Retiring abroad · Visas compared
37 countries British retirees ask about, checked against each government's own rules: which have a visa built for retirees (17 do), the income or savings each asks for, the minimum age, the health cover and whether it leads to permanent residence.
Amounts are shown in the currency each country writes its rule in, with an approximate pounds-per-month figure converted at the European Central Bank reference rate of 2026-10-09. Where a country sets no published figure, or we could not verify one against an official source, the table says so rather than guess.
| Country | Route | Min. age | Income test | Alternative | Health cover | Path to permanent | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Residencia temporaria – Pensionado (Ley 25.871 art. 23 c) | none | ARS 1,919,000 a month main applicant | Rentista route: income from assets (investments, property, company holdings) of at least 5 x SMVM a month, brought in through BCRA-authorised banks. | Health insurance must be declared on entry since DNU 366/2025 (not on the DNM pensioner document list). | Permanent residence after 3 years of temporary residence (non-Mercosur), proving sufficient means, at least 50% of the period spent in Argentina and no absence of 6+ consecutive months. | official |
| Australia | Visitor visa (subclass 600) – Tourist stream (apply outside Australia) not retirement-specific | none | No income figure is set: each applicant must have, or have access to, enough money to support themselves in Australia, shown for example by 3 months of itemised personal bank statements. | — | Strongly recommended but not mandatory, unless the visa is granted with condition 8501 (maintain adequate health insurance). | None from this visa; the retiree pathway to permanent residence (via Parent 103 or Contributory Parent 143) is only for people who held a 405 or 410 retirement visa on 8 May 2018. | official |
| Belize | Qualified Retired Persons (QRP) Incentives Program, Belize Tourism Board | 40 | USD 2,000 a month (about £1,510.0 a month) main applicant | No lump-sum route, but the qualifying income can come from savings, investments, inheritance or a reverse mortgage as well as pensions, and can be deposited as US$24,000 a year. | Not required; a medical certificate including an HIV test (no older than 3 months) is. | Not automatic: permanent residence is through the Immigration Department after 1 year's legal residence with no more than 14 days abroad, and QRP status then ends. | official |
| Bulgaria | Long-stay (type D) visa and prolonged residence permit for pensioners (Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, art. 24(1) item 10) | none | A pension (from Bulgaria, the home country or another country) plus stable, regular and sufficient means for the period of stay, not less than the Bulgarian minimum monthly wage, minimum scholarship or minimum pension (official wording; which benchmark applies to pensioners is not specified). | — | Obligatory medical insurance valid in Bulgaria (unless insured under the Health Insurance Act). | Long-term residence status after 5 years' legal, uninterrupted residence (art. 24g), with means for at least a year measured against the minimum wage and pension, health insurance and accommodation. | official |
| Cambodia | Ordinary/Business (E-class) visa, then in-country Retirement Extension of Stay (ER) | 55 | No minimum figure is published; applicants must show sufficient financial resources to support themselves, using bank statements or a pension provider's statement. | — | Not required for the visa (recommended). | None stated on official pages; the ER is a renewable extension of stay. | official |
| Canada | Visitor (visa-exempt, with an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)) not retirement-specific | none | No income figure is set: you must have enough money for your stay, and the amount varies with how long and where you stay. | — | Not required for visitors; IRCC says Canada does not pay visitors' medical costs and advises getting health insurance before you come. | None: IRCC lists no retirement category, and parent/grandparent sponsorship (PGP) is paused until further notice. | official |
| Cape Verde | No retirement residence visa - residence visas are issued for work, investment, study or family reunification; retirees can document their pension when applying for permanent residence (Decree-Law 2/2015 art. 51) not retirement-specific | none | Adequate and sufficient means of subsistence; the amount is fixed by ministerial order (portaria) - not verified. | — | A health certificate and an international vaccination certificate are required for a residence visa; no insurance requirement is stated. | Permanent residence authorisation (Law 66/VIII/2014 art. 62): retirees may submit proof of retiree status and that the pension is paid in Cape Verde, and can be excused the Portuguese-language proof; the residence card (TRE) is renewed every 5 years. | official |
| Colombia | Visa de Migrante (M) – Pensionado (Visa M Pensionado) | none | COP 5,252,715 a month main applicant | None within this route; other income uses the V Rentista visa (non-pension income of at least 10 SMMLV, COP 17,509,050 a month calculated, up to 2 years, no work) and property buyers the M Inversionista visa (property of at least 350 SMMLV, COP 612,816,750 calculated). | Colombian health cover, or an all-risk health policy valid in Colombia for the whole stay, plus a medical fitness certificate. | Resident (R) visa after 5 years as an M Pensionado holder. | official |
