Top Countries for Retirement | Pommie Travels

Retirement is a time to enjoy life at a slower pace, free from offices, traffic, and early school mornings. It’s best spent in countries with a mild climate, accessible healthcare, and friendly people. Here’s a guide to where you can move for your retirement.

Rules for Choosing a Location

When selecting a country for retirement, consider:

• Climate: Do you prefer warm weather year-round or changing seasons?
• Property: Will you rent or buy? Check conditions for foreigners, taxes, and residency options.
• Healthcare: How accessible and high-quality is medical care? Are there English-speaking doctors and insurance options for foreigners?
• Cost of Living: Compare prices for food, transport, and utilities — tourist areas are usually more expensive.
• Openness: What visas are available for retirees, how easy is it to get residency, and how comfortable is integration?
• Safety: Low costs don’t always mean safety — check crime levels.

Where to Retire in Europe?

Europe leads in quality of life, safety, and accessibility for retirees. It offers easy travel, well-developed urban infrastructure, and reliable healthcare.

Portugal

One of the best countries for retirees, Portugal offers a mild climate, affordable costs, and developed healthcare. The average salary is around €1,000, with minimum monthly expenses from €690 per person (excluding rent). International insurance for seniors costs €900–1,000 per year.

Property prices: apartments in the north from €250,000, in the capital from €500,000. Rent: studios in Cascais from €2,000/month, apartments in Lisbon from €4,500/month.

Visa options include the D7 Visa, which requires renting a property and showing passive income from €870/month (+50% for spouse, +30% for a child). Citizenship is possible after 5 years. The Golden Visa is also available with investments from €500,000 in funds — no residence requirement.

Drawbacks: High taxes, mandatory income declaration for retirees, winter humidity, pickpockets in tourist areas, and language barriers outside major cities.

Cyprus

An island with 330 sunny days a year, English-speaking environment, and developed healthcare. Foreign residents with a residency permit receive a GESY card — primary care is free, others covered by insurance or out-of-pocket. Minimum monthly expenses per person start from €880 (excluding rent and insurance). A couple with occasional dining and entertainment needs about €2,000/month.

Taxes are moderate: retirees pay 0–35% on income or 5% on foreign pensions above €3,420 + 2.65% for GESY contributions. Non-Dom status can optimise taxes.

Residency options include Financially Independent Person permits (income from €2,000/month) or permanent residency through investment by buying property from €300,000. Residency is indefinite, renewed every 5 years.

Drawbacks: Island location means additional travel costs; Cyprus is not in the Schengen Zone, so travel across Europe requires visas.

Greece

Residency is available with income from €2,000/month and renting or buying property. The 5-year renewable Golden Visa grants residence for the whole family with property purchases from €250,000. Options include small apartments near Athens or homes on beautiful Greek islands.

Greek residency allows Schengen travel. Citizenship is possible after 7 years, subject to residency and a language exam. Monthly expenses for a couple start from €1,600. Private clinics offer high-quality care, but public healthcare can be overloaded.

Pros: Warm climate, delicious cuisine, friendly locals, respect for the elderly, rich culture.

Cons: Bureaucracy and weaker infrastructure in remote areas.

Other European options: Slovenia — moderate climate, good healthcare, but moving without an EU passport is difficult. Serbia — affordable housing, residency possible via property purchase, insurance costs around €20/month.

Other Continents

If cultural differences, unfamiliar languages, and new cuisines are not barriers, Asia and Latin America offer attractive retirement options.

Malaysia

A 5-year renewable residency visa is available with a deposit of £227,000 and proof of passive income from £9,000/month. Cost of living is nearly half that of Lisbon. Healthcare is high quality, and English-speaking doctors are available. Prices for foreigners may be higher than for locals.

Thailand

Retirees can obtain a 1-year renewable visa with income from £1,722/month. Property purchase is not required. Living costs in Pattaya are about 30% lower than in Lisbon. Many retirees prefer villas on islands, away from main tourist areas. Quiet and scenic, but few activities besides the ocean and Thai massages.

Costa Rica

Known as the “American Switzerland,” Costa Rica is environmentally clean, with 98% of energy from renewable sources. Residency requires proof of income from £1,000/month. Foreign income is tax-free. Costa Rica is among the more expensive countries in Latin America — monthly expenses are about 24% higher than in Buenos Aires — yet still cheaper than many European cities.

Astons’ immigration investment experts are well-versed in global residency and citizenship by investment programs. Contact the company for a free consultation — its specialists will select the optimal program for your needs and provide a ready-to-follow action plan.