Updated
RES-PASSIVE-12
BRIDGES GLOBAL · Residency for the financially independent
Residency for the financiallyindependent
A section for people who live on their own income: dividends, rent, interest or a pension. No investment is required — the state looks at how stable your income is and where it comes from. The catalog holds 12 programs from Portugal to Indonesia: we match the country to your budget, schedule and tax picture.
- Income, presence and taxes assessed before filing
- Our own lawyers in every jurisdiction
- Over 8,000 cases in 20 years
01 / Who it is for
Who receives this status
The common requirement across the section is income that does not depend on an employer in the country of status. Beyond that, countries differ in thresholds, the right to work and presence requirements.
Rentiers and investors
You live on dividends, interest or rental income. The status is proven with statements and contracts, not an office and staff.
Retirees
A pension counts as income in most programs of the section — from Portugal and Spain to Thailand and Malaysia.
Families
A spouse and minor children join a single application. In some countries parents can be added as well.
Owners of foreign businesses
Income from a company outside the country of status qualifies, as long as you stay out of its local labor market.
02 / Catalog
12 programs for living on your own income
Thresholds are the minimum income or funds required per main applicant. Governments set and change them without notice — we confirm the figures as of the date you contact us.
- Income
- from €920/mo
- Timeline
- 4-6 months
- Pension, dividends, rent and interest all qualify
- Working in Portugal is allowed
- Path to PR and citizenship after 5 years
- Funds
- from €28,800/yr
- Next
- PR after 5 years
- A status without the right to work in Spain
- Spouse, children and parents can join
- Renewals lead to long-term EU status
- Income
- from €31,000/yr
- Next
- PR after 5 years
- Passive income from foreign sources
- Employment is not allowed
- Long-term EU status after 5 years
- Funds
- from €1,867/mo
- Timeline
- 2-3 months
- An official status for the financially independent
- No language requirement at the start
- Citizenship after 5 years of actual residence
- Income
- from €2,000/mo
- Card
- 2 years
- Residency without investment or buying a home
- Income from foreign sources
- Visa-free Schengen travel
- Income
- from €2,617/mo
- Next
- PR after 5 years
- Few slots — applications go in the first days of January
- Spouse and children in one application
- Long-term EU residence after 5 years
- Status
- permanent
- Basis
- income from abroad
- Permanent residence from day one, not years later
- Only income earned outside Cyprus
- Spouse and children in one application
- Income
- from €50,000/yr
- Threshold
- per person
- An English-speaking country with no language exam
- Income is counted for every family member
- Permission renewed annually
- Visa
- 5 years at once
- Tax
- 0% on personal income
- A renewable visa for those who have stepped back from work
- Several qualifying routes to choose from
- Spouse and children sponsored by the applicant
- Status
- one year of stay
- Renewal
- in-country
- The deposit remains your money
- Living costs below European levels
- Renewal inside Thailand, no new visa
- Status
- up to 20 years
- Presence
- 90 days a year
- Tiers with different thresholds and terms
- Half of the deposit can be used
- Family joins the application
- Deposit
- $130,000
- Status
- 5 or 10 years
- The deposit in an Indonesian bank stays yours
- Spouse and children stay for the full term
- Foreign income untaxed subject to residency rules
Thresholds and requirements are set by governments and change without notice — we confirm the terms as of the date you contact us. Eligibility for any program is determined after a review of the applicant’s initial data.
Did not find your country
We will review your case and tell you what fits
Twenty minutes of conversation save months: we align your income, its source, family composition and schedule — and name the programs you can realistically pass.
03 / Before you choose
Four questions before choosing a country
The programs of this section only look alike at first glance. These four points rule out unsuitable countries faster than comparing thresholds.
What income is recognized
Some countries accept only passive income, others also a salary from abroad. Either way, the source must be proven with documents.
How many days you must stay
From 90 days a year in Malaysia to actually relocating in Austria and Spain. A status you cannot maintain is of no use.
Whether you can work
Most programs in the section prohibit local employment. Portugal is the main exception: working is allowed.
What happens to your taxes
Days of presence and your center of vital interests create tax residency. We model the consequences before filing, not after.
04 / Comparison
The section’s programs in one table
Key terms for a quick comparison. The full table of all residency programs is one click below: your selection is stored in the URL, so the link can be shared.
| Country | Program | Threshold | What the status gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | D7 Visa | from €920/mo | PR and citizenship after 5 years |
| Spain | Non-Lucrative Visa | from €28,800/yr | PR after 5 years |
| Italy | Elective Residence | from €31,000/yr | PR after 5 years |
| France | Visitor Visa | from €1,867/mo | Citizenship after 5 years of residence |
| Greece | FIP Residence | from €2,000/mo | A 2-year renewable card |
| Austria | Income-based residence | from €2,617/mo | PR after 5 years, annual quota |
| Cyprus | Permanent residence for financially independent persons | income from abroad | Immediate permanent residence |
| Ireland | Stamp 0 | from €50,000/yr per person | Annually renewable permission |
| UAE | Retirement Residence | several routes | 5-year visa, 0% tax |
| Thailand | Retirement Visa | deposit or income | A year with in-country renewal |
| Malaysia | MM2H | depends on the tier | Status up to 20 years |
| Indonesia | Second Home Visa | $130,000 deposit | Status for 5 or 10 years |
A status for living on your own income is chosen not by the threshold, but by where your family is ready to spend time. That is why we start with your geography, not with the catalog.
05 / Why BRIDGES
Why clients come to BRIDGES
The requirements are the same for everyone — governments set them. Only the quality of support differs.
We read your income like an inspector
These programs rest on provable income. We review the documents before filing the way the migration service will — and close the weak spots in advance.
We count presence and taxes
Before you choose a country, we show how many days you will need to spend there and what happens to your family’s tax residency.
The family in one application
We assemble the file for everyone at once: spouse, children and, where the program allows, parents.
Over 8,000 cases in 20 years
In practice since 2004. We know how the authorities actually work, not just the letter of the law — and we say honestly when a program is not right for you.
Free
The “How to choose a program” guide
An interactive guide: six questions that narrow the catalog down to two to four suitable directions.
- How many days a year you will need to spend in the country
- What makes up the budget and what affects the timeline
- What is checked about the applicant before filing
06 / Q & A
Frequently asked questions
Stable and provable income: dividends, interest, rental income, a pension, contract payments. A salary for remote work belongs to the neighboring section — digital nomad visas. The key requirement is the same everywhere: the income must be documented and must not depend on an employer in the country of status.
In most programs of the section — no: the status is issued specifically as “without the right to work”. The main exception is Portugal’s D7, where both employment and your own business are allowed. If you need to work locally, it is more honest to look at business routes or programs for specialists.
A spouse and minor children almost everywhere. In some countries the applicant’s parents can join as well. The income threshold grows accordingly: in Ireland, for example, the requirement is counted per person.
European programs — as a rule, yes: five years of residence open long-term status and later citizenship. Asian programs — Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia — give a long stay but create no path to citizenship.
Not necessarily. Authorities look at the whole picture: assets, savings, stability of income, family composition. Sometimes the right move is a neighboring country with a different threshold. Eligibility is determined after a review of your initial data — before filing, not after a refusal.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Tell us what outcome your family needs
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
