Veterans in Latin America
Spanish-speaking countries are close to home, share U.S. time zones, and most offer a pensionado visa that a military retirement can qualify for. There are no VA facilities in Latin America, so plan on the Foreign Medical Program and local care.
Latin America side by side
| Country | Key fact | Long stay | Monthly cost (single) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Up to 180 days | Temporary / Permanent | USD 1,500–2,500/mo |
| Costa Rica | Up to 180 days | Pensionado | USD 1,500–2,500/mo |
| Panama | Pensionado | U.S. dollar | USD 1,500–3,000/mo |
| Colombia | 90 days | M-Pensionado | USD 1,200–2,000/mo |
| Ecuador | Jubilado | U.S. dollar | USD 1,200–1,800/mo |
| Dominican Republic | 30 days | Pensionado | USD 1,300–2,200/mo |
| Peru | Rentista | Indefinite | USD 1,200–1,800/mo |
| Belize | English | QRP | USD 1,500–2,500/mo |
| Uruguay | 90 days | Permanent | USD 2,000–3,000/mo |
| Guatemala | 90 days (CA-4) | Rentista / Pensionado | USD 1,200 to 2,000/mo |
| Honduras | 90 days (CA-4) | Pensionado | USD 1,300 to 2,200/mo |
| El Salvador | 90 days (CA-4) | Pensionado / Rentista | USD 1,300 to 2,000/mo |
| Nicaragua | 90 days (CA-4) | Level 3 | USD 1,000 to 1,600/mo |
| Argentina | 90 days | Pensionado | USD 1,800 to 2,800/mo |
| Chile | 90 days | Jubilado / Rentista | USD 1,800 to 2,800/mo |
| Brazil | e-Visa required | VITEM XIV | USD 1,500 to 2,500/mo |
Living in Latin America?
Every country here has its own group in the community. Find vets near you.
Explore Latin America
Mexico
The largest U.S. retiree population abroad, U.S. time zones, and American Legion posts at Lake Chapala and Puerto Vallarta.
Read the guide →
Costa Rica
Pensionado residency at USD 1,000 a month, a mandatory public health system, and a spring-like Central Valley.
Read the guide →
Panama
Uses the U.S. dollar, the famous Pensionado visa with local discounts, and Boquete's cool highlands.
Read the guide →
Colombia
Medellín's mild climate and good hospitals, with a pensionado visa tied to the Colombian minimum wage.
Read the guide →
Ecuador
Uses the U.S. dollar, a low jubilado income bar, and a large expat base in Cuenca.
Read the guide →
Dominican Republic
Caribbean living with a pensionado program under Law 171-07 and a Social Security office in Santo Domingo.
Read the guide →
Peru
An indefinite rentista residency at USD 1,000 a month, with the best care concentrated in Lima.
Read the guide →
Belize
English-speaking, with the Qualified Retired Persons program and duty-free import of household goods.
Read the guide →
Uruguay
Stable and safe by regional standards, with affordable prepaid healthcare, but pricier than its neighbors.
Read the guide →
Guatemala
Colonial Antigua and Lake Atitlán draw retirees with a spring climate, a modest pensionado income bar and an American Legion presence.
Read the guide →
Honduras
English-speaking Roatán and the Bay Islands offer Caribbean diving and direct U.S. flights, with a pensionado option at USD 1,500 a month.
Read the guide →
El Salvador
Uses the U.S. dollar, now rated Level 1 by the State Department, with surf towns and a short flight from the U.S.
Read the guide →
Nicaragua
Granada and San Juan del Sur are very affordable, but arbitrary detentions and denied entries make it a hard place to settle right now.
Read the guide →
Argentina
Buenos Aires culture, Mendoza wine country and Patagonia, with a Social Security office in the capital.
Read the guide →
Chile
Stable institutions, strong private clinics in Santiago, and coastal and lake towns, with a retiree permit that has no fixed income number.
Read the guide →
Brazil
Beaches, big cities and a universal public health system, with a retiree visa at USD 2,000 a month. Americans need an e-visa again.
Read the guide →
Living in Latin America, or planning to?
Each of these 16 countries has its own group in the free community. Ask the vets who already live there.
- 16 country groups in Latin America
- Meetups where vets actually live
- Free for every branch and era
