Getting a visa is always a hassle. The rules and regulations are always changing. When I got my Tier One visa to work as a highly skilled migrant in the UK (I’m an American citizen), I had to deal to with my nearest U.K. consulate, spend a great deal of money on fees and an immigration solicitor (attorney for American readers). If you are a citizen of a western or developed country, you can travel to most of the world’s countries without any hassle simply by showing your passport at the immigration gate and getting it stamped. But to get a special visa that will allow you to stay in another country indefinitely is another matter altogether.
Retirement visas are not as hard to get as some visas, but they are more difficult to get than a mere tourist visa. Most countries do not offer them. Those that do may or may not be helpful in getting you through the process. Here are some general rules regarding retirement visas based on my communications with many different embassies and consulates and my own experience applying for a long term stay visa myself. The regulations will vary somewhat from country to country, but there are general rules that apply:
1. You must be able to prove that you will receive steady income from some source. This may mean a letter from your government stating you are receiving a pension, or from a private company confirming you have a pension. No country wants someone who has no money living indefinitely within its borders. Some countries will demand that you earn a certain income, but generally a developed country’s state pension is enough to cover this requirement.
2. You will probably have to buy private healthcare and show proof of this purchase. No country wants someone who is middle aged or older taxing their own healthcare system. They want to make sure that any immigrant, including retired immigrants, can take of their own healthcare.
3. You must prove you do not have a criminal record. You will have to get from a local law enforcement/police source proof that you do not have a criminal record. No country wants an immigrant who might cause trouble in the future.
4. You will have to pay some fees. Generally these are never more than the equivalent of a few hundred dollars in fees either in the local currency or in dollars or Euros. Retirement visas tend to be affordable.
These are the very basic and general rules for retirement visas. Some wealthy countries that offer retirement visas demand that you give them hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars (Australia, New Zealand, some Caribbean countries). But for developing countries in Latin America, Europe, and Asia that offer retirement visas, the requirements are straight forward and not too difficult to accomplish. A warning: the rules and regulations can be changed at any moment. A consulate or embassy will usually handle the visa. They may arbitrarily decide to reject your application, and you will have no recourse. Be prepared for such an eventuality. It’s unfair, but at the end of the day you are an immigrant with few rights.
