In this report, I share the 10 easiest countries to retire to.
You see, I travel the world and share the cheapest retire early in paradise locations. I left the USA in 2007 and I have lived in or visited 67 countries over the last 15 years. But there are three main categories of people that have a hard time qualifying for retirement visas overseas, for one reason or another. More on that in a moment.
You see, I have over 174 reports teaching people how and where to retire cheap in paradise overseas. Sadly, some people will not be able to qualify for all of the retirement destinations I recommend, for one reason or another.
Some even visit and fall in love with one of my recommended paradise locations, by later find out, they don’t qualify to retire there because of some obscure technicality buried deep in the immigration regulations of the host country.
Examples of technicalities include monthly pensions minimums, failed medical testing requirements, obscure or expensive health insurance requirements, weak home-country passports, lack of acceptable proof of income or net worth requirements, poor communication skills during immigration entry interviews, the unwillingness of your home country Embassy to certify home country documents, or criminal records in your home country,
Luckily, most people that really want to, are able to find a way to get a retirement visa in paradise. But sadly, even if you qualify for a retirement visa today, some countries do not have grandfathered clauses in their retirement visa regulations.
That means that, if you do not obtain permanent residency in your paradise location before the rules change in the future when it comes time to renew your retirement visa in the future, they may require you to qualify for new rules created since your last visa application.
And finally, some countries go through political or social changes that are unacceptable to you. So even if you are still able to jump through all the hoops, old or new, you still may want to move to a new retirement paradise country you have since learned about.
So what can you do to permanently protect your overseas retirement?
After traveling the world for 15 years, I don’t have all the answers, but I may have some ideas that will lower your blood pressure and make you feel a little better about finding continued happiness in paradise during overseas retirement.
So first I will cover some of the better known easiest retirement visa countries. Then I will cover some of the countries where you can stay for a very long time without jumping through any hoops at all. Then I will share how I have done it for 15 years without ever once applying for a retirement visa anywhere in the world.
But there is no reason to take notes. All of this is in writing at the first link in the description below this Youtube video.
10 Easiest Countries To Retire To
People with lower monthly pensions or net worth.
Some people just don’t have as much money as they thought they would when they reach retirement age. Here are the paradise countries I recommend with the lowest income and net worth requirements. After that, I will share how I live all over the world without bothering to get a retirement visa.
Example Countries with Low Income and/or Networth Requirements
Each of the countries listed below will have various procedures and documentation you must provide to complete your application. Many will require medical testing, police reports, health insurance, and certified financial documents, but in this report, we are just focusing only on the minimum income and/or net worth requirements.
$250 Month: Argentina is the most European city in South America and presently one of the cheaper places to retire in South America because the Peso exchange rate has been hammered internationally over the last few years. At today’s exchange rate you only need about $250 USD income from your home country to qualify for the Argentine retirement (pensionado) visa. Argentina also has a visa that translates into “a person of means” for younger people that can show guaranteed income in the same amounts as the retirement visa. But don’t assume that $250 a month will be enough to live in Argentina. Most foreigners are living on $1000 USD per month or more.
$400 Month: Turkey doesn’t have a retirement visa per se. To stay in Turkey, you must apply for a short-term residency permit. You will have to show a monthly minimum of about $400 which is based upon the minimum wage in Turkey for one person but will increase depending upon the number of dependents you have. These can be renewed for up to 8 years when you need to apply for a long-term residency,
$600 Month: Nicaragua has two different kinds of visas for foreigners that can show pension or other dependable income. They are almost the same except that the pensioners visa starts at age 45 and only requires $600 months in pension income, whereas the ‘person of means’ visa starts at age 18 and requires proof of $750 a month income. But don’t assume that $600 a month will be enough to live there. Most foreigners are living on $1000 USD per month or more. Here are my favorite places to retire in Nicaragua.
$750 Month: Portugal is one of the most affordable and beautiful countries in Europe. Applicants from many countries can apply for the D7 visa so long as they can show a passive income of about $750 USD per month for the primary applicant and an additional $375 per spouse or parent and an additional $210 per month for each child. The truth is, most people will need more to retire in Portugal anyway, but it is beautiful if you can afford to live there. Here are my favorite places to retire in Portugal.
