Three European countries ranked among the five most attractive global destinations for retirees this year, based on their high quality of life, tax efficiency, and safety.
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Rising life expectancies and improved options to move abroad are fuelling so-called "retirement migration". Unsure of where to spend your 'golden years'? According to the 2025 Global Retirement Report, the best countries to relocate to are Portugal, Mauritius, and Spain, followed by Uruguay and Austria. Compiled by Global Citizen Solutions, the report lists 44 destinations, only including those with official retirement visa programmes.
"International retirement migration is shifting from a niche choice to a mainstream one for people prioritising quality of life, safety, affordability, and stability," Dr. Laura Madrid, lead researcher of the study, told Euronews Business.
When it comes to retirement visa programmes, more than 36% of all opportunities are available in the Americas and nearly 32% in Europe, according to the report. However, it found that these programmes have also started to appear in Asia and Africa.
The countries offering visa schemes were scored out of 100, based on factors like ease of relocation, cost of living, and tax benefits for retirees.
Most nations featured in the report have implemented several measures to boost the comfort of their citizens, with over 70% of them boasting above-average healthcare, top-level environmental standards, as well as ranking highly for wellbeing.
The majority, 93%, also offer clear pathways to citizenship, with half of the countries allowing applicants to acquire citizenship in five years or less.
In an effort to attract high-net-worth individuals, nearly two-thirds of the countries, 61%, offer tailored tax benefits for retirees, including Greece, Malta and Cyprus.
Application costs and safety are also priorities in approximately two-thirds of these programmes, with European countries, including France, Portugal, Spain, and Austria, scoring highly here.
Which countries are the best to retire in and why?
Overall, European countries stand out in the ranking thanks to their high quality of life, good healthcare, and environmental standards. Added to this, if you have a residence visa for a Schengen country, you can travel freely across all 27 Schengen countries for short stays.
Within the bloc, Southern Europe appears to have won the race with its special tax regimes coupled with a Mediterranean lifestyle.
“With 32% of global retirement visa options, Europe leads on healthcare, safety, and integration, while southern hubs like Portugal, Spain, and Greece add mild climates, manageable costs, and retiree-friendly passive income visas," Madrid said.
According to the report, Portugal tops the overall list of the most favourable retirement visa schemes across the globe.
"Portugal tops our 2025 Global Retirement Index as the D7 visa is one of Europe's most sought-after passive income visas," said Adalberto Pucca, head of global mobility services at Global Citizen Solutions.
"Its appeal stems from a combination of accessible entry requirements and a clear pathway to Portuguese permanent residency and citizenship," he added.
"Beyond the visa itself, Portugal offers compelling fundamentals that matter most to retirees: a significantly lower cost of living compared to other Western European countries, excellent healthcare infrastructure, credible tax planning... a mild climate with strong environmental scores, one of Europe’s safest societies and an exceptional quality of life."
Another highly-ranked country is Spain, named the third-best destination for retirees, while Austria is considered the fifth-best option across the globe. Western European countries are often preferred for their world-class public healthcare systems, with countries like France, Austria, and Spain, standing out.
Destinations on the other side of the Atlantic are also considered good choices due to their tax efficiency and lower cost of living for foreigners.
Countries in the Americas offer generous tax exemptions for foreign-sourced income, while the cost of living is generally lower than in Europe.
Latin American destinations — such as Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina — are known for granting permanent residency either immediately or after short periods, whereas places in the Caribbean and Central America like Panama, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Nicaragua often provide immediate tax relief for retirees and broad exemptions on foreign-sourced income.
Asian programmes, including those in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, offer a mix of warm weather all year round and relatively low income requirements coupled with easy visa renewals.
At African destinations like Mauritius and Cape Verde, simple tax systems and explicit exemptions on foreign pensions are coupled with a multicultural environment.
Many countries are eager to welcome international retirees as these individuals can boost consumer spending, even though locals may suffer if living costs are pushed higher by wealthy expats.
Portugal’s Golden Visa and D7 programmes have collectively generated over €7 billion in foreign direct investment since their inception, much of it channelled directly into the real estate sector. In Spain, similar programmes have attracted more than €4.5bn between 2014 and 2023, although Madrid has now stopped its golden visa programme for real estate investors.
