The visa routes to South Africa: the retirement visa of R 37,000 a month, permanent residence with R 12 million and the overstay that costs five years
South Africa has no free right of settlement: you live there on a visa. For pensioners that is the retired person visa with an income of R 37,000 a month, valid for four years; whoever shows R 12 million in net worth applies for permanent residence directly. Every route shares two clocks: the renewal at least 60 days before the expiry date, and the overstay that keeps you out of the country for five years beyond thirty days.
5 min read
Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
Yes, you can go and live in South Africa, but only on a visa that fits your income: the retired person visa for whoever shows R 37,000 a month from a pension, annuity or assets, the remote work visa for whoever takes their Dutch work along, the work visas through the points system, or direct permanent residence for whoever has R 12 million in net worth. The fees are modest (R 425 to R 1,520), the waiting time is not: the embassy in The Hague counts up to eight weeks for a residence visa and up to eighteen months for permanent residence. The find is in the regulations themselves: whoever leaves after the expiry date of their visa is declared undesirable, twelve months for at most thirty days late and five years for more. The trap is not a requirement but a date.
Which route fits which income?
| Route | What you show | Validity | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retired person visa (section 20) | R 37,000 a month from a pension, irrevocable annuity or assets | 4 years, renewable | R 425 |
| Remote work visa (section 11(1)(b)(iv)) | gross salary of at least R 650,796 a year with a foreign employer | longer than 3 months up to 3 years | R 425 |
| General or critical skills work visa (section 19) | 100 points, with an employer | at most 5 years | R 1,520 |
| Permanent residence, financially independent (section 27(f)) | R 12 million net worth, certified by a chartered accountant | unlimited, with conditions | R 1,520, plus R 120,000 upon approval |
| Permanent residence as a retired person (section 27(e)) | a pension or annuity that yields the prescribed amount for life | unlimited, with conditions | R 1,520 |
The fees have applied since the Gazette of 17 August 2026, also for a renewal. The work routes are in working in South Africa; this article is about the routes without a South African employer.
What exactly does the retired person visa require?
Home Affairs names the amount itself: R 37,000 a month from a pension, an irrevocable annuity or assets that yield that amount, with no age limit. In the file: form BI-1738, proof of medical cover and a police clearance from every country where you lived for twelve months or longer since your eighteenth birthday, at most six months old. A medical report is no longer needed since 8 July 2026, a radiology report since 2023. Partner and children who come along can get an appropriate visa. There is no income requirement of their own: you sign an affidavit that you support them financially. If your partner wants a retirement visa of their own too, they also show that R 37,000. The embassy in The Hague wants to see the application in person, issues the visa for four years and asks for three months of bank statements plus proof of accommodation.
When is permanent residence the better route?
Two routes under section 27 come about without an employer. Under section 27(f) a chartered accountant certifies a net worth of R 12 million and after approval you pay R 120,000 to the Director-General; under section 27(e) a pension or annuity that yields the prescribed amount for life suffices. Partner and children under 21 qualify through section 27(g). The price is time: the embassy in The Hague names up to eighteen months, for a file with form BI-947, birth certificate, biometrics, police clearances, all original or apostilled. Many households therefore combine: first the retired person visa, the application for permanent residence alongside it.
Permanent residence is not unconditional. Home Affairs withdraws it if you do not take up residence in South Africa within one year of issue, or if you are afterwards absent for more than three years. Whoever stays in the Netherlands for part of the year keeps that clock.
What if I take my Dutch work along?
The remote work visa of 9 October 2024 is a visitor's visa for whoever works in South Africa for a foreign employer, with a gross salary of at least R 650,796 a year, for longer than three months up to three years. Whoever is in South Africa for more than 183 days in twelve months must register with SARS, treaty or not; how that treaty divides your income is in AOW, pension and tax in South Africa. Taking a South African job is not allowed on it.
How long does it take, and where do I submit?
| Application | The Hague (from the appointment) | Within South Africa (working days) |
|---|---|---|
| Retired person visa | up to 8 weeks | 120 days |
| Visitor's visa longer than 3 months, including remote work | up to 8 weeks | 60 days |
| Work visa | up to 8 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Permanent residence | up to 18 months | — |
The first application goes through the embassy in The Hague; a renewal you submit in South Africa, in person and at least 60 days before the expiry date. Home Affairs' turnaround times count in working days and only within South Africa. The exploratory trip from the step-by-step plan needs no visa: a Dutch passport is exempt for up to ninety days.
What happens at one day late?
Regulation 27 of the Immigration Regulations counts the overstay from the expiry date of the last valid visa. Whoever stays at most thirty days too long can be declared undesirable for twelve months; whoever is late for the second time within 24 months, for two years; and whoever stays more than thirty days too long, for five years. That verdict falls on departure, at the border. The expiry date of your visa is therefore the most important date in your diary.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 1 of 5 of the journey, step 1.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to South Africa or go straight to step 1.1 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Department of Home Affairs — the visa types: the retired person visa (R 37,000 a month, proof of medical cover) and the renewal at least 60 days before expiry — dha.gov.za
- Department of Home Affairs — Ministerial Immigration Directive No. 10 of 2026: no medical report for visa and permanent residence (Government Gazette 55016, 17 July 2026) — dha.gov.za
- Department of Home Affairs — permanent residence: sections 26 and 27, form BI-947, and the withdrawal after three years' absence or if you do not take up residence within a year — dha.gov.za
- Department of Home Affairs — the fees per visa (Gazette 55209 of 17 August 2026): visitor's and retired person R 425, work and business visas and permanent residence R 1,520 — dha.gov.za
- Department of Home Affairs — the turnaround times in working days, for applications within South Africa — dha.gov.za
- Immigration Regulations 2014 — regulation 27(3): the length of the declaration as undesirable after an overstay — dha.gov.za
- Department of Home Affairs — the remote work visa (9 October 2024): R 650,796 gross a year, three months to three years, SARS after 183 days — dha.gov.za
- South African Embassy in The Hague — the requirements for the retired person visa: valid four years, submitted in person — zuidafrika.nl
- South African Embassy in The Hague — the processing times: residence visas up to eight weeks, permanent residence up to eighteen months — zuidafrika.nl
- South African Embassy in Washington — permanent residence under section 27(f): R 12 million net worth and R 120,000 upon approval — saembassy.org
- South African Embassy in Washington — the retired person visa (April 2026): the income requirement for the principal applicant, and for partner and children a copy of the principal's visa and an affidavit confirming financial responsibility — saembassy.org
Read on
- South AfricaYour visa5 min
Working in South Africa: 100 points for a work visa, the remote work visa of R 650,796 and the 60 days before your renewal
Working in South Africa is possible in three official ways: a critical skills or general work visa through the 100-point system, a remote work visa for those who keep working for a foreign employer with a gross salary of at least R 650,796 a year, or a business visa. Every work visa costs R 1,520, runs for at most five years and requires a renewal submitted at least 60 days before the expiry date.
Updated 26 September 2026
- United StatesOrientation5 min
The five keys to America: which routes really exist?
There is no general emigration route to the United States. You need a specific key: an employer, a business of your own, extraordinary talent, family, or luck in the lottery. This is what each route demands — and why ESTA is none of them.
Updated 26 September 2026
- DubaiYour visa5 min
The visa routes to Dubai: employer, gold, green or income
No points and no lottery: the UAE right of residence hangs on what you bring. The employer route is the standard, the Golden Visa (10 years) asks for AED 2 million in property or a salary from 30,000 a month, the Green Visa runs on your own income, and there's a route for remote workers and the over-55s. Plus what does not exist: a residence permit without an end date.
Updated 26 September 2026