$800 Month: Columbia is another beautiful country in South America with a favorable retirement visa program. For Americans and many other countries, you can apply for a retirement visa if you have about $800 USD in pension or other retirement income from your home country. My favorite city for retirement in Colombia would be Medellin. It has year-round spring weather so it is never too hot or cold. Here are my favorite retirement cities in Colombia.
$1000 Month: Peru is another one of my favorite retirement destinations in the world. My favorite place to retire in Peru is Arequipa. Americans and many other countries can retire in Peru by showing $1000 USD per month and $500 per month for each additional dependent. That monthly amount must enter Peru from a bank in another country and can be from pensions, dividends, or other interest income. Here are my favorite retirement cities in Peru.
$1000 Month: Chile requires showing at least $1000 USD per month but is liberal about the source of the income such as rents, dividends, interest, pensions, etc. The only catch is that the minimum amount might be higher in parts of Chile that have a high cost of living and nothing is written in stone. But it should be at least $1000. Many of my friends have been to Chile and I hope to go and do a full report soon, but I have no been there yet myself.
$1000 Month: Panama is one of the most beautiful countries in Central America. Plus, Panama has a retirement visa available to citizens of many countries such as America for anyone age 18 years or older. The minimum monthly pension requirement is $1000 USD per month plus $250 USD per dependent of the applicant. Many countries can enter Panama with visa-free countries but you must apply for a retirement visa in Panama via a local Panamanian lawyer.
$1275 Month: Ecuador is one of my favorite paradise countries in the world for a high quality of life at a lower cost of living. My favorite city for retirement in Ecuador is Cuenca. Americans and many other countries are given 90 days visa-free upon entry. The retirement visa requires proof of income of $1275 USD per month plus $250 USD per dependent. You must be 65 years old and complete all of the other requirements for a retirement visa. Here are my favorite retirement cities in Ecuador.
$1500 Month: Bali is one of the most beautiful places in the world to retire cheap in paradise. Bali Indonesia requires showing $1500 USD retirement income and you must be 55 years of age. There are also other requirements w3hich are subject to do change over time. 55, 18 months on passport, health insurance, 3 months bank statements, $1500 month retirement income.
$1666 Month: The Philippines have a retirement visa that almost nobody bothers applying for. You see, residents of most countries can stay in the Philippines lawfully for up to 36 months just by extending the visa-free entry stamp they receive upon arrival in the Philippines. They just visit the immigration office in the Philippines and renew at the rate of about $30 USD per month. But if you are one of the people that applies for the Philippines retirement visa, you will need to show any one of the following: $20k retirement income per year, $20k invested in a Philippines bank, or $20k invested in a Philippines condo. Here are my favorite places to retire in the Philippines.
$2000 Month: Thailand still has its $2000 USD per month retirement visa for 50+-year-olds. They can also qualify by putting about $25k USD in a Thai bank or $2000 income. These old-school Tahi visas are still available despite the new Elite Thai visa that has been introduced with much higher deposits and benefits.
$2700 Month: Mexico is no longer competitive in a global sense as an overseas retirement destination. I love Mexico. But I am only mentioning Mexico’s retirement visa now as a way of showing how ridiculous Mexico’s income requirements have become as compared to other retirement meccas. Mexico has raised its minimum temporary residency requirements to around $2700 USD per month which varies with the Peso-USD conversion rate. To make matters worse, it is not perfectly clear whether or not you will be able to eventually convert your temporary residency permit to permanent status and eventual citizenship without qualifying again for the permanent residency income levels. The permanent income levels are now roughly $4500 USD per month and vary according to conversion rates. To throw salt in the wound, you can no longer depend on visa runs to extend your 180-day tourist visa-free entry. Here are my favorite places to retire in Mexico.
