South Africa · Retire or live on savings
South Africa Retired Person Visa
Income needed: ZAR 37k+ a month ≈ $2,240
Retired Person Visa (Immigration Act s20)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Retired Person Visa is a retire or live on savings route for South Africa. Applicants need income of ZAR 37k+ a month ≈ $2,240. You can stay 4 yrs, renewable. You can't take local work. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
- Money needed
- ZAR 37k+ a month ≈ $2,240
- Government fees
- ZAR 425 ≈ $26
- Processing
- 120 days
- First stay
- 4 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee ZAR 425 ≈ $26; income to show ZAR 37k+/mo ≈ $2,240; decision: 120 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesZAR 425 ≈ $26
- ZAR 425 (≈ $26)Application fee (including renewal) under section 20 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026.
Shown, not spentZAR 37k+/mo ≈ $2,240 · ZAR 37k+/mo ≈ $2,240
- ZAR 37,000 a month (≈ $2,240)Alternative: net worth in assets realising the prescribed amount per month, which the Department of Home Affairs sets at ZAR 37,000 (≈ $2,240).
- ZAR 37,000 a month (≈ $2,240)Minimum payment for life from a pension, irrevocable annuity or retirement account from the country of origin, as set by the Minister.
RenewalRenewable
Issued for up to four years and can be renewed one or more times while you still meet the pension or net worth minimum.
Permanent residenceConditions
Retired people who meet the prescribed monthly pension or net worth can apply for permanent residence under section 27(e).
CitizenshipTime here doesn't count
Naturalisation needs permanent residence first, then five continuous years of ordinary residence. Time on a temporary visa does not count.
Processing120 days
Home Affairs turnaround time: 120 days. Working days only; this applies to applications submitted inside South Africa and processed at Home Affairs head office.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Apply in person at the South African mission where you normally live, or through a VFS centre. If you already hold a valid status other than a visitor's visa, you can apply to change status inside South Africa at least 60 days before your visa expires.
Presence rulesStay rule
The visa can allow seasonal or continuous stay, so you do not have to be in South Africa all year.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Time on this route doesn't count toward citizenship
- Work isn't allowed on this route
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- No age limit is currently set.
- The March 2026 White Paper proposes keeping the visa with a new minimum age of at least 55.
What you must show1
- The White Paper proposes a higher retirement annuity requirement.
Documents3
- Police clearance from each country of residence of 12 months or longer since age 18 is required.
- Medical and radiology reports are required.
- Proof of medical cover is required.
When you become tax resident
How South Africa decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 4 years at first, renewable
- 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
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Proof of medical cover is required
- Police certificate and civil documents
Police clearance from each country of residence of 12 months or longer since age 18 is required
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Visa for a foreigner who intends to retire in South Africa and has a lifelong pension, annuity or retirement account paying the prescribed minimum, or the prescribed net worth. 1 2 3 4 5
What you must show and pay
- Assets of at least ZAR 37,000 a month (≈ $2,240) · Alternative: net worth in assets realising the prescribed amount per month, which the Department of Home Affairs sets at ZAR 37,000 (≈ $2,240). 1 2
- Income of at least ZAR 37,000 a month (≈ $2,240) · Minimum payment for life from a pension, irrevocable annuity or retirement account from the country of origin, as set by the Minister. 1
- A fee of ZAR 425 (≈ $26) · Application fee (including renewal) under section 20 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026. 4
Requirements
- No age limit is currently set. 5
- The March 2026 White Paper proposes keeping the visa with a new minimum age of at least 55. 5
- The White Paper proposes a higher retirement annuity requirement. 5
- Police clearance from each country of residence of 12 months or longer since age 18 is required. 1
- Medical and radiology reports are required. 1
- Proof of medical cover is required. 1
Stay
- May allow seasonal or continuous stay for up to four years, renewable one or more times.
- First stay: up to 48 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
No right to work by default; the Director-General may authorise work on conditions.
Family
Spouse and dependent children may be issued an appropriate visa (Immigration Act s20(1A) for retired persons; s15(1) for business; reg 18(7) for critical skills).
Official sources
- South African Visas (types of temporary residence visas) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Regulations (updated to 2018) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Act 13 of 2002 (consolidated to 2014) · 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 · published 2026-08-17
- 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
- Permanent Residency · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
- South African Citizenship Act 88 of 1995 · Government of South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
- South African Citizenship Amendment Act 17 of 2010 · Government of South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
- Turnaround times for visa and permit related services · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
Retired Person Visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retired Person Visa | Needs income of ZAR 37k+ a month ≈ $2,240 | 4 yr, renewable | No |
| PR · Financially independent | Needs assets of ZAR 12M+ ≈ $725k | – | – |
| PR · Retired person | Needs income of ZAR 37k+ a month ≈ $2,240 | – | – |
| 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 Retired Person Visa?
Assets of at least ZAR 37,000 a month (≈ $2,240). Alternative: net worth in assets realising the prescribed amount per month, which the Department of Home Affairs sets at ZAR 37,000 (≈ $2,240). Income of at least ZAR 37,000 a month (≈ $2,240). Minimum payment for life from a pension, irrevocable annuity or retirement account from the country of origin, as set by the Minister. A fee of ZAR 425 (≈ $26). Application fee (including renewal) under section 20 of the Immigration Act, Fees Regulations as amended 17 August 2026.
How long can I stay on the Retired Person Visa?
May allow seasonal or continuous stay for up to four years, renewable one or more times.
How long does the Retired Person Visa take to process?
Home Affairs turnaround time: 120 days.
Can I work on the Retired Person Visa?
No. No right to work by default; the Director-General may authorise work on conditions.
Can I bring my family on the Retired Person Visa?
Spouse and dependent children may be issued an appropriate visa (Immigration Act s20(1A) for retired persons; s15(1) for business; reg 18(7) for critical skills).
Does the Retired Person Visa lead to permanent residence in South Africa?
Retired people who meet the prescribed monthly pension or net worth can apply for permanent residence under section 27(e). Time on the Retired Person Visa doesn't count toward citizenship.
More in South Africa
Retirement and live-on-savings visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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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 9 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.
- South African Visas (types of temporary residence visas) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Regulations (updated to 2018) · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Act 13 of 2002 (consolidated to 2014) · 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
- 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
- Permanent Residency · Department of Home Affairs, South Africa · checked 2026-10-10
- South African Citizenship Act 88 of 1995 · Government of South Africa · checked 2026-10-11
- South African Citizenship Amendment Act 17 of 2010 · Government of 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.