Countries offering retirement visas

ItDontMeanAThing said:
Technically, each year one requests a 1 year extension to their visa. Except for waiting at the immigration office, it's a painless experience.

In six years I've yet to hear or read of anyone being denied an extension to their 'retirement' (usually a non-immigrant type O) visa. Most of the expats I know agree that to be denied an extension, one has to have pissed off somebody important, or there was a major change to the system. But we're speculating.
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Hi, yes I agree that it is pretty routine if you are in the country although you do have get the bank accounts or pension signed off each year.

If you are applying outside of the country however you must get another doctor's check and yet another home country police clearance (that must be notarized by an official before submission to the embassy). If you don't happen to be in your home country, getting the properly notarized police clearance is not easy.

I went through this whole process once for my Philippines residency. And it was more expensive. Although it is permanent (pay a fee once every 3 years only), I don't have to go through the application process ever again. Anyway, I was just trying to make a distinction. I think the My Second Home program in Malaysia is also more towards a permanent visa although it must be renewed every 10 years.
 
Does anyone know how DW and I can retire early to New Zealand? Age 45 and 37 respectively. It seems their retirement visas are for older folks. We only have a 1M NW and a 50k USD pension. I might like to hobby farm a little, but I don't want to open a business.


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surferLife said:
Does anyone know how DW and I can retire early to New Zealand? Age 45 and 37 respectively. It seems their retirement visas are for older folks. We only have a 1M NW and a 50k USD pension. I might like to hobby farm a little, but I don't want to open a business.
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I looked into migrating/retiring to NZ many times over the years. It's hard to do. They don't really want Americans to move there, and put all sorts of barriers in the way. It's easier for a Brit or Ozzie to go. We finally gave up on it. If you learn anything, I'd be interested to see it.
 
Beautiful country but high COL, earthquakes, high winds.

Also people are more prone to get sunburns.

But I'd consider moving there if they offered retirement visas.
 
They do offer retirement visas if you meet certain age and financial requirements. Regarding the British citizenship.... I do have the option to pursue dual citizenship with Britain, so perhaps that angle would be better?


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Update on Vietnam if not already posted previously. U.S. tourists now (as of September 2016) get a default one year visa. So far, authorities are saying no more 1 month or 3 month visas for US passport holders. The one year visa allows staying 3 months max at a time, which means visa runs every 3 months for long-termers, but the visa lasts a full year. For casual tourists, this also means a more expensive visa ~$200 direct from embassy/consulate in US and a bit less if you get ~$25 VOA letter online with $135 "stamping fee" at airport. Arguably, this makes it easier for US residents to stay long term in Vietnam, and unlike Thailand, absolutely no financial or other requirements (medical, police reports, etc.). Sounds pretty automatic.

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I didn't see anyone mention Canada. It's a wonderful country and very welcoming to foreigners. I lived in Toronto for four years and loved it.

Also, Panama has a lot of programs for retirees and actively solicits and provides tax and even travel incentives for new expatriates to come and live there. (New residents means new jobs and income.) There are many high-rise developments marketed directly to foreigners that are full-service residential complexes. The medical care there is supposed to be quite good because their hospital system was originally built and staffed by Americans, and they offer expatriates very inexpensive health insurance - I remember hearing something like $150 per month. It's a very low cost country to live in and they use the US Dollar as currency at 1:1. I have American friends who live there and love it.
 
Canada was giving visas to people with high net-worth willing to invest in the country, like a lot of people who fled Hong Kong in the '90s before the PRC took over.

Or a lot of rich mainland Chinese wanting to park some of their money outside the PRC.

Will they grant visas to people unwilling to "invest" in the country, beyond spending their retirement income there?

As for Panama or Central America in general, I thought people chose these areas for the low COL and proximity to the US, so that they can come back home for major medical procedures, not necessarily for medical tourism.
 
explanade said:
Canada was giving visas to people with high net-worth willing to invest in the country, like a lot of people who fled Hong Kong in the '90s before the PRC took over.

Or a lot of rich mainland Chinese wanting to park some of their money outside the PRC.

Will they grant visas to people unwilling to "invest" in the country, beyond spending their retirement income there?
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You have to either have a sufficient source of foreign income to live from or invest in a business [or both]. More is obviously better. They have a lot of Chinese on the West Coast and a lot of Europeans and Central/South Americans on the East. It is an incredibly multi-cultural country. Canada has a pretty high annual immigration quota. I think it was around 500,000 new immigrants per year when I lived there in the late 90's/early-00's.

explanade said:
As for Panama or Central America in general, I thought people chose these areas for the low COL and proximity to the US, so that they can come back home for major medical procedures, not necessarily for medical tourism.
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Medical tourism is a completely different topic, but living in San Diego I do have a lot of friends who will go to Mexico for their dental work.

In Panama, expats go there for the climate + low COL. They will use the U.S. system for more serious medical procedures. I would if I were them. My point on the Panamanian system is that they provide insurance and can handle serious issues on an emergency basis. Some similar countries are not so well-equipped.
 
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I researched a long stay visa in France for Third Country Nationals, which seems to be the official terms for non-EU foreigners. Although there are many hoops and costs, various sources (I read it on the Internet, so it must be true!) say it's relatively easy compared to other EU countries. Extending that visa or eventually becoming a resident requires learning French, unless you're over 65. There is no test, however your visa renewal appointments will be conducted in French.

The good tax news is they have a treaty with the US for avoiding double taxation. The bad tax news is, for those who have been granted residence (meaning you don't need to keep renewing long stay visas), your estate will be taxed under French law. Can you spell 'confiscatory'?

