Technical article

Retiring in Africa: What 13 Governments Say You Need

What does each country ask of a retired foreigner?

By Neil Solomon · 7 min read

Picture a couple named Ron and Alice. Both are 62. They have a pension and some savings, and they have been reading about Africa. Mauritius, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania. They want one simple answer to one simple question. What does each country ask of a retired foreigner?

There is no simple answer, and that is the story. Some countries have a permit made for retirees. Some have a general residence permit that retirees can use. Some have nothing I could find on an official page. I went to the government pages for each one. Where a page gave a figure, I give it. Where two pages from the same government disagree, I show both and do not pick.

The countries with a permit made for retirees

Mauritius. The residency site says any non-citizen who is 50 or older can apply. The permit lasts 10 years and can be renewed. Applying is free. You pay only if you are approved. Then the pages split. One page says US$1,500 a month, or US$18,000 a year. Another page says US$2,000 a month, or US$24,000 a year. One page says you can ask for a 20-year permanent permit after 3 years. The other says after 5 years. Both pages show the same last-changed date, 8 December 2025. I cannot tell you which is the current rule. Ask the Economic Development Board in writing before you plan around either number. You may invest in a business, but you may not be employed by it or draw a salary from it. Public hospitals charge foreigners a fee.

Tanzania. Mainland Tanzania has a residence permit called Class C-2, "Retired persons." You must be 55 or older and have "an assured income to sustain them and their dependents." The fee is US$500. It is US$250 for citizens of the East African Community and US$250 for the diaspora. The page does not say how much income counts, or how long the permit lasts. Foreigners staying more than 90 days must hold a residence permit. Zanzibar runs its own immigration. No official Zanzibar page was found, so nothing is said about it.

South Africa. The Retired Person Visa asks for a pension of at least ZAR 37,000 a month. An irrevocable retirement annuity of the same value counts, and so does a net worth that produces that much. It is issued for four years at a time and can be renewed. The page states no minimum age. The fee is where it gets messy. The embassy in Canberra lists AUD 37. A Washington document dated April 2024 lists US$36. A later embassy file, "updated as of 2 Apr 2026," lists US$55. That is left open. The Home Affairs site itself would not load for me, so these figures come from embassy pages.

Kenya. The permit is Class K, "Ordinary residents." The word retirement is not on it. The link to retirees is the income rule: at least US$24,000 a year from sources such as a pension or annuity, in your own right. Foreign income has to be sent to Kenya and documented. You must be at least 35. The page does not say how long the permit lasts or whether you may work.

Rwanda. The permit is for "a retired foreigner who does not intend to be employed in Rwanda." It lasts up to two years and costs RWF 150,000. You need a retirement certificate, a police clearance from the country you lived in for the last six months, a Rwandan bank statement, and local medical insurance from Rwanda. The page gives no age and no income figure.

The countries where retirees use a general permit

Seychelles. The residence permit page does not say "retirement." It lists a permit fee of SCR 150,000 for five years for the main applicant, SCR 75,000 for a spouse and SCR 25,000 for each child, plus SCR 1,000 to process. You must show your financial status, including a bank confirmation, and give a bank guarantee of at least SCR 20,000. You must be in the country at least five days in each twelve months. You may not work. You get no free medical care or social benefits. No age or income figure appears on the page.

Cabo Verde. The 2014 residence law gives a temporary permit for two years, renewable. It counts pensions as regular income, and lists people who have retired among those who may hold permanent residence. A government page called "Estrangeiro reformado" (retired foreigner) lists a fee of CVE 6,400. It asks for proof of means, a pension declaration, a police record certificate, and a promise to cover your own medical costs. No age and no income figure appears. The law text was read from a scanned bulletin, so check the exact wording.

Morocco. The 2003 immigration law gives a registration card for 1 to 10 years, renewable. A "visitor" must prove he can live on his own resources and must not do work that needs authorization. A residence card needs at least four years of lawful, unbroken stay. The card is treated as expired after more than two years outside Morocco. I read the law through a copy hosted by a foreign government, because the Moroccan sites would not load. Later changes are left open.

Tunisia. The government procedures portal has a residence card for retired foreigners who do no paid work. You bring proof that your pension is paid regularly "or any other source of income," proof of where you will live, your passport and photos. The page gives no age, no amount and no price.

Zambia. Immigration says a foreigner with "intention to retire in Zambia" who can show sufficient funds, such as a pension, an irrevocable annuity or a retirement account, can get a residence permit. The page also says a residence permit "confers permanent residence." The age, the amount and the fee for retirees are not on the page. The fee table lists ZMW 20,000 for a private-sector permit. It does not say that is the retirement fee, so I do not use it.

Where no retirement permit was found

• Namibia. The Home Affairs page covers permanent residence. The fee is NAD 20,000. It asks for "proof of financial resources," with no minimum. No retirement permit is named.
• Botswana. The residence permit page covers dependants, students, immigrants and spouses of citizens. Retirees are not listed. Immigrants must show proof of support and a bank statement. Processing takes up to 30 working days.
• Ghana. The immigration service lists indefinite residence, work permits and others. No retiree permit. No figures.
• Egypt, Senegal, Zanzibar. An official page that says anything on this could not be reached.