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Retired People

This page explains how retired people may be able to apply to come to live in the United Kingdom if they are financially independent.

You may be able to apply to come to live in the United Kingdom if you are what is known as a retired person of independent means. This means you are financially independent and do not need or intend to support yourself or add to your income by working, and do not need to depend on anyone else to support you.

To be able to apply, you must:

  • be at least 60 years old;
  • have a minimum disposable income of £25,000 a year under your control in the United Kingdom (we explain what this means below);
  • be willing and able to maintain yourself and any dependants indefinitely in the United Kingdom entirely from your own resources and without working or any help from public funds (see Rights and responsibilities for more information on what this means); and
  • demonstrate a close connection with the United Kingdom (we explain what this means below).

If you currently live outside the United Kingdom, you and your dependants must obtain permission to enter the United Kingdom before travelling here. We call this permission ?entry clearance?. It will be in the form of a visa or entry clearance certificate. To obtain it, you should apply to the British diplomatic post in the country where you live. For information about visas, see our visa services website.

If you currently live in the United Kingdom with permission to stay here under another category, you may be able to switch to the retired persons category if you meet the requirements given above. You may only do this if you already have permission to stay as:

To switch into the retired persons category, you must complete form BUS to extend your stay in the United Kingdom under the new category. See the section on working in United Kingdom for furtherinformation on doing this.

What is meant by income?

This must be actual income. It is not enough to show a capital sum of several hundred thousand pounds and say it will produce £25,000 a year in interest. You must:

  • be able to bring into the United Kingdom not less than £25,000, net of any overseas tax;
  • be able to use the money freely and no-one else should have a controlling interest in it; and
  • be able to freely transfer all the income to the United Kingdom and convert it to sterling. If we have any doubt about your ability to transfer the money to the United Kingdom, we may ask for evidence of this, such as a letter from the bank or authorities concerned.

Income that belongs to your husband, wife or civil partner, or to both of you jointly, may be counted as under your own control, as long as both of you are applying to come to this country at the same time.

Do my dependants have to be over 60 years of age as well?

No. But, they must not work in the United Kingdom.

Can I do any work at all?

No. You must not be employed in any capacity or take an active interest in the running of any business in the United Kingdom or any other country. You can do a limited amount of voluntary charity work, provided it is unpaid and part-time.

What is a close connection with the United Kingdom?

The two main, usual connections are:

  • close relatives already settled here, such as parents, children, brothers or sisters; or
  • long periods of previous residence here that are relatively recent.

Extra factors that may be taken into account as part of a close connection (although they do not show a close connection on their own) are:

  • longstanding ownership of substantial property in the United Kingdom;
  • long periods of employment by the Government of the United Kingdom or a British overseas territory;
  • employment with a United Kingdom company involving frequent business trips to this country;
  • past service to the United Kingdom resulting in the establishment of close contacts with this country; or
  • letters of support from eminent British citizens.

British status that is not full British citizenship (such as British subject status, British overseas citizenship, British overseas territories citizenship, or British protected person status) is not considered a close connection with the United Kingdom.

Can I retain my home abroad?

Yes, but your main home must be in the United Kingdom . You must not retain a home outside the United Kingdom as the main residence and only spend short periods of time in the United Kingdom . You should confirm your intention either orally or in writing. Further checks may subsequently be made should you spend significant periods of time abroad having entered the United Kingdom as a retired person of independent means.

How long will I be allowed to stay in the United Kingdom?

If you qualify, permission to enter or stay in the United Kingdom will normally be granted for five years. After that time you may be able to apply for permission to stay permanently (we call this ?indefinite leave to remain).

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Terms explained

  • British citizenship

    British citizenship is given to people who have a close connection with the United Kingdom, which includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. A close connection may be by birth, adoption, descent, marriage, registration or naturalisation.

  • British overseas citizen

    British overseas citizenship is a category of British citizenship that was gained by certain residents of Hong Kong on 30 June 1997, when sovereignty of Hong Kong returned to China.

  • British overseas territories citizen

    You will be a British overseas territories citizen if you are connected with a British overseas territory because you or your parents were born, registered or naturalised in that British overseas territory. If you were born before 1 January 1983, you may gain the citizenship through your grandparents. (See British overseas territory.)

  • British protected person

    This is a form of British nationality held by a resident of a former British protectorate who did not take the citizenship of the country to which he/she belonged before it stopped being a protectorate. See the page Who is a British protected person? for more information.

  • British subject

    Until 1949, nearly everyone with a close connection to the United Kingdom was called a British subject. All citizens of Commonwealth countries were British subjects until January 1983. Since that date, very few categories of people have qualified as British subjects. It is a form of British nationality.

  • Indefinite leave to remain

    Indefinite leave to remain (often known as ILR) is permission to stay permanently (settle) in the United Kingdom, free from immigration control.

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