South Africa Retired Person Visa

Min investment

$24,000

Investment routes

Passive income / pension

Time to status

~2–6 months (Department of Home Affairs)

Path to citizenship

Permanent residence is available under the retired-person category; naturalization normally follows years of PR.

Residency requirement

No fixed minimum stay; you must keep meeting the income/asset test. No local work permitted.

Visa-free destinations

Not specified

Dual citizenship allowed

N/A (residency)

Notes

Issued by the Department of Home Affairs under section 20 of the Immigration Act. Notably there is NO minimum age — eligibility is purely financial: proof of at least ZAR 37,000 per month (~US$2,000/mo, ~US$24,000/yr) in guaranteed passive income from a pension, retirement annuity or irrevocable trust, or an equivalent net asset base. Issued for up to 4 years and renewable, with a permanent-residence route available under the same category. No local employment allowed. Very low cost of living and excellent private hospitals, offset by high crime in parts of the country.

About South Africa

Healthcare

★★★★★

Safety

★★★★★

Cost of living

Low

Climate

Temperate