Guide
Retirement Visas
What is a retirement visa?
Retirement and independent-income visas let eligible people live abroad using income or resources from outside a local job. Some require a pension; others accept different sources of support. Age and work conditions vary by route.
About this guide
Retiring abroad is a decision about the life you want to enjoy and how to sustain it. A suitable residence route should work with your income and leave room for the needs of your household over time.
This guide compares retirement and independent-income options as a starting point for that decision. Look for routes that accept your type of financial support, then consider the cost and practicalities of living there. Our retirement report explores the wider choice of destination.
Pathways compared
84
Countries covered
70
Filter by
Switzerland Self-Funded Retirement Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | High (canton-set) | Yes | 55 | Yes | Yes |
Ireland Residence for Self-Funded People
|
Passive Income Residency | €50,000/yr (~€4,170/mo) | No — the published guidance expects income plus a separate lump-sum reserve | None | Yes | No |
Liechtenstein Nonworking Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | Individual assessment of sufficient household resources | — | — | Yes | — |
Belgium Retirement Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Aruba Independent-Means Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | AWG 8,334/mo equivalent (AWG 100,000/year) | No; qualifying income from assets or rent is required | 18 | Not stated on the public permit page | Potentially, through a separate ten-year application |
|
Aruba Retiree Residence
|
Retirement Residency | AWG 4,167/mo equivalent for annuity or interest; pension floor not stated | No; income from a listed source is required | 55 | Not stated on the public permit page | Potentially, through a separate ten-year application |
Bermuda Nonworking Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Gibraltar Category 2 Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Pitcairn Seasonal Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
UAE Retirement Visa
|
Retirement Residency | ~USD $4,000/mo (or AED 1M) | Yes (AED 1M assets) | 55 | Yes | No |
Luxembourg Self-Funded Private Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Austria Self-Funded Settlement Permit
|
Passive Income Residency | 2026: €2,616.78 single; €4,128.24 couple; +€403.76 per child | Assets may support the proof, but the official test is regular means | None | Yes | Yes |
Monaco Self-Supported Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | Resources assessed from the applicant’s circumstances | — | — | — | — |
Spain Non-Lucrative Residence Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | 400% of current IPREM (~€2,400/month at €600 IPREM) | Yes (lump sum) | None | Yes | Yes |
France Long-Stay Visitor Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | €1,477.93 net as of June 2026 | Yes | None | Yes | Not directly; qualifying lawful residence may support a later long-term-residence application |
Cyprus Self-Funded Visitor Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | Household support assessed under the current visitor checklist | — | — | Yes | — |
Italy Elective Residence Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | €2,583/mo | No | None | Yes | Yes |
Greece Self-Funded Residence Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | €3,500 for the main applicant | Own funds may be accepted if amount and lawful origin are proved | None | Yes | Yes |
San Marino Foreign-Income Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | Sufficient foreign income; separate tax commitments apply | — | — | Household health costs must be covered | — |
|
San Marino Pensioner Residence
|
Retirement Residency | €10,000 gross monthly equivalent; €300,000 in local financial assets also required | — | — | Household health costs must be covered | — |
Portugal Passive Income or Retirement Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | €920/mo | Yes (12 mos in bank) | None | Yes | Yes |
Chile Residence for Pension or Other Income
|
Passive Income Residency | — | No | No fixed age; the pension must qualify under the applicant's country-of-residence law | No | Yes |
Argentina Pensioner Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | At least 5 times the current Argentine minimum wage | No | None | Follow current Migraciones health-declaration rules | Yes |
|
Argentina Visa for Independent-Income Earners
|
Passive Income Residency | At least 5 times the current Argentine minimum wage | No | None | Follow current Migraciones health-declaration rules | Yes |
Uruguay Permanent Residence Through Income
|
Passive Income Residency | No fixed published amount | — | — | — | — |
|
Uruguay Permanent Residence for Pensioners
|
Retirement Residency | USD $1,500 | — | No stated minimum | — | — |
Bahamas Annual Residence Permit
