Home / Residency / Retirement residency
You can secure residence in 12 countries on a pension, regular passive income or a bank deposit instead of a large investment. Of the 14 routes compared here, a foreign pension is generally outside the income tax on 8, partly taxed on 1 and taxed as worldwide income on 5. Compiled by Mirabello Consultancy from official sources; anything we could not confirm is marked as such.
Check which route fits youMCP
The short answer
Mirabello Consultancy compares 14 retirement and passive-income residence routes in 12 countries that qualify on a pension, regular income or a deposit rather than a large investment. Panama's pensionado route asks for a lifetime pension of PAB 1,000 (≈ US$1,000) a month and is permanent from grant; the Philippines SRRV needs a refundable deposit from US$15,000; the Dominican Republic asks pensioners for US$1,500 a month. Foreign income is generally untaxed in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, and taxed as worldwide income in Brazil, Colombia, Cyprus, Mexico and Portugal.
Evidence: Servicio Nacional de Migración · Philippine Retirement Authority · UAE Government portal (u.ae) · Diario Oficial de la Federación · Mirabello MCP server · As of 8 October 2026
Foreign-income tax
A residence permit and tax residence are different things. The permit decides where you may live; tax residence, which each country defines in its own law, decides who may tax your pension. We give every route one of three plain labels for the income a retiree typically has: a foreign pension, dividends, interest and rents.
The country has no personal income tax, or taxes only income earned inside its borders (a territorial system), so a pension paid from abroad generally stays outside its income tax. Today: the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates.
Some foreign income is taxed and some is not, or an elective regime changes the answer. Today: Uruguay, which taxes foreign dividends and interest unless a new resident elects its tax holiday.
Residents are taxed on worldwide income, so your foreign pension is taxed here once you are tax-resident, subject to any treaty with the paying country. We include these routes because the residence itself is straightforward and in demand: Brazil, Colombia, Cyprus, Mexico and Portugal.
Comparison table
There is no universal winner: the right route depends on your income, your nationality and where you want to be taxed. Figures are shown in the currency the law sets, with an indicative US dollar value. Read the official source in the last column before you rely on any number: thresholds change, and some are re-priced every year with a minimum wage or an index.
| Country and route | Income requirement | Net-worth or deposit alternative | Minimum stay | Foreign-income tax | Path to PR or citizenship | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominican RepublicPensioner residence (Ley 171-07) | US$1,500 a monthPension+ US$250 per dependant | None | Not stated by the official source | UntaxedTerritorial: local-source income only † | One-year permit, renewable. The step to permanent residence is not confirmed by an official source. | Dirección General de MigraciónRead 8 October 2026 |
| Dominican RepublicRentier residence (Ley 171-07) | US$2,000 a monthPassive income+ US$250 per dependant | None | Not stated by the official source | UntaxedTerritorial: local-source income only † | One-year permit, renewable. The step to permanent residence is not confirmed by an official source. | Dirección General de MigraciónRead 8 October 2026 |
| GuatemalaPensioner and rentier permanent residence | Not yet officially confirmed | None | Not stated by the official source | UntaxedTerritorial: local-source income only † | Permanent residence directly. Naturalisation generally after 5 years (2 for Central American, Spanish and Ibero-American nationals). | Instituto Guatemalteco de MigraciónThe official document has moved; we are locating its new addressRead 22 September 2026 |
| PanamaPensionado (retiree) permanent residence | PAB 1,000 a month (≈ US$1,000)Pension+ PAB 250 per dependantPAB 750 a month if you bought Panamanian property over B/. 100,000 | None | Not stated by the official source | UntaxedTerritorial: local-source income only † | Permanent from grant. Naturalisation after 5 consecutive years, with renunciation of your prior nationality. | Servicio Nacional de MigraciónRead 8 October 2026 |
