Move to South Africa on Your Own Means
Three routes cover people who move on their own means. Which one fits depends on your income, your capital and whether you will run a business here.
Each route asks for different proof and gives different rights.
The Retired Person Visa is a temporary visa for people with a guaranteed income, such as a pension, or a prescribed net worth. The Financially Independent Permit grants permanent residence directly on proven net worth, and it places no bar on working. The Business Visa is for people who invest in and run a business in South Africa.
The financial thresholds for all three are set by Government Gazette notice and change over time, so we confirm the current figures with you at consultation. We check which route you qualify for before you commit.
The three routes compared
- Yes Business Visa Temporary, built on a capital investment
- No Do you want permanent residence from the start?
- No Retired Person Visa Temporary, on a pension or on net worth
- Yes Is your income a life-long pension or annuity?
Retired Person Visa
A temporary, renewable visa for people with a guaranteed income, such as a pension or annuity, or a prescribed net worth. Work is not a right on this visa.
Learn more →Financially Independent Permit
Permanent residence under Section 27(f) on proof of a prescribed net worth, with no temporary visa needed first. Holders may work or run a business.
Learn more →Business Visa
For people who invest a prescribed amount of capital in a South African business and employ South African staff. It can lead to permanent residence under Section 27(c).
Learn more →Sources
South African immigration is decided by the Department of Home Affairs. These are the official pages behind what you have just read, so you can check it against the source rather than take our word for it.
- Department of Home Affairs: immigration services
Authoritative for visa and permit categories, requirements and application channels.
Guided by our team in Cape Town
Every page here is maintained by Intergate Immigration’s client managers in Cape Town, the same people who handle your case from the free assessment to approval.
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Questions people ask
Can I work on these routes?
It depends on the route. On the Retired Person Visa work is not a right, although Home Affairs can authorise it case by case. The Financially Independent Permit is permanent residence and places no bar on work: you may consult, sit on a board, run a business or take a job. The Business Visa lets you work in the business you invest in.
What is the difference between the Retired Person Visa and the Financially Independent Permit?
The Retired Person Visa is a temporary visa that qualifies on a guaranteed income or on net worth, renewed while you keep meeting the requirements. The Financially Independent Permit is permanent residence from the start, granted on proven net worth and a once-off prescribed payment, with no temporary visa needed first.
Can a retiree get permanent residence?
Yes, through one of three routes. A life-long pension or annuity qualifies under Section 27(e), proven net worth under Section 27(f), and five years of marriage or life partnership with a South African citizen or permanent resident under Section 26(b). Holding a Retired Person Visa does not by itself entitle you to permanent residence, which is always a separate application.
Can my spouse or life partner and I combine our incomes?
No. For the Retired Person Visa each applicant has to meet the requirement in their own right, so two pensions cannot be added together to reach it. A spouse or life partner who does not qualify alone can apply for an accompanying visa, which carries no right to work.
Do I have to invest in South Africa?
Only for the Business Visa, which rests on a prescribed capital investment in a South African business. In some sectors that amount can be reduced on a recommendation from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. The Retired Person Visa and the Financially Independent Permit need no investment and no job creation.
Speak with our South African team.
A focused conversation about your case, before any money is spent.