This paper is part of a research project funded by the Wellcome Trust under grant number 048853. Abstract. Drawing on a set of 210 qualitative interviews conducted in 6 European countries this paper investigates the citizenship status and experiences of retired EU migrants at both national and European levels. The paper focuses upon the experiences of two types of respondents: 'Retired Migrants' (retired nationals of one EU country who moved on retirement and reside in another EU host state)

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... 'Returnees,' that is, those migrants who have chosen to return to their country of origin after a period of residence abroad. In particular this paper will attempt to explore three issues: 1. The extent to which retired migrants have access to, and make use of, the public healthcare systems of the countries in which they reside. 2. Retired migrants' perceptions and experiences of those systems. 3. Whether or not a lack of access to and/or the quality of public healthcare is an important determinant of return migration decisions i.e. moves back to the country of origin.