be? - There is access to medication. There are a number of facilities and a new annex to a private hospital (CEMESA) has recently setup shop on Roatan. Most day to day illnesses can be treated on Roatan.

  • We have a 1 year old daughter and would like to expand our family over the next few years. Is there quality care/doctor’s for pregnancy? - I am sure the answer here is client specific. A “normal” pregnancy can certainly be delivered on Roatan.

  • What are the schools like? Are there schools that speak English? Are the schools safe for expat children? - Roatan has a few Bilingual Schools which offer a good education, certainly in the early years. Higher education may require more attention and consideration.

  • What about crime? We know the main island has quite a bit of crime but what about Roatan? Is that something we would need to be worried about? - There have been a few “crime waves” come through Roatan in recent years. Local law enforcement responded well by importing additional security from the mainland. By in large, Roatan’s crime rate is far below that of the mainland.

  • Animals! We have 3 dogs that would be moving with us. Would you consider Roatan a pet friendly place? - Yes. Roatan is pet-friendly. Some may argue, too pet-friendly. In my view, there are too many dogs wandering the streets without their owners and without a leash. Bring your dogs and model good ownership. Maybe others will follow your lead.

  • Is it difficult to get residency there? Who do we contact to go about moving our family that can answer questions about the moving process? - The Roatan Tourism Bureau website has a good guide which addresses this question. Click here for the Residencies and Visas article.

  • Is it possible to have things shipped? - Yes. Maritime shipments work best.

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