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Guide

Southeast Asia Long-Stay Visas for US Retirees and Nomads: Deposits, Income, Status, Health Cover

This guide compares the main retirement and long-stay routes in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Cambodia for US passport holders. It covers the deposit and income tests, whether each status is renewable or permanent, the health cover rules, and the day counts that make you a tax resident.

Angkor Wat reflected in its moat at Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Photo by Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Published: 2026-10-16 · Last verified: 2026-10-16 · Numbers apply to US passport holders

Rules change. Confirm the current rules with the official sources linked below before you apply, pay a fee, or book travel around a date in this guide.

The short version

Of the six countries, only the Philippines offers a retirement status that is indefinite from day one: the Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV). Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia all offer renewable long stays. Indonesia is the only one where retirement time adds up to permanent residence, after 5 consecutive years. Vietnam has no retirement route at all. The deposit tests run from USD 1,500 for some groups in the Philippines to USD 1,000,000 for Malaysia's top MM2H tier.

Thailand: a deposit or income test every year

The Thailand retirement extension for applicants aged 50 and over, which is also the test for the O-A, asks for one of three things: THB 800,000 on deposit in a Thai bank, income of THB 65,000 per month, or deposit and income that add up to THB 800,000. THB 65,000 a month works out to THB 780,000 a year, which is under THB 800,000, but the income test is a standalone alternative to the deposit, so an applicant relying on income alone at exactly that level needs no deposit at all. For the 90 day Non-Immigrant O retirement visa, the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, DC asks for one of two things: a closing balance of at least USD 30,000 in each of the last three months, or monthly income of at least USD 2,500. The O visa costs USD 80, the O-A costs USD 200, and each 1 year extension costs THB 1,900.

The O-X long stay visa needs more money. You need either THB 3,000,000 on fixed deposit, or THB 1,800,000 plus fixed annual income of at least THB 1,200,000 (THB 100,000 per month). On the second option the deposit has to reach THB 3,000,000 within 1 year. The fee at US posts is USD 400, and the structure allows up to 10 years in total.

The Long-Term Resident (LTR) Wealthy Pensioner visa uses passive income instead of a deposit. You need at least USD 80,000 a year from pensions, rent, dividends, interest, or realized gains, which works out to about USD 6,667 a month. Applicants with USD 40,000 to under USD 80,000 a year must also invest USD 250,000 in Thailand. Earned income does not count. For remote workers, the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) asks for THB 500,000 in financial evidence and allows 180 days per entry, extendable once by up to 180 days.

Status: none of these routes is permanent. Retirement is not one of the Immigration Bureau's permanent residence categories, and DTV time does not count toward it.

Malaysia: large fixed deposits, a property purchase, no permanent residence

The federal MM2H program in Malaysia has no monthly income test. The test is a fixed deposit plus a compulsory property purchase, and the tiers are:

On every federal tier, up to 50 percent of the deposit can be withdrawn for property, medical care, education, and tourism spending in Malaysia. The two state programs add an income test. Sarawak MM2H requires a RM500,000 deposit, of which at least RM250,000 must stay in place, plus one of three proofs: pension or offshore income of RM10,000 per month (RM120,000 per year), or savings of RM100,000. The pension and income figures rise to RM15,000 per month with dependents, and the savings figure to RM200,000. Sabah MM2H requires RM500,000 held in a state trust fund, offshore income of RM10,000 per month for a single applicant, and a high-rise property of at least RM600,000.

Status: MM2H does not lead to permanent residence. In February 2025 the Tourism Minister told Parliament that participants under the current program cannot apply. For nomads, the DE Rantau Nomad Pass asks for remote income of USD 24,000 a year (USD 2,000 a month) for tech talent or USD 60,000 for non-tech talent. Total stay is capped at 24 months.

Indonesia: the only retirement clock that counts toward permanent residence

The Retirement KITAS (E33F) in Indonesia is for applicants aged 55 or over. The retirement regulation sets the income bar at USD 1,500 per month (USD 18,000 per year). The current portal checklist has been reproduced as asking for USD 3,000 per month, so plan for the higher figure. The application also requires a bank statement showing at least USD 2,000 over the last 3 months, life or health insurance, and proof of accommodation. Each grant runs 1 year, and a 2 year grant is also offered. After 5 consecutive years you can convert to a permanent stay permit (KITAP), which is valid 5 years at a time and renewable without limit.

The Second Home Visa (E33) skips the income test. Instead you place IDR 2,000,000,000 (about USD 130,000) in an account in your own name at an Indonesian state owned bank and show it to immigration within 90 days. The 5 year visa costs IDR 21,000,000. For nomads, the remote worker visa (E33G) asks for at least USD 60,000 a year from a company outside Indonesia, or USD 5,000 a month.

Philippines: an indefinite status in exchange for a bank deposit

The SRRV Classic from the Philippines Retirement Authority grants indefinite stay with multiple entry for as long as membership and the deposit are maintained. The deposit tiers, under the September 2025 rules, are:

Fees are USD 1,500 for the principal applicant and USD 300 per dependent, plus USD 360 a year. Over 10 years, the annual fee alone adds up to USD 3,600. The Courtesy and Expanded Courtesy tracks cover specific groups, such as former Filipinos and retired military with a pension of at least USD 1,000 a month. Their deposits start at USD 1,500 at age 50 and above. The Digital Nomad Visa under Executive Order No. 86 has been authorized but cannot be issued yet, because no implementing guidelines have been published.

Vietnam and Cambodia: no deposit test, and no permanent residence

Vietnam gives US citizens no visa exemption for the mainland. Phu Quoc Island is the exception, at up to 30 days. The practical long-stay tool is the 90 day e-visa, which costs USD 25 single entry or USD 50 multiple entry. Permanent residence is limited to four cases in Article 39 of the immigration law. For most US citizens the realistic one is sponsorship by a Vietnamese citizen spouse, parent, or child after 3 consecutive years of temporary residence.

Cambodia offers the ER retirement extension for applicants aged 55 or older who show proof of retirement or sufficient savings. No official minimum amount is published. Grants run 1, 3, 6, or 12 months, and agents charge about USD 285 to 290 for 12 months. That is a reported agent price, not an official fee. ER extensions can be renewed indefinitely, but they never lead to permanent residence.

Health cover requirements

Thailand is the clearest case. For the O-A, the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, DC requires health insurance with total cover of at least THB 3,000,000 or USD 100,000 per policy year, including COVID-19, for the whole stay. The O-X requires a Thai insurer with outpatient cover of at least THB 40,000 and inpatient cover of at least THB 400,000. The Thailand Privilege Card states that it has no health insurance requirement.

Indonesia's Retirement KITAS requires life or health insurance. For the SRRV, Philippine embassy guidance lists a medical examination clearance for the principal applicant and each dependent.

Tax residency triggers

Before you apply

Deposit amounts, income bars, and fees change without much notice, and several figures above are flagged as reported rather than published. Before you move money or book flights, confirm every number with the official source linked below for the route you choose. Then check the country pages for the full route list.

Country pages

Official sources

Facts in this guide last verified against the sources: 2026-10-16