| Costa Rica | Residencia temporal, subcategoría Pensionado (Ley General de Migración y Extranjería 8764, arts. 79.10 and 81) | none | USD 1,000 a month (about £760.0 a month) main applicant | Rentista subcategory: stable income of at least US$2,500 a month for at least two years, certified by a bank or a CPA; a bank deposit paid back in monthly instalments no longer counts as income. | Compulsory membership of the CCSS (Caja, national social security) from grant, unbroken until each renewal. | Permanent residence can be requested after three consecutive years of temporary residence. | official |
| Croatia | No retirement-specific route - nearest is temporary stay for 'other purposes' (Aliens Act art. 57(1) item 10) not retirement-specific | none | Means of subsistence are required; the amount is set by a Government regulation (Aliens Act art. 59(5)) - figure not verified. | — | Health insurance required (art. 59). | None through this route - time on an 'other purposes' stay does not count towards long-term residence (art. 151(1) item 9). | official |
| Cyprus | Immigration Permit, Category F (permanent residence for people with a secured income from abroad) not retirement-specific | none | EUR 9,568 a year (about £680.0 a month) main applicant | Nearest alternative is the 1-year Visitor temporary residence permit: remittances from abroad into a Cypriot bank account of at least €2,000 a month or €24,000 a year for one person (+20% for a spouse, +15% per child); for a first permit a €10,000 transfer or deposit is also accepted. | Not on the Category F document list, which instead requires medical tests abroad (HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, chest X-ray for TB); the Visitor permit requires 'Plan A' health insurance. | Category F is itself permanent residence. | official |
| Dominican Republic | Residencia por inversión en calidad de Jubilado o Pensionado (Ley 171-07), entered on a Visa de Residencia (RS) por Pensión/Jubilación | none | USD 1,500 a month (about £1,130.0 a month) main applicant | Rentista route: at least US$2,000 a month of stable foreign-source income for at least five years (plus US$250 per dependant); investor residency needs at least US$200,000 of foreign capital put into a Dominican company. | No health-insurance requirement found; a medical exam at a DGM-approved lab is compulsory, and the London embassy asks for a medical certificate under 3 months old. | Law and regulation class pensioners as permanent residents (Law 285-04 art. 33; Decree 631-11 art. 62), but DGM's portal calls the first card temporary; the 10-year Residencia Definitiva requires 10+ years of permanent residence. | official |
| Ecuador | Visa de residencia temporal – Jubilado (Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana art. 60.3; Reglamento art. 65) | none | USD 1,446 a month (about £1,090.0 a month) main applicant | Investor temporary residence: a bank deposit of at least 730 days, an Ecuadorian property registered to the applicant, or company shares, each worth at least 100 SBU (USD 48,200 in 2026, calculated). | Public or private health insurance (Ecuadorian, or foreign with stated cover in Ecuador) valid for the whole visa period. | Permanent residence after at least 21 continuous months as a resident, applied for before the temporary visa expires, with no more than 90 days abroad during the visa. | official |
| France | Long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS 'visiteur'), then the temporary residence card 'visiteur' not retirement-specific | none | EUR 1,478 a month (about £1,250.0 a month) main applicant | Bank certificates (savings) or written support from solvent people, such as family, reaching EUR 17,735.19 a year; accommodation arrangements are also taken into account. | Health insurance covering the whole stay. | 10-year long-term EU resident card after 5 years' legal, uninterrupted residence (visitor cards count), with stable resources of at least the SMIC (€1,867.02 gross a month), health insurance, and B1 French plus the civic exam (both waived for applicants over 65). | official |
| Georgia | No retirement-specific route - British citizens can stay visa-free for 1 year; the nearest residence permit is the short-term residence permit for owners of real estate worth over USD 150,000 not retirement-specific | none | No income test for the visa-free stay or for the property-based short-term residence permit. | Own non-agricultural real estate in Georgia with a certified market value above USD 150,000 (short-term residence permit); property above USD 300,000 qualifies for an investment residence permit that can become indefinite residence after 5 years. | Since 1 Jan 2026 every tourist entering Georgia must hold health and accident insurance with cover of at least GEL 30,000 for the whole stay; none is listed for the residence permit. | Permanent residence permit after 10 years on temporary residence permits (with income or bank funds not below the state pension); the USD 300,000 property investment route gives indefinite residence after 5 years. | official |