How I live all over the world without bothering to get a retirement visa
How to retire on a tourist visa for 14 years”
I have another report where I explain how to retire on a tourist visa. I will put a link to that in the notes below this video, but let me summarize the main idea of that report because it is how I live.
Right now I am in the Philippines. I have been here for about 4 months without getting a retirement visa. I just stay for the period of time that a country gives me visa-free when I enter. The Philippines will give me up to 3 years without requiring me to formally apply for any residence permit or retirement visa. I like that.
The last time I was in the Philippines, I stayed for about 9 months. This time I will probably stay for about one year. I just pay a $30 monthly in extension fees. I don’t need to gather any bank statements, police reports, or have anything certified by my embassy.
Life is too short to deal with such BS. So I just take what the Philippines give me without dealing with any paperwork or other hassles. Many other countries are like this also.
In fact, here is a list of countries that I can slow travel through for over 14 years without applying for any retirement visas. I just take life easy and slow travel the world. I just stay in each country for as long as I feel welcome. When they want to put a big stack of paperwork in front of me, I mossy on down the road and seek greener pastures.
The Americas
| Country | Time (Days) | Region |
| Mexico | 180 | North America |
| Belize | 30 | Central America |
| Guatemala | 90 | Central America |
| Nicaragua | 90 | Central America |
| Costa Rica | 90 | Central America |
| Panama | 90 | Central America |
| Colombia | 90 | South America |
| Ecuador | 90 | South America |
| Peru | 90 | South America |
| Chile | 90 | South America |
| Argentina | 90 | South America |
| Uruguay | 90 | South America |
| Paraguay | 90 | South America |
| Total | 3.5 years |
So, an American can retire in the Americas without getting retirement visas for 3.5 years. They can just cycle back up to Mexico and start it all over again, or head to another part of the world.
You might be wondering, how long is the Asia slow travel circuit for Americans without getting retirement visas?
| Country | Time (Days) | Region |
| Thailand | 30+ 30 | SE Asia |
| Philippines | 1080 | SE Asia |
| Malaysia | 90 | SE Asia |
| Indonesia | 30 | SE Asia |
| Singapore | 90 | SE Asia |
| Sri Lanka | 30 | Asia |
| Taiwan | 90 | Asia |
| Japan | 90 | Asia |
| Hong Kong | 90 | Asia |
| South Korea | 90 | Asia |
| Papua New Guinea | 90 | Oceania |
| Total | 4.8 Years |
How long is the Eastern European slow travel circuit for Americans without getting visas?
| Country | Time (Days) | Region |
| Georgia | 365 | E. Europe |
| Armenia | 180 | E. Europe |
| Turkey | 90 | E. Europe |
| Bulgaria | 90 | E. Europe |
| N. Macedonia | 90 | E. Europe |
| Albania | 365 | E. Europe |
| Kosovo | 90 | E. Europe |
| Montenegro | 90 | E. Europe |
| Serbia | 90 | E. Europe |
| Bosnia | 90 | E. Europe |
| Croatia | 90 | E. Europe |
| Slovenia | 90 | E. Europe |
| Romania | 90 | E. Europe |
| Moldova | 90 | E. Europe |
| Ukraine | 90 | E. Europe |
| Latvia | 90 | E. Europe |
| Total | 5.69 Years |
So I can just slow travel all over the world without bothering with government BS, documents, or headaches. Now I am not saying everything is perfect when you slow travel the world like I do, but just remember, you have choices if some government official turns down your retirement application.
Feel free to watch that video so you will know the pros and cons of slow traveling the world for 14 years without getting a retirement visa. I will put a link to that video and report on my webpage, at the first link in the notes below this video.
But remember, countries can and do change these requirements all the time so do verify the current status of every country’s present requirements before making any decisions or taking any action on this information.
Thank you for reading my report, the 10 Easiest Countries To Retire To.
Make sure to grab a free copy of my eBook: How I Fired My Boss and Traveled the World for 14 Years!
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This is Dan of Vagabond Awake, the Youtube channel for VagabondBuddha.com. Thank you for stopping by. The world is your home. What time will you be home for dinner?