South Africa · Retire or live on savings

South Africa PR · Financially independent

Assets needed: ZAR 12M+ ≈ $725k

Permanent residence as a financially independent person (Immigration Act s27(f))

First checked against official sources on 10 Oct 2026Change log

Key facts

PR · Financially independent is a retire or live on savings route for South Africa. Applicants need assets of ZAR 12M+ ≈ $725k. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.

Money needed: ZAR 12M+ ≈ $725k
Government fees: ZAR 120k ≈ $7,250 · ZAR 1,520 ≈ $92
Processing: 240 days

Cost, time and long term

To apply: government fees ZAR 122k ≈ $7,350 in total (2 fees); assets to show ZAR 12M+ ≈ $725k; decision: 240 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.

Government feesZAR 120k ≈ $7,250 · ZAR 1,520 ≈ $92

ZAR 120,000 (≈ $7,250)Part of the net worth, paid to the Director-General upon approval of the application.
ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92)Permanent residence permit fee.

Shown, not spentZAR 12M+ ≈ $725k

ZAR 12,000,000 (≈ $725,000)Minimum net worth for permanent residence as a financially independent person (Gazette notice 454 of 3 June 2014).

Permanent residenceConditions

This route grants permanent residence directly under section 27(f), based on the prescribed net worth and a payment made when the application is approved.

Department of Home Affairs, South Africa

CitizenshipAfter 5 years

After permanent residence you can apply for naturalisation once you have five continuous years of ordinary residence and have not been absent from South Africa for more than 90 days in any year of that period.

Government of South Africa Department of Home Affairs, South Africa

Processing240 days

Home Affairs turnaround time: 240 days. Working days only; this applies to applications submitted inside South Africa and processed at Home Affairs head office.

Department of Home Affairs, South Africa

Where to applyAbroad or in-country

Apply in person on the permanent residence form, either at the South African mission abroad for your country of usual residence or inside South Africa while you hold a valid temporary visa.

Department of Home Affairs, South Africa

Presence rulesAbsence limits

Permanent residence can be withdrawn if you are absent from South Africa for more than three years (the Director-General can extend this on application) or do not take up residence within one year of the permit being issued.

Department of Home Affairs, South Africa

What you'll need

Who can apply1

The applicant is a foreigner of good and sound character.

What you must show3

Net worth of at least ZAR 12,000,000 (≈ $725,000) is required, of which ZAR 120,000 (≈ $7,250) is paid to the Director-General on approval.
The permanent residence permit application fee is ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92).
The White Paper proposes replacing this permit with an investment-based visa tied to a prescribed share of net worth invested in South Africa.

Documents3

Proof of net worth and a written undertaking to pay the prescribed amount to the Director-General are submitted.
A police clearance certificate is required from each country where the applicant lived 12 months or longer in the past five years after age 18.
A medical report from a registered medical practitioner, not older than six months, is submitted.

Steps2

The application is made on Form BI-947, with biometrics for applicants over 16.
Applications made abroad go to the South African mission in the applicant's country of usual residence.

When you become tax resident

How South Africa decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Tax residence: More than 91 days in a tax year and each of the 5 preceding tax yearsPhysical presence test: more than 91 days in the current year and in each of the five preceding years.
More than 915 days in 5 tax years preceding the current yearPhysical presence test: more than 915 days in total over the five preceding years.
At least 330 days in a continuous period outside South AfricaA physical-presence resident outside the country for at least 330 continuous full days ceases to be resident from the day of departure.
Foreign-source income: South African tax residents, whether ordinarily resident or meeting the physical presence test, are taxed on worldwide income at 18% to 45% for the 2027 tax year (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027); non-residents are taxed only on South African-source income.

All tax rules for South Africa Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026

Official site

Full official text

Permanent residence for a foreigner of good character who proves a prescribed minimum net worth and pays a prescribed amount to the Director-General on approval; no temporary visa is needed first. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6}

What you must show and pay

Assets of at least ZAR 12,000,000 (≈ $725,000) · Minimum net worth for permanent residence as a financially independent person (Gazette notice 454 of 3 June 2014). ^{5 7}
A fee of ZAR 120,000 (≈ $7,250) · Part of the net worth, paid to the Director-General upon approval of the application. ⁵
A fee of ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92) · Permanent residence permit fee. ⁴

