When it comes to moving overseas, the ability to acquire long-term residency is one of the first considerations you need to make. To retire in Europe, there isn’t always a specific visa aimed at pensioners, but there are some good options..
. Will the country allow you to stay past your tourist visa? For how long? What are the requirements? In Europe, many countries make it difficult or even impossible for non-EU citizens to stay long-term, but there are several that are still viable options, and even a few that have gone out of their way to create residency programs to attract foreigners. All countries in Europe require private health insurance to apply for residency, as well as criminal background checks (with the exception of Italy), but apart from these standard requests, each country has different income or investment requirements to allow non-EU citizens to set up home—some more affordable than others.
Additionally, each different visa requires the resident to spend different amounts of time in the country. Following are 7 countries in Europe where it’s easy to gain residency and retire..
. Retire To Portugal The quickest, easiest, and most affordable country to seek residency in Europe, Portugal has the lowest income requirement on the continent. While the number isn’t set, it’s based on the country’s minimum wage, which is 903 euros (about $950) as of January 2025.
Residency approval is discretionary, though, and having a minimum of 1,200 euros a month (abou.