| PanamaRentista Retirado (retired rentier) residence | PAB 850 a month (≈ US$850)Passive income | Fixed-term deposit at Banco Nacional de Panamá or Caja de Ahorros, held at least 5 years; no fixed amount, it must yield the income | Not stated by the official source | UntaxedTerritorial: local-source income only † | Temporary residence for 5 years, renewable; the official sheet does not convert it to permanent residence. | Servicio Nacional de MigraciónRead 8 October 2026 |
| ParaguayInvestor Pass, financial-instruments route | No income test | US$200,000In Paraguayan financial instruments, with no job-creation duty | One visit every 3 yearsNot re-confirmed on an official source | UntaxedTerritorial: local-source income only † | Permanent residence. A citizenship path is not covered by our verified data. | Ministerio de Industria y Comercio |
| PhilippinesSpecial Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV Classic)Age 40+ | Optional: a pension of US$800 a month lowers the deposit | Refundable deposit of US$15,000 at age 50+ with the pension, US$30,000 without; higher from age 40 to 49 | None: no obligation to stay in the country | UntaxedTerritorial: local-source income only † | The SRRV is itself permanent residence. No direct citizenship path. | Philippine Retirement Authority |
| United Arab EmiratesRetirement residence visaAge 55+ | AED 180,000 a year (≈ US$48,960)Pension or passive incomeAED 240,000 (≈ US$65,280) a year if you apply from Dubai | Property of at least AED 1,000,000 and savings of at least AED 1,000,000, instead of the income test | Not stated by the official source | UntaxedNo personal income tax † | 5-year visa, renewable. No permanent residence category and no citizenship route. | UAE Government portal (u.ae)Read 8 October 2026 |
| UruguayLegal residence for rentiers, retirees and pensioners | No fixed minimum; assessed case by case | None | Not stated by the official source | Partly taxedSome foreign income taxed | Legal permanent residence directly. A citizenship path is not covered by our verified data. | Dirección Nacional de MigraciónRead 8 October 2026 |
| BrazilVITEM XIV retiree visa | US$2,000 a monthPension | None | Not stated by the official source | Taxed hereWorldwide income once tax-resident † | Temporary visa; register with the Federal Police within 90 days. Conversion to permanent residence is not confirmed officially. | Ministério das Relações ExterioresRead 8 October 2026 |
| ColombiaM-Pensionado migrant visa | COP 5,252,715 a month (≈ US$1,310)Pension | None | Not stated by the official source | Taxed hereWorldwide income once tax-resident † | Time on the visa counts towards the Resident (R) visa after 5 years. | Cancillería de ColombiaRead 8 October 2026 |
| CyprusCategory F permanent residenceNon-EU nationals only | Not yet officially confirmed | None | Not stated by the official source | Taxed hereWorldwide income once tax-resident † | Category F is itself permanent residence; you may not work in Cyprus. | Civil Registry and Migration DepartmentRead 6 October 2026 |
| MexicoPermanent residency by economic solvency | MXN 133,733.40 a month (≈ US$7,580)Pension+ MXN 25,808.20 per dependant | MXN 5,378,663.50 (≈ US$304,860)Average savings or investment balance over 12 months, instead of the income test | None to keep the permanent card | Taxed hereWorldwide income once tax-resident † | Direct permanent residency. Naturalisation after 5 years (2 for Latin American and Iberian nationals). | Diario Oficial de la FederaciónRead 8 October 2026 |
| PortugalD7 visa for pensions and passive incomeNon-EU nationals only | Not yet officially confirmed | None | Genuine residence in Portugal expectedNot re-confirmed on an official source | Taxed hereWorldwide income once tax-resident † | Permanent residence after 5 years with A2 Portuguese. Naturalisation after 10 years (7 for CPLP nationals). | Ministério dos Negócios EstrangeirosRead 8 October 2026 |
"Not yet officially confirmed" means our data holds a figure but we could not read it on the official source recently, so we do not publish it. US dollar values are indicative only; the authority applies its own rate. MXN at about 17.64 per US dollar (Mirabello indicative rate). PAB is at par with the US dollar by law. AED at about 3.68 per US dollar (Mirabello indicative rate). COP at about 4,000 per US dollar (Mirabello indicative rate). "Not stated by the official source" means the official page sets no minimum stay; that is not proof that none exists, so confirm before you rely on it. † The tax label rests on a secondary source or is still being confirmed with the tax authority. Routes marked "Non-EU nationals only" are not open to EU, EEA or Swiss citizens, who use free movement instead. Ask a specialist to check your case.