| Greece | National (type D) visa and residence permit for third-country nationals with sufficient resources ('financially independent persons', permit type Ι.8, art. 163(8) Law 5038/2023) not retirement-specific | none | EUR 3,500 a month (about £2,970.0 a month) main applicant | — | Private health insurance (listed by professional sources; not stated in art. 163). | EU long-term resident status (permit M1) after 5 years' legal, continuous residence, with income not below the annual minimum wage (+10% for dependants), full health insurance and proof of integration (Greek language and history). | professional |
| Hungary | No retirement-specific route - nearest is the Guest Investor residence permit (vendégbefektetői tartózkodási engedély) not retirement-specific | none | No income test; eligibility rests on the investment. | No income test. The only nearby route is the Guest Investor permit, which needs a large investment or a donation of at least EUR 1,000,000 to a qualifying university. | Not listed among the required documents for this permit (full health cover, or the means to pay for care, is required later for the national residence card). | National residence card after 3 years' lawful, uninterrupted residence, with housing and subsistence secured and full health cover; since 1 Jan 2025 applications also involve a check of 'social coexistence conditions' (Hungarian cultural knowledge exam). | official |
| Indonesia | E33F 1-Year Retiree visa (Visa Rumah Kedua Lansia untuk 1 Tahun), leading to a 1-year limited stay permit (ITAS/KITAS) | 55 | USD 3,000 a month (about £2,270.0 a month) main applicant | The 5-year retiree visa E33E (no sponsor needed): the same USD 3,000 a month plus at least USD 50,000 held in your own account at an Indonesian state-owned bank; or the Second Home visa E33 (USD 130,000 in a state-owned bank or a USD 1,000,000 apartment/condominium, 5 or 10 years). | Not listed in the current official E33F or E33E requirements. | Retiree ITAS holders may apply to convert (alih status) to a permanent stay permit (ITAP/KITAP), issued for 5 years. | official |
| Ireland | No visa or permission needed - British citizens live in Ireland under the Common Travel Area not retirement-specific | none | None for British citizens (Common Travel Area). For comparison, non-EEA retirees need Stamp 0 permission: an individual income of €50,000 a year plus access to a lump sum for major expenses (e.g. the price of a home). | — | None required; UK citizens can use Ireland's public healthcare system. | Not needed - Common Travel Area residence rights are open-ended. | official |
| Italy | Elective residence visa (visto per residenza elettiva), then a permesso di soggiorno per residenza elettiva not retirement-specific | none | EUR 31,000 a year (about £2,190.0 a month) main applicant | — | Not listed on the London consulate's checklist; other Italian consulates (e.g. Paris) require international medical insurance for the whole stay with at least €30,000 cover, and the Questura asks for proof of health insurance for the permesso. | EU long-term residence permit after 5 years on valid permits, with income at least equal to the annual assegno sociale and an Italian language test; the document is valid 10 years. | official |
| Japan | Designated Activities (Long Stay for Sightseeing and Recreation) not retirement-specific | 18 | No income test; instead the applicant and spouse must together hold savings of at least JPY 30 million (JPY 60 million if the spouse also holds this status in their own right rather than as an accompanying spouse). | Savings of JPY 30 million or more held by the applicant and spouse combined, evidenced by the current balance and 6 months of deposits and withdrawals. | Private medical travel insurance covering death, injury and illness for the whole stay. | None; the status is limited to a stay not exceeding one year. | official |
| Malaysia | Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), Silver category not retirement-specific | 25 | No income test (MOTAC's June 2024 rules dropped the offshore-income requirement for all categories); the financial test is a USD 150,000 fixed deposit. | USD 150,000 fixed deposit in a licensed Malaysian bank (up to 50% withdrawable for a home, education, medical or tourism costs) plus compulsory purchase of a home worth at least RM600,000 that cannot be sold for 10 years. | Worldwide-cover policy from a Malaysian or foreign insurer, required at pass endorsement only for applicants aged 60 and under (no minimum sum published) and again at renewal. | None: MM2H is a renewable long-stay social visit pass, not permanent residence. | official |
| Malta | Malta Retirement Programme (MRP) special tax status (S.L. 123.134), plus a residence permit on economic self-sufficiency from Identità | none | No fixed minimum: a pension, all received in Malta, must make up at least 75% of the beneficiary's chargeable income; a minimum annual tax of €7,500 (+€500 per dependant) is due on foreign income remitted (15% rate). | A qualifying home is required: buy for at least €275,000 (Malta) or €220,000 (Gozo or the south of Malta), or rent for at least €9,600 a year (Malta) or €8,750 a year (Gozo or the south). | Sickness insurance covering, across the whole EU, all risks normally covered for Maltese nationals, for the beneficiary and dependants. | None within the MRP - the status ends if the beneficiary becomes a long-term or permanent resident of Malta or takes up domicile there. | official |
