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RetirementRetiring in South Africa: Visa, Cost and Where to Live
South Africa's Retired Person's Visa needs either a pension, irrevocable annuity or retirement account that pays at least R37,000 a month for the rest of your life (the current Home Affairs figure), or assets that realise that amount each month. There is no minimum age. Typical monthly costs for a single person living comfortably run from around R9,000 to R22,000 for rent plus R2,500 to R6,000 or more for private medical aid, and popular places to settle include Cape Town, the Garden Route, Hermanus and the KwaZulu-Natal coast.
South Africa draws a steady stream of foreign retirees with its climate, coastline and cost of living. Here is what the visa actually requires, what retirement realistically costs, and where people tend to settle.
The retired person's visa
South Africa's route for retirees is the Retired Person's Visa, a temporary residence visa aimed specifically at people who can support themselves without working locally. The Immigration Act sets no minimum age. What it asks is that you intend to retire in South Africa and can meet the financial test below.
The Act gives two routes. One is the right to a pension, irrevocable annuity or retirement account that will pay you a set monthly minimum from your country of origin for the rest of your life. The other is a minimum net worth, which the regulations define as a combination of assets that realise that monthly amount.
Home Affairs currently lists R37,000 a month, but the Minister can change the figure by notice in the Government Gazette, so confirm it with your nearest South African mission before you apply. Rental and investment income do not fit the pension route, so if you are relying on them, ask the mission how it wants them shown.
Practical tip: if your income comes from multiple sources, say a UK state pension plus a private annuity plus rental income from a property back home, get a letter from each provider confirming the amount and how often it is paid. The regulations ask for originals, or copies authenticated by the body that issued them, and anything not in English or another official South African language needs a translation certified by a sworn translator.
The visa allows a seasonal or continuous stay, which can suit people who split the year between two countries, and a spouse and dependent children who come with you may be issued an appropriate visa of their own. On its own it does not let you work, although the Director-General can authorise a holder to work on conditions he or she sets.
Documents and process
- Proof of pension or net worth: letters or statements showing the monthly pension or annuity payment, or evidence of the assets that make up your net worth and what they realise each month.
- Police clearance certificate from each country where you have lived for 12 months or longer since turning 18, no more than six months old when you submit it.
- Medical and radiological reports: the regulations ask for both. Ministerial Immigration Directive 10 of 2026, published in the Gazette on 17 July 2026, waived the medical report for visa and permanent residence applications. It says nothing about the radiological report (a radiologist's report showing no signs of active tuberculosis, no more than six months old), so check with VFS Global or your nearest mission whether you still need one.
- Valid passport with at least two unused pages, valid for at least 30 days after the end of your intended stay.
- Proof of medical cover, which Home Affairs lists among the documents for this visa.
Applications go through VFS Global or a South African embassy or consulate in the country where you live. Home Affairs lists a turnaround time of 120 working days for a retired person visa, but only for applications lodged inside South Africa, so ask your mission or VFS centre what to expect and start well before your intended move date. The Home Affairs fee is R425 (August 2026), and your VFS centre or mission may add its own charges.
The visa can run for up to four years at a time and can be renewed. Retirees can also apply directly for permanent residence under section 27(e) of the Immigration Act, which has its own pension-or-net-worth test and no stated minimum period of prior residence. Our permanent residence guide covers the categories, and an immigration professional can advise which route suits you.
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What retirement actually costs
For retirees drawing income in dollars, pounds or euros, South Africa is comparatively inexpensive. With the rand trading around R16.5 to the US dollar (early October 2026), monthly budgets that would be tight in the UK or US tend to go considerably further, particularly on housing, domestic help and dining out. Rent is usually the largest line item, and it varies enormously by city and neighbourhood.
| Expense | Typical monthly range (single person, comfortable) |
|---|---|
| Rent (1–2 bed, mid-range suburb) | R9,000 – R22,000 |
| Medical aid (private health cover) | R2,500 – R6,000+ |
| Groceries | R3,500 – R6,000 |
| Utilities & backup power | R1,200 – R2,500 |
| Transport (car costs or ride-hailing) | R1,500 – R4,000 |
Treat these as rough ranges rather than quotes. Rent varies most, and the sought-after seaside suburbs sit at the upper end or above: one-bedroom flats advertised in Sea Point on Property24 in mid-October 2026 were asking roughly R16,000 to R23,000 a month. Our Cape Town and Durban cost of living guides go city by city.
