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24 programs · 24 countries · ranked lowest monthly-income requirement first

Retirement visas in 2026, ranked by income requirement

Where you can retire abroad on a pension, rentals, or investment income — ranked from the lowest income bar up, with what each country asks for and whether it leads to permanent residency.

All 24 programs checked against official government sources · July 2026

Ranked — lowest monthly-income requirement first

#Country & programRequirement
1🇳🇮NicaraguaResidente Pensionado$600/mo income
2🇨🇾CyprusCategory F Residence Permit$870/mo income
3🇹🇷TurkeyShort-term residence permit (retirement)$900/mo income
4🇵🇹PortugalD7 Passive Income / Retirement Visa$990/mo income
5🇨🇷Costa RicaPensionado Visa$1,000/mo income
6🇵🇦PanamaPensionado Visa$1,000/mo income
7🇵🇪PeruRentista visa$1,000/mo income
8🇲🇾MalaysiaMalaysia My Second Home (MM2H) — Silver$1,070/mo income
9🇨🇴ColombiaM-Pensionado (Retirement) Visa$1,200/mo income
10🇬🇹GuatemalaRentista / Pensionado residency$1,250/mo income
11🇵🇾ParaguayResidency by independent means$1,300/mo income
12🇪🇨EcuadorPensioner (Jubilado) Visa$1,446/mo income
13🇩🇴Dominican RepublicPensionado residency$1,500/mo income
14🇭🇳HondurasPensionado residency$1,500/mo income
15🇫🇷FranceLong-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS «visiteur»)$1,596/mo income
16🇧🇿BelizeQualified Retirement Program (QRP)$2,000/mo income
17🇹🇭ThailandNon-Immigrant O-A Retirement Visa$2,150/mo income
18🇿🇦South AfricaRetired Person's Visa$2,270/mo income
19🇪🇸SpainNon-Lucrative Visa$2,600/mo income
20🇮🇹ItalyElective Residence Visa$2,800/mo income
21🇬🇷GreeceFinancially Independent Person (FIP) Visa$3,750/mo income
22🇲🇽MexicoTemporary Resident Visa (Retirement)$4,400/mo income
23🇵🇭PhilippinesSpecial Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV)$20,000 deposit
24🇳🇿New ZealandTemporary Retirement Visitor Visa$449,000 deposit

Figures are 2026 USD-equivalents and move with exchange rates and annual resets — confirm the current requirement with each program's official source before applying.

Every retirement & passive-income visas, in detail

🇳🇮Nicaragua

Residente Pensionado

Retirement
$600/mo incomeCitizenship in ~4 yrs1-yr permitFamily included

Residente Pensionado requires min. age 45 and US$600/mo pension income (Rentista variant: US$750/mo from passive sources), approved by INTUR. Independent-means visas give a 3-year path to permanent residency and ~4-year path to citizenship. You must reside roughly 6 months/year to retain status.

Official source →
🇨🇾Cyprus

Category F Residence Permit

Retirement
$870/mo incomeCitizenship in ~7 yrs2-yr permitFamily included

Low bar: ~€9,568/yr passive income (+€4,613 per dependent). Immediate PR-type status; visit once every 2 years. Foreign pensions taxed at a favorable flat 5% option.

Official source →
🇹🇷Turkey

Short-term residence permit (retirement)

Retirement
$900/mo incomeCitizenship in ~5 yrs1-yr permitFamily included

Turkey has no dedicated 'retirement visa'; retirees use the short-term residence permit on an income basis. You must show regular monthly foreign-currency income into a Turkish bank of about the net minimum wage — ~28,075 TRY/mo in 2026 (~$900); a lump-sum balance without monthly inflow is NOT accepted. Note post-2022 tightening: some districts (parts of Antalya/Izmir) are closed to new foreign residents, so approval is province-dependent. Valid 1-2 yrs, renewable; long-term residence after 8 yrs, citizenship after 5. 183+ days = tax residency.

Official source →
🇵🇹Portugal

D7 Passive Income / Retirement Visa

Retirement
$990/mo incomeCitizenship in ~10 yrs2-yr permitFamily included

Low bar: ~€920/mo passive income (+50% spouse, +30% per child). PR after 5 years; 2026 reform moved citizenship to ~10 years. ~183 days/yr presence; worldwide income taxable once resident.