| Mauritius | Residence Permit as a Retired Non-Citizen (aged 50 and over) | 50 | USD 2,000 a month (about £1,510.0 a month) main applicant | A certified bank statement from the country of origin or residence showing at least USD 24,000. | Not listed; a medical certificate and reports less than 6 months old are required. | May apply for a 20-year Permanent Residence Permit after 5 consecutive years. | official |
| Mexico | Temporary Resident visa (Visa de Residencia Temporal) by economic solvency – pension/income or savings not retirement-specific | none | MXN 79,771 a month (about £3,320.0 a month) main applicant | Investments or bank balances averaging 11,460 UMA days (MXN 1,344,372.60, est. £57,736.77) over the last 12 months. | Not required (not among the visa requirements). | Permanent residence after 4 years as a temporary resident, or directly via the pensioner Permanent Resident visa. | official |
| Montenegro | No retirement-specific route - nearest is temporary residence based on owning real estate in Montenegro not retirement-specific | none | Means of subsistence are required, but the Government page gives no amount. | Ownership of real estate in Montenegro (proof from the real-estate cadastre); no minimum value stated. | Health insurance required. | Permanent residence normally needs 5 years' continuous temporary residence, but years spent on a real-estate-based permit do not count. | official |
| New Zealand | Temporary Retirement Visitor Visa | 66 | NZD 60,000 a year (about £2,120.0 a month) main applicant | Not an alternative but in addition: NZD 750,000 invested in acceptable New Zealand investments for 2 years, plus NZD 500,000 maintenance funds on top of the income and the investment. | Acceptable travel and/or health insurance for the whole stay; the INZ guide sets a minimum annual policy limit of NZD 500,000. | No pathway stated for this temporary visitor visa; residence needs a separate resident visa, such as the Parent Retirement Resident Visa for parents of adult New Zealand citizens or residents. | official |
| Panama | Permanent Resident permit as Retiree/Pensioner (Permiso de Residente Permanente como Jubilado o Pensionado, PRP-JP) | none | USD 1,000 a month (about £760.0 a month) main applicant | The pension may be as low as B/.750 a month if the applicant personally bought Panamanian property for more than B/.100,000. | Not required; a health certificate (Certificado de Salud) is. | It is permanent residence from approval. | official |
| Philippines | Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) – SRRV Classic, issued by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) | 40 | USD 800 a month (about £610.0 a month) main applicant | Non-pensioners: USD 30,000 visa deposit at 50+ (USD 50,000 at 40-49), remitted from abroad to a PRA-accredited Philippine bank; the Classic deposit can be converted into approved investments such as a condominium unit. | Not required; a PRA medical certificate issued within 6 months is required instead. | The SRRV is itself a permanent-residence status (PRA lists 'Permanent residency in the Philippines'); no further step. | official |
| Portugal | D7 residence visa for retirees, religious workers and people living on their own income (visto de residência para reformados, religiosos e pessoas que vivam de rendimentos), then a temporary residence permit from AIMA | none | EUR 920 a month (about £780.0 a month) main applicant | The VFS London checklist also asks for a recent Portuguese bank statement showing at least €11,040 available for a single applicant (12 x €920), with a Portuguese tax number (NIF), alongside 3 months of statements showing the income being received. | Insurance covering medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation for the 120-day visa (eligible British nationals may use a certified S1); for the AIMA residence permit, health insurance or proof of SNS (public health service) coverage. | Permanent residence after 5 years on temporary residence permits, with basic Portuguese (A2) and continuing means of subsistence. | official |
| Spain | Non-lucrative residence visa (visado de residencia no lucrativa) / temporary non-lucrative residence authorisation not retirement-specific | none | EUR 2,400 a month (about £2,030.0 a month) main applicant | Savings or assets instead of a regular income: funds covering the whole authorisation period (€2,400 x 12 = €28,800 for year one), provable by any lawful means including bank certificates, property titles or certified cheques (RD 1155/2024 art. 62). | Public or private health insurance with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, covering all risks covered by the Spanish public health system. | Long-term residence (larga duración / larga duración-UE) after 5 years' continuous legal residence. | official |
