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Retired Person Visa

South AfricaLiving from your own income

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Is this aimed at retirees, pensioners, financially independent people, passive-income holders or another profile?

The retired person visa is aimed at a foreigner who intends to retire in the Republic; it may be issued for a period exceeding three months on proof of the prescribed retirement means.

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Which types of income/assets are accepted according to the official source?

Two alternative forms of means count: (a) the right to a pension, an irrevocable annuity or a retirement account which will give the foreigner a prescribed minimum payment for the rest of his or her life from the country of origin; or (b) a minimum prescribed net worth. The minimum payment is a monthly amount set by the Minister in the Gazette; the net worth is a combination of assets realising, per month, the amount set by the Minister in the Gazette.

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What income, savings or financial-resources threshold applies and how does family affect it where officially specified?

The threshold is set by the Minister by notice in the Gazette. The official Gazette notice (GN 451 of 3 June 2014) determines the minimum payment per month from a pension or irrevocable annuity or retirement account as R37,000.00 and the minimum net worth as R37,000.00. The Regulations state no family or dependant adjustment to either amount.

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Can the holder work locally, run a business or perform other economic activity? What is the family position?

The holder of a retired person visa may be authorised by the Director-General to conduct work under terms and conditions as the Director-General may deem fit to determine under the circumstances. The spouse and dependent children accompanying the holder may be issued with an appropriate visa issued in terms of the Act.

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How long is the status granted, what is required for renewal, what physical-presence obligations matter, and what longer-term residence direction exists?

A retired person visa may allow its holder to sojourn in the Republic on a seasonal or continuous basis and may not exceed a four-year period, at the expiry of which it may be renewed one or more times, subject to subsection (1). The Act does not state a physical-presence obligation for this visa. Longer-term residence direction: section 27(e) provides for permanent residence for a foreigner who intends to retire in the Republic and proves the right to a pension or irrevocable annuity or retirement account with a prescribed minimum payment, or a minimum prescribed net worth.

See recorded sources
  • Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No. 13 of 2002), section 20(3)
    A retired person visa may - (a) allow its holder to sojourn in the Republic on a seasonal or continuous basis; and (b) not exceed a four-year period, at the expiry of which it may be renewed one or more times, subject to subsection (1).
  • Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No. 13 of 2002), section 27(e)
    intends to retire in the Republic, provided that such foreigner proves to the satisfaction of the Director-General that he or she- (i) has the right to a pension or an irrevocable annuity or retirement account which will give such foreigner a prescribed minimum payment for the rest of his or her life; or (ii) has a minimum prescribed net worth

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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