Once one is granted residency in an EU country, becoming a resident in another EU country is a straightforward process.
 
Only advantage to residency in an EU country might be access to their health care system.

But they won't give that away that easily, though you hear a lot of stories about American tourists needing emergency care while visiting and being treated without a huge bill.

Some countries like Switzerland have private insurance but even if it's better or more affordable than US health insurance (which is probably the most expensive in the world), you pay a high COL there for everything else.
 
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My experience is limited to Mexico and friends who live in Costa Rica. Mexico, IMO, is just as good as a tourist. You get a 6 month tourista visa (although it's up to the discretion of the person who stamps it). 99% get the 6 months. You have to "leave" for 3 days to get another 6 months. We just drove down to Belize or flew back to the states to do some shopping.

The perm resident only benefit the property owners based on my minimal knowledge. People we know who purchased property seemed to regret it most times unless they bought 30 years ago. Still seems a pain vs. renting there. Minor health and dental was pretty easy and affordable there. We kept a policy in the states in case we came down with cancer or something major.

One thing I learned there is that you MUST realize that laws can & do change for foreigners. Tulum has had a couple incidents in recent years where people lose their property near the beach (even if they have a title held by the bank) and basically lose it all. Changes in laws or a group of connected people will target you if you have something they desire. Even if you win, you lose as they take everything inside and you have to replace it...crazy stuff for a sleepy town in Mexico.
 
One thing about South and Central America, at least when you watch House Hunters International, is that a lot of Americans who go down there opt for homes in gated communities.

Or sometimes they're taken aback to see bars on the windows.
 
Does anybody have experience with the Portuguese non-habitual resident status? How easy/hard was getting the visa for first arrival? What about getting the non-habitual resident status after arriving? Was it possible to complete that yourself or did you get local legal help? Any info on the property buying side of things (a residence is one way to claim non-habitual resident status).

I'm considering this as a way to use Portugal as a base for exploring Europe. Maybe go in 2-3 years. Though I have UK citizenship by the time I'm able to go that probably won't matter and I'll be going as a Canadian.
 
Those contemplating South America should be aware that some countries Ecuador and Peru specifically are changing immigration policies for 2017. Without a retirement visa, Peru limits you to 183 days per year and I understand Ecuador may require you to have a 21 month tourist visa, before applying for your residency.
 
Diver said:
Update on Vietnam if not already posted previously. U.S. tourists now (as of September 2016) get a default one year visa. So far, authorities are saying no more 1 month or 3 month visas for US passport holders. The one year visa allows staying 3 months max at a time, which means visa runs every 3 months for long-termers, but the visa lasts a full year. For casual tourists, this also means a more expensive visa ~$200 direct from embassy/consulate in US and a bit less if you get ~$25 VOA letter online with $135 "stamping fee" at airport. Arguably, this makes it easier for US residents to stay long term in Vietnam, and unlike Thailand, absolutely no financial or other requirements (medical, police reports, etc.). Sounds pretty automatic.

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FYI Update as we are now visiting Vietnam. Vietnam has reinstated the option for 1 month and 3 month visas, single or multiple entry (lower cost than 1 year), but they have kept the option of a 1 year visa for US citizens for fee I mentioned above. The one year visa is still an interesting option for retirees that want to use Vietnam as a base for traveling around SE Asia or staying long term. Alot less hassle than the Thailand retirement visa that is also just one year and has alot more financial and other requirements. We have found Vietnam to be comparable or lower cost than Thailand, depending on location. Spent alot of time in both countries the last 2 years.
 
Well I only visited for two weeks but Vietnam seems to have horrible pollution problems, from the scooters to the water which looks dangerous.
 
It's very difficult to move to Canada after you retire, unless you have children there already or a Canadian spouse . Americans can visit for 6 months without a visa, but you have to apply for permanent residency if you want to move there, and they are looking for younger people who will work.
 
Panama's retirement visa, called the Pensionado Visa, is super easy and affordable. To get the pernsionado Visa you'll need to prove $1000 a month in lifetime income for one person or $1250 a month for a couple. It cost less than $1500 to get the Visa and it is good forever. The Pensionado Visa also entitles you to these perks:


  • 50% off on recreation and entertainment such as movies, theaters, sports, etc.
  • 50% off hotels Monday through Thursday (30% off on weekends)
  • 50% off passports
  • 30% off public transportation like buses, trains, and boats
  • 25% off airfare
  • 25% off restaurants (15% off fast food)
  • 25% off electrical, telephone, and water service
  • 20% off doctors and specialists
  • 20% off prosthetics and other personal assistance devices
  • 15% off hospitals and private clinics
  • 15% off dental and optometry services
  • 10% off prescription medications
  • tax-free importation of household goods, up to $10,000
  • tax-free importation of a vehicle, or tax-free purchase of a local vehicle
 
Slovakia and Czech republic: No dice. There is a special ex-patriot program that grants a special passport to descendents of Slovak descent (in Slovakia), but you have to show knowledge of Slovak language and culture, which could be tough unless you were raised in a Slovak-speaking family.

I'm 50% Slovak and have family there. I do not speak the language but am familiar with the culture. Do you have to speak Slovak?
 
National Healthcare alone is a good reason for countries to not give out Visas to older citizens from other countries.

What tickles me about the UK is that all their financial institutions are actively marketing for "401K" investments. The term 401K is the number of the .US law covering that retirement program. The UK essentially copied the U.S. retirement program down to using the name/number 401K.
 
401Ks are inferior to pensions but maybe pensions over there are under duress too.
 
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