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Panama Pensioner Visa
|
Retirement Residency | PAB 1,000 monthly lifetime pension; PAB 750 with qualifying property over PAB 100,000 | No | None | No | Yes |
Costa Rica Independent-Income Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $2,500 | — | None | CCSS enrollment is generally required after approval and for renewal | Eligible to seek permanent residence after 3 consecutive years of temporary residence |
|
Costa Rica Pensioner Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $1,000/mo pension | No | None | Yes | Yes |
Saint Kitts and Nevis Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | Sufficient support assessed individually; no universal figure in section 6 | Assets and means of support assessed together | No minimum stated in section 6(2)(b) | Confirm current medical and insurance requirements | Direct permanent-residence application |
Thailand Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement Visa
|
Retirement Residency | THB 65,000 monthly-income option | THB 800,000 deposit option | 50 | Yes | No |
Bulgaria Pensioner Residence
|
Retirement Residency | Current Bulgarian pension and subsistence requirements | No replacement for the pension requirement | Pension entitlement, rather than one universal age | Yes | — |
Barbados Retirement Immigrant Status
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Mauritius Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | USD $2,000 or USD $24,000 yearly | No stated savings-only alternative | 50 | Check current permit requirements | Potential under separate permanent-residence rules |
Antigua and Barbuda Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Albania Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Mexico Permanent Residence for Retirees
|
Passive Income Residency | Above MXN 133,733.40 in monthly net pension income (2026 formula) | At least MXN 5,378,663.50 average balance (2026 formula) | None | No | Yes |
|
Mexico Residence Through Income or Savings
|
Passive Income Residency | Above MXN 79,770.80 in monthly net income (2026 formula) | Above MXN 1,344,372.60 average balance (2026 formula) | None | No | Yes |
Dominican Independent-Income Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $2,000/mo + USD $250/dependent | No | None | No | Yes |
|
Dominican Republic Pensioner Residence
|
Retirement Residency | USD $1,500/mo pension + USD $250/dependent | No | None | No | Yes |
Ecuador Independent-Income Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $1,446 in 2026 | No | None | Yes | Yes |
|
Ecuador Pensioner Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $1,446 in 2026 | No | None stated for the category | Yes | Yes |
Peru Residence for Independent-Income Earners
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $1,000/mo | No | None | No | Yes |
Brazil Retirement Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $2,000 transferred to Brazil each month | No | None | Yes | A separate continuation or indeterminate-period request is required |
Colombia Independent Income Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | 10 SMLMV (COP 17,509,050 in 2026) | No | — | Yes | No |
|
Colombia Pensioner Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | — | No | None | Yes | — |
Algeria Independent-Means Residence
|
Retirement Residency | No fixed amount in the published checklist; confirm accepted support | — | — | — | — |
Jamaica Retirement Permanent Residence
|
Retirement Residency | No fixed amount published | Documented means of support may include savings | No minimum age published | No insurance test stated; local medical certificate required | Yes |
Tunisia Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | No universal amount in the published checklist; confirm locally | — | — | — | — |
Dominica Residence Permit
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Fiji Residence on Assured Income
|
Passive Income Residency | Sufficient offshore resources; separate FJD 100,000 funding step | Offshore assets may support the case; completion funding still required | 45 | — | No direct grant or guaranteed progression |
Paraguay Residence Pathway for Pensioners
|
Retirement Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Tonga Assured Income Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | TOP 10,000 per year (annual eligibility test) | Regular pension or fund income required; savings alone not established | No numerical age stated; retiree category | — | No direct grant or guaranteed progression |
South Africa Financial Independence Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | Direct permanent-residence application; approval required |
|
South Africa Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | ZAR 37,000 | Qualifying net-worth-derived payment | No fixed age under current rules | Medical records required; insurance is not the core test | Potential through a separate permanent-residence route |