Official source →
$1,000/mo incomeCitizenship in ~7 yrs2-yr permitFamily included

$1,000/mo lifetime pension (covers the whole family). PR after 3 years, citizenship after 7. Foreign income untaxed. Must convert income through a local bank.

Official source →
$1,000/mo incomeCitizenship in ~5 yrs999-mo permitFamily included

$1,000/mo lifetime pension (+$250 per dependent). Permanent residency immediately + famous retiree discounts (25–50% off). Territorial tax; foreign income exempt.

Official source →
$1,000/mo incomeCitizenship in ~2 yrs1-yr permitFamily included

Rentista ('persona de renta permanente') requires min. US$1,000/mo from a pension/social security, plus US$500/mo per dependent, received via a recognized Peruvian financial institution (Decreto Supremo 002-2021-IN). Since Aug 2021 consulates abroad no longer process it — most applicants change status in-country at Migraciones. Citizenship possible after ~2 years of residency.

Official source →
🇲🇾Malaysia

Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) — Silver

Retirement
$1,070/mo incomeTemporary residency5-yr permitFamily included

Silver tier (age 50+): ~$32,000 fixed deposit + ~$1,070/mo offshore income. A renewable long-stay pass, not PR. Higher tiers grant longer validity; some tiers require a property purchase.

Official source →
🇨🇴Colombia

M-Pensionado (Retirement) Visa

Retirement
$1,200/mo incomeCitizenship in ~10 yrs3-yr permitFamily included

Pension of ~3x the Colombian minimum wage (~$1,200/mo). Up to 3 years, renewable; R-visa after 5 years, citizenship in ~8–10 years total. Very low cost of living.

Official source →
🇬🇹Guatemala

Rentista / Pensionado residency

Retirement
$1,250/mo incomePath to permanent residency2-yr permitFamily included

Rentista/Pensionado residency (via IGM) requires min. US$1,250/mo from a foreign-source pension, rentals, or investments (+US$300/mo per dependent); US Social Security qualifies. Provides an immediate path to permanent residency; income must be re-proven every 5 years. Citizenship generally requires ~5 years residency (Central American nationals get a faster track).

Official source →
🇵🇾Paraguay

Residency by independent means

Retirement
$1,300/mo incomeCitizenship in ~3 yrs2-yr permitFamily included

Since Law 6984/22 there is NO statutory minimum income or bank deposit for residency; applicants show 'real and regular' lawful income — practitioners advise demonstrating ~US$1,300/mo (plus extra per dependent). Temporary residency (renewable) converts to permanent after ~21-24 months; citizenship after 3 years of permanent residency. Territorial tax = 0% on foreign income; no minimum physical-presence requirement.

Official source →
🇪🇨Ecuador

Pensioner (Jubilado) Visa

Retirement
$1,446/mo incomeCitizenship in ~3 yrs2-yr permitFamily included

$1,446/mo pension (+$250/mo per dependent); most US Social Security recipients qualify. PR after 21 months. USD economy; citizenship after ~3 years.

Official source →
$1,500/mo incomeCitizenship in ~2 yrs4-yr permitFamily included

Pensionado residency requires a pension of min. US$1,500/mo (+US$250/mo per dependent) from a government or private source. The Rentista (passive-income) variant requires US$2,000/mo. Grants fast-track residency renewable indefinitely; eligible to apply for citizenship after ~2 years. The DR has no dedicated digital-nomad visa.

Official source →
🇭🇳Honduras

Pensionado residency

Retirement
$1,500/mo incomeCitizenship in ~3 yrs4-yr permitFamily included

Pensionado requires min. US$1,500/mo from a guaranteed pension (+US$150/mo per dependent), received into a local bank account. The Rentista (non-pension passive income) variant requires US$2,500/mo. Permit valid 4 years, renewable indefinitely; eligible for citizenship after 3 years (Spanish + civics exam). Foreign-source income is not taxed.

Official source →
🇫🇷France

Long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS «visiteur»)

Retirement
$1,596/mo incomeCitizenship in ~5 yrs1-yr permitFamily included

France's passive-income route: prove stable resources at about the French minimum wage (~€1,478/mo net) plus private health cover, and sign that you won't work for a French employer. Renewable yearly with no cap, and a 2026 rule now allows remote work for a foreign employer. Long-term residence and naturalisation open after about five years.