Route by route
Dominican Republic · Untaxed
For pensioners whose pension comes from a foreign government, official body or private company; salary income does not count. Ley 171-07 exempts the income declared to qualify from income tax, a point we are still confirming with the tax authority.
Dominican Republic · Untaxed
The rentier version of Ley 171-07 requires stable, permanent foreign-source income for at least five years. It carries the same renewable one-year permit and the same open question on the step to permanent residence.
Guatemala · Untaxed
Guatemala grants permanent residence directly to pensioners and rentiers and taxes only Guatemalan-source income. We read the income floor in the official Reglamento in September, but the official text has since moved, so the figure is withheld until it is read again.
Panama · Untaxed
Open to anyone with a lifetime pension from a government, an international organisation or a private company, and spouses may combine pensions. The permit is permanent from the day it is granted, and Panama taxes only Panama-source income, so a foreign pension sits outside its income tax.
Full route guide Panama Qualified Investor visa See in the table
Panama · Untaxed
For people without a pension: the monthly income must come entirely from interest on a fixed-term deposit held at least five years with Banco Nacional de Panamá or Caja de Ahorros. It gives renewable temporary residence rather than permanent residence.
Paraguay · Untaxed
Not an income route but a net-worth one: an investment in Paraguayan financial instruments, with no duty to create jobs or manage a business. Paraguay taxes only Paraguayan-source income.
Philippines · Untaxed
Needs a refundable bank deposit, which a lifetime pension reduces, and carries no obligation to live in the Philippines. Foreign nationals are taxed only on Philippine-source income.
United Arab Emirates · Untaxed
A five-year renewable visa for people aged 55 or over who have worked at least 15 years, qualifying on income or on property plus savings. There is no personal income tax; there is also no permanent residence or citizenship route.
Uruguay · Partly taxed
Legal permanent residence on proof of regular income, with no fixed floor; sufficiency is assessed case by case. Foreign dividends and interest are taxable unless a new resident elects the tax holiday, which is why we label it partly taxed.
Brazil · Taxed here
The retiree version of VITEM XIV, separate from the digital-nomad visa, needs a foreign pension that a bank abroad confirms it can transfer to Brazil every month. Brazil taxes residents on worldwide income, so the pension is taxed once you are tax-resident.
Colombia · Taxed here
Qualifies on a certified lifetime pension pegged to the Colombian minimum wage, so the peso floor changes every January; rental or dividend income uses a separate category. Colombia taxes residents on worldwide income.
Cyprus · Taxed here
Permanent residence for non-EU nationals with secure income from abroad who do not work in Cyprus. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, although the non-dom regime exempts dividends and interest from the defence contribution. The official income threshold could not be read, so no figure is shown.
Mexico · Taxed here
Permanent residency directly, on pension income or on savings, with no minimum stay in the migration law to keep the card. The peso thresholds re-price every February. Mexico taxes residents on worldwide income, so the pension is taxed once you become tax-resident.
Portugal · Taxed here
A residence visa for people living on a pension or passive income, open to non-EU nationals only. It expects genuine residence, and Portugal taxes residents on worldwide income; the IFICI regime does not cover foreign pensions.
Mira, the AI advisor of Mirabello Immigration Intelligence, answers from the same verified data as this table. Tell it your monthly income, savings, age and nationality, and it lists the routes you may qualify for, each with its official source.
Using your own AI assistant? Connect it to the Mirabello MCP server and call find_retirement_routes with your income, net worth and stay preferences. Setup is explained on the MCP page.
Further reading
FAQ
A Mirabello specialist checks your pension or income, your nationality and your tax position, and tells you honestly which route fits, including when none does. Personal reply within 24 hours during working days.
Book a free consultationNot tax advice. This page is general information, not tax, legal or investment advice. Tax follows tax residence, not the residence permit, and depends on your home country's rules, any tax treaty and the type of income. Confirm your position with a qualified tax adviser before you apply or move. Figures are set in the currency of each country's law and were read on the official source on the date shown; US dollar values are indicative.