Indonesia Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | USD $3,000 | USD $50,000 bank deposit is also required | 55 | Check current E33E requirements | No |
|
Indonesia Second Home Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | No fixed monthly income | Qualifying property or financial guarantee | No fixed age stated | Check current E33 requirements | No |
Philippines Retirement Residence Visa
|
Retirement Residency | Pensioners: USD $800 single or USD $1,000 with dependents; non-pensioners use a higher deposit | Yes (deposit) | 40 | No | No |
Belize Residence for Retirees
|
Retiree Residency | USD $2,000, or USD $24,000 annually | Personal savings can be an approved retirement-income source | 40 | Medical examination and HIV test; no general insurance threshold on the QRP page | No |
Morocco Independent-Means Residence
|
Retirement Residency | No universal amount stated in the cited law; confirm locally | — | — | — | — |
Venezuela Pension or Income Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $1,200 plus USD $500 per accompanying family member | — | — | — | — |
El Salvador Pension or Income Residence
|
Retiree Residency | — | No published lump-sum alternative | None stated | — | Yes |
Nicaragua Passive-Income Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | Current DGME requirement must be confirmed; old Law 694 figures are not used | — | — | — | — |
|
Nicaragua Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | Current DGME requirement must be confirmed; old Law 694 figures are not used | — | — | — | — |
Guatemala Pensioner Residence
|
Retirement Residency | USD $1,250/mo foreign pension; +USD $300 per dependent | — | None | Not specified in the cited category rules | Yes direct permanent residence |
|
Guatemala Residence from Independent Income
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $1,250/mo qualifying income; +USD $300 per dependent | — | None | Not specified in the cited category rules | Yes direct permanent residence |
Honduras Pensioner Residence
|
Retirement Residency | USD $1,500/mo foreign pension | — | None | Not specified in the cited category rules | Yes separate inmigrado application after five qualifying years |
|
Honduras Residence from Independent Income
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $2,500/mo qualifying income | — | None | Not specified in the cited category rules | Yes separate inmigrado application after five qualifying years |
Vanuatu Self-Funded Resident Visa
|
Passive Income Residency | — | No | None | — | — |
Kenya Assured-Income Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | USD $24,000 per year from accepted sources | — | 35 | — | — |
Nepal Retirement Residential Visa
|
Retirement Residency | USD $20,000 per year, plus USD $20,000 bank balance | — | 60, or documented retirement at a younger age | — | — |
Zambia Retirement Permanent Residence
|
Retirement Residency | Confirm the prescribed lifelong support amount; no figure verified | — | — | — | — |
Haiti Supported Nonworking Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Nigeria Residence for Retirees
|
Retirement Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Rwanda Retirement Residence
Lowest
|
Retirement Residency | Authority assesses the evidence; no fixed minimum published | — | — | — | — |
Côte d’Ivoire Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | No universal pension minimum stated in the published checklist | — | — | — | — |
Tanzania Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | Sufficient assured income; no single published threshold | — | 55 | — | — |
The Gambia Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | No fixed retirement-income minimum published on the permit page | — | — | — | — |
Madagascar Retirement Residence
|
Retirement Residency | €500 in the Paris consular checklist; confirm the applicable post | — | — | — | — |
Sint Maarten Pensioner Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | No fixed amount published; sufficient documented pension income | No savings-only route stated in this pensioner checklist | No fixed age published in the checklist | Not stated in the public checklist | Potential separate application after five uninterrupted years of lawful residence |
Curaçao Retirement or Income Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
French Polynesia Visitor Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | Sufficient resources; no universal figure established here | Financial evidence can include savings or accepted sponsorship | No retirement-age rule established by the cited checklist | Yes | No direct grant or guaranteed progression |
New Caledonia Visitor Residence
|
Passive Income Residency | Sufficient resources; no universal figure established here | Financial evidence can include savings or accepted sponsorship | No retirement-age rule established by the cited checklist | Yes | No direct grant or guaranteed progression |
No pathways match that filter.