Retiring to Singapore: the visa routes
There is no retirement visa. Long-term stay is usually via a family route (spouse or child), an Employment Pass or EntrePass, or the Global Investor Programme, most of which can lead in time to Permanent Residence.
A few things to line up early:
- Proof of stable income or savings to the level the route requires.
- Private health cover valid in Singapore.
- A clean criminal-record check and a valid passport with comfortable time left.
Visa rules change often — treat this as a starting point and confirm the latest official requirements before you plan.
Remember: buying a home and gaining the right to live there are usually separate steps. See how ownership works in Singapore, and what it costs to live there in our cost-of-retiring guide.
Tax as a resident of Singapore
Singapore taxes on a territorial basis, so foreign-source income — including an overseas pension — received by an individual is generally not taxed at all. Singapore-source income is taxed at progressive resident rates of 0-24% and there is no capital-gains tax, which is one of the country's biggest financial draws.
Healthcare and everyday life in Singapore
Among the best healthcare in the world, but you pay for it — foreigners aren't covered by residents' MediShield, so private international insurance is essential and can be pricey, roughly S$300-800+ a month for a single adult and steeper at older ages, with some insurers capping new entry around 65-80. Budget generously, as medical costs are rising fast. Exceptionally safe and clean, with English an official working language spoken by almost everyone and driving on the left — about as easy as it gets for a British retiree, cost aside.
Where retirees settle
The East Coast (Katong and Siglap) for leafy, seaside café living; Bukit Timah and Holland Village for green, expat-favoured neighbourhoods; central River Valley and Orchard for walkable convenience; and Sentosa Cove, the one enclave where foreigners can buy a landed home.
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