38 countries
A retirement or pension visa is what turns a long holiday into actually living somewhere. These are the countries we track that have a dedicated route, with the monthly cost of living alongside so you can see which are realistic on your income.
| Country | Detail | Monthly | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | visa detail | £1,200 | Pensioners can apply for a retirement residence permit by showing a foreign pension (broadly €11,600+ a year), health in... |
| Argentina | visa detail | £1,900 | The Rentista (passive income) and Pensionado (pension) visas broadly require around US$1,300 to US$2,000 a month of qual... |
| Australia | visa detail | £3,300 | Australia no longer offers a retirement visa to new applicants (the 405 and 410 subclasses are closed). The main routes ... |
| Brazil | visa detail | £2,500 | The VITEM XIV retirement visa broadly requires around US$2,000 a month of pension income transferred to a Brazilian acco... |
| Bulgaria | visa detail | £1,200 | Retirees typically apply for a long-stay (type D) visa and a renewable residence permit, showing a stable pension, adequ... |
| Cambodia | visa detail | £1,400 | Most retirees use the ER ('retirement') extension of an ordinary E-class visa: broadly for those aged 55+ who are retire... |
| Canada | visa detail | £3,300 | Canada has no retirement visa; the closest route is the Super Visa, which lets parents and grandparents of citizens or p... |
| Cape Verde | visa detail | £1,600 | Retirees showing passive income of roughly EUR 1,500 a month can obtain a long-stay visa and then a residence permit; bu... |
| Colombia | visa detail | £1,400 | The Migrant (M) Pensionado visa is aimed at retirees with a pension of at least three Colombian minimum wages (roughly U... |
| Costa Rica | visa detail | £2,100 | The Pensionado residency suits retirees with at least US$1,000 a month of lifetime pension income, while the Rentista ro... |
| Cyprus | visa detail | £2,500 | Cyprus offers residency routes that are popular with retirees; requirements vary by nationality. |
| Dominican Republic | visa detail | £1,650 | Pensionado residency is aimed at retirees with about US$1,500 a month of pension income (plus roughly US$250 per depende... |
| Dubai, UAE | visa detail | £4,200 | The retirement visa (55+) and property-linked residence visas are available. |
| Ecuador | visa detail | £1,600 | The Pensioner (retirement) visa broadly requires around US$1,400 a month of pension or lifetime income; it begins as a t... |
| Greece | visa detail | £2,300 | Residency-by-investment and other routes attract retirees; passive-income options exist. |
| India | visa detail | £1,300 | India has no retirement visa. Long-stay options include an Entry (X) visa for people of Indian origin or spouses of citi... |
| Ireland | visa detail | £3,100 | UK citizens can live in Ireland freely under the Common Travel Area, and EU/EEA nationals need no permit. Other non-EU r... |
| Italy | visa detail | £2,700 | The elective residence visa suits retirees with stable passive income. |
| Japan | visa detail | £2,500 | Japan has no dedicated retirement visa. Self-funded retirees typically use a long-term 'Designated Activities' stay, bro... |
| Laos | visa detail | £1,250 | Laos has no formal retirement visa. In practice, those aged 50+ obtain a long-stay (LA-B2) permit through a licensed loc... |
| Malaysia | visa detail | £1,900 | The MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home) programme is the classic long-stay route for retirees. |
| Malta | visa detail | £2,200 | Non-EU retirees can apply under the Malta Retirement Programme (age 55+, in receipt of a pension) or the Malta Permanent... |
| Mexico | visa detail | £2,100 | Temporary and permanent resident visas suit retirees who meet income or savings thresholds. |
| Morocco | visa detail | £1,900 | Morocco has no dedicated retirement visa; most retirees enter on a long-stay (type D) visa then apply for a residence ca... |
| New Zealand | visa detail | £2,900 | There is no simple retirement visa. Options include the Temporary Retirement Visitor visa (age 66+, investing NZ$750,000... |
| Panama | visa detail | £2,300 | The Pensionado (pensioner) visa is famous for its discounts and low income requirement. |
| Philippines | visa detail | £1,650 | The Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) is the main route; since a 2025 overhaul it opens from age 40 with a bank dep... |
| Portugal | visa detail | £2,400 | The D7 visa is popular with retirees who have stable passive income (pension, rentals, investments). |
| Seychelles | visa detail | £3,000 | There is no branded retirement visa; financially self-sufficient retirees apply for a residence permit by demonstrating ... |
| Singapore | visa detail | £4,500 | There is no retirement visa. Long-term stay is usually via a family route (spouse or child), an Employment Pass or Entre... |
| South Africa | visa detail | £2,100 | The Retired Person's Visa requires proof of a pension or investment income of around ZAR 37,000 a month (or equivalent a... |
| South Korea | visa detail | £2,200 | Korea has no plain retirement visa. Long-term routes are mainly the F-2 residency (including an investment programme of ... |
| Spain | visa detail | £2,500 | The non-lucrative visa is the usual route for retirees with sufficient income and health cover. |
| Switzerland | visa detail | £5,100 | Switzerland has no investor or retirement 'golden' visa. Non-EU retirees over 55 with genuine ties and sufficient means ... |
| Thailand | visa detail | £2,000 | Most retirees use the Non-Immigrant O / O-A retirement visa (age 50+, with income or savings requirements). |
| Turkey | visa detail | £1,800 | Turkey has no dedicated retirement visa; most retirees obtain a short-term residence permit (usually valid up to two yea... |
| United States | visa detail | £3,400 | The US has no dedicated retirement visa; long stays usually rely on the B-2 visitor route (typically up to six months), ... |
| Uruguay | visa detail | £2,400 | Residency is commonly obtained by showing stable monthly income (broadly from around US$1,500) from a pension or other s... |
Almost all of them ask for three things: a minimum age, usually 50 or 55; proof of income or savings, typically a pension paid monthly; and private health cover. Most renew annually for the first few years before longer terms become available, and most do not permit you to work locally.
The income thresholds vary enormously and are the thing to check first — some are set well below what you would need to live there anyway, others well above. Rules also change, so treat every figure as a starting point and confirm it with the consulate before you plan around it.
See which of these fits what you are actually after — four questions, two minutes.