| Sri Lanka | Golden Paradise Visa (Investor Category residence visa) not retirement-specific | none | No income test; the financial requirement is a minimum USD 200,000 bank deposit. | Deposit at least USD 200,000 in a Golden Paradise Foreign Currency Account at a bank licensed by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (up to 50% can be withdrawn after year one); a separate investor residence visa is granted for buying a condominium from USD 75,000 (suburbs) or USD 150,000 (urban) for 5 years, extendable, or USD 200,000 (urban) for 10 years. | No insurance requirement stated; a medical report from an authorised local hospital (malaria, filariasis, TB, HIV/AIDS) is required. | None for British retirees; Sri Lanka's Permanent Residence Visa is limited to people of Sri Lankan descent, former citizens, and spouses or children of Sri Lankan citizens. | official |
| Thailand | Non-Immigrant Visa O-A (Long Stay) | 50 | THB 65,000 a month (about £1,470.0 a month) main applicant | A bank balance of at least 800,000 THB (London embassy equivalent £18,000) instead of income; MFA's O-A page and the Immigration Bureau's extension rules also accept a deposit plus annual income totalling 800,000 THB. | Thai or foreign policy covering general illness including COVID-19, sum insured at least USD 100,000 or THB 3,000,000 for the whole stay. | None on retirement grounds: permanent residence is a separate annual quota (up to 100 per nationality) open after 3+ years of yearly extensions, only for investment, work, family, expert or special cases. | official |
| Turkey | No retirement-specific route - nearest is the short-term residence permit (kısa dönem ikamet izni), usually on the grounds of owning a house in Turkey or of tourism not retirement-specific | none | No fixed income figure is published by the Presidency of Migration Management for short-term permits; the permit rests on the stated ground (e.g. owning a home in Turkey), suitable accommodation, an address and health insurance. | Owning a residential property in Turkey that is used as a home; since Law 7533 (21 Nov 2024) the nature and value of qualifying property are set by the Ministry of Interior. | Valid health insurance covering the whole permit period (a private policy, or SGK cover under a bilateral social-security agreement). | Long-term (indefinite) residence permit after 8 years' uninterrupted residence on permits, with sufficient and regular income, valid health insurance and no social assistance in the last 3 years. | official |
| United Arab Emirates | Retirement residence visa (residence visa for the retired) - 5 years | 55 | AED 180,000 a year main applicant | Own UAE property worth at least AED 1 million and hold savings or a deposit of at least AED 1 million (in Dubai the deposit must be moved into a UAE bank within 60 days of the residency being issued). | Not listed on the federal portal or on GDRFA Dubai's service page. | No permanent-residence route stated; renew every 5 years. | official |
| Uruguay | Residencia Legal Permanente (Dirección Nacional de Migración) not retirement-specific | none | No fixed minimum: retirees prove 'medios de vida' (means of support) with a notary's certificate stating their pension status, the monthly amount and how it is received in Uruguay. | Other lawful means of support are accepted instead (e.g. investment or rental income as a 'rentista'), also with no stated minimum. | No insurance required; a valid Uruguayan carné de salud (medical certificate) and vaccination certificate from MSP-authorised providers. | Granted as permanent residence directly. | official |
| Vietnam | E-visa (EV), up to 90 days, single or multiple entry (no retirement visa exists) not retirement-specific | none | No income or funds test: the e-visa requires only a valid passport and not falling under the entry bans in Article 21 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners. | — | Not required. | None via this route. | official |
Last checked 28 September 2026. Rules and thresholds change, often at the start of a year; confirm the current requirement with the country's consulate before you apply. This is general information, not immigration or financial advice. Left out this month because their rules could not be checked against an official source: Albania, Egypt, Morocco.
A retirement-specific route is one designed for people living on a pension or savings rather than working. Countries without one still let retirees stay long term through another route, and the table names it. The income test is usually per main applicant, with a smaller amount per dependant; the second line under each figure says who it applies to.
For most British retirees the income test is the deciding line. The UK State Pension alone (full new State Pension, £241.30 a week in 2026/27) clears some thresholds and not others, which is why the pounds column is there.
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See if you qualify →Of the 37 countries in this table, 17 have a route designed for retirees living on a pension or savings. The rest let retirees stay long term through a general residence route, named in the table.
Most retirement routes accept any regular, provable pension income, including the UK State Pension, which is paid and uprated in many countries. Whether it is enough on its own depends on the threshold; the table converts each one to pounds a month to make the comparison easy.