Fiji retirement permit (assured income)

Applicants must be 45 or over and be retirees receiving a regular pension or retirement income from overseas, or people with assets or a reliable source of income outside Fiji sufficient to support themselves and any dependants. They must meet the character and health requirements through the police clearance and medical report, and intend to live in Fiji without engaging in employment.

People under 45, people who cannot show sufficient assets or income from abroad, people who fail the health or character requirements, people who intend to work, operate a business or take employment, and people who have breached Fiji's immigration laws, for example by overstaying, giving false information or ignoring previous permit conditions, are not eligible.

A request letter, a certified photo taken within three months, a certified passport bio page and the current immigration arrival stamp, the latest offshore bank statement (translated), a retirement scheme statement as proof of pension, a certified police report from the country of residence issued within one year, a medical report within three months in which the medical officer declares whether you are fit to reside in Fiji, and the residence terms and conditions.

Dependants supply their own photos, police reports if 18 or over, medical reports, passport copies, residence terms and conditions and certified marriage or birth certificates. Dependants on a permit are strictly limited to a legal spouse and children under 18. De facto partners and children over 18 who want to live with the principal applicant must apply separately for a co-extensive residence permit.

The permit runs for three years. Six months are issued initially, and the balance of two and a half years is issued once you remit FJD 100,000 to Fiji or buy property worth FJD 100,000 or more. Residence permits can be renewed where the category allows, with the application made before the existing permit expires.

The base fee is FJD 650.05 for the primary applicant and FJD 185.00 per dependant, paid online. All permit applications are lodged online through the IMMI HUB portal and paid online by M-PAiSA, Visa or Mastercard, with service fees of 2% (M-PAiSA) or 2.5% (Mastercard) charged by the providers. Documents that need an English translation must be translated and notarised in the applicant's country of residence; certification is by a notary public, commissioner of oaths or lawyer, or attestation by the foreign ministry of the issuing country. Progress is tracked in the portal, and the ministry answers enquiries only after 30 working days for permits and 21 working days for visas.

A residence permit holder must comply with the terms and conditions of the permit, and employment is not permitted unless specifically authorised. A permit may be cancelled or revoked if the holder breaches immigration law or the permit conditions. A security bond may be required before a permit is granted. The state forfeits it if the holder breaches permit conditions or stays without lawful authority after the permit expires. A cash bond is refunded only when the holder has left Fiji, changed permits, been granted exemption status or acquired Fiji citizenship; the refund application has a standard processing period of 21 working days.