Official source →
🇧🇿Belize

Qualified Retirement Program (QRP)

Retirement
$2,000/mo incomeTemporary residency1-yr permitFamily included

Qualified Retirement Program (QRP), run by the Belize Tourism Board: age 40+, proof of US$2,000/mo (US$24,000/yr) from a source outside Belize in an approved currency. Requires only 30 consecutive days/year in-country. Grants QRP resident status (duty-free import perks) but is NOT a path to permanent residency/citizenship — those need the separate standard residency track.

Official source →
🇹🇭Thailand

Non-Immigrant O-A Retirement Visa

Retirement
$2,150/mo incomeTemporary residency1-yr permit

Age 50+: ~$2,150/mo income OR ~$24,000 in a Thai bank (or a combination). Renewable annually; mandatory Thai health insurance. Not a PR route; spouse needs a separate visa.

Official source →
🇿🇦South Africa

Retired Person's Visa

Retirement
$2,270/mo incomePath to permanent residency4-yr permitFamily included

The Retired Person's Visa requires guaranteed income of ZAR 37,000/month (~$2,270/mo), OR a capital/asset sum, or a combination. No minimum age currently. Income must be passive (pension, annuity, rental, dividends) — active salary/consulting does NOT qualify. Valid 4 years, renewable, and a recognized stepping-stone to permanent residence. CAVEAT: an April-2026 Revised White Paper proposes a minimum age of 55 and higher thresholds — not yet law but pending.

Official source →
🇪🇸Spain

Non-Lucrative Visa

Retirement
$2,600/mo incomeCitizenship in ~10 yrs1-yr permitFamily included

~€2,400/mo passive income (+€600/mo per dependent); no working. PR after 5 years, citizenship after 10 (2 for Ibero-Americans). 183+ days/yr makes you a Spanish tax resident.

Official source →
🇮🇹Italy

Elective Residence Visa

Retirement
$2,800/mo incomeCitizenship in ~10 yrs1-yr permitFamily included

~€31k/yr passive income (doubled per family member); working prohibited. PR after 5 years, citizenship after 10. A 7% flat tax exists for retirees in some southern towns.

Official source →
🇬🇷Greece

Financially Independent Person (FIP) Visa

Retirement
$3,750/mo incomeCitizenship in ~7 yrs2-yr permitFamily included

~€3,500/mo passive income (+20% spouse, +15% per child). PR after 5 years, citizenship after 7. A 7% flat tax on foreign income for 15 years for foreign retirees.

Official source →
🇲🇽Mexico

Temporary Resident Visa (Retirement)

Retirement
$4,400/mo incomeCitizenship in ~5 yrs1-yr permitFamily included

~$4,400/mo income (6 mo) OR ~$74,000 savings (12 mo) — the savings route suits retirees. Renewable to 4 years then PR; citizenship after 5.

Official source →
🇵🇭Philippines

Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV)

Retirement
$20,000 depositPath to permanent residency999-mo permitFamily included

Deposit-based: SRRV Smile needs a $20,000 deposit (age 35+) for indefinite, permanent, multiple-entry residency with no renewals. A Classic variant ($10k deposit + $800/mo pension) also exists.

Official source →
🇳🇿New Zealand

Temporary Retirement Visitor Visa

Retirement
$449,000 depositTemporary residency2-yr permitFamily included

The Temporary Retirement Visitor Visa requires ALL of: age 66+; NZD 750,000 (~$449,000) invested in acceptable NZ investments for the 2-year term (NOT a home/boat/car); an additional NZD 500,000 (~$300k) maintenance funds; AND annual income of NZD 60,000+ (~$3,000/mo). Valid up to 2 years; reapplication for further 2-year terms is possible but it does NOT lead to permanent residence. A partner may be included; dependent children may NOT accompany.

Official source →

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Information only, not legal advice — we never file anything with any government. Requirements change; verify with the official source or a licensed immigration advisor before you apply.

Retirement visas: FAQ

How much income do I need for a retirement visa in 2026?

Across the 24 programs here, the income bar ranges from about $600 to $4,400 per month. The most accessible is the Nicaragua Residente Pensionado at roughly $600/month.

Which retirement & passive-income visas lead to permanent residency?

20 of these 24 routes have a defined path to permanent residency, including Nicaragua, Cyprus, Turkey, Portugal. A few also open a route to citizenship over time — each card notes which.

Are these requirements official?

Every program links its official government source, and the figures are 2026 USD-equivalents that drift with exchange rates and annual resets. Treat them as "verify at application" — this is information, not legal advice.

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