Requirements

The applicant is a foreigner of good and sound character. ⁷
Net worth of at least ZAR 12,000,000 (≈ $725,000) is required, of which ZAR 120,000 (≈ $7,250) is paid to the Director-General on approval. ⁵
The permanent residence permit application fee is ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92). ⁴
The White Paper proposes replacing this permit with an investment-based visa tied to a prescribed share of net worth invested in South Africa. ³
Proof of net worth and a written undertaking to pay the prescribed amount to the Director-General are submitted. ²
A police clearance certificate is required from each country where the applicant lived 12 months or longer in the past five years after age 18. ⁶
A medical report from a registered medical practitioner, not older than six months, is submitted. ⁶
The application is made on Form BI-947, with biometrics for applicants over 16. ⁶
Applications made abroad go to the South African mission in the applicant's country of usual residence. ⁶

Stay

Permanent residence.

Work

Same rights as a South African citizen, apart from those the law or the Constitution reserves to citizens.

Checked 2026-10-10

Official sources

Permanent Residency · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
Immigration Regulations (updated to 2018) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
Cabinet-approved Final Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, 26 March 2026 · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-03-26
Regulation Gazette 55209: First amendment of the regulations on fees (Immigration Act) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-08-17
Notice 454: Minimum net worth in respect of application for permanent residence permit · Department of Home Affairs, Government Gazette No. 37716 (3 June 2014) · checked 2026-10-11
Permanent Residency (categories, form BI-947, documents) · Department of Home Affairs · checked 2026-10-11
Immigration Act 13 of 2002 (consolidated to 2014) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
South African Citizenship Amendment Act 17 of 2010 · Government of South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
Regulations on the South African Citizenship Act, 1995 (Government Notice 1122 of 2012) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
Turnaround times for visa and permit related services · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12

PR · Financially independent and its alternatives

Route	Money needed	Stay	Work
PR · Financially independent	Needs assets of ZAR 12M+ ≈ $725k	–	–
PR · Retired person	Needs income of ZAR 37k+ a month ≈ $2,240	–	–
Retired Person Visa	Needs income of ZAR 37k+ a month ≈ $2,240	4 yr, renewable	No
Own-means residence card Morocco	–	10 yr, renewable	–
Retired non-citizen permit Mauritius	Needs income of $2,000+ a month	10 yr, renewable	No

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the PR · Financially independent?

Assets of at least ZAR 12,000,000 (≈ $725,000). Minimum net worth for permanent residence as a financially independent person (Gazette notice 454 of 3 June 2014). A fee of ZAR 120,000 (≈ $7,250). Part of the net worth, paid to the Director-General upon approval of the application. A fee of ZAR 1,520 (≈ $92). Permanent residence permit fee.

How long can I stay on the PR · Financially independent?

Permanent residence.

How long does the PR · Financially independent take to process?

Home Affairs turnaround time: 240 days.

Can I work on the PR · Financially independent?

Same rights as a South African citizen, apart from those the law or the Constitution reserves to citizens.

Does the PR · Financially independent lead to permanent residence in South Africa?

This route grants permanent residence directly under section 27(f), based on the prescribed net worth and a payment made when the application is approved. Time on the PR · Financially independent counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years.

How are PR · Financially independent holders taxed in South Africa?

No special regime in our records is tied to the PR · Financially independent. The standard rules apply: South African tax residents, whether ordinarily resident or meeting the physical presence test, are taxed on worldwide income at 18% to 45% for the 2027 tax year (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027); non-residents are taxed only on South African-source income.

More in South Africa

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Retirement and live-on-savings visas elsewhere

🇰🇪 Class K · Ordinary resident 🇳🇬 Retiree from abroad (N5B)🇷🇼 Assured income / retiree (K)🇸🇨 Non-working residence

≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

Ask the AI about this route AI

An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.

How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-10 against 10 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

Permanent Residency · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
Immigration Regulations (updated to 2018) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
Cabinet-approved Final Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, 26 March 2026 · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
Regulation Gazette 55209: First amendment of the regulations on fees (Immigration Act) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
Notice 454: Minimum net worth in respect of application for permanent residence permit · Department of Home Affairs, Government Gazette No. 37716 (3 June 2014) · checked 2026-10-11
Permanent Residency (categories, form BI-947, documents) · Department of Home Affairs · checked 2026-10-11
Immigration Act 13 of 2002 (consolidated to 2014) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
South African Citizenship Amendment Act 17 of 2010 · Government of South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
Regulations on the South African Citizenship Act, 1995 (Government Notice 1122 of 2012) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
Turnaround times for visa and permit related services · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12

Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.