Healthcare deserves particular attention. South Africa's public hospitals are stretched, and private medical aid is the usual way to pay for private care, so it needs proper budgeting. Schemes may apply waiting periods of up to three months in general and up to 12 months for conditions you already have, and may charge a late-joiner penalty if you join at 35 or older, so ask about all three before you choose.
Our comparison of the best medical aid in South Africa breaks down what the major schemes actually charge, which is worth reading before you commit to a plan.
Where retirees settle
Cape Town and the Atlantic Seaboard / Southern Suburbs
The most popular choice by a clear margin: mountain and ocean scenery, an established international community, good private healthcare, and a mild Mediterranean-style climate. It is also the most expensive part of the country to live in, particularly along the Atlantic Seaboard.
The Garden Route (Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, George)
A quieter alternative with dramatic coastal and forest scenery, smaller expat communities, and noticeably lower property prices than Cape Town, at the cost of fewer flight connections and a smaller pool of specialist medical services. If you would rather buy than rent, foreigners can generally buy residential property in South Africa, and our guide to buying property as a foreigner covers how financing and transfer costs work.
Hermanus and the Overberg
An hour and a half from Cape Town, known for whale watching season and a slower pace, popular with retirees who want coastal living without big-city costs.
KwaZulu-Natal coast (Ballito, Umhlanga)
Warmer year-round climate than the Cape, strong golf and beach culture, and generally lower cost of living than Cape Town, with Durban's airport and private hospitals within easy reach.
Tax and financial planning
Spend enough time in South Africa and you may become a tax resident under SARS's rules, either through the ordinarily-resident test or the physical-presence test (broadly, more than 91 days in the current year and each of the previous five, and more than 915 days total across those five years). Tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, though South Africa's double-tax agreements with many countries, along with specific exemptions, generally prevent the same income being taxed twice.
Pension income, annuities and investment income are all treated differently depending on their source and structure, so it is worth talking to a cross-border tax adviser before the move, not after.
If part of your income will be the UK State Pension, bear in mind that it will not go up each year while you live in South Africa. The UK pays the yearly increase only to pensioners living in the countries on this gov.uk list, and South Africa is not one of them.
Further reading: Retiring to South Africa from the UK on Rory Phillips Wealth (the founder’s own planning practice) explains the pension, tax and currency questions a UK retiree faces, in plain English and without advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the income requirement for South Africa's Retired Person's Visa?
You must show either a pension, irrevocable annuity or retirement account from your country of origin that will pay a set monthly minimum for the rest of your life, or a net worth made up of assets that realise that amount each month. Home Affairs currently lists R37,000 a month, but the Minister can change it, so confirm the figure before you apply. There is no minimum age, but you must intend to retire in South Africa.
How much does it cost to retire in South Africa?
For a single person living comfortably, typical monthly costs include roughly R9,000 to R22,000 for rent in a mid-range suburb, R2,500 to R6,000 or more for private medical aid, R3,500 to R6,000 for groceries, R1,200 to R2,500 for utilities and backup power, and R1,500 to R4,000 for transport. For retirees drawing income in dollars, pounds or euros, South Africa is comparatively inexpensive.
Where do most foreign retirees settle in South Africa?
Cape Town and the Atlantic Seaboard or Southern Suburbs are the most popular choice, though also the most expensive. Other popular areas include the Garden Route towns of Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and George for lower property prices, Hermanus and the Overberg for a slower pace near Cape Town, and the KwaZulu-Natal coast around Ballito and Umhlanga for a warmer climate and lower cost of living.
Will I have to pay tax in South Africa as a retiree?
You may become a South African tax resident under SARS's ordinarily-resident test or physical-presence test, broadly more than 91 days in the current year and each of the previous five, and more than 915 days total across those five years. Tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, though double-tax agreements and specific exemptions generally prevent the same income being taxed twice. A cross-border tax adviser is recommended before the move.
How much does the Retired Person's Visa cost and how long does it take?
Home Affairs lists a fee of R425 for the retired person visa (August 2026) and a turnaround time of 120 working days, which applies only to applications lodged inside South Africa. For an application made abroad, ask your mission or VFS centre what to expect. The visa can run for up to four years at a time and can be renewed.
General information only, not immigration/tax/legal/financial advice: confirm current rules and consult a qualified professional.